Putting On The Ritz

Walking into the home of Karim Alibhai, Founder & Principal of Gencom Group, a pioneer in one of the first luxury mixed-use residential designs — the prototype being The Ritz-Carlton at Key Biscayne — you expect perhaps lavish Rococo opulence. The Ritz-Carlton is, after all, the embodiment of all things majestic when it comes to the business of hospitality, holding the gold standard for service at a grand scale.
Just setting your sights on the lion crest logo starts the mental projector screen with images of literary greats of the omnipotent kind like Hemingway and Fitzgerald all the way to heads of state, royalty and, of course, the biggest and brightest stars in Hollywood lore that have stayed and played in many a Ritz-Carlton throughout their careers.
But enter the Alibhai residence, and although the neutral pallets of beige and rosewood along with angel motifs, candelabras that drip crystal and paintings of exotic lands denote elegance and refinement — the home is, above all, welcoming and beaming of kith and kin.
His children Priyanka, 7; Rehan, 6; and Rahim, 3, along with his stunning wife of Cuban-Lebanese decent, Gudelay, welcome guests to their cozy mirth with warm greetings and pixyish giggles from the kids.
But how exactly did they arrive at this point in their lives? His story starts off in a place as exotic as the artwork that hangs in his home — his first 16 years of life were spent in Kisumu, Kenya, where he was born a 4th-generation Indian in Africa. His forefathers came to Kenya to build the railroads under British rule. “As fate would have it, my forbearers were getting attacked by a lot of man-eating lions so they quickly converted to comers and trade,” he says, with a smirk and believe-it-or-not expression.
He attributes his drive and business ethics to his close-knit family that fostered an environment of love while instilling in him discipline and the belief that all good things come to you if you handle yourself with integrity. He remembers how his dad left school at the age of 10 to become a self-made businessman. Witnessing him working such long, grueling hours along with the devotion his mother showed toward family and her religious beliefs helped to cement in him the ideals of self-mastery and the importance of noble conduct.
His plan was always to, like his father, go into business. “I wanted to attend school in England and come back to Kenya to be a commercial businessman.” But his course didn’t quite go as planned when he ended up visiting Houston where his family had established a small motel property at a Best Western before heading off to school in England. Within 10 days of being in the U.S., he fell in love with the country. “Everyone seemed so happy and optimistic,” he says. “I wanted to stay and made the decision of finishing school here.”
In 1980, Houston was suffering a big recession, and Karim took on the responsibility of working with his family to make the hospitality investment work. “Looking back now, and with a smile, I can say it was a negative 2-star motel, if there were ever such a thing,” he says. “This time in my life was my school of hard knocks, my sort of MBA in the business.”
Not one to turn down a challenge, Karim rolled up his sleeves and got to work. At the time, occupancy and rates were very low and his clients consisted mostly of pilots, flight attendants and truck drivers. “I needed to focus on comprehensive marketing strategies to keep business coming in via flyers, specials and promotions in newspapers,” he says. “All the while, I had to keep the cost structure lean, and make sure I never got in a position where I needed to call the family back home for money.”
Three years into it, he gained his confidence, along with the respect of the family, to invest in other properties. “I started at the low end of the food chain, Comfort Inn, Days Inn — I think the biggest celebration I had back then was when I bought my first Holiday Inn,” he recalls, his eyes bright. “I remember thinking to myself: Oh my, I’ve moved to the big leagues!”
From there it was on to Radissons, Sheratons, Hiltons and Marriotts. In a period of 12 years from that one little Best Western motel he was able to build a company of more than 50 hotels. The whole way through, he ran the company and was involved in every aspect of operations — from sales & marketing to food & beverage, accounting and finance. Like his father before him, Karim had become a prosperous self-made businessman.
By 1995, he felt it was time to move on, and via a co-sponsored real estate investment trust, he sold the company he built from the ground up and had dedicated the last 15 years of his success to. But at this point in the story, it’s time for a major life lesson to make its grand entrance. Business can’t always go as smoothly as expected.
Up until now, things had gone very well for Karim. Then, when the company went public, he had to allow someone else to take control of running it. “They basically ran it to the ground,” he says. “I learned that if you’re going to be accountable, you’d better have control over the final decision-making — this has guided me ever since.”
A few years later, he decided to venture into the world of luxury hospitality, finding a partner and acquiring the Omni Mall project, and 50% interest in the Grand Bay Coconut Grove, and later, the property of what is today The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne. His company now has 6 Ritz-Carlton projects underway with Miami leading the way.
And it was while in Miami that he met Gudelay, his wife. “One fateful day, I was leaving a restaurant and my eyes just came upon her,” he says. “She was right out of the Bollywood movies I use to watch as a kid. She was everything I had been looking for. I was in my workout clothes, hadn’t shaved in a few days but I knew that I had to meet her.” Almost 8 years, and 3 wonderful kids later, he’s glad he did.
Born in Cojimar, Cuba, Gudelay has a compelling story of her own. She left the island in 1988 with her mother who was a political prisoner under Fidel Castro’s dictatorship. Sentenced to serve 14 years, she ended up only serving half. At just 2, Gudelay was shuffled between family members, until 11 when she was reunited with her mom and family on the shores of Miami ready to embrace freedom. She believes that her experience allows her to appreciate all of the blessings in her life. “This is why I’m so grateful for my husband, my family and my surroundings,” she says.
Although Karim’s achievements speak volumes of his success, he admits that he now finds happiness in family. “Previously, it was all about the next deal,” he says. “Now it’s about good-quality deals that won’t take too much time away from my family.” When asked whether he truly believes that fate and destiny played a big part in all of his successes at work and at home, he responds surrounded by those he treasures most with a wide smile and a glimmer in his eye: “Absolutely!”