Four Seasons Hotel Doha

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2014
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Director of Sales, Four Seasons Hotel Moscow (formerly a Four Seasons hotel)

Employment History

• Four Seasons Hotel Moscow (formerly a Four Seasons hotel); Ritz Carlton Moscow; Renaissance Monarch Hotel Moscow; Marriot Hotels in Moscow; Courtyard by Marriott Moscow

Education

• Master’s Degree, History, Saint Petersburg State University

Birthplace

• St. Petersburg, Russia

Languages Spoken

• Russian, English, French (conversational)

Timing can be everything in luxury hospitality, just like in football. For Julia Selyukova, for instance, taking the role of Hotel Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Doha following the 2022 FIFA World Cup was just the right time to gain perspective on how the property’s success is reliant upon its guest experience. “Everything can go smoothly, but if guests are not happy with their stay or don’t have a ‘wow’ moment with us, they might not come back,” she explains. “I knew when I got here that the team could deliver through the biggest event in Qatar’s recent history, and my job would be to keep their eyes on the ball.”

Julia’s role entails more than that, of course. As Hotel Manager, she is tasked with ensuring that the entire operation clicks, and with 10 food and beverage outlets, 23,100 square feet of meeting and event space, a Spa with 11 treatment rooms, and a private beachfront on the Arabian Gulf, there is much for her to keep clicking.

There is also a lot of competition for her to consider, as dozens of new properties have opened in Doha in recent years. “They’re all branded with big names, so that puts us on the spot to be at the top of our game,” she says, acknowledging Four Seasons status as one of the original international luxury hotel brands in Qatar and still leader in the capital. “My focus is on ensuring that the team’s momentum continues and creating new experiences for guests that set us apart.”

Key to both is the Hotel’s 700-member team, with more than 60 nationalities between them. The diversity of talent is a major plus, especially as Qatar seeks to capitalize on publicity from the World Cup to grow as a tourist destination. Julia considers herself a “big supporter” of the talent, and she believes strongly in empowering people by providing opportunities to progress. “But,” she cautions, “only after we have provided them with the tools they need for success.”

The process is a two-way street: “I can help them hone their skills, but I also have to be an example. What I request from them, I also have to show.”

Hailing from St. Petersburg in Russia, Julia was drawn to the hotel industry after several years pursuing a career in journalism. The rewards are similar, she says. “My desire was always for connectivity and to be in a creative position that affects people.”

Her first hotel experience was as receptionist for a local brand while she attended State University in her hometown. Between guests and her co-workers, the job exposed her to many cultures and nationalities, and she knew that she wanted to be a part of it. So, after giving television journalism a go, she returned to work in sales first for a major international hotelier, then as opening Director of Sales for Four Seasons Hotel Moscow.

She recalls her first few months with the company as “a real challenge.” The attention to detail was beyond what she had previously experienced, and there was “something special” about Four Seasons culture that it took her a while to embrace. After a couple of years, she became Director of Marketing with a spot on the Planning Committee, and then headed off to train in operations at various Four Seasons across Europe and the Middle East, honing her skills before retuning to Moscow.

“Those were my first real brushes with operations,” she recalls of her remote assignments, noting how important she believes it is for marketing professionals to understand how things work on the floor. “Operations deliver what marketers sell. Being involved lets you see those things from different angles.” By 2019, she was Hotel Manager.

Now excited to be part of the boom hospitality scene in Doha, Julia is enamoured of the beauty of the city and likes to spend her downtime socializing – or not. “I’m also quite fond of being by myself,” she says with a laugh. “Give me the serenity of a good book or a long walk, preferably in nature, and I’ll be content.”