Hani Roustom
There are few individuals who have contributed to elevating hospitality, service culture and luxury in Toronto more than Hani. Since arriving to the city he chose to be home, Hani has been part or at the center of some of the most exciting and inspiring projects that transformed the hospitality luxury scene. A master’s graduate from the School of Hotel Administration of Cornell University, his nearly 25-year career is rooted in the global hospitality industry.
An engaging thought leader, a memory maker and a culture builder, his passions and involvement go beyond the hospitality industry to include education, fashion and the film and TV industries. Envisioning Yorkville to be the fashion and life style capital of Canada, he along with a team of industry leaders orchestrated the relocation of Toronto Fashion Week to the iconic neighborhood. Understanding the labor crunch that the hospitality industry was going through, he created a coalition of industry leaders and launched Be Our Guest, a first of its kind high school co-op program aimed at inspiring a new generation of hospitality leaders. Understanding the importance of the film and TV sectors for the economic growth of the city, he participated in the mayor’s multiple missions to LA, aimed at promoting Toronto as one of the leading destinations for film and entertainment productions.
Since joining The Hazelton, Hani raised the profile of the property and repositioned it as one of the leading luxury brands, executing a turnaround strategy and achieving a strong increase in occupancy and a significant increase in profitability & asset valuation. The Hazelton remains the #1 hotel on Trip Advisor for a record four years and leading all other luxury brands on key operational benchmarks. From 2013 to 2016, Hani was part of the team that established the relatively new Shangri-La brand to become one of the leading hotels in Toronto & obtained its CAA 5 Diamonds Award. After transferring from the US’s capital only Five Diamond and Five Star Four Seasons Hotel in 2008, he was part of the team that launched the company’s new flag ship in Toronto leading the opening of Café Boulud and working along celebrity chef Daniel Boulud on his norther outpost. The hotel became the first in Canada to hold the Forbes 5 stars and the CAA Guide 5 Diamonds awards.
Hani is an industry thought leader and advocate. During and post the COVID-19 crisis, he was part of the industry advisory ministerial panel and among the few leaders called upon to testify for the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs (SCOFEA) on strategies to help the industry on the road of recovery both in the city and the province. Hani sits on the global Standards Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Forbes Travel Guide. He is also member of the board of the Greater Hotel Toronto Association (GTHA), member of the Promotions and Communication Committee of the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, and sits on the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) of the Hospitality Program of George Brown College in addition to few other boards and organizations. He is a mentor to many and a humble mentee of others.
During his career Hani has received numerous awards including: the hotelier of the year award in 2018 from Dine Magazine, was selected as the recipient of the Rama Scholarship for the American Dream while at Cornell University, and received the Cyprus Hotel Association “Student of the Year” award in 1998. He also graduated his Bachelor Degree cum laude and with first class Honors.
A global citizen, he was born in Lebanon, lived in Cyprus, emigrated to the U.S. in 2004 and then Canada. He speaks 6 languages, travelled to more than 70 countries, is a published industry expert & lover of all things design.
Hani believes that nothing in life is ever permanent. We are constantly evolving. Now more than ever we need leaders who think and act like global citizens….after all, we are all in this together.