key for growth

A visionary in the hospitality sector, Neil Markovitz, CEO of Newmark Hotels chats to SA Profile about his incredible journey of growth and sustainability.

CEO: Newmark Hotels Neil Markovitz ne of the key tips lessons I learned in business is not to make assumptions about growth and not getting stuck focussing on it but rather embrace change while staying true to your foundations. Define where you want to grow to, and have a strategic plan for that,” says seasoned entrepreneur Neil Markovitz, CEO of

Having founded Newmark Hotels in 2007 with one hotel, the hospitality management group now boasts over 20 properties. On the impressive growth of Newmark Hotels Markovitz comments that he did not envision the company to expand as

“The vision I had was for the V&A Hotel to be an independent hotel that has global reach offering a bespoke experience for guests, however it was proving difficult to find a group that would be able to implement the vision I had. I then decided to establish my own management hotel group,” says Markovitz.

Collaboration in leadership

Describing himself as rather conservative in his business approach, Markovitz believes in collaboration in leadership, and through his answers one picks up that he is not only strategically involved but operationally too.

“In order to be a successful leader, you have to ensure that your team buys into the vision you have as we all work together to drive implementation. Another thing is that as many years I have been in the business I don’t feel I am ever too big to do the small jobs. I remain focussed that it’s all about teamwork, and Newmark Hotels is fortunate to have a very strong employee component who understand the vision and go above to help make it a reality.

“We understand and embrace the diversity of cultures/ regions, and part of our DNA is to take a personalised approach in everything we do and to ensure that every guest has an authentic experience. Our destinations are the types of places that speaks to people’s bucket lists. The experience from start to end needs to be efficient, and we spend a lot of time helping people tick off items on their bucket list be it visiting the Serengeti or exploring the winelands, etc,” he says.

Prepared and willing to adapt and be progressive

Markovitz highlights that the team has invested heavily in staying current, which includes driving information technology initiatives, to ensure they remain performance driven.

“Things can happen in a matter of minutes. We always have to be prepared and willing to adapt and be progressive – open to change. We have never wavered in our commitment to quality and have remained true to our DNA. I think the winning formula for us is that we celebrate diversity and are not a copyand-paste hotel management group. We understand that things will always change, but our DNA remains,” comments Markovitz.

Even though Markovitz has been in the industry for over 30 years he highlights that it never gets boring. “Part of what we do is not just hotel management – we focus a lot on initiatives such conservation efforts and incorporating that into our destination experiences,” he adds.

Passionate about mentorship

In speaking with Markowitz what shines through is his passion for the hospitality industry. He makes it seem rather effortless but reading between the lines it is understood that a lot of effort has gone into growing Newmark Hotels into the bespoke management hospitality group it is.

As a leader he is hands-on, and while he acknowledges that at some stage he will pass on the baton when he retires, he also sheepishly confesses that he probably would not know what to do with a lot of free time. He also explains that succession planning is a big part of the business, and that he is passionate about mentorship so that when he passes on the baton so to speak the DNA of Newmark Hotels remains intact ensuring a lasting legacy for the group. ■

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