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MARCH 2017 | WWW.HOTELNEWSME.COM TALKING THE WALK GENERALLY SPEAKING How La Ville is bringing something new to City Walk Hotel News sets the agenda for the GM Leaders 2017 How hotels are embracing robotics and artificial intelligence
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March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 3 Contents 22 10 | NEWS A round-up of regional and global news 16 | NEW OPENINGS Somewhere Hotel opens in Dubai; dusitD2 in Barsha Heights; Smartotels launches Form 22 | COVER STORY RISE OF THE ROBOTS: How the hotel industry is embracing robotics and artificial intelligence 28 | MARKET UPDATE A look at how qatar is gearing up ahead of world cup 2022 32 | GM INTERVIEW Hotel News Middle East catches up with Omar Souab at Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort News New openings Market Update GM Interview 10 16 28 32 Contents March 2017
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 4 Contents Contents March 2017 40 S U B S C R I B E c o n t r i b u t o r s subscriptions@bncpublishing.net CEO Wissam Younane Wissam@bncpublishing.net Managing Director Walid Zok Walid@bncpublishing.net Director Rabih Najm Rabih@bncpublishing.net Group Publishing Director Diarmuid O'Malley dom@bncpublishing.net Group Sales Director Fred Dubery Fred@bncpublishing.net Group Editor, Hospitality Crystal Chesters Crystal@bncpublishing.net Editor Patrick Ryan Patrick@bncpublishing.net Art Director Aaron Sutton Aaron@bncpublishing.net Marketing Executive Mark Anthony Monzon Mark@bncpublishing.net PO Box 502511 Dubai, United Arab Emirates P +971 4 4200 506 | F +971 4 4200 196 For all commercial enquiries related to Hotel News ME contact dom@bncpublishing.net T +971 50 55 97339 All rights reserved © 2014. Opinions expressed are solely those of the contributors. Hotel News ME and all subsidiary publications in the MENA region are officially licensed exclusively to BNC Publishing in the MENA region by Hotel News ME. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher. Printed by Raidy Emirates Printing Group LLC www.raidy.com Marouane Al Mandri P h o t o g r a p h y Hayder Al Zuhairi 40 | NEW OPENING We take a peek at La Ville in Dubai’s City Walk 44 | CHAIN FOCUS Wyndham Hotel Group is under the spotlight as we profile the company 46 | GM LEADERS CONFERENCE A selection of the region’s leading general managers take part in a roundtable event to discuss the agenda for next month’s GM Leaders Conference 54 | MARKETPLACE A round-up of what’s hot in the world of bathroom products
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HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 6 C an you do without the personal touch in the hospitality industry? That’s the question at the heart of our cover feature this month as we take a look at how the hotel industry is embracing robotics and artificial intelligence. It was a fun feature to research and write and it certainly opened my eyes as to how the industry is adopting change in ways that might not instantly spring to mind. When we think of robots in the workplace it’s easy to fall into the trap of imagining thousands of people being made unemployed to make way for supposedly cheaper and more efficient machines. That’s not the case in the hotel industry though as Hotel News Middle East got to hear firsthand how robotics and artificial intelligence is being used to make the guest experience more enjoyable, without being intrusive. Far from cyborgs running up and down hotel corridors, robotics and artificial intelligence is primarily being embraced to enhance the back of house operations for hotels. What is clear is that these are exciting times to be at the heart of hotels and that was emphasised at the roundtable debate that took place to launch our GM Leaders Conference next month. Some of the biggest names in the region took patrick ryan Editor Transforming hotels Follow us on our social media pages @hotelnewsme /hotelnewsme hotelnewsme @ThatPaddyRyan This month we look at how the industry is embracing robotics and artificial intelligence to improve the guest experience part in the discussion about the burning issues facing the industry right now. There’s little doubt that Qatar is very much in the public eye these days, not least with the World Cup 2022 on the horizon, so there is no better time to take a look at how plans are afoot to transform the country into the leisure capital of the Gulf. We take a spin to Fujairah this issue, to catch up with the general manager of the Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort to hear about his ambitious plans to create the leading destination in the emirate. City Walk has proved to be a hit with the public since it opened in Dubai last year. One thing was missing though, the popular destination was minus a hotel. That’s not the case anymore though thanks to the opening of La Ville, the boutique hotel that Marriott is confident will capture the public’s imagination. We also catch up with Alison Grinnell, the CEO of RAK Hospitality Holding, to hear about her plans to further reinvigorate an already thriving destination. Regards, Patrick Ryan On the web Keep up to date with all the latest news, features and much more on our website. www.hotelnewsme.com
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HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 10 Regional News For News, features and more, Visit www.hotelnewsme.com Follow us on twitter for breaking news: @hotelnewsME Follow us on Instagram to see what we’re up to: @Hotelnewsme Follow us on Facebook for up-to-the-minute breaking news Read the latest issue on: issuu.com/hotelnewsme This year’s Leader In Hospitali- ty Awards have been confirmed to take place on Wednesday, 17 May at The St. Regis Dubai. This will be the second year that Hotel News Middle East has hosted the event that celebrates the very best in the region’s hospitality scene. BNC Publishing CEO Wis- sam Younane said: "After hosting a very successful first edition of the Leaders in Hos- pitality Awards in 2016, we at Hotel News Middle East and BNC Publishing are really Leaders In Hospitality Awards 2017 NEWS looking forward to bringing together the best of the re- gion’s hospitality industry for this event again this year. “The past few months have been, no doubt, a challenging one for hoteliers, but these circumstances have also caused the industry at large to become agile and imagi- native in terms of bolstering their business, and that’s why the sector remains a robust, vibrant and exciting one. “With the 2017 Leaders in Hospitality Awards, we seek to recognise these innovative play- ers of the Middle East’s hospi- tality industry, and celebrate the region’s best concepts, proper- ties and talent in this space.” There will be a host of awards celebrating the abso- lute best the region’s hotels have to offer, including Lead- ing GM, which will highlight an outstanding hotel general manager. Also up for grabs will the Best New Hotel award which will be keenly contested by hotels that opened on or after January 2016. The Rising Star award is another category set to attract a high calibre of nominee. It is open to anyone working in the Middle East's hotel indus- try aged 30 or under. Keep an eye on our website for a full list of categories or email patrick@bncpublish- ing.net for further details. If you are interested in spon- sorship opportunities, contact Diarmuid O’Malley: dom@ bncpublishing.net We look forward to seeing you on 17 May!
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 11 Regional News The next generation of chefs were treated to a live demon- stration from internationally renowned chef Paul Gayler. The MBE award winner was performing at a demonstra- tion day to launch Chef Middle East’s newly opened state-of- the-art facility in Dubai Invest- ment Park (DIP). Gayler spoke to Hotel News Middle East about the impor- tance of the event. “I'm working with Chef Middle East through Braehead Foods and Made In Scotland. Chef Middle East demonstrates excellence The demonstrations showed it is not just about knocking back product it’s about educating,” he said. “People are travelling the world, but just because they come to Dubai doesn’t mean they want to necessarily eat Middle Eastern food. They still want to be eating Europe- an style food. That’s why the hotels here are grabbing onto those great chefs.” Chef Middle East CEO Steve Pyle said: “We’ve just moved into our new HQ at DIP. It’s a 10,000m2 state-of the art facility. “It gives us a platform and the headroom as a business to grow. The other invest- ment we have made is in people. Here in the UAE we have about 28 salespeople, all with a track record in food and hospitality. “We want to engage with our customers and imbue them with our products.” The event was a pre-cursor to Chef Middle East’s Vendor Show, which took place at the Paul Gayler MBE pictured with chef Georges Chinane Finest bedding... w w w. m u e h l d o r f e r. c o m Mühldorfer GmbH & Co. KG · D-94145 Haidmühle T +49 8556 96000 · bett@muehldorfer.com … made in Germany Media Rotana on 21 February. The event offered a platform for chefs, bar managers, pastry chefs and purchasing manag- ers to network and find out more about Chef Middle East’s range of products and brands. There were vendors from Japan, Australia, Saudi Ara- bia, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy and Spain in attendance, showcasing a range of products including seafood, meat, pastries, bev- erages and chocolates among others.
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 12 Regional News AHIC on the agenda AT BAHRAIN BRIEFING The importance of gov- ernment support for tourism as key to a strong and resilient hos- pitality industry was high on the agenda at a briefing in Bahrain ahead of this year’s Ara- bian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC). The briefing in Ma- nama brought together hoteliers, hospital- ity investors, owners and tourism officials to discuss the burning issues facing the industry ahead of AHIC which is taking place in Dubai from 25 to 27 April 2017 at Madinat Jumeirah. CEO of The Cohen International Group, Hyder Cohen said: “It was valu- able to hear in the AHIC briefing that Bahrain understands these challenges and has concrete plans on developing a comprehensive tourism ecosystem which will enable the kingdom to offer a diverse and cohesive product. “Creating bespoke products coupled with technologically enabled experi- ences will act as a key differentiator and will provide regional countries a unique selling proposition of their tourism product." AHIC 2017 will bring together more than 700 hotel owners, investors, de- velopers, operators, consultants and experts from professional services to debate the hospitality investment climate against a back- drop of global catalysts for change and the mac- roeconomic environment. GCC and global partners, Sabre commercial director Fredrick Bonnalt said: “It’s clear to me that Bahrain has a clear and determined tourism strategy for the next five to 10 years. “It’s very refreshing to listen to the vision, knowing that the govern- ment is standing behind this strat- egy to make Bahrain a top leisure and corporate destination. “These are difficult times from a geopolitical, as well as a financial viewpoint and to diversify the coun- try’s economy will be vital; there is no doubt in my mind that Bahrain is implementing this strategy.” Hospitality Technology Forum 2017 launched The inaugural Hotel News Middle East Hospitality Technology Forum is taking place at the W Dubai Al Habtoor City on Wednesday, 19 April. The inaugural forum will provide a platform for IT, security, e-commerce and engineering professionals to discuss and debate the major technological challenges, opportunities and trends facing the hotel industry in 2017 and beyond. Exploring the latest solutions for streamlining the guest experience and enhancing the efficiency of back-of- house and front-of-house operations, the forum will offer attendees the op- portunity to take part in workshops, hear from the experts, and meet with the region’s leading solutions provid- ers and thought leaders in hotel tech- nology. Contact patrick@bncpublish- ing.net for more information. Hospitality Technology Forum W Dubai Al Habtoor City April 19, 2017 Media inforMation
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 13 Regional News High staff turnover concerns in Dubai hotels The high level of staff turn- over is becoming an increas- ing worry for Dubai hoteliers. Figures released by hotel asset management special- ist TFG Asset Management revealed the financial impact of high staff turnover on the hotel industry in Dubai. TFG’s study, entitled 'The Im- pact of Staff Turnover on a Hotel’s Income Statement', surveyed in- dustry stakeholders, including global hotel management firms with a significant presence in Dubai. It revealed that a 30% turnover rate could potentially reduce a hotel operator’s gross operating profit (GOP) by AED6 million ($1.63 million) per annum. TFG head of asset manage- ment Mariano Faz said:“The challenge facing Dubai-based hoteliers to retain their best staff can be immense in the face of increasing competition from new operators entering the market and the expansion plans of existing rivals. “In a market with such vast opportunities, job seek- ers have considerable op- tions, making it challenging for hoteliers to attract and retain the best talent.” He added that with the influx of new supply and in- creased competition for expe- rienced staff, the issue of high staff turnover has become an increasing concern for Dubai’s hoteliers. According to the research, some of the likely factors can range from a lack of faith in management, poor relation- ships with colleagues, and a lack of career development opportunities. It was found that entry-lev- el staff were also more likely to switch jobs more regularly than middle and senior-man- agement employees. “Given the fierce competi- tion for staff, hoteliers will often rush an appointment without considering that per- son’s real-world qualifications for the role,” he said. “A better approach is to consider a potential candidate based not only on their expe- rience, but their attitude and willingness to embrace the corporate culture and their perceived long-term ambition to develop their career with the operator.” fififififififififififififififi
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 14 Regional News Global Restaurant Investment Forum partners with AccorHotels The Global Restaurant Investment Forum 2017 (GRIF), an annual net- working and intelligence event for the international restaurant and hospital- ity community powered by Michelin, has partnered with AccorHotels for its fourth edition. GRIF, which will be held from 10-12 April 2017 at Fairmont The Palm in Dubai, will provide a macroeconomic overview of the F&B industry. Jennifer Pettinger-Haines, managing director, Middle East, Bench Events, or- ganiser of GRIF, said: “GRIF facilitates investment decision-making within the restaurant space and showcases the hot- test concepts from around the globe. When selecting our partners, we are committed to supporting companies looking to make a real impact in the industry. AccorHotels is making bold steps to revolutionise its F&B and we are excited to witness the unveiling of new concepts from the hotelier at GRIF.” It will tackle issues such as concept development, finance and lending, investment feasibility, scaling up for sustainable growth, creating a food culture and catering to the digitally- focused customer. The event brings together more than 300 industry professionals for interac- tive culinary tours, networking recep- tions, a franchise masterclass and a conference programme, which explores investing in the restaurant and food ser- vice industry. Dedicated to sharing best practice and insights, the line-up of speakers for the 2017 edition of GRIF includes Amir Nahai, CEO food & beverage, AccorHotels, who will be interviewed live on stage about the international hotelier’s F&B strategy on 11 April. Speaking ahead of the event, Nahai said: “Rethinking and redefining our food and beverage offer is a critical el- ement of AccorHotels’ transformation and we are committed to demonstrating that hotels can be market-leaders in the restaurant business. With close to 8000 restaurants around the world, our goal is to position our F&B offer as a truly differentiating factor for our guests, our partners and our employees. “Our focus is on ensuring food and beverage is more localised and less commoditised,” continued Nahai. “It is about creating concepts tailored to each marketplace in which we operate and developing home-grown F&B. The ques- tion we ask ourselves about every con- cept is, ‘does it matter to our guests?’” The topic of restaurant conceptualisa- tion will be an important one at GRIF 2017, where panel sessions include: What’s Hot in the Restaurant World; Creating a Food Culture; Demystifying Restaurant Development; Hotel F&B; Smart Design; and The Blueprint to De- veloping a Successful Concept. Nahai added: “Our merger with FRHI Hotels & Resorts has certainly acceler- ated our focus on F&B and provided ad- ditional know-how, talent and systems in this specialism. It’s therefore very exciting to host GRIF at Fairmont The Palm, a hotel for which we are currently creating a very exciting new restaurant, bar and beach club concept.” He concluded: “GRIF is one of the leading international restaurant in- vestment conferences in the region and at AccorHotels, we are committed to furthering the development of the industry globally to meet the needs of today’s diner.” In addition to the high-level agenda, GRIF 2017 will present the second edi- tion of the Global Restaurant Awards, which give recognition to the businesses behind the world’s leading restaurants and brands. To find out more, visit www.restaurant-invest. com and www.global-restaurant-awards.com The organisers of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), have predicted experiential tourism will generate AED236 billion by 2026. Travellers, more than ever before, have an array of choices available to them and are looking away from the more traditional beach and sight-seeing holidays. Some are soaking up culture and cus- tom, while others, especially regional visitors more familiar with Arabic culture, are clearly opting for thrill-seeking adventures and experiences,” said Simon Press, senior exhibition director, referring to a report issued by Colliers International, called The UAE Hospitality Market “That message is coming through loud and clear from many of the travel professionals attending Arabian Travel Market this year.” The report said that hotel supply in Dubai has increased by 6,700 keys in 2016. It also said that occupancy rates are up to 78%, with the average length of stay remaining close to the same level as 2015 at 3.6 nights. The report reads: “It is expected that the length of stay will further grow as the city increases its theme parks and entertainment offerings. A greater family appeal is expected to drive overall spending as well.” ATM takes place from 24-27 April at Dubai In- ternational Convention and Exhibition Centre. Experiential tourism to generate billions Amir Nahai, CEO food & beverage, AccorHotels
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 15 Regional News ADNH posts profits Of AED244mn Travel and tourism To boost Saudi GDP by $81bn Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) PJSC has posted net profits of AED244 million for 2016, an increase of 3% on the previous year. As a result of these figures the company will now pay out a dividend for the sum of AED100 million, which is the equivalent of 10% of the nominal value of the issued share capital. The company’s net prof- its for 2016 amounted to AED244 million, up from the AED237 million that was posted in 2015. An ADNH spokesperson said: “The 2016 results were achieved in a very challenging market while the city con- tinues to experience growth Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector is projected to contribute more than $81 bil- lion to the GDP of the coun- try by 2026. That is according to figures that have been released by the World Travel and Tourism Council as it gears up for this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) which revealed there are an additional 61,224 hotel rooms in the pipeline across Saudi Arabia. Senior exhibition director ATM 2017 Simon Press said: “Plans are already well un- derway to achieve this target. The government has appoint- ed the board of the General Entertainment Authority, and Six Flags has revealed excit- ing plans to expand into the country, with the first enter- tainment park scheduled to open as soon as 2020-21.” in supply of hotel rooms, expressing its commitment to delivering excellent guest experience throughout its hotels and across all sectors, while growing the sharehold- ers returns.” ADNH’s hotel division alone posted AED844 mil- lion in total revenue and Press said that Saudi ex- hibitors will have a strong presence at this year’s ATM with a number of high profile projects in the spotlight. These include the opening of two major shopping malls in Riyadh: Mall of Saudi, with 300,000m2 of retail and en- tertainment space, a snow park and hotels, and The Av- enues Riyadh, a $1.9bn shop- ping complex. Kingdom Tower, which is projected to become the world’s tallest building when completed, is another project AED76 million in net profit during 2016. The retail division generat- ed a total revenue of AED196 million and recorded net profit of AED79 million. The transport division posted a figure of AED294 million in total revenue and AED35 million in net profit. that is expected to be a major talking point at the event. Despite a drop of 4.8% in occupancy rates in Saudi Arabia in 2016, according to STR, Press says he expects 2017 to be more positive. He pointed to a particularly strong focus on leisure, reli- gious and domestic tourism as the country looks to in- crease the contribution from the non-oil sectors. ATM takes place from 24- 27 April at Dubai Interna- tional Exhibition and Con- vention Centre. Khalid Anib, ADNH chief executive officer In January 2017, hotels in the Middle East region reported a 2.7% occupancy decrease to 68.4%, an 8.4% ADR decline to $177.81 and an 11% RevPAR drop to $121.62 (Source: STR) Occupancy: +0.5% to 81.1% ADR: -8.0% to AED711.80 RevPAR: -7.5% to AED577.09 GO FIGURE UAE January performance
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 16 New Openings Somewhere Hotels has opened the doors to its new 301-room hotel in Dubai’s Barsha Heights. Somewhere Hotels corporate office general manager, Abdullatif Kabbara said: “Following the global success of Somewhere Hotels, we are very proud of our continued growth, with our second property in UAE located at the heart of Dubai’s residential and business area. “As a mid-market runner in the Dubai hospital- ity sector, we offer consistently great value and a high-quality experience that both solo travellers, couples, business men and women love and return back to time and time again. “In essence, through reliable and affordable of- fering, our mission is to satisfy our visitors’ needs during the time they spend at the hotel.” The location of the newly established hotel pro- vides the guests with easy access to public trans- portation. In close proximity, guests can take the city’s metro and tram to Marina Walk, Jumeirah Beach Walk and Mall of the Emirates. The hotel includes a dining area where guests can choose between a variety of dishes. The venue also features a conference room equipped with the latest devices for business meetings and gatherings. The brand is currently operating in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Greece. Somewhere Hotel opens in Dubai Rotana opens first hotel in Africa dusitD2 opens in Dubai's Barsha Heights Rotana has opened its first hotel in Africa with the Kin Plaza Arjaan in Kinshasa,the Democratic Republic of Congo. The luxury five-star hotel has 101 rooms, studios and suites as well as three food and beverage outlets. Rotana president and CEO Omer Kad- douri said: “Rotana has been increasing- ly looking to markets in Africa to drive business growth and expansion, and to- day we mark a major milestone in our efforts to extend our geographical pres- ence in the continent. “The opening of Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana marks a significant step in the fur- ther development of Kinshasa’s hospitality industry, and will enhance the city’s posi- tioning and credentials as a destination that offers comfortable accommodation to visitors. The five-star hotel will bring a new standard of refinement and guest comfort to Congo’s fast-growing hospitality sector.” The 237-key dusitD2 has opened in Barsha Heights. The hotel has a focus on art throughout the property with a tailored collaboration of exclusive pieces from Emirati artist Zeinab Al Hashemi. Alya Al Noaimi innovation advi- sor and creative director for the ho- tel said: “I have always had an in- terest in how art and creativity can influence the fabric and flow of a building and our holistic approach is borne from my own experience of continually living at a crossroads of culture and ideas. “We actually have more pieces of art in the hotel than rooms and I am so proud to have worked with Zeinab on this project who is such a strong, inspiring Emirati woman.” Al Noaimi said that every element in the hotel has been designed to pro- vide a warmth and familiarity. She added that the hotel has well- being at the core of its values, to en- courage a healthy living lifestyle for its residents. He added that Rotana’s entry into the Democratic Republic of Congo will open up significant employment oppor- tunities for Congolese nationals in the hospitality industry. Rotana currently has a number of proj- ects under various stages of development across Africa including Marrakesh, Luan- da, Nouakchott, Dar es Salaam and Lagos. It has also announced plans to open 17 new hotels by 2018 including seven in the UAE, four in Saudi Arabia, two prop- erties each in Oman, Turkey and Iraq.
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 17 New openings ELEGANT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS sales@DesertRiver.com | +971 4 323 3636 A new 286-room hotel has opened in Dubai Healthcare City. The new property, Rove Healthcare City, is the third property that has opened under the Rove Hotels banner – the result of a partnership between the Emaar Hospitality Group and Meraas. Chris Newman, chief operating officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “Rove Healthcare City is a unique property that caters to the needs of the business community and visitors to the Dubai Healthcare City and the surrounding neighbourhoods. “The location has a unique dynamic, being home to hospitals, schools, social and cultural clubs, family parks and malls. Tucked away from the bustle of the city yet in a central location, the area demanded a hotel that assures guests true value hospitality experiences. We deliver that with Rove Healthcare City.” He said the key selling point of the hotel was its location being only 10 minutes away from Dubai International Airport, Dubai World Trade Centre, Downtown Dubai and DIFC. The unique character of the location, according to Newman, makes Rove Healthcare City a destination of choice for tourists and for an evening out for local residents. The 286 rooms will be located over 11 floors, with 30% of the rooms in- terconnected for the convenience of families. This means that seven Rove Hotels have been announced with another three more to open by 2020, just in time for Expo 2020 Dubai. New Rove Hotel opens in Dubai Smartotels launches flagship Form brand in Dubai Smartotels has announced its technology driven flagship brand called Form will be based in Dubai. The “disruptive upscale hotel brand” will be based in Dubai Creek at Al Jaddaf and will have 143 keys. Smartotels Hospitality In- ternational LLC’s founder and managing partner, Tarek M. Daouk (pictured), launch- ing the project at the GIOHIS Summit in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, said: “By offering a core hospitality experience with the flexibility of add-on service and amenity features, Form Hotel will empower its guests to customise their journey. “The hotel will benefit from an operating model that is engineered to drive strong returns to investors through an increased ability to control operating expenses by com- pressing fixed costs and ex- ploiting variable costs.” He added that the new brand will “provide guests with everything they value and nothing they don’t”. Daouk added that it is es- sential to provide customers with a service that’s based on their consumer behaviour rather than using such terms as millenilals or belonging to Generation X, Y or Z. At Form, he said, the focus will be on the hyper-connected, hybrid consumers and bar- gain hunters.
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 18 Talent Taking care of business Z akaria started his career in F&B as a waiter in his home country of Morroco. He then moved to Dubai in 2008 as a waiter in Al Bustan Rotana before moving up the ranks to head waiter. He moved to Amwaj Ro- tana as assistant manager of Rosso in November 2012, then became manager in less than a year. He then decided to move to Canada for a year, as an out- let manager in charge, until he realised that he couldn’t be anywhere else but in Dubai. He managed a pre-opening restaurant in Jumeirah Lakes Towers as assistant director of restaurants, before returning to Rotana, and to Long’s Bar at Towers Rotana in September 2016. Describe your first ever role in the F&B industry? I started as a waiter back in Morocco while studying in university. When I moved to Dubai in the year 2008, I started my F&B career as a waiter in the former Al Bustan Rotana. Being a waiter is a tough job but I think it’s the best entry level to this field because of the wealth of practical knowl- edge and insight it offers. As a waiter, I gained experience serving various types of restaurants, from an all-day to a fine dining one. I love the job because of my interaction with people. In fact, within three years of working for Al Bustan, I was promoted twice, from a waiter to a captain then head waiter. Who has inspired you most in your career? I’ve always looked up to Alban Dauben- ton, former director of F&B at Amwaj is an immediate response with action, which I also do see as an opportunity to always improve guest satisfaction and the offerings of the outlet. What's the best aspect of your role? I am a people person and that’s why I love the fact that I am interacting with people every single day. If you could work in any restaurant in the world, which would it be? An authentic French fine dining restau- rant because it’s the crème de la crème of the art of fine dining service. What tip would you share with new staff starting out in the F&B industry in the region? Love the industry with a passion. It’s by far one of the most challenging but with the challenge comes a wealth of knowl- edge from all that people interaction. Rotana. I really considered him a leader more than just my boss, in fact, he was the first person to tell me that “if you take care of your staff, your staff will take care of the business”. On a person- al level, he also inspired me to look for a career, not just the money. How do you view the F&B scene in the region? The F&B industry in Dubai is very com- petitive and dynamic, with a number of new restaurants and concepts opening every month. With so many players in the field, restaurants are required to not only offer the best value for money, but also to remain the most talked about. I continue to witness the trends of the in- troduction of new menu items, promo- tions and entertainment. What is the biggest challenge of your role? Reputation management – in this digital age, customer feedback is instant and so In this month’s Talent section we speak to Zakaria Toumi, bar manager at Long’s, Towers Rotana about his journey from his native Morocco to Dubai, via Canada
Talent: Appointments hospitality landscape. I look for- ward to the adventure ahead with a wonderful team.” Capital Centre Arjaan by Rotana has appointed Sailesh Nagavenkatha as its new executive housekeeper. Before this role, he was house- keeping manager at Hyatt Place Hotel, Dubai. “I am very excited to be given this opportunity to work with a well re- nowned brand like Rotana” he said. “I look forward to interacting with our long stay guests and playing my part in making their stay a home away from home.” Hossam Mansour has been appoint- ed as the new general manager of Towers Rotana. Mansour joined Rotana Hotels in 2013 as executive assistant manager of Fujairah Rotana Resort and Spa, Al Aqah Beach. In his most recent role, Mansour was general manager of Villa Ro- tana, a four-star hotel located on Sheikh Zayed Road. Mansour said: “I’m delighted to embark on my second property as general manager and to return to Towers Rotana, an iconic hotel that is Meliá Hotels International has made a number of appointments to its Mid- dle Eastern office. Nihad Kattan has been named as re- gional director of operations Middle East and Africa. He will oversee the opera- tions across the brand’s Middle East ho- tels which includes Meliá Dubai, Meliá Doha and the upcoming ME Dubai and INNSIDE Doha properties in the GCC. Over the past five years Kattan has worked at Marriott International in Dubai, Marriott Hotels in Jordan, Mövenpick Hotel Doha has ap- pointed Sami Aawar as its new general manager. Aawar has over 20 years of ex- perience in the hospitality industry having previously been the task force general manager of Möven- pick Hotel Al Aziziyah and Möven- pick Hotel Doha in 2016. “My main goal is to target out- standing guest satisfaction and great relationships among team mem- bers,” said Aawar. “It is an extraordinary time to be based in Doha and there is a tangible GENERAL MANAGER APPOINTED AT ST REGIS DUBAI, AL HABTOOR POLO RESORT AND CLUB CAPITAL CENTRE ARJAAN BY ROTANA hires EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER Towers Rotana appoints GM regional director joins Meliá Middle East New GM for Movenpick Doha Henning has worked with Starwood since December 2003, having served as director of food and beverage at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh. Within seven months he was pro- moted to the position of executive manager, overseeing the hotel’s op- erational departments. Following his time in Edinburgh, Henning moved to London as execu- tive assistant manager of The Park Lane Hotel with responsibility for all hotel operations for two years. In 2008 he took on his first general manager role in Albania at the Shera- ton Tirana, before moving to The Wes- tin Dublin where he served as general manager from 2009 until 2013. The new resort will have 96 guest- rooms, 30 suites and 25 villas. February 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 19 Andrew Henning has been appointed as general manager of The St. Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club, ahead of the property’s opening later this year. The Northern Irish man will oversee the 151-key resort, which will be the first equestrian themed St. Regis re- sort in the world. Henning said: “Following the long-standing association with polo, the sport of kings, it is an honour to lead the team at the world’s first St. Regis Polo Resort. “This is an exciting project with a great team behind it, and we are confident that it will significantly contribute to Dubai’s dynamic The Indian national has 11 years of experience in the industry, hav- ing worked with internationally re- nowned brands. home to very well established food and beverage outlets, including the famed Teatro.” Prior to taking on this appoint- ment, Mansour held the position of executive assistant manager at Towers Rotana. Hilton Resort in Fujairah and Cairo Ramses Hilton & Casino in Egypt. More recently he worked in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as the general manager of Fairmont Riyadh Hotel. Ahmad Shaban-Fernandez will lead the sales and marketing division in the region. He has worked at properties such as Rotana in the UAE, Marriott Inter- national in Kuwait and Starwood Ho- tels and Resorts and InterContinental Hotel Group in Jordan. feel of excitement in the air with fu- ture events like the Football World Cup to plan for and look forward to.”
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 20 Comment Get Strategic With Hotel Revenue or Get Left Behind T he way people shop for hotel rooms has changed dramati- cally in the last 20 years. Hotel revenue management teams need to adapt or get left behind. Revenue man- agement practices that worked in the 1990s are no longer relevant to today’s market of online shoppers. In the Middle East, where destina- tions such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi have seen demand plateau, it is more important that ever to price right and maximise on every opportunity to con- vert a booking. With new inventory constantly hitting the market, RevPAR and ADR have stagnated. Now, hotels need to get strategic with their revenue management. They need to know their customers better, crunch the numbers to understand what worked (and what didn’t) in the past in order to build out a forecast, adopt an Open Pricing policy and de- termine which distribution channels prove the most profitable. Segmentation The starting point of any revenue strat- egy – defining, developing and manag- ing your segmentations – is crucial. These may be customer groups that behave similarly, or distribution chan- nels that have similar costs. You may segment leisure custom- ers, corporate guests, group bookings, DMC bookings and/or promotions. What is important is to define your segments in order to get better ac- countability of which lines of business are generating the most bookings or the highest revenue – the two may not be one and the same. Forecasting Hotel revenue strategists have to un- Open Pricing Gone are the days of a Best Avail- able Rate (BAR) strategy that provides variations on rate for various segmentations. Adopting an Open Pricing strategy enables you to price each and every room with a unique price to maximise net revenue. The permutations are endless, as you can price room types, channels and dates independently, 365 days a year. This enables you to find the right price for the right room for the right customer at the right time. Get it right and your revenue will rise. Distribution Today’s guest will spend time search- ing for the best deal online; they may book, cancel and - in some instances - book again. Because of the rise in online travel agents (OTAs), the cost of distribution has seen a sharper in- crease than room revenues. It’s easy to see OTAs as the enemy – but that is far from the truth. They are a part of the marketing jigsaw now, and hoteliers need to budget, measure and analyse their sales and marketing activi- ties with OTAs in mind. Once you’re up and running with a revenue strategy it doesn’t stop there. Look again at your segmentations and get more granular to identify new op- portunities. Forecast not on an an- nual basis, but on a monthly, weekly or daily basis. Re-evaluate what dis- tribution channels provide the best returns, maximise on brand.com op- portunities and invest in your own property.com channel. And get brave with your Open Pricing policy. For- tune favours the brave, and that in- cludes hotel revenue strategists. Michael McCartan, managing director, EMEA, Duetto, takes us through the principles of revenue strategy, including segmentation, forecasting, Open Pricing and distribution, and explains why Middle East hotels need to get strategic with pricing derstand that they are dealing in per- ishable goods. Their product – the room – has a shelf life of only one day. A demand forecast is the first step to creating a pricing strategy that will maximise on revenue and profitability. By forecasting future demand, rev- enue managers can build out a pricing strategy based on performance goals, such as occupancy, rate and revenue. It can help you maximise on revenue in high demand periods, but also help you map out a lower pricing strategy on days with lower demand. However, always remember that a forecast is a guide at best. Be honest about your forecasting, and remember, no one can accurately predict the future – not even hotel revenue managers.
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HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 22 Rise of the Robots Patrick Ryan reports on how the hospitality industry is incorporating robotics and artificial intelligence into hotel operations Laundry services are one way in which we can see robotics being utilised by hotels Cover Story
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 23 Cover Story W hen you imagine how the hotel industry is go- ing to embrace robotics, it is easy to conjure up images of a hotel lobby whirring with the sounds of machines, from the ro- botic receptionist behind the counter to the machines zooming up and down the halls delivering room service. But just how realistic is that image and how far has the Middle East’s hotel industry gone to embrace technological change? Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) chief operating officer David Sjolander says the most common mis- conception is differentiating between artificial intelligence (AI) and robots. “Some people would call it a robot in some instances, I am not sure I would,” he says. “Artificial intelligence is already syn- onymous with the personal assistance that we have on phones with the likes of Siri and Alexa. Hotels are already ex- perimenting in these areas but it raises significant questions of security.” Since many voice assisted devices are always in listening mode, there is no good way to ensure data security. “Until these products are adapted I would be very cautious. I do think we will see a lot of advances in the coming years as people get used to using these types of devices and once they get used to them they will want to use them in their hotel rooms as well,” Sjolander adds. A similar technology is the online chat option for customer service, something that is becoming more and more common in hotels. “These are chatbots,” says Jeroen Wisse, AccorHotels IT director. “You think that someone is answering you but they’re not, it’s ‘something’ that is answering you. “You get more and more of these chat options using bots.” Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Water- front and Radisson Blu Dubai Canal View, UAE cluster general manager David Allan says the key to using ar- tificial intelligence for improving the guest experience is reasonably simple. “It’s simply a case of offering rel- evant suggestions for our guests on whatever their personal preferences may be,” he says. “From things to do, see, eat, and ex- perience in the local area. It will help us create an environment which meets as many of their likes as possible in our Hotel Technology Next Generation chief operating officer, David Sjolander Guests could be getting room service brought to them in a different style hotels and making their travel easier.” AccorHotels procurement director Shahbaz Tiavar says that if it will im- prove the guest experience then his company will absolutely take a look at robotics and measure the advantages against the cost. "We can’t have a new innovation that costs five times what we are spending today just for the sake of it,” he says. “We are definitely keen to try new machines but we are not sure it will work to be honest. Some customers might find it fantastic while others might prefer to have human interac- tion. This is the Middle East, a region where people expect to have a higher service than other regions and, by high- er service, they often mean someone.” The front of house is where robot- ics have been most prominent to en- hance the experience for guests arriv- ing at a hotel. “So far robotics have been used at the front of house for the guest engage-
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 24 Cover story ment aspect, there is an element though of the hotel industry being worried that robots will take away from the human element,” says Sjolander. “It is very early days and we are just really witnessing the first attempts.” Wisse, AccorHotels, warns that people will not simply settle for any old gimmick. “Is it really something that makes the people feel more welcome? We are in the hospitality industry and need that personal interaction,” he says. “There are hotel companies that do certain things for the sake of it, this is something that our CEO talked about recently saying ‘it’s good to do some- thing, but when you do it make sure you ing technology as a rule, then AI will be some way off. “To be frank, I’ve yet to have a guest enquire about AI. There is definite- ly an appeal to some, more those of a technology-embracing perspective, and this shouldn’t be ignored. However, it is people and their personalities that still contribute to the best hotels in the world being at the top of their game.” He says the challenge is to balance the personal with the artificial which will involve a significant financial in- vestment as well as time and input from staff and guests. It’s all very well having the ability to use robotics or artificial intelligence but you have to ask yourself where and when it’s appropriate. “The one thing a machine can never do without some sort of historical data is predict an outcome,” says AccorHo- tels’ Wisse. “That’s where us humans come in as emotion plays a part. We tend to make purely emotional decisions, based on instinct. A machine can tell you that you’ve got such and such an ailment and you will die within 24 hours, whereas a human can tell you more sensitively.” He gives an example of how a robot would deal with guests who were party- Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Waterfront and Radisson Blu Dubai Canal View, United Arab Emirates cluster general manager David Allan Aloft has made waves with Botlr don’t lose that touch with the guests’.” Allan, Radisson Blu, gives a straight answer when he’s quizzed if the indus- try has shown a reluctance to embrace artificial intelligence. “Yes, of course it has,” he says. “Cou- ple that with hospitality generally being an industry that’s always more than a little behind the curve of implement- A number of high profile groups are using robots. Starwood’s Aloft hotels which prides itself on innovation in its Silicon Valley loca- tion, is home to Botlr. Aloft was one of the first hotel brands in the world to employ a robot on its staff in both front and back of house. Botlr accepts Tweets instead of cash as tips, as he operates around the 172 rooms and five floors of Aloft Silicon Valley. Yotel in New York is home to Yobot a lug- gage storing robot that holds guests’ lug- gage in 150 bins behind a glass wall at the hotel’s entrance. Guests use a touchscreen to transport their luggage to a storage bin via a giant robotic arm. Hilton teamed up with IBM to create Con- nie the robot concierge who was named after the group’s founder Conrad Hilton. Connie is powered by Watson technology, a form of AI that allows computers to see the world humans do through sense, learning and experience. A hotel completely run by robots opened in Japan in 2015. The Henn-na Hotel in Sasebo has a front desk that is manned by a lifelike female robot in official hotel uniform and, rather bizarrely a Velociraptor dinosaur wearing a bow tie and bellhop hat. Facial recognition software is used to al- low guests access to the rooms. Robots at your service
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HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 26 Cover Story ing too loud and annoying other guests. “A robot would simply turn off the power to the music,” he says. “And even if it contacted the police, why would it be doing that? Because it’s still relying on humans to solve the problem.” It’s easy to watch science fiction films involving robots and get carried away about the possibilities, but Wisse reck- ons they serve a purpose. “Movies like ‘Artificial Intelligence’ slowly introduce us to the idea this is coming. Of course they make it scary and you think you have to be wary,” he says. “Yes it helps make people slowly but surely aware machines are going to come and you will have to talk to them but we’re already doing that.” Wisse talks about a recent conversa- tion he had regarding the use of a new kind of robot. “We were asked here in the Middle East to try a new robot that can do room service without a human being in- volved,” he says. “The idea of the robot is that it will go by itself in the corridor, take the elevator alone, the robot can drive the elevator to where it wants to go, when it arrives at the room it rings the room to say ‘I’m here’. The guest opens the door then to the robot. It’s been used in the US and they asked us to use it in Dubai.” Radisson Blu’s Allan say it is more a case of the industry keeping an eye on robots and artificial intelligence rather than embracing them. “Our primary focus is our guests and providing meaningful moments and ex- periences to them and our team,” says Allan. One unlikely area where robots can make a difference to hospitality, says Ac- corHotels’ Tiavar is when a guest visits a hotel spa. “A lot of people go and don’t actually know what treatment their body needs,” he says. “A robot can scan your body and tell you exactly what you need. It could say ‘you have a pain here or a pain there’. Then the therapist can adapt the treat- ment for you. “There are a lot of areas that have not been explored and we are only at the be- ginning of it.” While AI and robotics have been used mostly in front of house to date, it’s at the back of the house where there is more scope for its adoption, according to Sjolander, HTNG. “Going forward you’re going to see more and more things like a robotic dish washing system,” he says. It’s a belief that’s shared by AccorHo- tels’ Tiavar. “We are looking for more productiv- ity, people are looking for new ways of cleaning and optimising time,” he says. “In housekeeping we see a lot of improvement, many new companies are coming into the cleaning industry bringing automation and artificial intel- ligence. Definitely artificial intelligence will help create better efficiency for sure. It’s not the only area we see artificial intelligence coming but it will be the next.” Wisse says that swimming pools are another area where artificial intelligence Shahbaz Tiavar, AccorHotels procurement Director, and Jeroen Wisse, AccorHotels IT director
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 27 Cover Story The biggest hospitality show in the world is being used. “Like that automatic vacuum cleaner that has sensors, you have the same thing for swimming pools now,” he says. “There are great opportunities and more valid opportuni- ties at the back of the house. Look at procurement, storing, finances and you could use the time saved for the qualified staff to have much more quality interaction with the guests.” Sjolander, HTNG, said that while the full implementation of robots in the industry is inevitable, the question that re- mains is, 'where?'. “I think there is the demand for a robot-run hotel but it may not be that strong in the Middle East,” he says. “It could work though for hotels that only want to have one or two staff in the building and don’t want to leave the front desk in the middle of the night. While it may not be the case with every hotel, I can certainly see some demand for that.” So what exactly does the future hold for robots within the hotel industry? Allan, Radisson Blu, isn’t convinced about how far robots will be integrated into the industry and can’t see a time when his company will have a hotel fully staffed by robots. “For our company, no, it’ll never happen,” he says. “Whilst I can wholly see that attraction and novelty of the idea to some, hotels remain a very personal choice for most. We as humans, are naturally attracted to each other and be- ing in or around each other’s company. Until they design a robot that can smile and lift someone’s mood instantly, I think we’re safe.” That said, Allan admits that artificial intelligence will be- come more prevalent in the industry over the coming years. “The key will be perfecting a way to use AI to improve what we offer our guests while embellishing the human and personal touch at the same time,” he says. “It’s not a complicated business; recruit nice people, look after them and they’ll be nice to your guests. Simple.” Sjolander, HTNG, says: It’s very, very early but if you look 10 years ahead you will see more hotels using robotics but the thing is what is being used in 10 years’ time will be noth- ing like what’s being used today.” And so, while robots may become a regular feature in ho- tels, it will be alongside humans, not in place of them. Connie has proved to be a hit for Hilton
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 28 The world is watching Qatar is increasingly becoming a highly desirable location, says Al Rayaan Hotel Doha, Curio Collection by Doha gener- al manager Luca Crocco. As evidence he points to the fact that, thanks to recent expansions, Qatar Airways now flies to 120 destinations. Meliá Hotels International, devel- opment director of Middle East and North Africa Benjamin Oppl said: “A prolonged scenario with low oil prices certainly had and still is having a nega- Qatar hasn’t been out of the news ever since it was awarded the 2022 World Cup. Hotel News ME spoke to some of the industry’s leading professionals who are based in Qatar about the realities of the market and what to expect for the year ahead tive impact on overall business activity in the region, including Qatar. “Governments tend to respond by decreasing expenditure levels on pub- lic works and infrastructure. All of that can commonly translate into lower de- mand for accommodation units, more so in areas that are depending more on the corporate segment (such as Qatar) than leisure travellers.” He pointed out, that while there has been a downturn in market wide per- formance, it’s no different than what is happening elsewhere in the Middle East. This is driven by reduced de- mand on the back of low oil prices, devaluation of currencies in addition to new supply entering the market (1,500 keys in 2016). According to latest data provided by Qatar Tourism Authority, for the first three quarters of 2016, the number of visitors to the country (2.2 million) de- creased by 3% when compared to the Market Update • Qatar ranks as the second safest country in the world, according to the Golden Visa 2015 World Safety Index. • Qatar has the highest GDP per capita ($145,000) in the world. Source: CIA world Factbook 2015. • Qatar has the best hospitality in the GCC in terms of guest experience, that’s according to the Olery Guest Experience in the Middle East report 2015. • 91% of the population use the internet, 98% of households are connected online – State of Broadband Report 2015 • Qatar is home to the Al Jazeera news network which has 80 offices around the world. The facts about Qatar
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 29 Market Update same period in the previous year. It is expected that this negative trend will have continued for the remainder of last year and into 2017. Weaker demand paired with in- creased supply ultimately translates into lower ADR and occupancy levels at hotels within the destination. In the case of Qatar, marketwide Revpar levels are expected to have de- creased between 13%-22% (depending on micro location) in 2016 and when compared to the same period in the previous year. Looking ahead, this is certainly a trend that requires careful monitoring, in particular when consid- ering new potential hotel projects. Qatar’s tourism market will contin- ue to present dynamic opportunities to hoteliers, Crocco says, as the coun- try solidifies its position as a regional travel hub and a world-class business and leisure destination enhanced by a growing repertoire of impressive tour- ism infrastructure, leisure and sport- ing events, cultural attractions and a vibrant art scene. “With Qatar Tourism Authority con- tinuing to set out ambitious growth targets in line with the National Tour- ism Sector Strategy 2030, we are met with the challenge of broadening guest demographics to grow visitor numbers and income generated by the sector na- tionwide,” he says. “With Hilton’s diverse portfolio of six trading and pipeline brands in Qa- tar, we are actively taking steps to di- versify the destination’s hospitality proposition. The opening of AlRayyan Hotel Doha in December 2016 has al- lowed us to welcome a new set of trav- ellers seeking a unique travel experi- ence in Qatar.” Oppl said Qatar’s hospitality market, in line with the wider GCC, will likely continue to face lower levels of demand on the back of overall weaker eco- nomic activity and reduced govern- ment spending. “However, the overall funda- mentals of the region’s hospitality industry remain strong and the countries with the most di- versified economies and a wide range of demand segments for travel, lei- sure, business and MICE, such as the UAE, are well suited to face the current tough economic conditions and are able to swiftly adapt if one of the segments breaks down,” he says. “Owners, developers and operators will continue to focus their efforts on cost optimisation and growing so far underserved segments. New projects will likely be re-evaluated to ensure fea- sibility under consideration of the cur- rent market dynamics.” He pointed out that Qatar is current- ly witnessing a shift from a tradition- ally strong focus on the luxury segment towards more three and four star seg- ments. Driven by the new supply coming online in these segments, mar- ket wide ADRs are naturally de- The Museum of Islamic Art
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 30 Market Update creasing, a fact which is not necessarily driven by overall low economic activity. “Qatar is looking to further develop its historical and cultural offering, with the likes of the soon-to-open Qatar National Museum and established Mu- seum of Islamic Arts positioning Doha as a city to watch in the global arts and culture tourism scene,” he said. Oppl says moves are afoot to transform Qatar into a business-driven destination to becoming a leisure capital of the Gulf, and the number of world class museums and the hosting of the FIFA World Cup are only some of the major initiatives. “In parallel the country aims to re- duce its dependency on the tradition- ally strong Saudi market, by growing other source regions in Asia and Eu- rope,” he says. “An immediately promising initiative is the removal of visa restrictions for travellers from India, China and Rus- sia in early 2017. Some of these source markets have seen the biggest growth in recent years in the neighbouring UAE. “In parallel, Qatar enforces its impor- tance as a key shopping destination in the Gulf with the launch of the Qatar Shopping Festival over a four-week pe- riod from early January 2017. “From a core attractions and leisure resources point of view, Qatar has and can offer everything that its successful neighbour UAE has managed to exploit over the past decade: sea, sun and sand, shopping, museums, watersports, des- ert, world class infrastructure, wide hospitality offering.” I think the opportunities will hinge upon the con- tinued growth and expansion of Qatar, especially with leisure infrastructure projects. There are opportunities that could offset some of the challenges that the market will be facing. One of the big things Qatar Tourism was able to do was the freeing up of visa restrictions on certain countries like Russia and India. It’s a very positive step, because it now attracts two very big source markets and helped increase a captive audience. Very much driven by the corporate and govern- ment sectors and obviously with low oil prices continuing for the last 24 months there has been a down play in corporate and government activity, that has impacted not only the demand for rooms but also demand for food and beverage. It has been a bit of a two-fold situation but we are starting to see some form of recovery in the oil crisis. With OPEC reducing oil production it will have a positive effect on oil prices and that’ll go back into a greater increase in spending. As we start to get closer to the FIFA World Cup in 2022, we expect in the next 12-24 months there’ll be a wrap up in activity in infrastructure and development to support that event and that’s a gleam of light on the horizon. By TRI Consulting associate director Christopher Hewett The outlook The Pearl Qatar Island The skyline in Doha
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 32 Making waves The Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort has very much marketed itself as the luxury alternative to the hyper pace of life in bustling cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Patrick Ryan made his way to the newly opened resort to catch up with general manager Omar Souab Gm Interview
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 33 GM Interview T here’s no question mark over Omar Souab’s hunger for his new role as general manager of the newly opened Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort. “I knew that the Fairmont Fujairah was about to open and I knew that the Re- gional Vice President of FRHI was look- ing for a general manager, so I reached out to him and he sat down with me and asked ‘who do you think I should give this role to?’” he says. “I said ‘have you thought about me?’ and he said ‘why not, maybe you should go and have a look at the hotel’.” That level of hunger and drive is un- surprising given Souab’s track record in the industry since he began his journey in 2004 with Sofitel in his native Morocco. “I always wanted to do an interna- tional career so I had the opportunity to come to Dubai as an operations manager of Pullman, which was Sofitel and then we rebranded it to Pullman,” he says. “I stayed there for two and half years and then I had an opportunity to move to luxury and that was my goal.” The Fairmont Dubai was next on his list where he went from director of oper- ations to hotel manager during his ten- ure there before his conversation with the Regional Vice President of FRHI. “I realised the potential of this place be- cause the design is unique, the location, the marina, you have the mountains in the back, you have the Indian Ocean, so I fell in love with the property,” he says. “I started working between both prop- erties for six months and then I moved here in September and we had three months to open the property and it is great to see it come alive.” ON TARGET So now that Souab has taken on the role of general manager what are his targets for 2017? He says: “You have to bear in mind that the hotel is not fully finished so there is still work happening, we are hoping that the beach club will be open by May. “I am really happy; we have built a very nice reputation and a buzz around the local market. “They feel that the hotel really brings something unique to the region. “The European market is now sending us more rooms so we are over-achieving our targets and we are very optimistic to continue on this same trend.” While the current economic condi- tions have led to anything but plain sailing for the hospitality industry, Souab is adamant that his current proj- ect will be successful. Souab says: “In Dubai there is still a lot of pressure on the hotels. But Fujai- rah is a different story. “Right now the occupancy is pick- ing up year on year and the rates are picking up year on year. Our role here Souab is proud of the unique design of the hotel which incorporates modern elements alongside traditional Islamic traits. “You have a mix between the orient and North Africa,” he says. “The design is modern Islamic inspired by a bohemian touch. You find that in the rooms as well, the black and white is very present in the hotel in the rooms you have that black and white carpet and when you look at the swimming pool you have a black and white rug which is a continuation of what you see in the room.” The hotel will soon be complemented by a beach club which is currently under construction. “The beach club will open in May and it is more Mediterranean, if I had to compare it with an exist- ing property it would be Nikki Beach Club so it would be a bit of the same set-up with a central pool, with the Mediterranean restaurants,” he says. “There will also be a penthouse on top of the restaurant as well as a tennis court, it will have a children’s pool and it an event place where we will be able to organise weddings.” Grand designs The hotel offers views of the Indian Ocean
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 34 Gm Interview is to be pioneers in luxury and lift the destination upwards. “This year, our strategy is not to go for volume but to position our rates prop- erly and to be the rate leaders.” The key to success, according to Souab, is to have the right team in place. “I have seen from my experience in Dubai that bringing different people from different backgrounds and creating a team is a good thing to do, and that is what I am trying here and really create something unique,” he says. “I think diversity is a very important thing and that is what I am trying to build here. “Each member of our executive team is from a different part of the world so we are trying to have a big diversity within the team to create something dif- ferent and very unique. “The most important thing is to be able to listen, to really understand what are the challenges and to actually care about the challenges and to try to do something about them.” The key, he says, is to be transparent. “When something is done well I try to say it and celebrate success, but I also try to point out things that are not work- ing very well and work with the team to make them improve,” says Souab. “In Fairmont we take care of our leaders and they take care of our guests so this is really the philosophy that we have and that we try to put in place every day.” The beach resort is every bit the idyllic retreat from the hustle and bustle of life in Dubai that you would expect it to be, with 180 guest rooms and suites all featuring a stunning view of the ocean. “What I will say about this property is that it is an hour and a half away from Dubai, you can actu- ally come from Dubai to here without a single red light which is very interesting,” he says. “I am discovering new things everyday and the fish is incredible in this region, plus you have the Indian Ocean which people tend to forget. “This property is really unique because you have the hotel, the marina and then the Indian Ocean.” He said the aim is to position the resort as a boutique hotel. “It’s very detail oriented, we have that Yamapool lounge which is more of a shisha area with a local and arabic twist to it,” says Souab. Connecting with the local community is going to be a key issue for Souab “What we are trying to do is to connect with the local fishermen in order first to help them and in order for us to benefit from fresh fish that is coming straight from the ocean and straight to the plate,” he says. Retreat from city The design is unique, the location, the marina, you have the mountains in the back, you have the Indian Ocean, so I fell in love with this property” The pool has the Indian Ocean and a marina in the backdrop.
25-27 April 2017 Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai arabianconference.com Organised by Platinum sPOnsOrs Catalysts of Change Over 80 speakers already confirmed! Discover which critical industry topics will be tackled by a powerhouse line-up. Visit arabianconference.com today! Chris Nasetta President and CEO Hilton Worldwide Sébastien Bazin Chairman and CEO AccorHotels Olivier Harnisch Chief Executive Officer Emaar Hospitality Group LLC
Face to face Alison Grinnell, chief financial officer of RAK Hospitality Holding, is convinced that good things are on the horizon. She speaks to Patrick Ryan about the future of Ras Al Khaimah I t seems that everyone is queuing up these days to tell you about how bad the economy is and how it’s nothing but doom and gloom. One person who doesn’t subscribe to that theory is RAK Hospitality Holding CFO Alison Grinnell who has set her sights on ensuring that Ras Al Khaimah continues to thrive. Grinnell said: “The UAE’s economy as a whole is in growth mode and is well diversified, with its tourism sector contribut- ing a significant amount to GDP. “Within the UAE, Ras Al Khaimah’s hospitality sector has thrived due to the natural beauty of the emirate and its cost effectiveness.” She says the emirate currently has around 3,600 hotel rooms and a lot more in the pipeline to be completed by 2019. “In light of this data, we see steady growth in the Ras Al Khaimah tourism industry for 2017,” says Grinnell, who then spoke about her own company’s role in the region. As an integrated hospitality asset owner and manager, RAK Hospitality Holding (RAKHH) works hand in hand with all stakeholders in Ras Al Khaimah to contribute to the emir- ate’s tourism industry. Grinnell says: “Through our four subsidiaries; RAK National Hotels (RAKNH), RAK Hospitality As- set Management (RAKHAM), RAK Hospitality Logistics (RAKHL) and Hakaya Collection (Hakaya), we aim to cover the entire value chain of the group, while continuously looking for new opportunities to di- versify our portfolio.” She is buoyant about the deal that subsidiary group Rak is on the up RAKNH signed with the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company to oper- ate The Al Wadi Desert, Ras Al Khaimah, referring to it as “the emirate’s crown jewel”. Grinnell says another milestone was the Hilton World- wide agreement to re-open Hilton Ras Al Khaimah as the Hilton Garden Inn Ras Al Khaimah, which will cater to the niche, mid-market segment, which is high in demand in the emirate. “This is the kind of expertise that we aim to bring into Ras Al Khaimah and we plan on maintaining this momentum,” she says. “These partnerships have strategically diversified our port- folio, as we now cater to all travellers, from the mid-market to the ultra-luxury segments.” She also mentions how RAK Hospitality Holding is investing in F&B through its operating arm, Hakaya. “Last year Hakaya entered into a franchise agreement with Kona Grill – an American grill and sushi bar,” she says. “Under this partnership we plan to develop six Kona Grill restaurants across the UAE in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. This is a very exciting deal for us in that it meets the rising demand for premier casual dining.” One area in which RAK Hospitality Holding is also investing, is re-flagging. “Re-flagging a hotel is an investment into an existing asset,” she says. “As an owner, there are several benefits to this. The primary ben- efit is that an established asset that is already in operation is likely to deliver re- HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 36
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 37 Face to face turns after renovation much faster than a completely new investment. “Additionally, refurbishment projects take almost half the time of a greenfield investment, and start earning returns much faster. Another big benefit is reduced risk; generally a re-flagging and refurbishment project is associated with less risk than a new project due to its existing brand as- sociation and following.” One property that is currently being re-flagged is the Al Wadi Desert Resort, which will officially open as the Ritz- Carlton Ras Al Khaimah Al Wadi Desert in Q3 2017. Grinnell says this decision was taken fol- lowing a robust selection process with several international bidders. “As an owner, we normally base our decision as to whether to refurbish or re-flag on a number of factors: where the property is in its lifecycle (at or beyond its prime), current interest rates, the economic climate, and asset valuation, which is based on physical wear and tear and location,” she says. 2017 is a landmark year for RAK Hos- pitality Holdings as it marks the first year that all of its hotel assets will be fully op- erational. “This is following all of our investments in refurbishment and development of our existing portfolio of hotels,” she says. “The new Hilton Garden Inn, due to open in Q2 2017, and the reflagging to The Ritz Carlton in Q3 2017 will provide Ras Al Khaimah with a unique mix of diversity, allowing us to focus on maximising our growth potential in the short to mid-term.” She speaks candidly about how the com- pany finances its projects. “We finance our projects through a com- bination of debt and equity. In 2015 we re- financed with an AED880m bank debt to refurbish two hotels and partially fund the purchase of two other hotels,” she says. Biography of a CEO Grinnell has over 20 years of experience working with the industry; extensively travelled, she has worked in over 30 countries covering Europe, United States and Middle East/Africa. She has lived and worked in the Middle East for the past four years. She moved to the Middle East from PwC in London to help establish and develop PwC’s Middle East Hospitality and Leisure practice. Her roles were initially as Middle East hotels lead, and ultimately as the Middle East real estate, hospitality and leisure leader.
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 38 Face to face “However, we always look at the most appropriate options given our re- quirements, alignment with our strat- egy and expectations of our sharehold- ers,” she adds. While Grinnell is confident of RAK Hospitality Holding’s business plan, she says that the market is not without its challenges. “The hospitality industry is very cy- clical in nature and faces several inter- nal and external challenges,” she says. “New supply that is coming into the emirate could be viewed as a challenge, however, at RAK Hospitality Holding we welcome all competition and we consider it healthy for our business. “If other developers are eyeing the emirate as a destination for their new hotels, it means that Ras Al Khaimah has succeeded in confirming its posi- tion on the world map as an attractive hospitality investment destination.” She adds: “It also means that we must ‘up our game’ to meet the fast- changing traveller preferences, which is very exciting for us at group and subsidiary level. “Finally, some other external chal- lenges that we face are related to geopolitical events and currency fluc- tuations, which impact investment sentiment and spending behaviour of travellers.” rakhh's subsidiaries RAK National Hotels (RAKNH), owns four hotels in highly visible locations in the emirate: • Hilton Garden Inn at the Creek (scheduled to open in Q2 2017) • Hilton Resort and Spa at Maaridh Beach, • Rixos Bab Al Bahr • Al Wadi Desert, Ras Al Khaimah, a Ritz-Carlton Partner, which will officially transition into The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah Al Wadi Desert from Q3 2017. RAK Hospitality Asset Management (RAKHAM) is experiencing success in attract- ing and converting asset management contracts within the Emirate. RAK Hospitality Logistics (RAKHL) pro- vides transportation, leisure and accommodation services is also gaining traction as the Emirate’s tourism sector continues to thrive on the back of the efforts of the government and RAK Tourism and Development Authority. Hakaya Collection (Hakaya) is focused on dining, entertainment and leisure services. Jebel Jais Mountain Ras Al Khaimah - Rixos Bab Al Bahr Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa
JOIN YOUR PEERS Dubai World Trade Centre 18 - 20 September 2017 thehotelshow.com
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 40 New opening Young at heart When City Walk opened in Dubai last year it was heralded as one of the most exciting developments in Dubai. But for all the trappings it brought, there was one obvious aspect missing – a hotel – until now that is. Patrick Ryan paid a visit to the newly opened La Ville Hotel and Suites City Walk Dubai, Autograph Collection, and found a boutique property that is looking towards millennials and Generation Y as its key markets I f City Walk is about bringing new ideas and energy to Dubai, then La Ville Hotel and Suites, which forms part of Marriott International's Au- tograph Collection, is certainly adding to that. Markus Roeder, general manager, says: “Being part of City Walk gives you space to breathe here compared to other hotels in the market. “If you are a guest you can go out- side, your whole lifestyle is different to what it would be in a corporate hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. “This hotel is about shaping the fu- ture of Dubai and I see this hotel as be- ing an important part of the neighbour- hood around here which has a lot of local entrepreneurs and artists. “We want to be able to help devel- op that with this young team and the ideas we are having. “We don’t want to be a static hotel.” Roeder says the hotel’s real strength lies within the location of City Walk and the experience that a guest has, which he hopes will convince a lot of people to talk about the hotel and ensure they
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 41 New opening stay loyal and come back. "What we’ve done is looked at what would be expect- ed if this hotel was in a cosmopolitan city like New York or London and see how we can make it and bring it back to Dubai,” he says. “That’s something we have managed with this young team and it is something we are going to continue to develop and have fun with.” Julia Alvaro, director of sales and mar- keting, has no reservations about how popular La Ville will prove to be. “I honestly believe that City Walk is such a cool place,” she says. “It is very green, you can walk every- where. I think this really reflects the style of the hotel, we have a lot of open air concepts.” Alvaro says there is a determined fo- cus to ensure that the hotel appeals, not only to guests, but to residents of City Walk as well. “City Walk already has a lot of cafes, a lot of entertainment opportunities too with The Green Planet, Hub Zero and the cinema as well,” she says. “It is really a lively area and I think it is a good way to showcase Dubai as the modern city that it is but also to focus on design and shopping malls.” Being the only licensed premises in City Walk has certainly given La Ville added appeal. TARGETING THE RIGHT CUSTOMERS The logic behind the project is that being a hotel with 156 keys in a low- rise building creates a more intimate experience for guests. “The food and beverage package is also unique here. We are high quality but ap- proachable and we want to create a sophis- ticated lifestyle in Dubai,” Roeder says. For Roeder it’s essential that the right people are in place to convey the desired image at La Ville. “It was a criteria when looking for staff that we hire the right people,” says Roeder. “We had to look at who will be our cus- tomers and who we will target. “We put it together to target Generation Y customers.” He says this is going to be a key market for La Ville. “We predict that by 2020, 50% of our business will be Generation Y, we have to position ourselves to make sure we offer a fresh lifestyle boutique experience for that range,” he says. Alvaro is clear about who La Ville will appeal to. “It is really a living urban destination catering for everyone, from the young Arab travellers to Westerners who have business in town, as well as tourists,” she says. “There is shopping, entertainment and dining, these are the main pillers of City Walk. “I think the hotel will develop along with the development of City Walk,” Accommodation 77 rooms 11 suites 53 one-bedroom apartments 15 two-bedroom apartments The façade at La Ville Julie Alvaro, director of sales and marketing
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 42 New opening says Alvaro. “For now we are still in the beginning stages so we still need to find our way and figure out who our customers are and what our target audience is.” HIRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE Alvaro says: “Because we are an Autograph Hotel we are able to look at the details more than if we were a typically corporate hotel. “Actually if you have the right team to- gether then it becomes a fun exercise.” So what makes the perfect team mem- ber at La Ville? “You do not want to have the typical hotel associate who is extremely stream- lined, you need to have quirkiness, we’re looking for Generation Y but with heart and passion behind it, this is what we are looking for,” says Roeder. It has a lot of different ideas in addition to a personalised service as well,” she says. “We have a concept in which we matched the mood of the customer with the wine we serve them. “All in all, it’s a really fun place. A business person can come here to relax after work and it is a good hangout for a group of friends.” “We have a great cocktail menu which is a little bit different from the ordinary, we had a beverage consultant flying in from the UK to create alcoholic and non-alco- holic beverages,” she says. “We are now part of the Autograph Collection, which is under the Marriott umbrella but is actually not a brand but a collection of hotels so you can have very different companies coming under the Au- tograph name.” While the hotel has only been opera- tional since 14 December, Alvaro is de- lighted with the response so far. “People didn’t know there was a hotel coming here and a lot of people walked in here to ask whether it was an apart- ment hotel or actually a hotel and if the restaurants are related to the accommo- dation,” she says. Grape expectations La Ville Hotel and Suites prides itself on its F&B offer- ings. That’s no different to any number of establishments across Dubai but director of restaurants Mislene Dos Santos is adamant the hotel is offering something unique. Dos Santos says: “We wanted to be very different and bring a different offer to our F&B. “I think what makes a huge difference is our team as we handpicked each and every one. We also wanted to bring people from free standing properties and not be hotel driven, so they can be themselves and bring something to the venue. “We didn’t open everything at the same time and the first one to open was Chival which was very popular because it was breakfast, lunch and dinner.” Dos Santos says that the formula is working and that people are starting to take notice of what’s going on at La Ville. “I think we are now creating an awareness with the beautiful courtyard in the evening where people can sit and have a glass of wine in the evening,” she says. “It’s very important the staff put their heart into it too, heart is very important because they need to really love F&B and be happy about it. “When they are happy they will treat the guests well and they will keep coming back . You have to ask do you really love what you do?” She says that not only being the only hotel in the area but also the only licensed premises has proved advantageous. “We offer wine by the glass across the entire property and I think it is really attracting a lot of people,” she says. “It’s about creating awareness to make people find us and come to us and creating an amazing experience with great service.” THE MARKET It’s no secret that the market has seen turbulent times recently so how does Roeder and his team plan to stay afloat in choppy waters? “The market conditions are not so easy, at this moment. We’ve just opened, so we’re working on awareness and making sure we get our brand out there and posi- tion ourselves,” he says. Alvaro explains how a branding agency was hired to look after each of the res- taurant brands. “The concepts are very young and different, especially Grape- skin, the wine bar, which is a very differ- ent concept compared to the other bars. Markus Roeder, general manager Grapeskin offers wines based on your mood Graze is a key part of La Ville
Middle East HOTEC 17 HOTEC Middle East 2017 Fairmont Baku Flame Towers, Baku, Azerbaijan 25-28 April 2017 www.hotecglobal.com/middleeast For more information please contact: Stephen Pace-Bonello: Email: spacebonello@questex.com Tel: +356 9945 8305 HOTEC is the original one-on-one meeting forum for buyers and suppliers in the hotel industry. HOTEC will bring senior decision makers from the industry in the Middle East and leading executives from supplier companies together in Baku this April, for networking and face-to-face meetings by appointment. Why attend HOTEC Middle East 2017? – You know ahead of time who is attending – You know the buyers are senior decision makers – You get to choose who you want to meet – You are guaranteed limited competition – You spend quality, uninterrupted time with the buyers – You profile your company to a high level audience – You network, build relationships and get to know the key people in the industry – You receive VIP treatment in a 5 star atmosphere away from the pressures of the office Spend quality time with leading procurement, project, and design decision makers from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, the Levant and surrounding territories, all with ongoing operations and important new projects, this April at HOTEC Middle East 2017.
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 44 Chain Focus wyndham hotel group Hotel News Middle East profiles the group’s performance over the past 12 months and looks to the year ahead Upcoming properties in the MENA region Group overview A hotel giant with an unmatched global presence, Wyndham Hotel Group is a hotel brand franchisor and hotel management services provider. Its global portfolio consists of over 8,000 hotels and approximate- ly 697,600 rooms in 77 countries, with brands including Ramada, Wyndham Grand, Wyndham Gar- den, TRYP by Wyndham, Haw- thorn Suites and Super 8 – offering investors and guests a huge variety. Wyndham Rewards, the company's guest loyalty programme, offers more than 48 million members around the world the opportunity to earn and redeem points at thou- sands of hotels, helping to drive brand loyalty and repeat business for hotels. Property Country City Brand Total keys Opening year TRYP by Wyndham Dubai UAE Dubai TRYP by Wyndham 672 2017 Wyndham Grand Manama Bahrain Manama Wyndham Grand 260 2017 Wyndham Garden Manama Bahrain Manama Wyndham Garden 450 2017 Ramada Encore Al Khobar Olaya KSA Al Khobar Ramada 64 2017 Howard Johnson Dammam, Corniche Street KSA Dammam Howard Johnson 50 2017 Wyndham Garden Dammam Al Sheraa Mall KSA Dammam Wyndham Garden 210 2017 Ramada Encore Cotonou Airport Benin Cotonou Ramada 84 2017 Days Hotel & Suites Dakar Senegal Dakar Days Hotel & Suites 85 2017 Ramada Plaza Najaf Iraq Najaf Ramada 225 2018 Ramada Hotel & Suites Najaf Iraq Najaf Ramada 240 2018 Ramada Encore Kuwait Al Sharq Kuwait Kuwait City Ramada 90 2018 Ramada Al Khobar Al Rawabi KSA Al Khobar Ramada 126 2018 Wyndham Dubai Marina UAE Dubai Wyndham 465 2018 Ramada Plaza Jumeirah Village Circle UAE Dubai Ramada 502 2018 Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche UAE Ajman Wyndham Garden 179 2018 Wyndham Addis Ababa Bole Road Ethiopia Addis Ababa Wyndham 161 2018 Wyndham Garden Langano Ethiopia Langano Wyndham Garden 110 2018 Wyndham Garden Doha Qatar Doha Wydnham Garden 153 2019 Ramada Encore Muscat Al Ghubra Oman Muscat Ramada 200 2019 Ramada Hotel & Suites Muscat Al Ghubra Oman Muscat Ramada 90 2019 Wyndham Grand Riyadh KSA Riyadh Wyndham Grand 210 2019 Wyndham Garden Riyadh KSA Riyadh Wyndham Garden 198 2019 Wyndham Amboseli Golf Resort and Spa Kenya Amboseli Wyndham 290 2019 TRYP by Wyndham Addis Ababa Bole Road Ethiopia Addis Ababa TRYP by Wyndham 120 2020
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 45 Chain Focus Current number of properties in the region (MEA) in focus What were the hotel group’s key achievements and milestones in 2016? We introduced our Wyndham brand to the UAE in 2016 with the opening of the luxurious Wyndham Dubai Marina. Situ- ated in a key location offering stunning views of the Gulf and Dubai Marina, the new hotel offers guests premium accom- modation in its 486 rooms, alongside extensive F&B facilities including two restaurants and a poolside bar. Business and leisure guests can also take advantage of Wyndham Dubai Marina’s high-end spa, gym and pool as well as extensive meeting facilities. The first Wyndham branded hotel to open in the UAE, we’re looking forward to building the brand’s footprint further across the region. What have been the key challenges facing your hotel group and the hospitality sector in general, and how have you met these challenges? There is no doubt that 2016 was chal- lenging for the hospitality industry, not only in our region, but globally. However, travel trends are cyclical and at Wyndham Hotel Group we believe in the long-term potential of the region, Wyndham's current portfolio in the region includes 51 operational hotels, representing 8,227 rooms. It has another 21 hotels under development, representing a further 4,887 rooms. Regional vice president, Middle East and Africa, Ignace Bauwens and we’re certainly optimistic about the opportunities in 2017. We’re working hand in hand with the tourist boards and authorities in the various countries to promote their destination to different types of travellers to help boost visitors to the region as a whole. By developing calendars of the major events in the cit- ies, we can attract guests from all back- grounds, all of whom will be looking for different types of accommodation, which our portfolio is best placed to provide. We’re also expecting to see an increase in visitors to the region as a direct result of our regional marketing campaigns around Wyndham Hotel Group branded hotels and their destinations. What are the hotel group’s key goals for 2017 in the MENA region? 2016 was a busy year in the region, and 2017 is set to be even bigger. We have a number of new hotels set to open across MEA, including TRYP by Wyndham Dubai, Wyndham Grand Manama and Wyndham Garden Manama, as well as three new openings in Saudi Arabia including Wyndham Garden Dammam. Looking further ahead, we are planning to open an additional 15 properties between 2018 and 2020, and are, of course, always working closely with local teams to identify more opportunities to bring our iconic brands to both emerging and established destinations. Despite all the challenges of the last few years, political as well as economic, the MEA region has proven its resil- ience in many ways. The region remains dynamic with many opportunities for growth. Dubai has certainly taken the lead in the hospitality industry within the MEA region, however there are many other countries and cities with vast opportunities. The lower oil prices in GCC countries over the past year have also presented many opportunities. Owners and devel- opers have seen the value and prospects of (upper) midscale hotels as well as those at the budget end of the scale. The evolving budgets of both leisure and business guests, together with an im- proved midscale and budget hotel offer- ing, have created a lot of opportunity in the region. For owners and investors the financial returns of these hotel invest- ments are also more attractive compared to the luxury offering. The increased number of people travel- ling to the MEA region (due to cheaper airfares and the growing connectivity of budget airlines to this region) means that, although we are still seeing healthy growth within the luxury market, the real opportunity lies in midscale and budget developments. Therefore the introduction of the Wyndham Garden, TRYP by Wyndham, Super 8 and Days Inn brands to the MEA market are aimed specifically at this growing market. How is technology dictating the way you run your business and liaise with customers, from bookings and social media to in-room technology? There’s no doubt that technology has, and is, changing the way we interact with our guests in order to give them the best possible experience. We’re the first global hospitality company of our scale to roll out a cloud-based central reserva- tions and property management system, helping economy and midscale hoteliers more effectively and efficiently manage daily pricing and inventory. Our chosen software is the most stable in the indus- try and evolves as technology progresses, meaning our hotels will always have access to the most current technology. In 2016 we also launched new, respon- sive websites, meaning that across all of our brands and our loyalty programme, Wyndham Rewards, our customers can engage with us whenever and wherever, and using whichever device, they want. We also launched a new app for Wyn- dham Rewards, giving our most loyal customers an extra mobile touchpoint.
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 46 Roundtable Launch of The third edition of the GM Leaders Conference is taking place at The St Regis Dubai on Wednesday, 5 April. The 2017 conference will see some of the leading lights in the industry tackle the trends, challenges and opportunities that are impacting on the industry. Some of the topics up for discussion include the arrival of new markets such as the Chinese, not to mention the resurgence of Russia and the impact on the Middle East caused by Brexit. Mega-mergers and how they are changing the face of the industry will also be up for discussion as well as what today’s consumer really wants from a hotel. We will also be taking a look at booking patterns and how the likes of OTAs and social media are influencing the market. Keep an eye on our website at hotelnewsme.com for updates. Maria Tullberg, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek general manager Andrew Henning, St Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club general manager Debrah Dhugga, Dukes Collection London and Dubai managing director Nila Pendarovski, Rove Downtown Dubai hotel manager David Wilson, General Manager, Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah Slim Zaiane, Kempinski Hotel Mall of The Emirates general manager David Allan, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Waterfront and Radisson Blu Dubai Canal View cluster general manager Oliver Kesseler, Hilton Garden Inn Mall of The Emirates general manager Mark Deere, Amwaj Rotana JBR Dubai general manager GM Leaders conference 2017
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 47 Roundtable H otel News Middle East gathered some of the region’s leading general managers at the Wal- dorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah ahead of our GM Leader’s Conference next month. They spoke about the key trends, opportunities and challenges that gener- al managers are facing in 2017. What are the latest trends affecting the industry? Mark Deere: Health and wellness are a big thing right now, we are also all com- peting with lots of independent brands. It is absolutely key for us to keep up to date with equipment and technology. A big thing for Dubai at the moment is the parks, Legoland, IMG Worlds Of Adventure, we are so lucky that we are close by. Nila Pendarovski: It’s all about having an experience. The modern day traveller is happy to spend money but they want to spend it on an experience rather than on something material; that really shapes our entire being. David Wilson: One of the biggest trends has been the focus on social media and how we as hotels are affected by that. Take TripAdvisor, comments from guests and their responses, not to men- tion connectivity and the way we market our hotels. There is also the growth and importance of OTAs, how social me- dia connects with online travel agents (OTAs) and drives business. Debrah Dhugga: With OTAs it is a worldwide issue and it’s taking over our business. We have to look now as hoteliers and as an industry in general at what we can do to attract more direct revenues because when you look at the bottom line, if you were to take off those commissions we pay now compared to what we paid five years ago, we’re in a very different situation. We have a mix of hotels, the OTAs are wild out here. They can afford these huge marketing campaigns and the bigger brands like Hilton are challenged. You’re challenged to even match the audience, they’ve got the worldwide audience. David Wilson: When OTAs formed they initially levelled the playing field a lot
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 48 Roundtable from the massive distribution channels that large hotel chains had, even for boutique hotels it gave them more of an even opportunity to distribute. Maria Tullberg: I think the next trend is going to come from the revival and re- vamp of all the loyalty programmes. Debrah Dhugga: Even business lounges in the airports have lost what they were. We really have to look at what we are doing with the corporate traveller, no matter what we say the OTAs will play us against each other, they are really driving us down. All styles of hotels are looking at things like wage increases, cost of food, amenities and it is very hard to control costs without making sure guests aren’t seeing it. Guest expe- rience is so important and we want them to share it with their friends. We have to look at what value it is we are adding, what more do we give, breakfast doesn’t seem to be enough nowadays. David Allan: Can I make point about industry itself? There are huge brands coming along and huge names. The next five to 10 years is going to be an enor- mous shift in the industry. People aren’t paying an awful lot of attention yet to these super companies coming along who are buying up other groups, some of them are Chinese companies but oth- ers are groups with no experience of the hospitality industry at all. Andrew Henning: Mergers like the one be- tween Marriott and Starwood can help us to overcome the OTAs. The size and scale of those sort of deals only give more le- verage against these guys, they are strong, they are powerful and they are growing. Maria Tullberg: Millenials are extremely budget conscious, does it matter that you have a loyalty programme when people are loyal to a brand because of what it stands for, not what it does? Debrah Dhugga: I’ve got a colleague who is an example, they are an interna- tional training manager for a consumer brand, anywhere she stays is always a Hilton Hotel and every year it pays for her family holidays. Whether it be Asia or wherever it is, it pays for her holidays. She trav- els four days a week. That’s her fam- ily holiday, that’s her benefit and she gets two weeks. Are loyalty programmes still relevant to hotels? Nila Pendarovksi: There are many others who don’t care for loyalty programmes, they would rather spend 50 bucks in a niche hotel and have a fantastic experi- ence than have loyalty programmes that very often have restrictions and don’t give them what exactly what they want anyway. David Allan: Has there just been a huge misjudgement as to what the next generation is looking for when it comes to staying in hotels? What is it that people in their early 20s early 30s are looking for? Debrah Dhugga: My son falls in that age group, when he’s away on business he’s a banker, he wants independence, he has got a budget, I know for a fact he would rather go to a cool hotel and have a beer in a bar that’s got cool music playing. David Allan: It gives them something to talk about, who is really going to say “we stayed in X brand when I was trav- elling this week”? They are more likely to say “I stayed in this independent hotel this week and had this drink and this music was on. I found it myself and no-one I know has ever been there”. That’s the experience. Slim Zaiane: We are adjusting to the digitals. What the customers are doing based on the numbers of likes, follow-
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 49 Roundtable ers, we shifting how we do business which should be 100 per cent the way OTAs do business. The normal routes no longer available. We have to work around what the con- sumers want. If they want a lounge, an iPad or something special to make them comfortable we have to adjust whether we are in a luxury or a budget hotel. Mark Deere: Who doesn’t manage these days by going by online bookings? I don’t know if anyone noticed but book- ing.com changed algorithms but I can feel impact as 77 per cent of our travel- lers book through OTAs. It is very scary you are managed through digital. David Wilson: OTAs have a very impor- tant part to play, we don’t see them as the enemies. It’s the cost of business. Debrah Dhugga: I found that is very last minute here, you could be sitting 42 per cent occupancy one minute and end up being 92 per cent. David Wilson: That’s often the case here, most Thursday afternoons someone would be ordering on booking.com and we even had someone booking a room online as they were driving up the drive- way. One of the challenges we faced is you can book a room with a credit card that doesn’t actually work. It’s not uncommon for someone to make multiple bookings and decide you’re going here and drop the other bookings, you can only put through a guaranteed charge when they are at the arrival. Maria Tullberg: General consumer be- haviour has changed, people want to Instagram things and just go online and see what’s out there. They have an at- titude of deciding to go tomorrow, they don’t plan a long time ahead. Oliver Kessler: It is difficult to forecast in our industry because everything is left to the last minute. It affects the market when so much is left to the last minute. Nila Pendarovski: What’s also affecting this business is the change in the people who are visiting. David Wilson: Look at China, it’s going to be the biggest outbound market in the world. They are going to love Dubai, it has everything they love from shopping, glamour, glitz, theme parks and is visa free for them now. This is going to be a great, great opportunity for Dubai to grow more business. There are high end travellers in China who are extremely wealthy and want the best. Look at the Burj Al Arab and the Armani Hotels they are full of Chinese visitors. There are high end travellers in China who are extremely wealthy and want the best. They spend money, a Chinese tourist in London spends 20 times more than an American. Maria Tullberg: Business lounges are be- coming more like a living room where can you sit and Instagram. They are more relaxed. Mark Deere: I don’t believe if I drop my rate on a Thursday that I will fill up my hotel. Andrew Henning: I think we are for- tunate that we are still in market with demand drivers and more demand driv- ers coming. Occupancy here hasn’t dropped that much, the rate has gone down, but still very fortunate compared to other markets. David Wilson: A lot of factors go in our advantage in Dubai especially because it’s such a destination continually grow- ing theme parks canals, there really is something new each month. Andrew Henning: Even with all these new rooms coming into Dubai and oc- cupancy doesn’t drop, that’s impressive.
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 50 Roundtable Guest Supply, who sponsored the roundtable event, is partnered with some of the world’s most prestigious brands, including Salvatore Ferragamo, Aromatherapy Associates and Korres, and offers a full spectrum solution; providing product design, development, manufacturing and global distribution. Rachael Towl, who represented the firm at the roundtable event, is a British born marketing graduate who has been working in the Middle Eastern region for over three and a half years. She has solid experience of working with personal care branded products, having worked within the category for over ten years. She is thoroughly enjoying her current role with Guest Supply; the world’s largest and fully integrated supplier of hotel guest amenities, textiles and in-room operational supplies to the Hotel Hospitality Industry. With continued global investment in research and development, Guest Supply is able to relate to its mar- kets on a regional level due to region specific knowledge that, enables understanding of the differing priorities and profiles important for successful development in both the luxury and mid market arena. Guest Supply are also proud to be the only amenities company to receive the Queens Award for Enterprise for International Trade, a prestigious award attributed to the company by the Queen herself. Guest Supply is continuing to grow its brand profile, recently acquiring Gilchrist & Soames in order to further enhance their premium luxury tier offering within the amenities industry. David Wilson: I was talking to a friend who said the cost of flight from Doha to Dubai was more expensive than Doha to London in the last few weeks. It’s more appealing for GCC to trav- el to London because of the devalua- tion of pound. David Allan: Do you think Dubai will ever be perceived as affordable? The number of midscale hotels can only help this market, there is an oversupply at mo- ment, how change perception it is expen- sive place, we need to appeal to middle class Indians and middle class Chinese. Debrah Dhugga: It is a lot more expen- sive to go out here in Dubai. I went out with a colleague last night, just the two of us, and ordered one starter, a main course each, a glass of wine, a beer and one gin and tonic. When I got the bill I asked if you can convert that into pounds and was told it was £238. Nila Pendarovksi: That’s why you see more and more pop-up restaurants opening up not to mention food trucks and the rise of independents. People just can’t afford £238 each day. David Allan: Even then everything that is getting built is aimed at locals and ex- pat locals. It’s all about opulence, luxury and five star this and that, Dubai is still an expensive place. How is the industry being affected by the likes of AirBNB and properties being subletted? Debra Dhugga: I was talking to a general manager six months ago and they were tell- ing me that people were using hotel serviced apartments and then subletting, he said he was trying to crack down on it and was irritated by it. David Allan: Someone’s booking it and subletting it then. Maria Tullberg: It is a little bit of a threat but I don’t see it as a major threat. David Wilson: Is it a level playing field, are they paying tax, are they meeting fire and safety requirements? Nila Pendarovski: But why do you come to a hotel, you come for the service right? In these apartments you don’t have it. David Allan: I don’t think many people who are attracted to AirBNB are attract- ed to Dubai at the moment. Andrew Henning: If it’s growing here it will catch fire. There are 20,000 rooms in Paris, there are all sorts of fights around the legalities, if that comes here it will have a big impact. Oliver Kessler: It’s not the right comprasion we represent hospitality, it could be a threat. Maria Tullberg: Service is one thing we provide that AirBNB doesn’t do, we need to make sure we keep our hotel rooms safe and use that as a marketing tool. Debrah Dhugga: There’s a big con- versation about not enough four star hotels in Dubai and we need more. If we bring in more four star hotels the ADR is just going to fall. Mark Deere: Dubai was perceived as an expensive location because of a lack of four star hotels. Nola Pendarosa: If you are a five star just be a five star. Andrew Henning: A four star hotel will for a lot of people will offer what they want but it’s a much better price point.
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 51 Roundtable Venue: The St Regis Dubai Date: Wednesday, 5 March Time: 8am – 2pm Sponsorship opportunities: dom@bncpublishing.net or fred@bncpublishing.net Speaking opportunities: patrick@bncpublishing.net Attendance enquiries: mark@bncpublishing.net What do you expect to be the next big issues that general managers are forced to face? Slim Zaiane: We need to see what the implications of VAT are going to be for the industry. We need to be told who is going to absorb it, is it going to be us? Beyond that we also have to see what is going to happen after Expo 2020. There are going to be so many visitors for that event but how far are we going to fall in terms of numbers in 2021? How are we going to maintain 100 million visitors here. Debrah Dhugga: I think we need to look at how are we going to attract great quality staff to Dubai. Quality CVs coming to Dubai are few and far between, the quality young leaders of our industry are not coming to Dubai. Event Details
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 52 Event preview the hotel show saudi arabia S audi Arabia will see a record 68 new hotels and 29,033 hotel rooms open across its major cities in 2017, a new report has revealed. Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar and Makkah are set to be the Kingdom’s busiest areas for hospitality development, according to the Saudi Arabia Hotel Construction Over- view carried out by TOPHOTELPROJ- ECTS and prepared exclusively for The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2017. Major new hotels forecast to open throughout the Kingdom this year include Assila Hotel Rocco Forte (Q1 2017), TIME Qurayyat Hotel (Q2 2017), Nobu Hotel Riyadh (Q2 2017), Swiss-Belhotel Al Kho- bar (Q4 2017) and the highly-anticipated Abraj Kudai Towers, which will become the world’s biggest hotel when it opens its 10,000 rooms in Q4, 2017. “The hospitality landscape in Saudi Arabia is developing at pace, and this is a particularly exciting year with the world’s largest hotel – Abraj Kudai – due to open in Makkah,” said John Suzara, event manager of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2017, which takes place in Jeddah in April. “A wide variety of international brands are also now entering the mar- ket, including Nobu Hospitality and Rocco Forte, who open their first prop- erties this year. This surge in hospitality projects is a clear signal of the growth and potential of the Kingdom’s tourism, leisure and hospitality industries, which are being spurred on by ever increasing visitor numbers and the launch of Saudi Arabia’s National Vision 2030.” Nobu Hospitality and Rocco Forte Ho- tels are international brands that will en- ter the Saudi Arabian market for the first time this year. Rocco Forte Hotels’ Assila Hotel, open- ing on 12 March 2017, is the luxury hotel group’s only property in the Middle East. Located in the heart of Jeddah it boasts 147 sales at Rocco Forte Hotels on the world- renowned hotel group’s decision to add Jeddah to its impressive roster of interna- tional properties, which includes hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh, Mu- nich and Rome. Tell us more about your new hotel - what is it bringing to the Middle East that is unique? What can domestic and international tourists look forward to upon arriving there? The newly launched Assila Hotel is lo- cated in the heart of Jeddah on Price Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Street, also known as Tahlia Street, in the main shopping area of the city. The hotel was designed by the award winning Olga Polizzi and Martin Brudnizki, who really give a sense of the city through the design with over 2,000 artworks by Arabic artists displayed in the hotel. It has 147 rooms and 63 luxurious suites, as well as 94 amazing residential suites, all spaced throughout two large tow- ers. The residences are the first fully serviced residential apartments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The hotel has five restaurants and cafes, ranging from fine dining in Twenty Four, coffees and patisseries in Il Caffe. Our Ar- gentinean restaurant PamPas - which has a huge open grill in the middle of the res- taurant where guests can watch the action - serves steaks and seafood of the highest quality. One of the restaurants, Aubergine, is on the 20th floor next to the 25m roof- top pool, with views overlooking the city and out to sea. Assila also has expansive spas, with several treatment rooms, relax- ation areas and high tech gyms, as well as state of the art meetings and events spaces including a 600 person capacity ballroom. It is the perfect melange of European and Arabic hospitality. THE HOTEL SHOW SAUDI ARABIA: What to look out for in 2017 The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia (4pm-11pm, 4-6 April 2017, Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events) is entering its 5th edition this year. The annual event provides industry professionals working on the hundreds of ongoing hospitality projects across the Kingdom with the ultimate opportunity to source everything needed to build, develop and maintain a hotel or restaurant. Popular sectors this year have been identified by the show’s organisers MICE Arabia and co- organisers dmg events as technology, interiors, and HORECA. Exhibitors are set to descend on Jeddah from across the Kingdom and around the world. Big names already confirmed include Spanish providers of electronic locking and guest access systems, Onity, Cisa from Italy, Kuwaiti furniture specialists Banta, and Saudi Arabia’s Juffali Technical Equip- ment Company. The three-day event is co-located for the first time in 2017 with Stone & Surface Saudi Expo, the Kingdom’s only exhibition dedicated to connect- ing interior and exterior surface material with the decision makers responsible for specifying and procuring them. It is also set to launch a new feature endorsed by WORLDCHEFS through the Saudi Arabian Chefs Association (SARCA) and the Saudi Arabian Chefs Table Circle (SACTC). The inaugural ‘Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition – Mystery Box Challenge’ will showcase the culinary talents of hotel chefs across the Kingdom. Find out more and register to attend for free: www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com / www.stone- andsurfacesaudi.com rooms, 63 suites, and a further 94 residen- tial suites, spread across two large towers. The residences are the first fully serviced residential apartments in Saudi Arabia. The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia team spoke with Christian Renz, vice president Looking ahead to April’s event that will feature key players in the industry
March 2017 HOTEL NEWS ME 53 Regional News Why did Rocco Forte select Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as its next destination for a new hotel? Jeddah is a key destination for us in Saudi Arabia. It is only a 40 minute journey from the holy city of Makkah, so much religious tourism passes through the city. In addi- tion, it was important for us to have rep- resentation in the Middle East, as we have such a large client base coming from this region, particularly from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Jeddah itself is also a very fast developing city, we have seen much growth over the last few years. How do you view the city of Jeddah and the wider Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a destination for tourism and hospitality development? We have seen a huge amount of growth and development within the Kingdom over the last few years, and naturally with this, the tourism industry grows too. We see a lot of domestic travel, with large, multi-gener- ational families often travelling within the Kingdom for leisure, perhaps visiting Jed- dah from Riyadh. There is also the concept of religious tourism, which draws both domestic and international tourists into Saudi Arabia. As Jeddah is such a short journey to Makkah, we see many guests using the city as a stop off during their trip. As the second city in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah has become a business hub, so there is a large volume of business travellers, many of which will come to the city for the work- ing week, who do not have residences in the city and prefer to stay in hotels which has meant an increase in demand. Where do you see the Kingdom’s hospitality industry in five years’ time? What are the key growth areas, opportunities and trends? Saudi Arabia has a lot to offer and I hope that the country will further open itself for international tourism. The incredible history, art, culinary culture and friend- liness of people is an experience which I am sure a lot of travelers would and will appreciate. We are always looking for op- portunities. We have started to take our first steps in the Far East, signing a man- agement contract for a hotel in Shanghai which is due to open at the end of 2018 and we continue to look further afield in this area, in addition to sites in the US and Europe. We also recently announced the opening of Hotel de la Ville in 2018, which will become our second property in Rome, situated in a unique location right at the top of the Spanish steps. Rocco Forte Hotels - Assila Hotel - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Christian Renz Rocco Forte Hotels - Assila Hotel - Lobby
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 54 Marketplace Tapping into quality In this month’s Marketplace we speak to the region's bathroom suppliers to find out which of their products are making a clean sweep What is your best-selling product? Mark Twitchell: Currently our individual range of brassware is very popular. Rachael Towl: We have partnerships with some of the world’s leading brands, such as Aromatherapy Associates. Guest Sup- ply and Aromatherapy Associates work in partnership to provide the luxurious guest collection to the hospitality industry on a global scale. Sophay Young: Our expertly crafted brand, Bagnodesign, is particularly popular with- in the hotel sector, as it offers a versatile range of products, all of which create luxurious bathroom spaces. Within this, we recently launched the art furniture col- lection, which has already had a lot of in- terest and offers a new take on classically styled bathroom design. What is the most important feature of the perfect bathroom product? Mark: The most important feature of the perfect bathroom product is minimalist design with wow factor functionality. The product must not only look good, it must perform to the highest standards. Rachael: We believe that hoteliers look for the quality of product itself including, formu- lation, design, ease of use and practicality. Sophay: Quality is the benchmark that de- fines the ‘perfect’ bathroom product and nowhere more so than in the hotel sector. Hoteliers want bathroom spaces that offer guests a high level of luxury and comfort. What are the latest trends in bathrooms? Mark: Using overflow fillers and wall mounted concealed controls is still very popular and can be a very cost effective way to give a wow factor design. Rachael: we have partnered with Clean the World, a global recycling programme, and we have a carbon offset initiative. Sophay: Basins as statement pieces are a key trend in the hotel bathroom, particu- larly those that are crafted from unusual materials, such as metal or stone. What type of hotel operations do you cater for? Mark: Vado has a very strong pedigree of working with hotel groups, with interna- tional projects and trading agreements with Hilton Group, Accor and many pres- tigious projects like the JW Marriott Mar- quis Hotel in Dubai, to name a few. Sophay: We regularly support the needs of one-off boutique hotels and global chains and offer the same level of commitment to quality and service across the spectrum. What maintenance services do you offer clients? Mark: The vast majority of Vado prod- ucts come with a 12-year guarantee. They all have the same care and atten- tion to the manufacturing process with continuous product testing throughout all stages of manufacturing, this normal- ly gives our clients the confidence they need to specify Vado. Sophay: Sanipex customer services and in- house technical teams provide a dedicated point of contact at all times to deal with queries, process orders and help with any installation advice and training. Mark Twitchell, director of international specific sales, Vado Rachael Towl, regional sales manager, ME Guest Supply Sophay Young, senior project designs consultant, Sanipex The panel Sanipex's Mezzanine range Aromatherapy Associates provides a luxurious guest experience Vado's individual range
HOTEL NEWS ME IS THE PLACE TO ADVERTISE Reach thousands of Hospitality professionals in the region in print in Hotel News ME or online at www.hotelnewsme.com FOR ADVERTISING Group Publishing Director Diarmuid O’Malley dom@bncpublishing.net +971 50 559 7339 Group Commercial Director Fred Dubery fred@bncpublishing.net +971 55 974 3800 SUBSCRIPTIONS Marketing Executive Mark Monzon Mark@bncpublishing.net +971 56 415 5243 EDITORIAL Editor Patrick Ryan Patrick@bncpublishing.net +971 4 4200 506 Group editor, Hospitality Crystal Chesters Crystal@bncpublishing.net +971 4 4200 506
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 56 Products Unlocking the future of door keys The Ving Card Essence is the latest product from Assa Abloy. The product is mobile access compatible, which allows hotel guests to gain direct access to their rooms, skip long lines at the front desk and use their smart phones or watches to open their guestroom door. Manit Narang, vice president MENA, Assa Abloy says: “This along with online wireless capabilities and improved reading dis- tance on the BLE reader, make this lock far more functional and ‘smarter’ than ever before.” He said the lock brings functionality and design together for the benefit of both the hotel operators and the millions of guests they serve. Narang says: “The quality of this innovative technology com- bined with our high levels of customer support in over 170 coun- tries, streamlines processes and operations for our customers, making it easier for them to address issues and maintain the guest experience. “Moving forward in 2017 and beyond, our focus remains on accelerating our mobile access solution even more, creating ad- ditional functionalities for our partners and customers. We aim to always be at the forefront of innovations for security technolo- gies, such as mobile access, in the hospitality industry.” DirectKey has been developed as a cost-effective, secure and easy-to-use mobile-key solution for hotels of any size. The prod- uct allows guests to download their key to a smartphones via the hotel’s loyalty apps. It also works in other hotel facilities such as parking garages and fitness centres. The key credentials remain on the phone during a guest’s stay, so a network connection is not required to use the mobile key. Onity marketing manager Europe, Middle East and Africa, Leire Iriberri says “The DirectKey system uses a door-lock hardware module which employs 128-bit AES encryption tech- nology to complement the security of existing locks. DirectKey also saves time and money for properties, as the technology can be retrofitted to existing locks. Supplier: Onity Website: onity.com Email: EMEA@onity.com The latest innovation from Modern Interior Technology (MIT) is check-in pin. Muhammad Kamran from MIT said: “What makes it unique is there is no need for reception. The guest receives his own per- sonal room code before arriving to the hotel or aparthotel. This room code is valid only for the guest’s stay. It is the perfect so- lution if the hotel business needs to send room key remotely.” He said the next innovation from MIT will be BLE technology. “The system will allow the guest to use either their smart- phone key or a guest room code,” he said. Supplier: Modern Interior Technology (MIT) Website: mit-dubai.com Email: info@mit-dubai.com The Ving Card Essence DirectKey Check-in pin In this month’s product focus we take a look at the latest innovations in electronic locks Supplier: Assa Abloy Website: assaabloyhospitality.com Email: manit.narang@assaabloy.com
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HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017 58 On the spot On the spot Amanda Schmiege, complex director of Spa and Recreation, St Regis, W, and Westin at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc What's the best thing about your job? I was always told if you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. My job is comprised of everything I love – fitness, spa, tennis, children and pools. What made you choose this role? I feel that every opportunity I have chosen throughout my career has led me to the next role in a natural progression; roles seem to choose me. I have worked in many different types of spas and hotels and in many different markets. I prefer the roles that present the most challenge at the outset – turnarounds, takeovers, openings – bring them on! What do you do when you're not working? When I am not working, I am working! I love to try out other spas; shake up my fitness routine in a new studio; and test out the latest superfoods – yes I love charcoal lemonade. What's the best bit of advice you've ever received in the workplace? I was told early on to “put your heart in it”. I have always treated my spas as my own business and my teams as my own family. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Work is personal and should be personal if you are really going to succeed. Tell us something that none of your colleagues know about you? I am a little obsessed with Valentine’s Day and ensuring that my friends and family know how much I love them. Personally I wouldn’t mind if it was Valentine’s every day… the world could do with more love. If you could stay in any hotel in the world right now, where would you go? The St. Regis, New York. I love spending time in this city and I always dreamed of staying at the original St. Regis Hotel, it is the most iconic address in the world! This is the case Our clients are currently recruiting for the following roles: VP-Operations-Asia, GM-hotels-UAE and Saudi Arabia, Corporate DOSM, DOSM, Sales Managers, Corporate Chief Engineer, CFO Please visit: www.bineid.com to view the current jobs. TWENTY (20) Years of Celebration *** TWENTY YEARS*** in Talent Sourcing in Hospitality segment BIN EID Executive Search is celebrating 20 years of existence. We thank our clients, candidates, well-wishers who directly and indirectly helped us in our wonderful & blissful journey. We also thank the Almighty, Bin Eid team members, ex-employees, associates and numerous unseen souls who supported us to navigate in our venture. We have touched and transformed thousands of individuals in our 20 years of spectacular journey. Thank you for the trust and confidence placed on us. BIN EID EXECUTIVE SEARCH & SELECTION (Specialised in 5* Hotel Sector) even more so now that I was part of the pre- opening team for the first St. Regis Hotel in Dubai. I have seen the hotel open and become one of the most in demand hotels in the city of Dubai. Can you tell us why you wanted to join this industry? Wellness and hospitality are able to give back to guests in many more ways than other industries. We have the ability to touch people and impact them differently than most. I feel this comes with a sense of responsibility, a duty, that I train all of my teams with and when you get it right, it’s not just about business or money anymore – it’s about the many guests who leave the comment “You made my day”. We are day-makers – who wouldn’t want to join this industry? What would you say to anyone who is starting out in your sector? Working in a spa is not like going to a spa as a guest. It’s all business behind the curtains so be prepared for the other side as well. What's the worst thing about your job? Spa music can become repetitive after hearing it on a loop day in, day out and it now haunts me, even when I’m trying to sleep. Most people would see this as a good complaint!
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