Harsha L’Acqua has been named Member of the 2021 Advisory Board at Condé Nast Traveler
Harsha L'Acqua spent most of her early career working in marketing and as front of house at hotels in cities including Bangkok, London, Singapore, and New York. But on a trip with friends to Cambodia, she stumbled on a hotel school in Siem Reap that trained local women for housekeeping positions, which sparked an idea. Shortly after, she quit her day job, enrolled at Cornell, and started hashing out plans for Saira Hospitality, a pop-up training center to connect locals with skills and employment at soon-to-open resorts, for everything from traditional food and beverage roles to working in a hotel's stable. Hotel San Cristobal in Todos Santos, Mexico, Four Seasons Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, and Habitas Namibia have all benefited from Saira's 2- to 10-week training programs. Now, the company is looking at mixing in permanent sites, like the one announced at The Monastery hotel in West Virginia earlier this year.