Mr. Sawalha, Said / President & Chairman, Regency Hotel

Company Profile:

The origin of the company goes back to the early 1920’s, set up by Hanna K. Sawalha, the father. The hospitality line has been gradual from 1 to 5 Stars hotel and from small to very large properties.

How did you start your business?

In 2005, we established a company Al-Thulatheyyah for Investment Ltd. Named after himself & his two sons Tareq and Murad; it is a major shareholder of GP Hotels that owns the Regency Hotel and the Grand Palace Hotel (Golden Tulip Amman),

Limousine services and the international franchise of Trader Vic’s; in addition to, tourism projects in Jerusalem & Bethlehem.

Part of it’s portfolio, Al Thulatheyyah also owns German cleansing products packaged in Egypt by “TCL”; a leading factory in the region with the only environmentally friendly products (ISO certified).

Jerashco Co., specialized for general cleansing & maintenance; a company with more than 400 employees serving banks, hospitals & big office buildings.

When you first started your business, were you expecting that it would become not only your full-time occupation, but also a growing company?

My brother’s Sami, Samir & I took over from my father a highly reputable hotel company with branches in Palestine, Jerusalem, Bethlehem & Amman. Soon after, we managed to expand the business.

What is the most rewarding thing you have accomplished and why do you cite it above all your other accomplishments?

I was lucky to finish Hotel Management in Switzerland. Furthermore, I acquired years of practical training in leading hotels across Europe. This experience helped me implement the best knowledge I obtained to our chain of hotels. It is rewarding to work in the line you love passionately.

What were the biggest challenges you faced as an entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?

The instability in the Middle East and the wars I have experienced always emerged with challenges. In turn, I became extremely cautious in overcoming those situations. You need to have patience.

What do you think it takes to be successful in the industry your company competes in?

Simply, I LOVE IT! If you love your business, all the rest will come along the way.

What advice would you give to those contemplating starting their own business?

My advice is a very modest feasibility study which is realistic. Not only will it contain positive aspects to it, but also negative whereby it prepares a person with the obstacles that could arise in new business enterprises. You must start a business at the right time, right city with the right product.

What is the question I did not ask, but should have?

I would like the coming generation to remember one thing; the region is still underdevelopment. There are still thousands of opportunities awaiting for people to grasp and take advantage of.

We should not forget how the standards of living differed a century ago from where we are today. One should always seek the potential of a city and the country they live in and love.

Twenty five years ago, I found myself constantly arguing about Jordan’s huge potential for tourism as opposed to the thought that the tourism here would not grow. Today, if you walk into a bookshop in any major european city, you will find hundreds of books about Jordan while in the 70’s and 80’s you may have found just around five.

The question would be: Where do you see yourself in year 2030?