It's been quite a ride to Marriott's 'hotel manager of the year' for Ahmad Taher Saleh.
He moved his family from war-torn Ukraine to Kelowna in June 2022 to take the job of managing two hotels across the highway from Kelowna International Airport -- Four Points by Sheraton, which was recently expanded to 175 rooms, and the 140-room Hampton Inn & Suites.
Both hotels are billed as airport hotels for their proximity to YLW, but also appeal to other leisure and business travellers who want easy access to the highway or nearby UBC Okanagan.
Prior to the move to Kelowna, Saleh also had extensive experience with Marriott in the United Arab Emirates.
Saleh was recruited for the Four Points and Hampton Inn job in Kelowna to realign the hotels with Marriott's high standards post-COVID.
"Ahmad's journey from Ukraine to Canada, his immediate and invaluable contributions and his unwavering team-first mentality have made him an indispensable part of the hotel," says general manager Jason Guyitt.
"His thoughtful approach to problem-solving and dedication to continuous improvement align perfectly with Marriott's vision of putting people first. We are incredibly proud of Ahmad's achievements and the profound positive impact he has made on our hotel and the Kelowna community. His recognition as 'operations manager of the year' is a testament to his exceptional leadership, resilience and commitment to excellence."
By the way, Marriott is the largest hotel company in the world with 9,000 locations and 1.6 million rooms over 36 hotel and timeshare brands, including the eponymous Marriott and JW Marriott and Delta, Fairfield, Sheraton, Ritz-Carlton, W, Westin and Le Meridien.
Using Marriott's proven values and initiatives, Saleh has propelled the Four Points and Hampton Inn in Kelowna to new levels of excellence.
It isn't just going by the book that led to the 'operations manager of the year' for Saleh.
He's also touted by the company to be approachable and warm in all his daily interactions with hotel guests.
Saleh personally addresses concerns of guests, making sure their stay is comfortable and memorable.
For the Four Points in particular, Saleh's leadership has helped propel it to Top 10 for guest service across the brand in North America.
In addition, the Four Points Kelowna now ranks in the top 15 hotels in the brand overall and top 5 in Canada.
Saleh recently went to Marriott headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland to be recognized with the 202e 'operations manager of the year' award.
Four Points Kelowna has two other former winners of 'operations manager of the year' -- Stacy Thacyk in 2021 and Zoey Dryden in 2022.
