Marriott International has appointed Marina Krasnobrizhaya as general manager of the anticipated St. Regis Riyadh Hotel, slated to open in summer 2022.

Krasnobrizhaya, who’s the first woman to be general manager at Marriott International in Saudi Arabia and the country’s first woman to head a luxury hotel, will lead the hotel’s pre-opening efforts and spearhead a new era of luxury in the kingdom.

Bringing 17 years of international experience in the hotel industry to her new role, Krasnobrizhaya joins The St. Regis Riyadh from The Park Tower Knightsbridge, a Luxury Collection Hotel in London, where she held the position of director of operations.

Krasnobrizhaya also played an instrumental role within several pre-opening and task-force missions across Marriott International’s Europe, Middle East and Africa portfolio of hotels, including The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo, Hotel de la Paix, Geneva and The Ritz-Carlton, Astana.