November marks Entrepreneur’s Month, honouring those who have worked hard to build an empire from absolutely nothing. One such individual is Samuel Nassimov, Founder and Managing Director of one of the fastest growing, independently-owned hotel groups in South Africa, Premier Hotels & Resorts.
As a child growing up in the former Soviet Union, Nassimov’s lifelong dream of managing his own hotel was sparked when his daily route took him past a beautiful hotel – a rarity in that country at the time. He says, “I remember seeing many guests arriving at the hotel and the band playing in the lobby, which was very exciting for a young boy.”
With his interest in hospitality sparked, Nassimov pursued his studies in hotel management at a technikon. However, six months into his three-year course, his father informed him of his plans to move the family to the other side of the Iron Curtain. As a result, Nassimov opted not to complete his course and instead acquire a trade.
He recalls his father trying to get tradesmen at a market to train him in the hat making trade. “No one was interested in teaching me, as this kind of trade was passed from father to son in Russia in those days.” Eventually, they found someone in a remote area who was willing to teach him (at a hefty price). Three months later, Nassimov could create any style of hat.
He learnt all about business and the art of dealing with customers at the shop that his father helped him secure under the then socialist economic system of Communist Russia.
Nassimov and his family later left for Israel, where he enrolled in hotel school. Once again though his career plans were put on hold as he was conscripted into the army.
While in the Israeli army, Nassimov was responsible for running a massive kitchen. Once his service ended, he applied the skills he acquired as a chef at various international hotels.
Like any successful entrepreneur, Nassimov has always been driven by a love for developing, creating and completing new projects. His first foray into his own business was in the freight forwarding industry, which resulted in his first visit to South Africa, and subsequently establishing a diamond factory, which ultimately saw him relocating here.
Once on South African soil, he turned his hotel-owning dreams into reality by purchasing the old Carlton Hotel in Quigney in the Eastern Cape. At that stage, the hotel had a one-star rating and by the time the transfer went through, the Tourism Board had removed this rating as the hotel was no longer compliant.
Nassimov embarked on a 14 month upgrade that would result in the hotel receiving three stars. During that time, he experienced everything from floods to fires. In February 1992, the hotel reopened as the King David Hotel, Suites and Conference Centre, with a compliment of 23 staff members (three of whom are still working with Nassimov). Today, the property is known as Splendid Inn King David. “By overcoming the challenge of converting this once dilapidated hotel into a successful establishment in East London, I had the drive and passion to embark on bigger projects,” says Nassimov.
The rest, as they say, is history with 18 properties and the East London International Convention Centre in the Premier Hotels & Resorts stable. “Building a successful business doesn’t happen overnight. It is an on-going process of constantly learning and adapting,” shares Nassimov.
The group is set to continue its national expansion into hotel property development and management, providing operational expertise to steer hospitality ventures and developing partnerships that enable consumers to experience superior guest services.
