"Absolute enjoyment has made it all possible"

GM Gordon MacKenzie tells QH how he has been around Radisson Blu — formerly Ramada — for nearly three decades

You can literally call him a man for all seasons. But not even men of all seasons get to stay the course in one place for as long as Gordon MacKenzie has done. He has made Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha — formerly Ramada — all his own, soto-speak. He has been here since June 1989 till now — spread over two stints.

But it’s not as if the Radisson Blue GM has confined himself to Doha. His stellar career has seen MacKenzie serve in similar roles in Avari International Hotels, Dubai; Commodore Hotel, Beirut; Saudi Hotels and Resorts, Riyadh; Holiday Inn, Amman; Araak Hotel, Khartoum, Norfolk Gardens, Bradford; Hotel Management International, London; Saxon Inn Motor Hotels Harlow, Essex, apart from being Director Operations at Landmark International Hotels, London. But all of these stints are dwarfed by his building blocks in Doha. For a man who has seen the evolution of Radisson Blu from Ramada, there is of course much more to life than just his safe house in RB. He has seen Doha grow from mundane origins to becoming the cynosure of all eyes — as was evident in the just concluded FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Excerpts from an interview:

You have been associated with Radisson Blu since even before it was rebranded. Please briefly run us through your journey spanning over three decades… aThree is very difficult. I can give you three score. First and foremost, it is being able to create the products of choice the sheikh has allowed us that the market wants to see in a property like this – the variety of our items and to be able to put a good and affordable menu. As I said, we’re a community hotel and we’re a sensibly priced hotel –very traditional hotel.

Yes, I came here first in 1989 when the hotel was called Ramada and then we had this Gulf crisis in 1991-92 — those were difficult years — but immediately afterwards Sheikh Ghanem Bin Ali Al-Thani saw the need for expansion. That’s when we had the original West wing with the East wing still as the Ramada Plaza. Back then, we were the largest Ramada in the world with 583 rooms.

As a destination, when we had the extension open in 2007 we decided after some time that not only because the World Cup would be held in 2022 but we also had the necessity to upgrade our brand and we changed to Radisson in July 2012. Now, it’s a decade since the sensible decision to become Radisson Blu.

What are the strengths and qualities that enables one to survive away from home and thrive this long?

It's a very simple answer and that is –the absolute enjoyment of your job. The sheikh has empowered us and allows us to expand the operation as we feel or we think the market requires. And it’s so enjoyable to manage this particular unit because it allows us to turn our ambitious plans year after year after year to see the fruition of these plans to success.

What part of your job do you like most?

Quite honestly, it is the absolute satisfaction of our achievements for both our guests and our staff and since we’ve been known over the last almost 30 years — as I have been here — as a community hotel, we’ve always supported the community and therefore, the community supports us.

Yes, we here in 1989 (and back then) it wasn’t the city that we see today. But it has been an absolute enjoyment to see the advancement of all the projects – the expansion of the city, the parks and stadiums etc. But most of all, the hospitality of Qataris themselves is what makes it unique. All of this has been a motivation and inspiration to stay in Qatar. It is absolutely exceptional.