Turning Passion into Purpose: Kirill Pryakhin’s Bold Leap in Hospitality

Written by Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Business Management ambassador student Valentina Stefanini.

Kirill Pryakhin’s career journey defies expectations and exemplifies bold, strategic leadership in the hospitality industry. An alumnus of Les Roches Global Hospitality Education (Class of 2013), Kirill launched his career in luxury hotel sales across the Middle East, only to pivot and bring that expertise back to his hometown. In his mid-20s, he left a promising role with a top hotel brand to co-found a serviced apartment startup with his father in Astrakhan, Russia.

Despite launching just months before a global pandemic, Kirill’s venture not only survived but thrived, validating his vision. His story – spanning early leadership experiences, a high-flying international career, and an audacious entrepreneurial leap – offers inspiration to hospitality students, business professionals, and fellow alumni alike.

Early leadership foundations

Growing up, Kirill was uniquely positioned to develop a passion for hospitality. At 14, he moved with his family to Dubai in the midst of the city’s tourism boom. Surrounded by rapid hotel development and world-class service standards, he witnessed first-hand the economic impact of tourism and real estate.

Kirill’s parents were entrepreneurs in the food and beverage sector, so he quickly learned that people will always eat and drink, whether they’re sad or happy – a realization that showed him hospitality is an industry that never exhausts itself.

Even as a student, he demonstrated budding leadership and event management skills. “In school we constantly threw parties, and I was good at organizing them. I thought if you could get paid for this, that’s great – let’s study it”. This blend of early exposure and initiative set the stage for his future in hospitality management.

Ambition guided Kirill’s education choices. Determined to turn his passion into professional expertise, he enrolled at Les Roches in Switzerland – a top hospitality business school known for its hands-on learning approach. The curriculum put him through practical rotations in various hotel departments. By working in real restaurant and hotel operations during school, Kirill gained a 360-degree view of service, operations, and management. This early foundation – part passion, part education – would later empower him to lead with confidence in his career and entrepreneurial endeavors.

A high-flying hospitality career

After earning his hospitality management degree in 2013, he embarked on an internship in Sales and Marketing at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi. Despite his hard work and dedication, he felt that the position of coordinator didn’t fully utilize his natural soft skills and he realized that the brand wasn’t a good fit for him either. This realization became a driving force for him. Kirill knew he could deliver the same, if not higher, results of a manager or director, and his confidence in his abilities pushed him to seek opportunities that matched his potential. He was very lucky to be the right person at the right time for Intercontinental Dubai who was looking for a sales executive and needed that position filled as soon as possible.

They took a leap of faith and gave him the opportunity to step into a higher-level role, recognizing his talent and strong personality. From there, his career flourished in the UAE, with leading hospitality brands nurturing his growth. At Four Seasons DIFC he found a company he genuinely loved working for, he built invaluable connections and reinforced his reputation as a visionary in the industry. His strategic mind and ability to identify team strengths made him a standout figure in sales and marketing. He built incredibly strong relationships with his clients, and made a name for himself in the area.

At Four Seasons, Kirill truly came into his own as a young leader. He was part of the core group responsible for launching a new property and was soon promoted to one of the lead Sales Manager roles. Achieving a senior position by his mid-20s was no small achievement, and it reflected both his work ethic and strategic mindset.

During this period, Kirill demonstrated the classic traits of a hospitality leader: an instinct for guest satisfaction, an ability to work cross-culturally, and a knack for identifying market needs. Yet, after nearly a decade in the industry, Kirill found himself craving greater challenges and growth. Rather than wait years for the next promotion, Kirill made a bold decision – he would create his own path forward.

The entrepreneurial leap

In 2019, Kirill Pryakhin took a leap of faith that would redefine his career. He decided to leave his successful Middle East hospitality career and return to his hometown of Astrakhan, channeling his expertise into an untapped market. Astrakhan – a historic city by the Caspian Sea – had long suffered from a shortage of quality rental accommodations, especially for business travelers or long-term visitors.

Kirill saw a glaring opportunity in this gap. As he observed, it was “impossible to find something decent [to rent]… even if an apartment was fine, maybe the hallway light didn’t work” – the overall housing experience fell short of modern standards.
Kirill partnered with someone he knew he could trust implicitly – his father, Alex, who shared his entrepreneurial spirit.

Together, they devised a plan to create serviced apartments that would bring hotel-level comfort and service to the local rental market. In late 2019, the father-son team purchased an entire historic apartment building in Astrakhan’s city center (a building dating back to 1876) and began converting it into a premium serviced apartment complex. They fully renovated the property into 17 stylish studio apartments, ensuring each unit met the high standards Kirill had seen in Dubai and Switzerland. The project was aptly named “8512 Apart”, a nod to Astrakhan’s city code 8512.

From the start, Kirill was determined that 8512 Apart would break the mold. The apartments were designed to “meet all international living standards” – featuring modern electronic key-card access, elegant furnishings, and amenities for long-term comfort.

At the beginning he was the General Manager, as well as the Front Office Agent, and also the Housekeeper, and today his business is not only innovative, but also different from the rest of the market, in fact while big resorts closed during covid he was able to still book his apartments and keep the business going.

Because he has always been studying the strategies of his competition and thanks to his strategic mind and strong charisma, he is confident that one day, with a larger scale product, his competitors won’t be able to predict his next moves while he has been able to predict theirs for years.

Lessons in leadership and resilience

Launching a hospitality startup, however, was not without its challenges. Kirill’s leadership was tested almost immediately when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. In fact, 8512 Apart had opened just four months before the global pandemic shut down travel in early 2020. What could have been a catastrophic setback became a lesson in resilience.

Kirill quickly adapted, focusing on attracting long-term stays and domestic travelers when international travel halted. Thanks to agility and a loyal client base, the business survived the worst of the pandemic – a testament to the strong reputation for quality Kirill had built in a short time.

Kirill’s leadership style blends innovation, quality focus, and inspiration. He emphasizes that a business must have a deeper purpose beyond profitability. Now setting his sights beyond a single building, Kirill remains anything but complacent. He and his father have broken ground on a second, far larger development: a new serviced apartment complex featuring 150 units in the heart of Astrakhan. Slated to include two- and three-bedroom apartments in addition to studios, this project will boast on-site facilities like a supermarket, 24/7 café, fitness center, and even a rooftop bar and garden (Studcar, 2022).

In essence, Kirill is planning an integrated living hub that brings a full-service hospitality experience to long-term residents – a concept at the cutting edge of modern urban living. It’s clear that his entrepreneurial journey is just beginning, every challenge is an opportunity, and real innovation comes from daring to break the mold.

Conclusion

Kirill Pryakhin’s journey is a testament to the power of self-belief and determination. His story offers valuable lessons:

• Recognize Your Strengths: Identify the qualities that set you apart and leverage them in any team or organization.
• Push Boundaries: Don’t let limited experience or others’ opinions hold you back. If you know you have the capability, pursue opportunities that allow you to shine.
• Be Willing to Go Where Others Won’t: To truly stand out, take on challenges and roles that others shy away from. These experiences often provide the most growth and recognition.
• Stay Proactive: Success often comes to those who take initiative and consistently strive to make a difference.
• Believe in Your Vision: Whether building a career or a business, trust in your ability to succeed and take calculated risks.

Kirill Pryakhin’s journey is a powerful reminder that success belongs to those who dare to take control of their narrative. Whether it was stepping into roles that stretched his experience, venturing into underexplored markets, or taking bold leaps into entrepreneurship, Kirill consistently demonstrated the ability to stand out. His story teaches us that true growth comes from stepping outside of comfort zones, believing in our potential, and striving to make an impact. Kirill’s legacy is not just one of professional success but also of inspiring others to lead with confidence, embrace challenges, and transform their vision into reality. If you know your worth and are willing to go where others won’t, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

References:

Studcar. (2022). Les Roches: Интервью с выпускником Кириллом Пряхиным [Les Roches: Interview with alumnus Kirill Pryakhin]. Retrieved April 23, 2025, from https://studcar.ru/stati/les-roches-intervju-s-vypusknikom-kirillom-prjahinym/