Cambodia Leadership Review
With over 30 years in the hospitality industry, Sarah Moya brings extensive international experience to her role as General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott Phnom Penh. From early leadership roles across Asia to helping shape Marriott’s presence in Cambodia, her approach blends strategic thinking with a strong focus on team development and service quality.
In this interview, Sarah reflects on her leadership journey, the evolving hospitality landscape in Phnom Penh, and how Courtyard is positioned to meet the needs of both business and leisure travelers in a growing tourism market.
A Journey Through Leadership and Legacy
CLR: With nearly three decades in the hospitality industry across multiple countries, how has your leadership style evolved? What core values have guided you through the various stages of your international career, and how are you applying them now at Courtyard by Marriott Phnom Penh?
I have indeed passed the three-decade mark in my career as a hospitality professional. Hospitality is very much a people-centric industry. You look after people, various stakeholders, day in day out. Time and people are the best teachers. Both molds you and sharpens you.
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Having been in different locations to represent and/or manage anything from a business hotel, a luxury resort, a wellness retreat or a multi-property setting, has made me more attuned to the local cultural nuances, to the diverse personalities of guests and to varying hotel brands’ unique ethos and standards. Time and experience had honed my business acumen and had amplified my adaptability.
I have always chosen to work for companies which put people first, which pursues excellence in what they do, which put an emphasis on integrity in their business practice, which sees an opportunity in over-changing economic and cultural landscape, and which teaches its associates to care for the community and the world outside its walls.
I strongly believe in these and they are at the core of who I am. I am fortunate to be with Marriott, as its essential beliefs perfectly match mine.
Breaking Barriers in Hospitality
CLR: You were one of the first female General Managers in Cambodia. Looking back, what were some of the key challenges and breakthroughs in your journey?
What does it mean to you to now be mentoring and leading a team that includes multiple accomplished women?
Back in 2009 on my first General Manager assignment, I was the only female General Manager in Cambodia. Delighted to report that I have never encountered gender bias. From my experience, your credentials matter most. It was about your accumulated set of skills aligning with the company’s goals.
I mentor every team member I have had the same way. My role is to prepare them for their journey, enhance their strengths and help ease them past areas they need to improve on.
Empowering Teams, Elevating Brands
CLR: Courtyard by Marriott Phnom Penh has welcomed several women into senior leadership roles. How do you foster a culture of empowerment, and how does diversity in leadership impact the performance and reputation of the property?
It goes beyond Courtyard by Marriott Phnom Penh. Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel company has several women in significant leadership goals.
For instance, Marriott International’s President for its China region is a woman. Diversity and inclusivity are entrenched in the Marriott culture. We train every associate for them to imbibe this mentality. My job is then to practice what we preach and to ensure integration of ethos to daily operations. We learn from each other. Therefore, we listen to each other without prejudice.
This fosters bond, a strong sense of ownership from each associate of the goals that we have year on year. The end-result is, as a team, we have had been good at achieving our KPIs. By simply living out what we believe in as an organization, we are able to define for the community who we are and what we believe in.
Shaping the Guest Experience in Phnom Penh
CLR: How do you define the Courtyard guest experience in today’s Phnom Penh market? What distinguishes your hotel in terms of service, innovation, or positioning as both a business and leisure destination?
Courtyard by Marriott Phnom Penh opened its doors in January 2019. It is well regarded for being a Marriott branded hotel, its central location, its product offer within what can be referred to colloquially as ‘’affordable luxury’ and above all, its efficient, personalized service. We endeavor every day to live up to our brand standards.
Remembering a guest’s name, his preferences is an intrinsic part of our operations. When guests feel like they have discovered a ‘home away from home’, you have earned yourself an ambassador, a resident.
Cambodia’s Hospitality Future
With Cambodia increasingly investing in tourism infrastructure and international connectivity, where do you see Phnom Penh—and Courtyard by Marriott—fitting into the region’s competitive hospitality landscape over the next five years?
Cambodia is very much still a gem to be discovered. Beyond the glorious temples of Angkor, Phnom Penh has a character and unique vibe that is a joy to explore.
The beaches, the hidden waterfalls, the nature trails are fascinating tourism facets. As a destination, Cambodia has many superlative dimensions that are ingredients for a beautiful narrative. The new airport with its capacity to cater to more tourists, more aircrafts can only pave way for a new age of travel to Cambodia.
It is also very promising that the government and the private sector are working together to promote the manifold character of this country as a destination. All these are signs of bright future for tourism in this country. CLR
