Abdul Majid Mangalji

Abdul Majid Mangalji, commonly known as Majid Mangalji, is a prominent hospitality entrepreneur and real estate investor who has built one of the world's largest private hotel ownership and operations companies. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Bradford in England, where he completed a business degree with a double major in accounting and marketing.

Mangalji founded Westmont Hospitality Group in 1975 alongside his family, starting with a single property in the Pacific Northwest. Over the past 45+ years, he has transformed this modest beginning into a global hospitality empire. His strategic vision and operational expertise enabled Westmont to expand across four continents, with significant presence in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa (entered in 2015). The company now owns and operates over 400 hotels worldwide, with some reports indicating the company has historically owned or operated over 1,100 properties throughout its history.

Throughout his career, Mangalji has demonstrated exceptional skill in hotel development, acquisitions, and turnaround situations. In recognition of his lifetime contributions to the hospitality industry, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Hotel Investment Forum in 2013. Beyond his business ventures, Mangalji has shown commitment to education and industry development through the establishment of the Westmont Institute, a joint initiative with NOVA School of Business and Economics (NOVA SBE) in Portugal, aimed at developing and promoting education in hospitality, tourism, and service management.

In addition to his role at Westmont Hospitality Group, Mangalji serves as Executive Chairman at R&R Real Estate Investment Trust (TSXV:RRR.UN), where he is also the largest shareholder. He sits on the Board of Directors at Inception REIT, Inc. and Westpac Industrial Properties Ltd. He previously served as Chairman of InnVest Real Estate Investment Trust and Executive Chairman of WestCap Investments Corp. He has also served as an Advisor at Greenoaks Capital and is a board member of the IREFAC (Industry Real Estate Financing Advisory Council).

Majid Mangalji's investment philosophy centers on value creation through strategic hotel acquisitions, operational excellence, and long-term asset management in the hospitality and real estate sectors. His approach focuses on identifying underperforming or distressed hotel assets that can be repositioned and optimized through Westmont's operational expertise and brand partnerships.

Mangalji has demonstrated a preference for economy and mid-scale hotel segments, working with major hotel brands including Intercontinental Hotels (Holiday Inn), Choice Hotels (Comfort Inn and Quality Inn), Hilton Hotels, Radisson Hotels, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. This multi-brand strategy allows Westmont to maintain operational flexibility while leveraging established reservation systems and brand recognition.

Geographically, Mangalji pursues a global diversification strategy with investments spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. His recent activities include expansion into European boutique hospitality through the 2022 acquisition of Room Mate Hotels in partnership with Angelo Gordon. As an angel investor, Mangalji focuses on seed-round investments, though specific portfolio companies outside the hospitality sector have not been publicly disclosed. His value-add to portfolio companies likely includes strategic guidance, operational expertise, and access to his extensive network in hospitality and real estate.