My Morning Routine: Tamer Khedr, managing director of Minor Hotels Egypt

Tamer Khedr, managing director, Minor Hotels Egypt: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Tamer Khedr (LinkedIn), managing director of Minor Hotels.

Edited excerpts from our conversation:

Hospitality has been a lifelong passion of mine, and today I lead Minor Hotels’ growth strategy in Egypt. I studied hotel management before continuing my education at Johnson & Wales University and took my career international from there, working with leading global hospitality companies across the US, France, Oman, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Egypt. That exposure shaped my perspective on the industry.

One belief has stayed with me through every stop: great hospitality is measured by the memories, relationships, and emotions we create, not just financial performance. Hotels are living businesses rather than simply bricks and mortar, and success comes from creating something meaningful for guests, investors, and employees alike, not just financial returns. That’s the lens I bring to Minor Hotels Egypt, where I’m focused on shaping the future of hospitality in one of the world’s most exciting destinations while celebrating the country’s culture and heritage.

While my background is firmly rooted in hospitality, I’ve always approached every prospect with an entrepreneurial mindset, and that shows up daily. My day-to-day role involves finding the right investment and development prospects in Egypt, building long-term relationships with investors and developers, and pairing each destination with the right hotel brand. It’s a constant balance between commercial thinking and hospitality instinct.

Hospitality should never feel generic. That conviction is what drew me to Minor Hotels in the first place. Founded by entrepreneur William Heinecke, Minor Hotels has grown from a single startup into one of the world’s leading hospitality companies, with more than 600 hotels across over 70 countries. Every hotel is designed to embrace the local identity to provide authentic experiences while creating sustainable long-term value. Luxury today is about personalized service, local culture, wellness, and sustainability woven into every stay. I believe the future belongs to hospitality brands that build genuine emotional connections with guests, not just impressive amenities.

My mornings start early, with a little quiet time before the day begins. I usually catch up on international news to stay informed about global tourism trends and market developments before connecting with investors or heading out for project and site visits. I also try to dedicate time each morning to learning something new, because continuous learning is essential in such a fast-moving industry.

No two days are ever quite the same, which is one of the things I enjoy most about hospitality. One day I might be meeting investors and development partners, the next reviewing brand strategies or visiting projects across Egypt. The variety keeps every day interesting and brings constant avenues to create something new.

The one constant every day is a simple question: how can we make this better? Whether it’s improving the guest journey, strengthening partnerships, developing our teams, or refining a hotel concept, excellence comes through continuous improvement, and small enhancements made consistently often have the biggest long-term impact. Structured planning, disciplined execution, and technology all help me stay organized, but I also make a conscious effort to protect time for strategic thinking rather than simply reacting to the day.

I aim to establish Minor Hotels as one of Egypt’s leading hospitality companies by expanding thoughtfully across the country. Egypt offers an incredible diversity of destinations, and I’m focused on matching each one with the right brand while creating long-term value for owners, guests, and local communities.

There is no universal formula for work-life balance. Your priorities naturally evolve throughout different stages of life, so I try to stay fully present wherever I am, whether that’s at work or with my family. For me, it’s less about dividing time equally and more about finding fulfillment from both professional achievement and personal relationships.

My business philosophy is simple: hospitality is about creating emotional connections that people want to travel for, remember, and then return to. When you achieve that, commercial success naturally follows. One book that’s shaped my thinking along these lines is Winning Hospitality by Giovanni Angelini, which offers valuable insights into building service-driven organizations.

Hire the right people, invest in their development, put guests at the center of every decision, and never stop looking for ways to improve — these are the principles I carry with me every day. I learned them from Arbind Shrestha, my former area general manager at Shangri-La. I still measure my own decisions against these standards.