Kavita Mursalim

I attribute my success to my leadership. I've learned a lot and worked with so many different leaders in the industry, and I am thankful that I've worked with them because I've learned so much. Not only completing the management development program, but I've attended so many different functions for the hotel industry - weddings, fiber unions. I think it's a huge part to know the culture and be with people from different cultures as well. I think that's the best thing about what I do.

The best career advice I've received is to learn as much as possible. There's no wrong or right answer. Learn from your peers, from your guests, and educate yourself as much as possible. Even though I've worked since 2013 in the industry, I'm still learning new things every day. I always tell my daughter to challenge yourself, because you never know - it worked for me, and it can work for you as well.

My advice would be that in the hospitality industry, there are many opportunities for growth. If your passion is to serve people, then you're in the right industry. Join the team and learn the business - there are many, many opportunities for regional manager, general manager, and so much opportunity for growth. It's a beautiful industry to work in. There are hotels everywhere, worldwide, so you're always going to be in demand - they're always hiring, and there's always opportunities. Worldwide, pick where you want to live and go for it.

Right now, everything that's happening around the world is putting a little pressure on travel. For example, in Atlanta, we had a winter storm back in January and February, and it's affected us because we're not seeing people traveling like before. The entire Atlanta market is currently down as far as transient travelers. That's one of the challenges. What we're doing differently at my hotel to make sure we keep people coming back is focusing on service. Where our hotel is located is residential with hospitals around, so we do get a lot of visitors from the hospital and patients. We tend to make sure they're happy and make them want to come back to keep the frequency going.

The values most important to me are team at work and family in my personal life. I value my team at work because without my team, I can't do this job alone - it's a 24-hour business, and I rely on my team. At home, family is everything. Whatever time I have, I spend with my daughter. Unfortunately, my husband passed away due to COVID back in 2021, so every time I get off work, I can't wait to go home to her and have a little dinner together. Family is so important because you never know if you're going to be here tomorrow or not.