“Let’s take Saudi Arabia as just one example,” he says. “In terms of tourism infrastructure, where was Saudi Arabia 10 years ago? And where is it today? Unrecognizable! And think where it’ll be 10 years down the line – the level of investment is stratospheric. All of these mega projects coming along, like the Red Sea development, Diriyah, AlUla, NEOM… the tourism ecosystem is going to be completely transformed.”
No slowdown in UAE
With Saudi Arabia experiencing rapid economic growth, Ronald anticipates sustained momentum in the UAE’s hotel market, which shows no sign of slowing down. The UAE, already a regional leader in hospitality development, continues to benefit from its strategic position as a global hub for tourism, business, and investment. Aventra Hospitality has strategically chosen to establish offices in Dubai, Riyadh, and London, positioning itself at the heart of key global and regional markets.
“As co-founders, Richard and I have different but very complementary skills,” says Ronald. “Richard knows the Middle East hotel market intimately, having spent almost 25 years there – the last five of which as CEO of two successful hotel companies. I bring more of a background in innovation, not least with the two companies I’ve built in the travel and hospitality technology space. We’re looking to add value by offering innovative and sustainable proposals that also play on our understanding of how the hotel business works.”
Drawing on their impeccable contact books, Ronald and Richard are already finalizing partnerships with major hospitality multinationals. However, Ronald points out that in many of the markets they are covering – notably in Central Asia – standalone hotels and chains are both popular directions for investors and developers to take.
“For investors who want to set up independently of an existing brand, we offer the complete ‘cradle-to-grave’ service: from conceptualizing the brand and property, through to choosing the optimal category and segment for the hotel, formulating distribution strategies, then handling the operational management of the property… right through to the exit strategy.”
The 24/7 entrepreneur
As he builds yet another business, what is it that continues to inspire Ronald’s entrepreneurial appetite?
“I’m just someone who is constantly coming up with ideas – I cannot help myself! I keep a notepad by my bedside because I’ll often wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, and I need somewhere to write it down or I’ll forget it by morning. I like creating concepts from scratch and I try to do things that will make a difference, however small. Lastly, I’m not afraid to fail – you cannot be an entrepreneur if you cannot bear to fail.”
In the past year or so, all this wisdom and experience has been put at the service of young student and alumni entrepreneurs from Glion, as Ronald has co-orchestrated the set-up of the Glion Alumni Accelerator competition. This was launched in 2023, under the auspices of the Alumni Association of Glion (AAG), for which he is Vice President.
As Ronald speaks with The Insider, the second running of the Accelerator is reaching its climax, with the finalists having been chosen and “Pitch Battle Day” set to take place on Glion campus on 27 November.
“I remember when I started out with my first restaurant project, a couple of years after I graduated from Glion,” he says. “There wasn’t really anybody around me who I could ask for advice, or mentorship. That’s what we are trying to do with the Accelerator – to help these new business founders develop their ideas, get funding, and avoid some of the mistakes I made through my inexperience.”
Reflecting on his newest startup, Ronald says that success for Aventra Hospitality would be to have around 100 hotels under management within a decade. But it’s not just about hard targets.
“Like I said before, I look at success as being about making a difference. In the way we do things; how we do things, in terms of our principles around innovation, sustainability, and elevating experiences. The hard work has already started, and we are both really excited to be embarking on this journey together.”
Photo credit
No vacancy sign: Zachary Byer/Getty
