Sholeh Kia, raised and educated in France, came to the District more than 20 years ago to pursue a career in the arts. Instead, she landed a job at the front desk of a Marriott hotel in Virginia, which led her down a slightly different career path.
Today Ms. Kia is bringing her European flair back to the Washington area, where she is helping Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants prepare the boutique Hotel Palomar for a Nov. 1 opening in Arlington.
“This is a very unique opportunity for a manager,” Ms. Kia said. “When the project was put on the Kimpton radar, I wanted it because of the exclusivity of the design, the location, and because it’s a brand-new building, a ground-up project.”
Ms. Kia, who has worked with the San Francisco-based hotel chain for seven years, is passionate about her new job as general manager of the Hotel Palomar, where she will oversee day-to-day responsibilities including sales, guest services and a sizeable team of employees.
“General managers are pretty much your main host. There are so many aspects of my job during the day — the leadership part of it, the care part of it. I have a whole lot to be happy about,” Ms. Kia said.
Kimpton says it strives to create hotels that reflect the personality and history of their locations through distinctive designs and architectural style.
Ms. Kia, who received her fine arts education at the Sorbonne and the Beaux Arts School in Paris, is familiar with the hotel chain’s boutique style.
“I respect the cultivation of art. It matches my background. It is a fantastic project. The property is gorgeous. It’s artwork” she said.
Soon after joining Kimpton in 2001, Ms. Kia was named general manager of the Topaz Hotel on N Street NW and was asked to oversee its opening. She worked closely with Paige Dunn, a regional hotel marketing director for Kimpton Hotels on the East Coast.
“[Sholeh] is truly a Kimpton ambassador. She has truly embraced the culture of Kimpton, which is a very unique culture,” Ms. Dunn said.
Ms. Kia lives in Lansdowne, Va., with her husband Tom and their dog, Sparky.
— Bethany Sackett
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