OUTSTANDING CATEGORY
Rohanna Ramli
Co-Founder & Managing Director
RHR Hospitality Sdn. Bhd. (Formerly known as Residence Hotels & Resorts Sdn Bhd)
Block E, Level 7-01, NEO Damansara,
Jalan PJU 8/1, Damansara Perdana,
47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
+60 3-7729 3711
www.rhrgroup.com.my
In the fast-paced world of hotel management in Malaysia, finding a woman occupying a top position is a rare find, let alone a Malaysian woman.
As the Co-founder and Managing Director of RHR (Residence Hotels and Resorts), Rohanna Ramli shares with us her work ethic and tenacity that have helped develop the values that enabled her to rise to the top.
The Hilton Days
Rohanna Ramli ventured into the world of hospitality back in 1972 when she joined the Hilton Kuala Lumpur as an Assistant Sales Manager, where it provided her with a remarkable training ground for what turned out to be her life’s vocation. With her positive work attitude and diligence, Rohanna was definitely on the fast track to achieving success. After just three years since joining the Hilton Kuala Lumpur, she was chosen among many to attend a Sales Management course in Montreal, Canada.Despite having a young family back then, Rohanna admitted that it wasn’t an easy decision having to juggle her duties as a wife and a mother of a very young child. Nevertheless, with her enthusiasm and unwavering support of her husband, she took up the challenge and that experience turned out to be in her own words, “One of the best experience of my life”.
Climbing the Corporate Ladder
Shortly after Rohanna’s return from Montreal, Canada, she was appointed to be the Acting Sales Manager of the hotel in which she held the position for ten months. However, when the time came to name a permanent replacement, she was disappointed to learn that she was not chosen as she was considered too young for the position being only at the tender age of 26.Naturally, she felt that the decision did not make sense, as after all, she had proven her capabilities helming the duty as the Head of Department for ten months. She then made her feelings clear to the General Manager.
Three months later though, the new Sales Manager had resigned and this provided Rohanna a new ground for growth as she was promoted to the position of Sales Manager. She was soon on her way to the top. By 1981, Rohanna was appointed Director of Sales and eventually she took up the post of Regional Director of Sales for Malaysia.
Realising that she had progressed as far as she could with Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Rohanna was soon looking for new challenges. During then, an opportunity had presented itself when she was head hunted to be the Director of Sales and Marketing at a newly launched hotel, The Pan Pacific.
Rohanna’s tenure at the Pan Pacific stretched over ten years and culminated in her becoming the Hotel’s Deputy General Manager at Puteri Pan Pacific, Johor Bahru. After a total of 20 years being in the industry, she had amassed a wealth of experience and there was just one more thing left on her plate, which was to venture out and make a name for herself.
Fostering a culture of hard work, passion, trust and integrity, Rohanna has managed to bring RHR from inception to what it is today.
Seeking New Opportunities
And so it all began in 1995, Rohanna together with three other partners formed Residence Hotel Management. Within just six years, in 2001 the company changed its name to Residence Hotels & Resorts as a result of its increasing portfolio of clients and gaining recognition not only in Malaysia but also abroad. The company was recognised as being experts in designing, building and managing hotels and resorts. Rohanna further explained, “If land owners wish to build a property, they can approach us for advice and if they would like us to, we can conceptualise the design, build the property and manage it for them.”
One of Rohanna’s proudest moments was in 2006, when she clinched the deal to take over the management of Pan Pacific hotel, the hotel which she had left in order to establish RHR. She then immediately refurbished and revamped the hotel, changing its name to Seri Pacific Hotel. Using her wealth of experience, she managed to link the hotel with the Best Western Premier brand resulting in the rebranding of the hotel to the Best Western Premier Seri Pacific. Rohanna adds “This has given Seri Pacific Hotel’s name and prestige a significant boost as the hotel is now counted as one of the 4,200 hotels under the Best Western Group.”
International Success
RHR has now grown to become one of Malaysia’s leading hotel management companies, with several hotels, resorts, cafes and other stand-alone properties under its wing.
In 2014, RHR rebranded its company to RHR Hospitality where 3 signature brands are created for 5 Star Boutique “The Kahaani”, The Qamar, a 4 Star and RHR Hotel, a business hotel, Sasana & Lanai Kijang in Kuala Lumpur and Sri Kijang in Langkawi. The resorts and corporate cafes owned by some GLC’s.
After just eight short years, RHR made an entry into the international property management industry where it was managing a hotel in Makkah named, Fal Al Saha Hotel. Currently, RHR also has a series of properties in Bali, Indonesia under its portfolio.
Presently, Rohanna said she is content and happy with building RHR’s local portfolio, saying “We first have to gain a lot more confidence from the owners of the properties before they will give you their hotels to manage.”
Fostering a culture of hard work, passion, trust and integrity, Rohanna has managed to bring RHR from inception to what it is today. Its success is testament to the personality and spirit of its Co-founder and Managing Director, the extremely capable and highly motivated Rohanna Ramli, a woman who does not believe in the word “surrender.”
OUTSTANDING CATEGORY
Rohanna Ramli
Co-Founder & Managing Director
In the fast-paced world of hotel management in Malaysia, finding a woman occupying a top position is a rare find, let alone a Malaysian woman.
As the Co-founder and Managing Director of RHR (Residence Hotels and Resorts), Rohanna Ramli shares with us her work ethic and tenacity that have helped develop the values that enabled her to rise to the top.
The Hilton Days
Rohanna Ramli ventured into the world of hospitality back in 1972 when she joined the Hilton Kuala Lumpur as an Assistant Sales Manager, where it provided her with a remarkable training ground for what turned out to be her life’s vocation. With her positive work attitude and diligence, Rohanna was definitely on the fast track to achieving success. After just three years since joining the Hilton Kuala Lumpur, she was chosen among many to attend a Sales Management course in Montreal, Canada.Despite having a young family back then, Rohanna admitted that it wasn’t an easy decision having to juggle her duties as a wife and a mother of a very young child. Nevertheless, with her enthusiasm and unwavering support of her husband, she took up the challenge and that experience turned out to be in her own words, “One of the best experience of my life”.
Climbing the Corporate Ladder
Shortly after Rohanna’s return from Montreal, Canada, she was appointed to be the Acting Sales Manager of the hotel in which she held the position for ten months. However, when the time came to name a permanent replacement, she was disappointed to learn that she was not chosen as she was considered too young for the position being only at the tender age of 26.Naturally, she felt that the decision did not make sense, as after all, she had proven her capabilities helming the duty as the Head of Department for ten months. She then made her feelings clear to the General Manager.
Three months later though, the new Sales Manager had resigned and this provided Rohanna a new ground for growth as she was promoted to the position of Sales Manager. She was soon on her way to the top. By 1981, Rohanna was appointed Director of Sales and eventually she took up the post of Regional Director of Sales for Malaysia.
Realising that she had progressed as far as she could with Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Rohanna was soon looking for new challenges. During then, an opportunity had presented itself when she was head hunted to be the Director of Sales and Marketing at a newly launched hotel, The Pan Pacific.
Rohanna’s tenure at the Pan Pacific stretched over ten years and culminated in her becoming the Hotel’s Deputy General Manager at Puteri Pan Pacific, Johor Bahru. After a total of 20 years being in the industry, she had amassed a wealth of experience and there was just one more thing left on her plate, which was to venture out and make a name for herself.
RHR Hospitality Sdn. Bhd. (Formerly known as Residence Hotels & Resorts Sdn Bhd)
Block E, Level 7-01, NEO Damansara,
Jalan PJU 8/1, Damansara Perdana,
47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
+60 3-7729 3711
www.rhrgroup.com.my
Fostering a culture of hard work, passion, trust and integrity, Rohanna has managed to bring RHR from inception to what it is today.
Seeking New Opportunities
And so it all began in 1995, Rohanna together with three other partners formed Residence Hotel Management. Within just six years, in 2001 the company changed its name to Residence Hotels & Resorts as a result of its increasing portfolio of clients and gaining recognition not only in Malaysia but also abroad. The company was recognised as being experts in designing, building and managing hotels and resorts. Rohanna further explained, “If land owners wish to build a property, they can approach us for advice and if they would like us to, we can conceptualise the design, build the property and manage it for them.”
One of Rohanna’s proudest moments was in 2006, when she clinched the deal to take over the management of Pan Pacific hotel, the hotel which she had left in order to establish RHR. She then immediately refurbished and revamped the hotel, changing its name to Seri Pacific Hotel. Using her wealth of experience, she managed to link the hotel with the Best Western Premier brand resulting in the rebranding of the hotel to the Best Western Premier Seri Pacific. Rohanna adds “This has given Seri Pacific Hotel’s name and prestige a significant boost as the hotel is now counted as one of the 4,200 hotels under the Best Western Group.”
International Success
RHR has now grown to become one of Malaysia’s leading hotel management companies, with several hotels, resorts, cafes and other stand-alone properties under its wing.
In 2014, RHR rebranded its company to RHR Hospitality where 3 signature brands are created for 5 Star Boutique “The Kahaani”, The Qamar, a 4 Star and RHR Hotel, a business hotel, Sasana & Lanai Kijang in Kuala Lumpur and Sri Kijang in Langkawi. The resorts and corporate cafes owned by some GLC’s.
After just eight short years, RHR made an entry into the international property management industry where it was managing a hotel in Makkah named, Fal Al Saha Hotel. Currently, RHR also has a series of properties in Bali, Indonesia under its portfolio.
Presently, Rohanna said she is content and happy with building RHR’s local portfolio, saying “We first have to gain a lot more confidence from the owners of the properties before they will give you their hotels to manage.”
Fostering a culture of hard work, passion, trust and integrity, Rohanna has managed to bring RHR from inception to what it is today. Its success is testament to the personality and spirit of its Co-founder and Managing Director, the extremely capable and highly motivated Rohanna Ramli, a woman who does not believe in the word “surrender.”