hospitality business me | 2013 june
Post on 07-Mar-2016
229 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
In association with...
Publication licensed by IMPZ
GLOB
AL H
OTEL
INDE
X: A
sia
Paci
fic 7
0%/ $
129.
44 -
Am
eric
as +
63.7
%/ $
113.
62 -
Eur
ope
+63
.8%
/ $12
6.34
- M
EA +
67.1
%/ $
179.
57 (A
vera
ge o
ccup
ancy
Mar
ch 2
013/
ADR
$)
How does Front of House IT affect the guest experience?
Radisson’s Tim Cordon on taking
the helm at Dubai’s first 5-star
Starwood SVP Guido de Wilde reveals aggressive
expansion plans
Almost every hotel has one, but many run at a loss. How to maximise impact in the gym
The Hospitality Hygiene Summit
The latest data, trends, tenders and news
DTCM director of hotel classification, , speaks exclusively to Hospitality Business Middle East about the development of the Hotel Classification System and the ambitious vision that will welcome 20 million annual visitors by 2020
CONTENTS
cpimediagroup.com JUNE 2013 HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 1
36 VP SPOTLIGHTSTARWOOD’S GUIDO
DE WILDE AND FRITS
VAN PAASSCHEN
EXPLAIN HOW THE
RISE IN MOBILE
BOOKINGS
WILL DRIVE THE
GROUP’S HUGE
EXPANSION PLANS
20 GM PROFILENEWLY APPOINTED
GM OF DUBAI’S
FIRST 5-STAR HOTEL,
TIM CORDON,
REVEALS SOME
OF THE CHANGES
UNDERFOOT AT THE
HISTORICAL CREEK-
SIDE PROPERTY
30 COVER STORYTHE FULL STORY
BEHIND DTCM’S
HISTORICAL
MONTH, INCLUDING
THE NEW HOTEL
CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEM AND THE
20MILLION BY 2020
VISITOR TARGET
22 ROUNDTABLEHOW MUCH OF A
5-STAR EXPERIENCE
CAN I.T. CREATE?
AND COULD SELF-
SERVICE KIOSKS AND
TABLET COMPUTERS
CHANGE THE
CHECK-IN PROCESS
FOREVER?
44 HYGIENE SUMMITBEHIND THE SCENES
AT LAST MONTH’S
HOSPITALITY
HYGIENE SUMMIT,
WHERE WE TALK
CHEMICALS,
EQUIPMENT AND
ENVIRONMENT WITH
THE EXPERTS
48 SPECIAL FEATUREDO YOUR RECREATION
FACILITIES MEET
THEIR REVENUE
GENERATING
POTENTIAL? GYM
OPERATORS AND
REVENUE EXPERTS
SHARE THEIR
SUCCESS TIPS
REGULARS 04 EDITOR’S
COMMENT
06 NEWS 11 DATA
14 DTCM NEWS
18 TENDERS
50 PRODUCT
WATCH
53 APPOINTMENT
NEWS 54 JOBS
56 COLUMN
3620
30 22
LG ELECTRONICS GULF FZEAL NASR PLAZA OFFICE BUILDING #4, OFFICE 309OUD METHA RD., P.O. BOX 61445, DUBAI, UAETEL: +971-4-357 3466, FAX: +971-4-357 3460
Salwan Finj (+971-56-683 7424) Jeongjun Park (+971-56-681 7029)
COMMENT / EDITOR’S LETTER
PUBLISHER: Dominic De SousaGROUP COO: Nadeem Hood
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERSAlex BendiouisDave Reeder
EDITORIALEditorial Director: Dave Reeder dave.reeder@cpimediagroup.com +971 55 105 3773
Editor: Melanie Mingasmelanie.mingas@cpimediagroup.com +971 56 758 7834
Photography: Anas Cherur
ADVERTISINGAlex Bendiouisalex.bendiouis@cpimediagroup.com +971 50 458 9204
Alexander Griffin Sales Manageralex.griffin@cpimediagroup.com +971 50 8500727
Ankit ShuklaSales Directorankit.shukla@cpimediagroup.com +971 55 2572807
DESIGN AND PRODUCTIONArt Editor: Christopher Howlettchris.howlett@cpimediagroup.com
Production Manager: Devaprekash devaprakash@cpimediagroup.com
MARKETING & DISTRIBUTIONRochelle Almeida rochelle.almeida@cpimediagroup.com
SUBSCRIPTIONSwww.cpievents.net/mag/magazine.php
PRINTED BYPrintwell Printing Press LLC, Dubai, UAE
PUBLISHED BY
Head Office, PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 440 9100
Fax: +971 4 447 2409
Group Office, Dubai Media City
Building 4, Office G08, Dubai, UAE
A publication licensed by IMPZ
© Copyright 2012 CPI. All rights reserved. While the
publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy
of all information in this magazine, they will not be held
responsible for any errors therein.
4 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013
Rising stars With leadership
as ambitious as Dubai’s, such things are not left to chance
Last month saw thousands of
industry professionals descend on
Dubai for Arabian Travel Market.
Almost every exhibiting hotel
chain had news of expansions and
diversification, CSR projects and staff
development drives.
But it was DTCM that really stole
the thunder when announcements
were made that not only is Dubai
on track to welcome 20million
visitors annually by 2020, but
implementation of the Hotel
Classification System is to begin.
While the two received separate
announcements there is little doubt
they are inextricably linked. With
leadership as ambitious as Dubai’s,
such things are not left to chance.
It may be only last year that tourism
hit the 10million mark for the first
time, but it is now predicted that
within seven years Dubai will become
the most visited city in the world.
Keep in mind that to reach that
target – according to the figures by
Mastercard – the city will need to
welcome 50% more visitors to beat
current leader Bangkok, at 2012
standards.
It’s only common sense that
20million people cannot stay in
5-star luxury accommodation and
so Decree No. 17 was issued, legally
regulating hotel classifications by
type and location.
In addition to offering a transparent
reference system for guests, it will
open up the much over-looked mid-
range and budget markets, ensuring
that when Expo 2020 arrives Dubai
has a mature and diversified market.
As for the viability of the visitor
number targets? Dubai’s growth
is probably the strongest of all
the cities listed in the survey. If in
doubt, consider the fact that all
its competitors have been around
longer than the UAE has been
recognised as a country.
Year to date tourism receipts stand
at $10.4bn and even more demand
drivers are to be introduced in the
coming years; from theme parks to
Expo 2020 itself.
After all, if something is worth
doing, it’s worth doing properly and
judging by developments of recent
weeks, if there is a city in the world
that can demonstrate that, it’s Dubai.
MELANIE MINGAS
EDITOR
Hospitality Business Middle East official media partner
28 - 30 September 2013
NEWS WATCH
6 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
$17bn PROJECTED VALUE OF HOTEL
TRANSACTIONS IN 2013, JLL
MENA NEWS
Radisson Blu, Muscat.
Oman-based GMs praise weekend changes From this month, Oman’s weekends
will change from Thursday and
Friday to Friday and Saturday, in
line with neighbouring countries, to
Middle East Hotel Awards winners announcedHeld at Jumeirah Creekside hotel,
2013’s Middle East Hotel Awards,
welcomed hundreds of industry
professionals.
Ahead of The Hotel Show,
September 28-30, this year, 98 entries
were received in a total of 11 categories
covering a range of diverse elements
contributing to “the perfect hotel stay”.
Three new categories were added:
Best Hotel, Best Hotel Apartment and
Best Marketing Campaign, reflecting
both the growth and increasing
standards of the MENA industry.
Best Hotel Suite: The Atlantis, Dubai
Best Fitness & Leisure Facilities: Grand Hyatt,
Dubai
Best Technology Integration: Jumeirah Emir-
ates Towers, Dubai
Best Outdoor Area: The Westin, Abu Dhabi
Best Restaurant or Food & Beverage Outlet:
Ossiano, The Atlantis, Dubai
Best Lobby Reception or Guest Lounge:
Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Dubai
THE WINNERS ARE:
Best Hotel: Six Senses Spa, Oman
Best Hotel Apartment: Marriott Executive
Apartments, Saudi Arabia
Best Marketing Campaign: Hilton Worldwide
Best Sustainable Initiative: Six Senses Spa,
Oman
Best Convention, Conference or Banquet
Facility: Four Seasons Hotel, Riyadh
Best Lobby Reception or Guest Lounge:
Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Dubai
IN FIGURES
98ENTRIES RECEIVED FOR
THE 2013 AWARDS, HELD
ON MAY 22
11CATEGORIES INCLUDING
THREE NEWS
CATEGORIES
enhance business relations. But GMs
in the sultanate are already eyeing
a new weekend getaway market,
predominantly from the UAE.
Largely due to the introduction
of leisure rates on Saturday – which
could slash the corporate rate by as
much as 40% for visitors – the change
was welcomed by Radisson Blu
Muscat GM, Marius Wolmarans, and
Park Inn Muscat GM, Rabi Zein.
Speaking to Hospitality Business
during their annual GM conference in
Fujairah UAE, both Wolmarans and
Zein said they would be using online
marketing to capture a new UAE
clientele.
“There is an opportunity for the
future because as of May we have our
weekends the same as Dubai and there
is the opportunity to chase the UAE
weekend market,” said Zein.
“Today the UAE residents are not
coming because our Saturday was a
corporate rate, but now it will be up
to 40% cheaper. So we are going to be
promoting the rates and letting people
know that we can add value to their
weekend getaways,” he added.
During the week, the two
Oman properties will also seize on
opportunities for business travellers,
as the Sultanate’s infrastructure
developments continue.
NEWS WATCH
150 HOTELS TO OPEN THIS
YEAR IN THE GCC
Citymax CEO: Mid-market is priced outLand prices and management
contracts in Dubai are pricing
out mid-market hotel brands and
potentially jeopardising future visitor
numbers, according to Citymax CEO
Russell Sharpe.
Speaking to Hospitality Business
Middle East at AHIC, Sharpe
concluded that DTCM would have
to step in to assist the establishment
of a mature mid-market offering,
particularly in light of the growth of
Fly Dubai and the new Dubai World
Central, both of which will bring in
ever increasing numbers of mid-
market travellers.
“Dubai has done a really good job
selling sand, sea and the air above
in build-up charges, but when we
look at new build we have to look at
cpimediagroup.com
On-the-spot hiring is being used by
an increasing number of employers
in response to the changing
workplace demands brought about by
Generation Y, says Purple Cubed MD,
Lynne Bellinger. But not all hotels are
doing it right, she has warned.
“There are better ways of
conducting on-the-spot hiring. The
Emirates Group has got it so right
by putting all candidates, regardless
of position, through an assessment
centre, and this is something that
hotels could also do in conjunction
with mass recruitment days,” she said.
-Citing competition and mass
recruitment challenges, Bellinger
praised Emirates’ call back methods
and suggested the industry should
contractually bound its associates
to avoid footing expensive
recruitment bills.
“Hotels are poaching staff from
one another and this is a hugely
contentious topic. Hotels should have
an agreement to not recruit from
other properties unless the applicant
has worked for them for at least two
years, which is a good indicator of
loyalty, and allows the hotel to recoup
its hiring costs,” she remarked.
Gen Y trends changing recruitment
Marriott Hotels has unveiled plans
to open dozens of extended stay
properties under its Residence Inn
and Marriott Executive Apartments
brands, culminating in a near 60%
portfolio share for Residence Inn
and Marriott Executive Apartments
brands by 2020, up from 13%.
Said extended stay brand manager,
Diane Mayer: “Marriott’s extended
stay brands are 27% of its global
pipeline, but note we are conservative
in pipeline stats, so these are approved
or under construction. For the Middle
East we expect extended stay to be
57% of our distribution by 2020.”
Globally, extended stay generates
$3.2bn of total revenues – a 27%
share, from 23% of current hotel
distribution. The chain has also
announced five new properties in
Abu Dhabi as part of its extensive
expansion plans.
Marriott’s 60% extended stay target for MEA
the land in perspective of the costs
and that usually dictates the type of
hotel you can build,” he explained to
Hospitality Business Middle East at
AHIC.
“A few days ago it was declared that
the aim is for 20 million tourists to
visit annually, by 2020. You can’t have
20 million tourists all in top end.
“You would need to have a
number of government initiators in
order to look at where and how you
would attract mid-market brands, in
today’s environment,” he added.
Citymax, which recently launched
the new Citymax Premiere brand
for under matured markets such as
Doha and Saudi Arabia, is looking to
open 5000 rooms, MENA-wide, with
the predominant focus on Dubai.
Russell Sharpe,
Citymax CEO.
Purple Cubed MD, Lynne Bellinger.
NEWS WATCH
8 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
450 CURRENT GCC HOTEL
CONSTRUCTION PIPELINE
MENANEWS
NEWS IN BRIEF
KERZNER INKS KSA DEALKerzner International Holdings Ltd, has
announced it is to develop Saudi Arabia’s
first One & Only resort on the Red Sea,
Jeddah, in partnership with Saudi Oger
and Al Khozama Management Company
The 150 room, luxury property, will be
located north of Jeddah to capture both
business and leisure markets, within a
30 minute radius from King Abdulaziz
International Airport. It will feature 230m
of beachfront and an area of 95,000 sqm
and promises “unique entertainment and
sport activities on-site”.
VICEROY THE PALM ANNOUNCEDViceroy has confirmed that it will open
a $1bn property on The Palm Jumeirah,
Dubai Q4, 2016.
Real estate investment firm SKAI
Holdings has officially announced the
construction of a 481 room hotel and 221
furnished residences project that will
mark the first property in Dubai for the
American chain.Construction is already
underway and the property is located at
the base of The Palm’s ‘trunk’.
Earlier this year Viceroy CEO Bill
Walshe told Hospitality Business that
he “wouldn’t rest” until the group had
opened a property in one of Dubai’s
prime locations. Late last month it was
announced that Viceroy, Cape Verde,
would also open soon.
SIMPLIFIED VISAS AIDING TRAVELDubai’s 13.2% surge in airline passenger
numbers is due to simplified visa
processes and fewer barriers to travel,
according to Fly Dubai CEO Ghaith Al
Ghaith. In 2012, 57 million people
travelled through the airport and
a 15.6% increase has already been
achieved YTD. Al Ghaith concluded in a
statement last month that: “Simplified
visa processes and lower barriers to travel
have contributed significantly to rising
passenger traffic to the UAE.” Fly Dubai
now travels to 33 countries over North
and East Africa, GCC, ME, Subcontinent,
CIS countries and Europe.
Ritz-Carlton has announced it
will open its fourth North African
property in Marrakech, Morocco.
The fortress style resort will be
located on a nature reserve, 20km
from the centre of Marrakech, with 60
hotel suites and 20 hotel villas of two,
three and five bedrooms; bars and
restaurants; a luxury spa and related
leisure facilities.
Ritz-Carlton Marrakech
Project rendering of the new Ritz Carlton Marakech.
Said Herve Humler, President
and COO, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Company: “The Ritz-Carlton,
Marrakech will be our fourth property
in North Africa, each one offering a
different proposition, indigenous to
the style and location of the hotel or
resort. Expansion in this region is
unquestionably an essential part of
our future growth strategy.”
Wyndham, the largest hotel group in
the world will open its first property
in the UAE, with a 33-storey
building at Dubai Marina.
With a current portfolio of 7380
hotels globally, the 497-room
Wyndham Dubai Marina is expected
to open within the next three years.
The chain already runs a number of
properties in Saudi Arabia.
Dubai Marina will include
251 luxury suites, 6,800 sqft of
F&B outlets, MICE facilities and
Wyndham UAE for Dubai Marina 2,500sqft of spa and leisure facilities.
Said SVP and MD, Europe, Rui
Barros: “We’re very excited to be
bringing our namesake Wyndham
Hotels and Resorts brand to
Dubai, following its successful
introduction to the region through
the spectacular Wyndham Grand
Regency Doha. I have no doubt
that Wyndham Dubai Marina will
be another superb addition to the
brand, which we are already growing
in key cities throughout the region.”
The FCC approved towel that belongs in every kitchen
Super-Twill Hygiene -
the hygienic, nonwoven
wipe for
every cook
Dhofar Global Tr. Co.L.L.C.
Super–Twill Hygiene - So advanced, it’s practically a towel!
Replace cook towel and use Super - Twill
P.O.Box: 70580, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesMobile: 050 631 6593, Tel: +971 6 5302525 / 5368690, Fax: +971 6 5302626 / 5368552Email: chandan@dhofartr.com - dhofart@eim.ae www.dhofartr.com
Dubai Investment Park - 1,W-16/598-289-Dubai,U.A.E. Tel: +971 4 8856556, Fax: +971 4 8856566
Po Box No 8028, Doha, Qatar, Tel: +974 44110511, Fax: +974 44110611, Mob: +974 70403935
Office No 12, Building No 8, Barwa Village, Wakra, Doha, Qatar.
NEWS WATCH
10 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
68% OF SURVEY USES SMARTPHONE
OR TABLET TO BOOK TRAVEL
GLOBAL NEWS
Ritz-Carlton has unveiled a global
CSR programme that offsets
humanitarian activities against
sustainability targets.
Spearheaded by vice president of
CSR, Sue Stephenson, the initiatives
will use unspent revenue and financial
savings accrued from sustainable
practices, to fund its continuing work
with NGOs and charities, including
the Make a Wish Foundation and Al
Noor School, Dubai.
During her visit to Dubai to
promote the programme, Stephenson
said: “We believe that global
companies have a responsibility
to implement and inspire positive
action in a way that is geographically
and culturally relevant. Community
Footprints focuses on making
Ritz-Carlton unveils global CSR initiative
Travellers from the UAE and KSA
avoid travel sites that are not mobile-
ready or do not have mobile booking
capabilities, according to research
cited by Google.
The data is thought to be the first
to provide extensive insight into
consumer behaviour for the travel
sector and concludes the Internet
is the number one source for trip
planning for 39% of UAE and 38%
of KSA leisure travellers, with the
number rising for business travellers
to 50% and 48% respectively.
Google also cited the surge in
smartphone ownership and improved
connectivity in the region as a major
driver of mobile usage when planning
travel with 48% of survey respondents
using their smartphone in the last year
to engage in a travel related activity,
rising to 69% for specific smartphone
or tablet use.
The report also noted travel
companies are missing out on the
prospect to convert mobile travellers
into bookings.
Mobile booking “a must”
a sustainable difference in the
communities within which The Ritz-
Carlton operates and, as we extend our
physical footprint in the Middle East, we
are committed to replicating the success
of our global social responsibility and
community engagement commitment.”
Community Footprints was
institutionalised by The Ritz-Carlton
in 2002, to tackle three key global
issues; child well-being, hunger and
poverty relief and environmental
responsibility. The company
integrates Community Footprints
within its business goals, placing it as
a foundational piece in the company’s
business management model,
incorporating it as a key success
factor, and has developed robust
metrics to measure progress. Sue Stephenson, VP of CSR.
Approximately $10bn in new
hotels opened in the U.S. during
2012, according to the debut issue
of STR Analytics report Hotel
Development Almanac and new
developments are near their lowest
level in the current cycle with only
420 hotels opening last year.
Broken down, the average cost
of development per room stands at
$164,000, driven by a dominating
upscale and upper midscale
segment, although New York City
ranked above average, demanding
investments of around $508,000 per
room. The most active market tract
for development in 2012 was North
Dakota, which saw 23 new
hotels open but
Hampton
$10bn in new US openings Inn & Suites and Holiday Inn
Express had the most U.S. hotel
openings in 2012.
“With a limited amount of
financing available for new
developments, the volume of new
rooms entering the market is
negligible in most cities,” said Steve
Hennis, director at STR Analytics.
“With continued improvement in
both the general hotel industry as
well as the national economy, we
are beginning to see the pace of new
construction increase.”
DATA WATCH
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 11JUNE 2013cpimediagroup.com
An outlook on the UAE By Matthew Green, Head of Research UAE, CBRE Middle East
The Emirates tourism sector
remains fixed on a solid growth
course, with occupancy rates
rising across key markets
in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al
Khaimah. During Q1, hotels in the
capital recorded double digit growth
in revenue and occupancy figures,
building on a 2012 performance
that saw 13% growth in total guest
numbers. Dubai is also having
another stellar start to its year, with
further growth in tourist arrivals
recorded during the first three
months, building on the 9% rise
achieved last year. Whilst still an
emerging tourism destination, Ras
Al Khaimah is starting to see a steady
rise in its hotel keys, and some very
impressive growth in tourist arrivals.
After attracting over 1 million visitors
in 2012, Ras Al Khaimah is now
aiming for 1.2 million during 2013.
Over the past decade, the
country has invested heavily into
its infrastructure facilities and its
tourism marketing capability, with
Dubai leading the way in establishing
the emirates as a globally recognised
holiday destination and one of the
most important aviation hubs on the
planet. The recent opening of the
first Dubai Tourism & Commerce
Marketing (DTCM) representative
office in Brazil, highlights a continued
effort by the government to raise
global awareness as part of their
strategy to attract visitors from
burgeoning tourism markets in South
America and beyond.
Together, the UAE’s airports
handled over 80 million customers
during 2012, with the lion’s
share passing through Dubai
International Airport (DXB) which
registered 71% of all passenger
movements. Passenger numbers
have continued to rise during 2013,
with Dubai and Abu Dhabi seeing
double digit growth during the first
quarter. DXB is projected to see
over 65 million passengers this year
and 98 million by 2020. Significant
investment has already been
earmarked by the Dubai Government
for further expansion plans, following
quickly on the heels of the recently
completed A380 concourse at DXB.
Some of this new investment is
likely to be directed towards the new
Maktoum International Airport in
Jebel Ali, a facility which has been
integral to the 2020 Expo bid.
The UAE currently has over 95,000
completed hotel keys, a figure which
could expand by 30% over the next
five years with close to 30,000 keys
in varying stages of construction and
planning. Dubai’s hotel stock dwarfs
the rest of the region with nearly
60,000 keys operational, although
other markets such as Doha are slowly
catching up. Despite such significant
supply, Dubai posted the best
performance of any Middle East city
with average occupancy rates of 76%
during 2012 and one of the best ADR
performances of any global market.
Although the regions sizeable
hotel development pipeline should
be monitored with some caution, the
short term outlook for the sector looks
to be positive with most key local
markets recording growth in Q1
KEY FIGURES
1.2m
VISITORS TO RAS AL
KHAIMAH IN 2012
13%
GROWTH IN TOTAL
GUEST NUMBERS IN Q1
95,000HOTEL KEYS CURRENTLY
IN THE UAE
71%
OF THE 80 MILLION
PEOPLE WHO USED THE
UAE’S AIRPORTS IN 2012,
PASSED THROUGH DUBAI
INTERNATIONAL
76%
AVERAGE OCCUPANCY ACROSS
DUBAI IN 2012, ONE OF THE
BEST PERFORMANCES OF ANY
GLOBAL MARKET
65m
PASSENGER PROJECTIONS
FOR DUBAI INTERNATIONAL
IN 2013
DATA WATCH
12 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
ADR WATCH Year on year ADR fluctuations across seven key Middle East destinations, supplied by Hotels Combined
PIPELEIN FIGURES
EUROPE
814TOTAL PROPERTY PIPELINE
134,912TOTAL ROOMS PIPELINE
ASIA PACIFIC
1804TOTAL PROPERTY PIPELINE
387,179TOTAL ROOMS PIPELINE
CENTRAL/ SOUTH AMERICA
242TOTAL PROPERTY PIPELINE
37,506TOTAL ROOMS PIPELINE
CARIBBEAN/ MEXICO
124TOTAL PROPERTY PIPELINE
20,676TOTAL ROOMS PIPELINE
Location 2012 ADR 2013 ADR
Doha $165.99 %154.47
Muscat $159.19 $201.43
Jeddah $239.06 $214.49
Riyadh $262.41 $230.41
Mecca $217.06 $182.59
Manama $185.94 $173.16
Kuwait City $203.98 $184
EXTENDED STAY As Marriott International announces huge investments into its two extended stay brands (see MENA News pages), the Highland Group shares its key findings about the sector’s global market value
ALL THE WAY BACKRevPAR for the extended-stay sector as
a whole hit $58.80 last year - surpassing
the pre-recession peak of 2007. Broken
down by type, the upscale sector is
above its 2007 levels while the mid-
price and economy sectors are slightly
below the previous peaks. Overall,
RevPAR grew 7 percent in 2012
compared from the previous year.
0
20
40
60
80
100100
80
60
40
20
02005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
ECONOMY MID-PRICE UPSCALE TOTAL
$58.80 +6.9% +4.2%2012 REVPAR 2012 ADR EXT STAY ONLY 2012 ADR HOTEL ONLY
(Source: The Highland Group)
DATA WATCH
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 13JUNE 2013cpimediagroup.com
PIPELINE FIGURESSUPPLY GROWTH (POTENTIAL)
+43.0% MANILA
+25.2% MUMBAI
+23.8% JAKARTA
+19.7% BALI
+13.9% BRISBANE
+11.7% KUALA LUMPUR
+11.4% PHUKET
THE GLOBAL PIPELINE, BY STR GLOBAL
Chain scale Existing supply (as of April
30, 2013(
In construction Total active pipeline*
Luxury 53,639 15,488 24,429
Upper Upscale 91,230 21,836 37,053
Upscale 74,661 13,395 21,920
Upper Midscale 55,145 2,857 6,210
Midscale 22,563 1,026 3,618
Economy 5,351 519 1,270
Unaffilated 401,213 13,920 25,845
Total 703,802 69,041 120,345
Middle East/Africa pipeline by Chain Scale segment for April 2013 (number of rooms)
* Includes those projects in the construction, final planning and planning phases.
GLOBAL PIPELINE, 2013, STR GLOBAL
EUROPE ASIA / PACIFIC C/S AMERICA MEXICO/CARIBBEAN
Figures from STR Global demonstrate
a robust pipeline around the world,
however Asia Pacific continues to
lead the way - significantly - showing
that geographical diversity, economic
strength and huge population growth
are the key driving factors. Current
pipeline numbers incorporate projects
in the Construction, Final Planning and
Planning stages, but does not include
projects in the Pre-Planning stage.
Among the markets in the region,
Manila, Philippines, reported the
largest expected supply growth (+43.0
percent) if all 9,968 rooms in the
market’s total active pipeline open.
Six other markets reported expected
room growth of more than 10 percent:
Mumbai, India (+25.2 percent with
5,117 rooms in the active pipeline);
Jakarta, Indonesia (+23.8 percent with
8,115 rooms); Bali, Indonesia (+19.7
percent with 7,587 rooms); Brisbane,
Australia (+13.9 percent with 1,698
rooms); Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(+11.7 percent with 3,611 rooms); and
Phuket, Thailand (+11.4 percent with
2,928 rooms).
Looking ahead to 2014, Asia is
unlikely to lose its stronghold. Europe
will open a further 233 hotels and
Caribbean/ Mexico, 53.
14 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
DTCM NEWS
20 Million by 2020 - The next step
More than 120 tour operators and
travel agents from Spain were hosted
in Dubai last month, with the Emirate
staging one of the Spanish tourism
industry’s most important congresses.
The FETAVE (Federation of Spanish
Travel Agencies and Territorial
Associations) Congress is an annual
event aimed at promoting the flow
of tourism and identifying future
tourism trends. The 2013 edition was
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
affirmed that the UAE has succeeded
in placing itself amongst popular
tourist destinations on the global
map of tourism, walking confidently
into the future through launching
ambitious developmental initiatives
and high quality projects. His
Highness also noted that building
a robust infrastructure with high
capacity and providing quality
high-end services to all the visitors
of the UAE is an ongoing process
that also necessitate keeping up the
pace of development to meet the
requirements of the global markets,
bearing in mind changes that may
occur in such requirements so as to
preserve the country’s gains and earn
more achievements in the tourism
Spanish TO congress welcomed
sector that is full of opportunities.
The economic importance of the
tourism sector, cannot be ignored and
it is hoped the visitor numbers will
triple tourism receipts. His Highness
also said that he firmly believes
in Dubai’s ability to reach even a
substantial tourist influx in light of the
fact that Dubai will shortly witness
the implementation of wide new
range of projects that will represent
new elements of attraction and will
open the door to welcoming larger
numbers of visitors into the country.
HH Sheikh Mohammed went on
to say: “We are aware that such goals
are ambitious, but more important
than ambition is realizing these
goals in reality. We are confident
that the Department of Tourism and
Commerce Marketing is capable of
achieving what it aims for given the
previous accomplishments and the
positive results attained”. However,
Sheikh Mohammed said, “We need
to bear in mind that tourism is a
broad service sector that one entity
cannot solely be held responsible
for its development; therefore, it is
important that other government
departments and institutions
share this responsibility and join
in developing this sector in order
to strengthen our macroeconomic
capabilities. Moreover, we expect the
private sector to play a similar role
in supporting this goal within the
framework of the partnership that we
have established decades ago. This
partnership between the government
and private sectors is a source of our
pride and we will do all what it takes
to make it a success.”
The congress is the
first in a number
of events to be
held in 2013.
organised by Dubai’s Department of
Tourism and Commerce Marketing
(DTCM) and its partner Alpha
Tours, as part of DTCM’s ongoing
positioning of Dubai as the world’s
leading tourism and commerce
destination.
The Spanish market is of increasing
importance to Dubai, with 41,000
Spanish visitors staying in Dubai
hotels last year, an increase of 20%
from 2011. During the five day
congress, the participants took part
in tours of the city and key attractions
and had numerous meetings with
hoteliers to discuss future business
partnerships.
Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director
of DTCM Overseas Promotions and
Inward Missions commented: “It has
been our pleasure to host the congress,
one of a number which the city will
host during 2013. It gave us the
opportunity to promote the emirate
to key decision makers in the Spanish
market and to provide information
on Dubai’s tourism attractions and
hotel offerings, with the ultimate
aim being to further increase the
number of Spanish tourists to Dubai.
Each congress and event that we
host is an opportunity for us to both
demonstrate the uniqueness of Dubai
and to play a small role in the future
success of businesses and industries.
We thank both Alpha Tours for their
partnership in hosting the congress
and FETAVE for choosing Dubai as a
venue for the congress.”
DTCM NEWS
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 15JUNE 2013cpimediagroup.com
KEY FIGURES
92% OF ATTENDANTS WERE
FROM HOTELS
4% OF ATTENDANTS WERE
FROM HOTEL APARTMENTS
38% OF ATTENDANTS WERE FROM
5-STAR ESTABLISHMENTS
11% OF ATTENDANTS WERE GMS
Sustainability – adding up the mathsDuring DTCM’s Dubai Green Festival hoteliers and environment managers met at Jebel Ali Beach Resort, Dubai to learn, discuss and debate the latest green initiatives
Water monitoring
NOWHERE AWARENESS INTEREST DESIRE ACTIONS
Waste monitoring
NOWHERE AWARENESS INTEREST DESIRE ACTIONS
5% 6% 9% 9% 70%9% 9% 9% 15% 58%
70% ACTIONS
VS 30% NO ACTIONS
58% ACTIONS
VS 42% NO ACTIONS
FINANCIAL - ROI
WHAT WHY HOW SUPPORT NEEDED
Measurement To know current consumption
Provide information support for
decision making
Verification and forward planning
Dedicated budget
Sub meters
Auditing
Identification of equipment
longevity
Government
Subsidize
Reward system
Regulatory
Marketing To identify additional businesses and
opportunities
Show that is possible to minimize
investment
Basis and statistics to move on and plan Consultants
Risk calculation To assess the risk , safety and issuance Assess the risk , safety and issuance
Guest satisfaction survey link this measure with additional revenues Collect statistics Share knowledge,
best practices
WHAT WHY WHO HOW SUPPORT NEEDED
Design of the hotel building Requirement for green initiative
for energy saving
Engineering
Architects
DM
Hotel design
Licensing
Operators
Owner
Dubai municipality
Energy Management Reduction in fossil fuel
Reduce carbon footprint
Financial cost reduce
DM
All hotel levels
Solar energy encouraging the
development
DM
Incentives
Advisors
Waste management systems Recycle Government - Users Garbage compactors
Incentives for garbage collection
DM
Water management systems Cooling towers Hotel infrastructure Sewage water
A/C conditioning
DM
INFRASTRUCTURE
cpimediagroup.com
What have been your stand out moments in the industry since you arrived in 2005?The Middle East has the
ability to grow so quickly and I have seen some dramatic changes over the years. For example, Dubai started out as simply sand and sea and within a few years, we had many of the world’s leading hospitality brands springing up at pace, and it really went from strength to strength. The world economic crisis certainly was a tough time for the industry in general but, amazingly, occupancy figures remained quite stable compared to the rest of the world. That’s the magical thing about the Dubai hospitality industry – it is resilient.
The Middle East will always have the threat of being affected by world events and particularly political events in neighboring countries. But yet it survives and recovers unlike any other market I have seen. Since the market has bounced back, Dubai has truly become one of the world’s most unique hubs for all types of travel.
As sectors architecture & interiors are making their mark in 2013 – why do you think it is so popular?I believe that diversity is the key. In the past, interiors and architecture in the Middle East has always had its own style – modern contemporary with traditional Arabic influence. But now we are seeing different styles and new approaches come into play. I particularly have noticed a strong influence from Northern Europe here in recent times – very simplistic design and clean lines.
Style and substance Middle East Hotel Awards judge and founder and managing partner of Hospitality Design Partnership, Meelis Kuuskler, moved to Dubai with Jumeirah Group at a time when the industry was a benchmark for success. He shares his predictions for a rise in the boutique stay and other 5-star alternatives
Creating interiors and designs that are inspiring and new are most certainly contributing to the popularity and increasing growth that we are seeing right across the sector. The Middle East is now at the forefront of worldwide trends and I believe that hotels in the Middle East are finally coming around to the idea that each part of an interior should have a purpose, other than just a cosmetic one.
What do you see as the major growth areas for the next 1-2 years?I believe the region will begin to see a move away from 5-star high-end luxury properties, to make the region more user-friendly for travelers of all types. Of course we will always have the luxury market, but we will see more budget and 3 and 4-star properties being developed, to cater for the increasing stopover market we are seeing due to increased flight routes.
Also the boutique hotels being developed across the region give visitors increasing options to find more individual, intimate and welcoming settings. I think this is good for the industry as a whole, as
it will make the Middle East
a estination that people want to
visit more regularly,
rather than just once a year.
What do you see as the biggest threats for the industry?The lack of cross-promotion across the region could become a problem if not tackled. Each country really needs to support one another to make the Middle East as a whole a destination, rather than a city on its own. Political events in nearby countries will also continue to pose a potential threat, especially for international travelers. The continued growth of Africa as an emerging destination could have either a negative or positive impact on the Middle East – but that is yet to be seen.
As a Judge for the Middle East Hotel Awards in both 2012 and 2013 –have you noticed any significant changes in the number or caliber of entries this year?We saw more than double of entries in 2013 than 2012, and the hotels that participated were more wide ranging. It was good to see entries from across the region, including Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. It has been an inspiring experience to see the hospitality industry at his best. The awards are a true example of how the Middle East is leading the world in hospitality
Meelis Kuuskler is the Founder and Managing Partner of Hospitality Design Partnership, a boutique hospitality consultancy service offering a range of solutions from design and project management, brand development, F&B, feasibility and technical services. He has over 18 years experience in the hospitality industry across Europe and the
Middle East.
16 � HoSpitAlity buSinESS MiDDlE EAst JUNE 2013
i believe the region will begin to see a move away from 5-star high-end luxu-ry properties, to make the region more user-friendly for travelers of all types.
16 THS advertorial.indd 16 6/4/13 11:55 AM
18 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
TENDERS
TendersAll the latest tenders information you need to know about
Tel: (+971) 2 634 8495www.EmiratesTenders.com
NEW TENDERS
$800mMALL OF EGYPT RETAIL AND
LEISURE COMPLEX
NEW AND CURRENT PROJECTS
Client name: Katara Hospitality (Qatar)
Address: Katara Hospitality Bldg., C Ring Road
City: Doha
Postal/Zip Code: 2977
Phone: (+974) 4423 7777
Fax: (+974) 4427 0707
eMail: info@katarahospitality.com
Website: http://www.katarahospitality.com
Nature of work: Provision of acquisition and
installation of new flatwork ironer system and
removal of old system at a hotel.
Cost of Tender Documents ($): 195
Last date of submission: June 10, 2013
Client name: UAE University (Al Ain)
Postal/Zip Code: 15551
Phone: (+971-3) 767 3333 / 713 5950 / 713 5947
Fax: (+971-3) 713 4343
eMail: uaeu@uaeu.ac.ae
Website: http://www.uaeu.ac.ae
Nature of work: Carrying out preparing and
providing meals for the students to a university.
Cost of Tender Documents ($): 1090
Last date of submission: June 16, 2013
Client name: Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs
Address: Nassiriya Street
City: Riyadh 11136 , KSA
Postal/Zip Code: 955
Phone: (+966-1) 456 9999/ 441 5434
Fax: (+966-1) 456 3196/ 441 2118
eMail: infor@momra.gov.sa
Website: http://www.momra.gov.sa
Nature of work: Construction and operation of a
hotel for a municipality.
Cost of Tender Documents ($):
135
Last date of submission: June
29, 2013
Client name: Oman Establishment for
Press, Publication & Advertising
Address: Madinat Al Illam, Al Qurum
City: Muscat PC 100
Postal/Zip Code: 974
Phone: (+968) 2469 4599
Fax: (+968) 2460 0806
eMail: purchase@omandaily.com
Website: http://www.omandaily.com
Nature of work: Provision of (2 Nos.) meals (Iftar
and Suhoor) during Ramadan 1434HD for the
employees of a Government authority.
Cost of Tender Documents ($): 70
Last date of submission: June 27, 2013
Project Name: DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel
Description: Construction of five-star DoubleTree,
Suites by Hilton Hotel comprising (350) rooms,
which will be surrounded by cafes, shops and
restaurants.
Client Name: Hilton International
(Dubai)
Country: Bahrain
Status: New Project
Project Name: Hotel Residences Tower Project -
Dubai Maritime City Development
Description: Construction of a new luxury tower
consisting of serviced hotel residences at Dubai
Maritime City Development.
Client Name: Damac Properties (Dubai)
Country: UAE
Status: New Project
Project Name: The Beach Mixed-use Development
Project - Jumeirah Beach Residence
Description: Development of The Beach mixed-use
scheme comprising retail, food and beverage outlets
as well as entertainment facilities.
Client Name: Meraas Development
(Dubai)
Country: UAE
Status: New Project
Project Name: Al Bait Hotel Project – Sharjah
Description: Construction of luxurious 5-star Al Bait
Hotel.
Client Name: Sharjah Investment & Development
Authority (Shurooq)
Country: UAE
Consultant: Godwin, Austen Johnson Architects
(GAJ) - Dubai
Budget (USD): 27,000,000
Status: New Project
Project Name: One & Only Hotel Project - Obhur
District
Client Name: Construction of One & Only Hotel
comprising (150) rooms.
Client Name: Al Khozama Management Company
(Saudi Arabia)
Country: Saudi Arabia
Contractor: Saudi Oger Limited (Saudi Arabia)
Status: Current Project
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 19JUNE 2013cpimediagroup
TENDERS
AL BAIT HOTEL, SHARJAH$27m
Project Name: Hilton Garden Inn & Double Tree by
Hilton Project - Riyadh Financial District
Client Name: Construction of Hilton Garden Inn
hotel comprising (260) rooms and Double Tree by
Hilton comprising (110) serviced apartments.
Client Name: Hilton International
(Dubai)
Country: Saudi Arabia
Contractor: Mawten Hospitality LLC (Saudi
Arabia)
Status: Current Project
Project Name: Al Baleed Resort Project
Description: Development of a high-end resort in Al
Baleed Village comprising a total of (136) rooms and
associated facilities.
Client Name: Musstir (Oman)
Country: Oman
Contractor: Carillion Alawi L.L.C (Oman)
Status: Current Project
Project Name: The Address The Boulevard Tower
Construction Project - Downtown Dubai
Description: Construction of 340-metre, 63-storey
The Address The Boulevard Tower comprising a
5-star hotel and serviced apartments consisting
of studios, one-two-three and four-bedroom
apartments.
Client Name: Emaar Properties PJSC
(Dubai)
Country: UAE
Consultant: Atkins International (Dubai)
Contractor: Brookfield Multiplex Constructions
Middle East L.L.C (Dubai)
Status: Current Project
Project Name: Hilton Waldorf Astoria Hotel Project -
Doha West Bay
Description: Construction of a 42-storey Hilton
Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Client Name: Hilton International
(Dubai)
Country: Qatar
New Project
Project Name: Water Discus Underwater Hotel
Project
Description: Construction of Water Discus Hotel
comprising two discs - one under the water and one
suspended above the water.
Client Name: Dubai Drydocks World
Country: UAE
Status: New Project
Project Name: Salalah Int’l Medical City
Description: Construction of an International
Medical City in Salalah comprising facilities such as
a state-of-the-art diagnostic centre, a healthcare
resort and healthcare education complex, including a
luxury hotel and wellness centre.
Client Name: Apex Medical Group (Saudi
Arabia)
Country: Oman
Consultant: W S Atkins International
(Oman)
Budget (USD): 1,000,000,000
Status: New Project
Project Name: Barwa Al Khor City
Project
Description: Development of Barwa Al Khor city
comprising villas and townhouses, terraces,
flats and mixed-use areas, 2 sprawling
hotels - one being a five-star and the
other four star, a superior shopping
mall, 4 top schools, 250,000 square
metres of office space, a mosque
and an international golf course,
including amenities such as a clinic,
library, information centre, public and private
beaches.
Client Name: Barwa Al Khor Company
(Qatar)
Country: Qatar
Consultant: Cansult Maunsell (Qatar)
Budget (USD): 8,000,000,000
Status: New Project
Project Name: Msheireb Downtown Doha
Development Project
Description: Development of Msheireb Downtown
Doha (Formerly Heart of Doha City) mixed-use
scheme comprising several districts, including a
residential and mixed-use quarter, a retail quarter, a
heritage quarter and a commercial area.
Client Name: Msheireb Properties
(Qatar)
Country: Qatar
Consultant: Gensler Associates International (USA)
Contractor: Hyundai Engineering Corporation
(South Korea)
Budget (USD): 6,000,000,000
Status: Current Project
Project Name: Kempinski Hotel Project –
Jeddah
Description: Construction of 65-storey, five-star
Kempinski Hotel comprising (242) hotel rooms and
(104) serviced apartments. Client Name: Assila
Investment Company (Saudi Arabia)
Country: Saudi Arabia
Consultant: Drees & Sommer AG
(Germany)
Status: New Project
Project Name: Grand Heights Mixed-use
Development Project
Description: Development of Grand Heights mixed-
use scheme comprising 3,500 residential units,
shopping outlets, restaurants, entertainment and
sports facilities, a hospital and schools.
Client Name: National Real Estate Company
(Kuwait)
Country: Egypt
Consultant: KEO International Consultants (Kuwait)
Contractor: Orascom Construction Industries (Egypt)
Budget (USD): 1,000,000,000
Status: Current Project
Project Name: Mall of Egypt
Project
Description: Construction of Mall of
Egypt comprising (380) stores along
with associated retail and entertainment
facilities.
Client Name: Majid Al Futtaim Group
(Egypt)
Country: Egypt
Contractor: Orascom Construction Industries (Egypt)
Budget (USD): 800,000,000
Status: Current Project
Project Name: Crowne Plaza Oman Convention &
Exhibition Centre Project
Description: Construction of a hotel comprising
(296) rooms featuring extensive meeting and
event facilities with a separate function centre
that will include a glamorous ballroom with
terrace, a boardroom and three large meeting
rooms.
Client Name: Oman Tourism Development Company
S.A.O.C (Omran)
Country: Oman
Status: New Project
Project Name: Sowwah Central Project - Al Maryah
Island
Description: Development of Sowwah Central
scheme comprising a super-regional shopping centre,
a hotel, serviced apartments and flats.
Client Name: Gulf Capital Pvt. JSC (Abu
Dhabi)
Country: UAE
Budget (USD): 1,000,000,000
Status: New Project
GM PROFILE
20 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
There are few things more
difficult to juggle than
moving to a new city, in a new
country, to take over one of
its oldest hotels and all while being
thrown headlong into an extensive
renovation project.
But for Radisson Blu’s newest
GM, Tim Cordon, that’s exactly
the challenge he is facing and it’s
compounded by the city in question
having probably the most competitive
hospitality market in the world.
Cordon’s appointment was
announced in February, when he
replaced Janet Fitzner, who moved to
Radisson Blu Resort, Fujairah.
With 13 years’ experience under
his belt – not to mention a degree in
mechanical engineering – he says of
the challenge: “Coming here to work
for the first time, even from a city
as competitive as London, I thought
I’d seen fierce competition but you
come to Dubai and you realise it’s
incredibly fierce.”
Cordon’s entry to the industry is
one he describes as non-conventional,
falling into hospitality through part
time jobs while studying for a degree
in mechanical engineering.
After a stint in hospitality
sales, he started his career as
operations manager at Crowne Plaza
Edinburgh, Scotland, and it was
when the property was re-flagged
Radisson Blu that his career with
Carlson Rezidor began.
Moving next to what was then
Radisson’s largest UK property,
Radisson Blu Manchester Airport, he
took on the role of GM and went on to
I thought I’d seen fierce competition but you come to Dubai and you realise it’s incredibly fierce
position the hotel as one of the group’s
top 20 globally.
Having spent 10 years with Carlson
Rezidor in the UK, Cordon most
recently held the position of GM at
the 1000-room Cumberland, Park
Lane, London, before returning to the
group for his move to the Middle East.
“It was a fantastic experience to
go outside the company and see how
other people do it. In my assessment
they didn’t do it very well, but then
Radisson called to say there was an
opportunity, and now after three years
later I’m back with them here.”
A PIECE OF HISTORYThe 276 room property located
along Dubai’s Deira Creek is literally
where the local industry started.
The first five-star property in a city
that is now boasts one of the highest
concentrations of hotels of any
place in the world, it was opened
by Intercontinental on March 5
1975, and handed by its Galadari
Group owners to Carlson Rezidor on
October 1, 2006.
Credited with the invention of the
world-renowned Dubai Brunch, and
with a legacy of famous – and even
royal – visitors, their pictures lining
the lobby area, it is these elements that
will become the marketing USP post-
renovation works.
“The fantastic legacy and history
here is unique in itself for Dubai,
because everything else is so modern
and new. This hotel was a trailblazer
for what was to follow,” Cordon
GM PROFILE
As its renovation project gains momentum, Radisson Blu Deira Creek’s newly appointed GM, Tim Cordon, explains why works will shun the zeitgeist for modernity to embrace the hotel’s rich heritage
A i i j i
Above: The hotel as it
looked when opened
in 1974. It was Dubai’s
first 5-star . Right: GM
Tim Cordon.
1975INTERCONTINENTAL
OPENS FIRST FIVE-STAR PROPERTY IN DUBAI
GM PROFILE
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 21JUNE 2013cpimediagroup.com
To have a property that actually speaks of the history of Dubai, right back to the time when it was pretty much a desert and a road, is something we intend the make the most of
shares. “At that time, Dubai was quite
a different place, so there is a lot to do
in terms of bringing this hotel up to
the modern Dubai level to compete
with the new hotels, while recognising
its legacy. To have a property that
actually speaks of the history of
Dubai, right back to the time when it
was pretty much a desert and a road,
is something we intend the make the
most of,” he explains.
The detailed plan is phased to be
completed within 24 months, without
closing, and has already encompassed
the pool deck, tennis court and pool
bar area, all of which are due to be
reopened by year end.
Entertainment plays a key part in
the plan, with a number of new dining
concepts to be introduced across the
16 existing F&B outlets, including the
first traditional Emirati restaurant,
which will link to a raised pool and
decking area, providing an impressive
vantage point of the creek.
“We think we are ideally suited, not
only from a location point of view
but also the history of the building, to
try and create the premiere Emirati
dining experience in Dubai,” Cordon
says, revealing that the budget for this
element of the project alone will fall in
the region of AED10-12m.
“The Emirati restaurant will appeal
to locals, but this area of town is
also a hotspot for tourists. I think it’s
something that is an untapped market
for them as most want to experience
the local culture and taste of the place
they are visiting,” he observes.
Eventually the work will also
take in guest rooms, working with
the existing structural fabric of the
building while overhauling what
is offered in terms of design and
furnishings.
Details are closely guarded, but
Cordon hints at an aesthetic that will
“be unique to the property but very
much define the style of the hotel.”
He adds: “It’s a delicate balance
because you can go super-modern,
and there are many hotels that do that,
but here we are challenging our design
team because not only do we want
to meet the demands of the modern
business and leisure traveller, but we
also want to be able to recognise the
heritage of this property and the place
it has been for the last 30 plus years.
“I wouldn’t call it a soft renovation,
it’s more technical than that, but it
isn’t a full configuration of the size of
the rooms.”
Market appeal While the point of any renovation is
to update and enhance, an evolution
in the market appeal isn’t entirely the
aim here.
“One of the things about this hotel
is that it has a fanbase and they are
incredibly loyal, so we don’t want to
isolate them.”
Leveraging the power of a low staff
turnover rate, Cordon says the level of
personalisation in service is one that
can only be achieved by employees
who have worked for the property for
decades, in some cases.
“While it is about attracting new
markets, it’s also about showing
loyalty to our customers and what we
stand for,” he adds, naming the variety
of the hotel’s offerings as his own
favourite aspect. “The consumer is
so world weary to another new hotel,
restaurant, brunch, that you have to
be very careful in your positioning
and in such a fiercely competitive and
dominant market it is always going to
be a challenge.
“But it’s one that we feel we are very
suited to because we have something
nobody else does.”
ROUNDTABLE
ADDING VALUE Technology is changing the world around us, but what is the impact on guest relations? How can owners be persuaded to invest? And do the innovations begin and end with IT or is there scope to enhance the reach of marketing practices?
22 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
L-R: Prasanna Rupasingh, IT director, Kempinski Mall of The Emirates; Fabien Schmittmann, Dubai AICR president & director of front office at Millennium
and Copthorne Airport Hotels; Rushdy Mubarak, IT manager, Radisson Blu, DMC; Santosh Nair, IT manager, Radisson Royal; Aime Musonerwa, director of IT
Middle East, Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts; Paul McNeil, Infor; Andrew Turton, director of sales, APAC and MEA Hospitality Solutions, Infor; Darin Davies, AICR
president & director of front house operations, Marriott Marquis ; Gurav Shanker, FoH manager, Radisson Blu Media City.
ROUNDTABLE
ROUNDTABLE
From the service point of view, what are guests saying about the level of interaction allowed by current FoH systems during arrival?
Darin Davies: There is a hesitation
that if you remove the personal
interaction, you may lose some of the
5-star deluxe element of the check in.
However there is certainly drive to
change things and I think the airline
industry in particular has shown what
can be achieved in terms of increasing
staff productivity with kiosks.
ROUNDTABLE
We at International Association for
Front Office Managers (AICR) talk
about this often but believe that from
the guest perspective, a hotel is going
to be reluctant to forego that personal
connection with the guest because the
opportunity to say ‘good afternoon
and welcome to the hotel’ is lost.
Check in and welcoming is all about
ensuring service is appropriate and
meets guest needs. So we will certainly
be looking for a solution that is simple
and reliable, fast, easy and applicable.
Fabien Schmittmann: We always
include speed of check in on the guest
feedback survey but that comes back
to the actual speed of the IT and how
much whoever is serving the guest is
interacting with the guest and keeping
them busy. If you are talking to them
for 20 minutes, the check in won’t be
perceived as slow.
After speed, automation to ensure
we don’t spend too much time away
from the guest is also important.
From the CIO perspective, how easy is it to achieve the objectives of speed, interaction and connectivity? Prasanna Rupasingh: For a while now
we at Kempinski have been looking
at different solutions to help FoH, but
have not found the simplicity we need.
That’s a key element.
Over eight months, we refined our
systems to customise and mobilise
the check in process. Now check in
is on tablets and the room key is sent
to guest’s mobiles. Even the signature
and passport scan has been mobilised.
At check out the same concept
applies, which works well when there
is a high demand for check out. We
mobilise staff with tablets and they
can access the entire guest bill and
process the credit card details, which
are then emailed to the guest.
We are the first MEA property to
launch this and we are still developing
it. We have challenges in chip and pin
authorisation, because that requires
a different device, but it is on-going.
However, we are in touch with
multiple vendors to make this happen.
How much does the procurement and connectivity of multiple systems slow down the development of such a solution? PR: In hospitality the adoption of
this technology has been slow. For
example DHL had similar software
years ago. There are multiple reasons
why we are not there yet, but then
again if the staff are not confident and
if the system is not simple, it is never
going to work.
The challenge here is that,
traditionally we should be looking at
This isn’t just guest satisfac-tion, it’s guest optimisation.
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 23JUNE 2013cpimediagroup.com
ROUNDTABLE
cpimediagroup.com
how a department works and how we
can provide a solution, as IT.
Rushdy Mubarak: It is the IT
department that brings all the others
together and from my point of view,
a system that is implemented in the
right way is one that works for us and
the guest.
FS: There is no one provider for all
this. You use payment systems, key
card systems, passport scanners, a
phone interface, it’s very complex.
Even the check in and check out
systems are different and in some
tests an iPad will crash because of
this. It comes down to simplicity. We
make our lives difficult with too many
different vendors, too many fancy
things. We should make things simple,
quick and easy to use with just the
basic programming – like airlines and
the kiosk check in.
Aime Musonerwa: For me this is a
journey. It starts from the moment a
guest arrives at the airport. They can
access emails and internet in the air,
so we continued that connectivity by
equipping our cars with WiFi, not just
to check emails but begin the check
in process or prepare your pre-check
in requirements. Our drivers are
no longer the guys from a 3rd party
company who drive limousines, they
are part of the arrival experience.
But with this technology it’s more
about culture. It’s not just about
handling that iPad and the synergy
of those systems, it’s the culture for
accepting the technology.
DD: And it’s not just the acceptance
of the staff, but the guest. Fifteen
years ago people didn’t feel safe using
ATMs.
AM: In a city like Dubai where you
receive guests from everywhere,
speaking a number of different
languages, any system needs to be able
to adapt to that. Today we are using
translation tools to bring services to
our guests, but both the accuracy and
culture of international guests in that
translation are a challenge.
Each guest profile has data on
languages and can also store other
preferences, that should go to the
room for the welcome message, to the
restaurants, concierge.
All these are factors which, if you
look to the future we need to focus on.
What about staff training? DD: What one has to be really cautious
of, is that the people you are expecting
to use this facility are fairly junior
members of the team and they are
handling something that is fairly
complex. As much training as you can
give them, they are always going to
take the road of least resistance.
They don’t want to be conducting
a mobile check in on the 60th floor
and be unable to access the room
because the system isn’t working.
Their trust and confidence will be lost.
It’s a vicious circle because you can’t
develop something without going
through that process. You will always
find resistance in the service provider
– the associate or receptionist – if they
cannot trust in what that technology
is able to deliver.
FS: Take the iPad you want to use for
the check in. that is successful as a
normal gadget because it’s simple. It
doesn’t come with a manual. People
pick it up and start exploring it and
that familiarity means we don’t need
to retrain staff.
AM: There does needs to be synergy in
the back end and that person needs
to use that tool effectively in order to
produce effective and accurate data,
otherwise the front end interface
is useless. All these things require
infrastructure and discipline and
that discipline can only be achieved
with training. To me, that’s what we
need to bring together. iPad, mobile
technologies, they’re amazing, but it’s
only the tip of the iceberg, and it all
has to be integrated.
Santosh Nair: Investment is needed
to achieve simplicity and not just in
a single property but across an entire
chain, linking systems.
RM: It’s easy to say ‘make it simple’ but
the back office operations require a lot
of teams to work together. It’s easy to
check in, but there are a lot of other
operations to integrate here.
What’s the vendor perspective on this?Andrew Turton: We are in the middle
of a big cycle change at the moment.
November 2012 was the first time that
Android and Tablets outsold PCs and
by 2015 more people will be entering
transactions through those devices
than through a PC. The industry is
moving.
There are always basic functions
that will have to be done on a desktop
terminal, but if guests are changing we
are changing.
Looking at this from a much wider
perspective, where can we start the
process of interaction? Almost down
to the point of the reservation being
made. Not every guest is going to use
it, but more and more will.
Check in has to be simple. I have
been asked the type of pillow and
newspaper I want at 2am when I just
want to sleep – and I do accept there
are necessary functions and a need for
interaction – but does it have to be at
that point?
Surely interacting with the guest
over a longer period, then providing
them with that option to self-service
for other elements of their stay, would
be more beneficial?
And what about the 3-star
properties or ones who have large
parties arriving from China or Russia?
Would you want to open up your
check in to the group leader so that
when they are transferring from
the airport they can directly scan in
information? It could also minimise
discrepancies typing information in
VENDOR VIEWS
AATIF KHAN, KPTAC
TECHNOLOGIES AND
CONSULTING
Currently, we see hotels reducing waiting time for guests while providing dynamic information deliv-ered through iPad/Android applica-tions.
Information on large displays is also gaining acceptance in the FoH area, where not only commercial advertisements but also informative content is delivered and can be changed and revised almost instantly with the power of cloud computing.
Recent market intelligence from IDC shows a near 140% increase in tablet sales Q1 2013, compared to last year, and the trend is evident in this industry, also. Some major hotel chains in Dubai are in the midst of a Tablet frenzy, installing iPads in each room and even giving away Tablets to guests. Restaurants are installing iPads on every table to replace paper menus.
An average cost of a high qual-ity tablet is around $350 - divide that by 365 days of the year and the cost of a single tablet is reduced to less than $1. For that price, high-end restau-rants in the region can afford to buy 10 iPads by selling just one orange juice daily. What these tablets also provide is one of the best advertisement slots, which can bring amazing ROI. It also helps in reducing re-printing costs.
24 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013
Specialized for Hospitality.Infor 10x is the latest release of Infor’s proven business applications, delivering innovative new
capabilities in the areas of social business, mobility, analytics, and integration, as well as major
enhancements across all of the Infor Hospitality applications. With the Infor 10x platform, you can
change the way work is done – outside and inside your properties – so you can focus on improving
guest service and driving profitability.
Think flexible and collaborative. Think beautiful, scalable, integrated, and mobile. Then start
imagining all the things you’ll be able to accomplish.
Copyright 2013 © Infor. www.infor.com. All rights reserved.
Visit us at booth 401 during HITEC 2013, June 24-27 in Minneapolis, MN.
Not visiting HITEC? Call +1.800.260.2640 or email hospitality@infor.com.
www.infor.com/hospitality
ROUNDTABLE
cpimediagroup.com26 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST MAY 2013
There is a bigger picture of money and once every-body under-stands there is a gain in profitability, it’s an easier sell
26 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013
languages we are not familiar with.
More players are coming into
the market who are not tied to a
client server approach and they use
technology that can sit on a wider
level. The same issues of performance
and reliability still fall to IT, but the
solutions would be readily available.
We are strong believers that
technology will now start supporting
business, rather than driving the need
to uniform systems and that means
the enhancement of systems will lead
to marketing opportunities.
Gurav Shanker: At Radisson Blu Media
City, 80% of our guests are business
travellers so the option for self-service
is a ‘wow factor’. But for core hospitality
– where is the guest relations?
If you remove, or minimise that
interaction, how do you upsell to the
guest or promote the group’s loyalty
programme?
PR: The problem today is that you
can have 1000 guests in a hotel and
no way of channelling marketing
towards them. You spend a lot of
money getting them to the hotel
and once they are there there is no
way of targeting them. But here is a
possibility to sell exclusive products
and market services, while also
cutting down on paper costs.
DD: We need to, as an industry, be
careful about putting what we believe
our industry is about, into what a
guest is looking for. It’s not about
taking service away, but creating
opportunity to spend more time
interacting, just in different ways.
Airlines do this successfully and I
would be interested to see their rates
for upselling.
It’s a balance and we need to be
careful that technology doesn’t
distract us from providing that.
There is agreement that the way forward is choice and the future will combine kiosks and tablets and interact with the guest, but only on their lead. So when and how will hotels invest and how will the infrastructure to support this be developed, considering how much guest expectations differ?PR: When it comes to mobility, the
key is WiFi. You need to have one of
the best systems available. Now we are
bringing technology into the room,
the investment in that is part of selling
the room as a product. It’s essential
because technology will become a
differentiator.
AM: Our core business is to attend the
guest and enhance and improve their
experience. To bring in a 3rd party
to provide these solutions through
software and infrastructure and other
added value from other areas of the
hotel operation, is possible. But we
must still understand the 3rd party
perception of our industry. Sometimes
they don’t have that service oriented
approach and you find that you
miss the compatibility in that regard
and don’t achieve what you want to
provide for the guest.
DD: But this comes back to the point
that the vendor who will break
through first is the one who says to the
hotels “this is fairly easy to implement.
You need your wireless to work but in
a case study this is what you will save
on staffing, gain on overall satisfaction
and this is what you will gain on your
upselling”.
There is a bigger picture of money
and once everybody understands
there is a gain in profitability, it’s an
easier sell.
AT: We have been talking to clients
who are taking this even further in
order to continue the hotel-guest
communication throughout the stay.
When a guest arrives, if they don’t
own their own tablet they are offered
one, pre-set up, courtesy of the hotel.
That’s a tool that can then be used to
‘tag’ the guest. So it’s linked into the
room controls for AC, you can track
what the guest is doing, establish a
pattern and see if there is a service or
product that can be sold to them.
This isn’t just guest satisfaction, it
guest optimisation. How do we know
if a guest is happy? They don’t want to
pick up the phone or fill in a survey to
tell us how they are feeling, but there
are other ways to use technology to
communicate. You can make options
available. Keep it simple and people
– although only some people – will
play with it. You have a huge gap of
people who may find the array of
facilities intimidating, but give them
a computer…. There is a lot more you
can do if you open the systems up.
Think of the tablet as a solution, not
just an application for check in.
AM: We need also to educate our
owners on these new trends and the
eMenu™ for restaurants/bars
Compatible with:
PO BOX 30479, DUBAI, UAE - T: +9714 3793455 F: +9714 3793465E: info@emenu.ae WWW.EMENU.AE
ROUNDTABLE
28 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
We need also to educate our owners on these new trends and the importance of investing in them to add value to the hotel operations
importance of investing in them to
add value to the hotel operations.
It’s not just about the access points
but the capacity of them, for example.
It’s an ongoing process and the owner
has a big role in enabling these.
FS: I see IT more as a cost than an
opportunity. There are those who want
to generate money from it, the market
leaders who differentiate their offering
with it, and then a second group who
have to follow to stay competitive, by
which time the technology itself will
be competitively priced.
AT: The very fact you see IT as a cost
means we as the IT industry are
doing something wrong. That’s the
perception we should be changing.
We are at a point in terms of capability
where we can come to you and say
“what do you want us to do to make
your guests happier?” We have
the infrastructure, knowledge and
solutions for that.
PR: IT is a tangible benefit for my
teams because it helps other processes.
You don’t ask about ROI when rooms
are being designed, because you sell
that as a single product and IT today
is an element of that overall product.
But our core product as hoteliers
remains the room and the hospitality.
Is that enough in today’s market?PR: That is the question, because
we are not IT companies, we sell
hospitality.
Now IT is such a huge part of guest’s lifestyles can you afford to think like that?RM: No. We offer free WiFi to guests
but if you want to have a bandwidth
good enough to do that, while
meeting the needs of your operating
systems, you have to invest and
naturally you want to see ROI.
AM: It’s not just about the FoH
operations, it’s about combining FoH
and BoH data and turning that into
extra revenue.
FS: So is this as an investment in IT or marketing? AT: The point is how to add value,
which is a key concept of IT, but I think
it’s a double edge sword. I have seen
systems where the guest profile comes
up before the room booking. You can
potentially provide the person doing
the check in with a lot of information
and then it is up to how good they are a
sales person – and that’s up to you as a
business if you want your ‘receptionist’
to be sales person or not. Should that
upselling have been done earlier in
the booking process? Perhaps should
there have been marketing contact for
upgrades and add ons?
It’s your business decision, but IT
solutions should provide you with
the tools to do that job. How you
want to utilise it is your decision to
make, and the costs to do this will
also require a higher skill of staff at
reception than somebody who takes
down details and hands over a key.
Training is probably the largest cost
of delivery for hotels currently.
What would you summarise to be the key points of IT advancements?PR: Simplicity. The sophisticated form
of complexity is simplicity and that is
true here.
I think this will become
increasingly important as
Dubai builds a reputation as a
technologically innovative city.
DD: As an industry we 100% need to
understand that there is a balance to
be achieved between the traditional
type of hospitality and the services
guests expect. The next step I see is
us offering a combination of both
services and then re-directing that
man-power into other areas, rather
than using it as an excuse to downsize.
AM: To bring it to FoH we must focus
on training and technology awareness
for the guests and employees and the
rest will follow.
The iPad is perfect, but the back
end of that isn’t so simple. You need to
measure the productivity is still there.
Do you find training is also the greatest barrier? AT: For change yes. But this is the
second quickest region to adopt
mobility, after Asia, and that goes
right back to the owners and their way
of doing business.
It’s training that makes the
movement of systems from one
application to another slower, which
you then have to multiply by thousands
of staff over multiple properties. IT has
to be simple, easy and flexible. It has
to be global, because hospitality is a
global business, and it has to add value
to what you are doing as a hospitality
provider.
Hospitality Business would like to
thank Radisson Blu, Media City for
hosting this discussion at the Library
Lounge.
CADD EMIRATES provides Information Technology Business Solu-tions by a team of determined and inspired professionals with a vision for technical expertise. We initially started as HP Partner
end – to – end solutions provider for this region. Today CADD Emirates is one of the most recognized companies in the corpo-
Enterprise Business Solution:CADD Emirates through its deeper understanding of business pro-cesses and practices has emerged as a leading partner for busi-ness solutions in various disciplines. We offer consulting services coupled with deployment and support for organizations ready to invest in business automation.
Networking & Security Solutions:
Solutions that maintain the right balance between Information Ac-cessibility and Data Security required for fast growing corporate
security experts complemented with tried and tested products from leading OEMs.
CADD & Engineering Solutions:CADD Emirates has played a pioneering role in ushering Design Automation software and tools in Middle-East. We provide cus-tomers with our in-depth knowledge of the software tools avail-able for Computer Aided Design and associated equipment for wide format printers and, scanners. CADD Emirates has ventured into Total Business Outsourcing, with major emphasis on IT and Process Solutions.
IT Infrastructure Solutions:CADD Emirates offers a comprehensive range of hardware and software for IT Infrastructure for large and medium enterprises
Computer trading
across different industry segments. We have long standing rela-tionships with all leading OEMs and ISVs to bring to market latest products and solutions. Our Infrastructure team will design and deliver a robust, reliable and scalable IT Infrastructure that meets your current and planned requirements
HOSTECH – Hospitality Solutions:HOSTECH offers innovative and proven technology solutions for the Hospitality Industry in the region. Our solutions help hotels and clubs to enhance guest services, provide personalized services,
span we have established a reputation for our services in UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, India, Maldives, Mauritius, East Africa and Egypt. We continue to grow on the basis of our strong partnership with major solution
Our Solutions Include:
Management
System Management
PO BOX 50640, DUBAI, UAE.LOCATION: SUITE NO. 909,PRISM TOWER,BUSINESS BAY, DUBAI, UAE.T: +971 4 4471 400F: +971 4 4471 411E: INFO@CADDEMIRATES.CO.AE
COVER STORY
30 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
At this year’s ATM, it was announced that Dubai is to target 20 million visitors by 2020 and reclassify its 600+ hotel and residences, under the newly issued Decree No.17. Majid Al Marri speaks exclusively to Hospitality Business Middle East about the development of the
standards and the vision for Dubai
COVER STORY
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 31JUNE 2013cpimediagroup.com
May 2013 was an historic
month for Dubai’s
Department of Tourism
Commerce and Marketing
(DTCM). Almost a year to the day
since the soft launch, His Highness
Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of
Dubai, issued Decree No. 17 of 2013,
legalising the Hotel Classification
Scheme for Dubai’s hotels, while
announcing that the Emirate will also
strive towards a tourism target of 20
million visitors by 2020.
In the 15 years since its first hotel
classifications were introduced, Dubai
has evolved into a heady and fast-
developing market that today boasts
one of the highest concentrations of
5-star properties in the world.
In response, the aim of Decree No.
17 is to enhance transparency and
efficiency and allow guests to know
exactly how their chosen property
ranks in comparison to others within
the same category and geographical
location.
With a current total stock of more
than 600 properties, it will be a
welcome move, for the department,
industry and guest. Inspiration was
taken from around the world, with
extensive research and benchmarking
undertaken since 2008. But the aim is
not to imitate, rather to quantifiably
distinguish Dubai as truly world class.
As DTCM’s own manifesto states:
“Our mission is to position Dubai
as the world’s leading tourism
destination and commercial hub.”
The resulting HCS adopts a
multi-layered framework to rate and
categorise each hotel, and provides
specifications on the requirements
for different types and levels of Guest
Accommodations. The multi-tiered
framework will formalise the quality
and standard of guest accommodation
and encourage a wider range and
choice for visitors, including the much
Hotel
GuestHouseResort
HotelApartment
UniversityCampus
YouthHostel
CATEGORISATION OF PROPERTIES
debated ‘budget’ level.
“By adopting a multi-tiered
framework of ratings, categories
and designators, clearer choice will
be provided to visitors. At the same
time, new marketing opportunities
are provided to hotels, with the
ranges of categories and designators
demonstrating the wide offering
that has developed in Dubai, from
a deluxe hotel apartment in the city
to a family and golf resort on the
beach, to a business hotel close to the
airport,” says director, classification
and licensing, Majid Al Marri.
The framework includes the
traditional one to five star rating
system, but will be grouped so each
category will cover city, resort and
desert locations, (see table right and
on page 30).
But it’s not all about the hardware
and location, according to Al Marri,
like other rating systems this is
predominantly a service-focussed
initiative:“Our previous system,
launched in 1998, had three main
THE HOTEL INSPECTORS
It’s one thing to be awarded five stars, but
to consistently operate in 5-star style is
another. Therefore a major element of the
new classifications will monitor quality
standards as an ongoing process.
In addition to scheduled inspections a
number of ‘mystery guest’ exercises will also
be conducted.
These ‘after hours’ checks are incredibly
thorough and will cover room service; spa
facilities; pre-arrival, arrival and departure
experience; bell service; guest lunch,
dinner and breakfast; wakeup call services,
and others.When conducting these and
pre-planned checks, the inspectors will be
armed with PDAs, in order to create instant
reports for hoteliers to view online.
The inspectors conducting these checks
have been trained by DTCM and its third
party industry and education partners,
in-house and externally. There is ongoing
advanced training through the Quality
Check System employed in coordination
with the Tourism Board of Switzerland.
We have joined hands to make this happen and we have partnered with the major brands to bring something that fits Dubai and raises its already high standard
COVER STORY
32 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
Majid Al Marri, centre, with L-R: Buthaina Mohammed, executive hotel classification; Moza Al Jamri, executive hotel classification; Alia Bin Hendi, head of media relations.
classifications, now we are talking
about five categories, with different
and new grading within each. For
example resorts will only be classed
3-, 4- or 5-stars. You will not have a
resort with 1-star.
“In the hotel apartments we are
offering a new category between
standard and deluxe, so there are
now three categories in the hotel
apartment sector. But we have
focussed mainly on services”
Looking ahead, the system will
also develop to include staff welfare
and cultural diversity, as well we
sustainability elements.
Ensuring the industry does
not stagnate once the stars
are awarded, classification
certificates will be
renewed annually.
TRANSITION PERIODPledging that the framework will not
be an “instant assessment”, hoteliers
are now bound to a 12 month
introductory period in order to
comply with changes to maintain their
existing star rating, or to strive for a
higher rating.
Al Marri maintains that the
period for compliance will not
cause issues as site visits have
been conducted regularly and
the industry closely involved in
all elements of the framework’s
developments.
On some levels the changes are
easily realised, on others they
will require much more
work, both now and in
future, particularly in
terms of sustainability
and BoH objectives.
Further, requirements will
place onus on DTCM to increase
collaboration with other government
entities, to facilitate this.
“Eco-tourism has a lot of criteria
that is covered in our Green Award,
but as a minimum we will be
asking hotels to provide us with an
environmental strategy for waste,
water and energy.”
Other environmental and social
elements in the framework will
include in future, provisions regarding
staff accommodation and catering
facilities, in addition to the possibility
of guidelines for offices.
“Previously we didn’t have this so
we will start with something general,
even the cafeteria for staff and offices
will have guidelines in future. It is
something that we will work out with
Dubai Municipality and it could even
If we are to double the number of tourists, we will have to double the room inventory, too
100+THE NUMBER OF DIFFER-ENT HOTEL CLASSIFICA-
TION SYSTEMS IN USE GLOBALLY
COVER STORY
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 33JUNE 2013cpimediagroup.com
9.8MTHE AMOUNT BY WHICH VISITOR NUMBERS WILL
HAVE TO INCREASE TO MEET 2020 TARGETS
CATEGORY DEFINITION GRADINGS
Hotel A hotel is a Guest Accommodation that provides paidlodging, meals, and other services for travellers and touristson a short-term basis.
Budget1 Star2 Star3 Star4 Star5 Star
GuestHouse
A Guest House is either a converted house, etc… adaptedto accommodate overnight guests; or it may be a purposebuilt facility. A Guest House is run as a commercialoperation, with a minimum of 5 rooms, and is often owner-managed.It has public areas, which are for the exclusiveuse of the guest. The owner/ manager lives either off-site,or in a separate area within the Guest Accommodation.
StandardDeluxe
HotelApartment
A Hotel Apartment shall signify a Guest Accommodationoffering guests a complete self-contained sole occupancyunit consisting of studios and units with one or morebedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen with cookingfacilities and dining area.
Standard SuperiorDeluxe
Resort A Resort is a full service, amenity rich GuestAccommodation expanding over numerous acres, whichprovides a destination experience to its guests. Resortsdiffer from hotels, due to the range of additional facilitiesand services provided, including F&B, sports, leisure,entertainment, and shopping.
3 Star4 Star5 Star
UniversityCampus
A University Campus Guest Accommodation can be definedas “Student dormitories or bedrooms rented (sometimeswith meals) to tourists or the general public by a college oruniversity, as follows:
family & friends of registered students
One Level –no split Gradings
YouthHostel
A Youth Hostel is a budget oriented, sociable GuestAccommodation providing the options of Single, Double, andFamily Rooms (Group Rooms, i.e. Dormitory Style, can alsobe offered however as Gender Specific).
One Level –no split Gradings
DEFINITIONS & GRADINGSgo as far back as the construction of
properties and accommodation.
“We take everything into
consideration,” Al Marri adds, hinting
at the level of cohesion that is looking to
be achieved through the new system.
To date, plans for collaborative
working will draw in the services
of Dubai Municipality, DEWA,
RTA, Dubai Police, Civil Defence,
and hygiene and building
standardisation committees.
“We have joined hands to make this
happen and we have partnered with
the major brands in Europe, America
and Asia, as well as locally, to bring
something that fits Dubai and raises
its already high standard.”
And while many embark on
extensive refurbishment projects to
ensure they can continue to meet
DTCM standards, Al Marri assures
that the point is not to see hotels
losing stars.
“We will work closely with each
establishment to make sure they
reach the new criteria because we
have already worked with them and
spoken to them about this. They have
one year to fix or raise the criteria
and we will give them time to do that.
We are not hoping that any hotel will
lose a star, if anything we want them
to have more,” he assures.
Streamlining the process, 80%
of classification services have
been digitised through a huge
self-assessment, E-services portal,
accessible via personalised log in
and password at www.classification.
dubaitourism.ae
Aligned with wider government
targets to increase the efficiency
and volume of online services,
each property will now have its
own account where its entire
DTCM case history is stored, from
submission of applications to the
online classification self-assessment
and circular communications from
DTCM. In future this will also include
DTCM’s industry data. The portal will
also be used to speed up inspection
reports. Armed with PDAs, DTCM’s
inspectors will now log data during
the inspection process, allowing for
each report to be available digitally,
through the personalised
account, to the hotelier, with
almost immediate effect.
DUBAI 2.0In addition to the
consumer transparency
element of the
reclassifications, it cannot be
denied that part of the exercise
will see visitors to the Emirate
presented with more choice in terms
of the types of offering, and that will
be an essential component of the
vision for 2020, which aims to boost
numbers by just short of 100% in
seven years.
There will be a greater focus
on the price bands that are not
considered luxury; including the
introduction of budget, hostel and
university accommodation, within
the framework. In itself this marks a
stark commitment towards market
maturity, if only through recognition
that you cannot put 20 million
visitors in luxury hotels.
For now, there is still no national
COVER STORY
34 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
80%OF CLASSIFICATION
SERVICES FROM DTCM ARE TO BE DIGITISED
WITH THE NEW ONLINE PORTAL
DesignatorProgramme
19 Types
Airport
All-Suites
Beach Front
Beach Side
Boutique
Business
City
Convention
ConventionProximate
Heritage
Golf
Family
Island
Shopping
Sport
ThemePark
Spa
Desert
Wellness
CATEGORISATION OF PROPERTIES
framework to tie Dubai’s regulations
to, something that has been identified
as causing issues in countries such as
Spain and Italy, at as high a level as
UNWTO.
In the absence of such a system,
the only method guests have at their
disposal by which to compare each
Emirate’s market remains to be online
booking systems, even though such
ratings are not industry verified.
But while the focus is firmly on
Dubai, the maturity of that focus
and leadership behind HCS, provides
a head start in itself.
“We will focus on Dubai being a
leading family and entertainment
destination,” says Al Marri, of the
continued development of the
Emirate’s brand. Last year, we had
more than one million visitors
from Saudi Arabia so
that’s a market we will
target more, and of
course developments like
Mohammed Bin Rashid
City will help with that target
as there are more than 100 hotels
planned there. If we are to double
the number of tourists, we will have
to double the room inventory, too,”
he adds.
Increasing visitor numbers by
100% in seven years may sound
ambitious, but the thing to
remember is that Dubai has already
achieved this feat once – and
without the current socio-economic
factors that have seen recent visitor
numbers, and investments, soar.
The element of this vision that
will really make a difference is the
contribution of tourism
to the local economy;
over the same period it
is forecast that tourism
receipts will triple and the
mid-market will have an ever
significant role to play in achieving
that.
“If the volume and standard of
hotels increase, this will definitely
be reflected in the economy,” Al
Marri assures.
He concludes: “This is something
new for Dubai that makes it stand
out internationally. With the
industry feedback we wanted to
create something unique, where
everybody can benefit, and which
will help hotels sell their product
internationally and help visitors
choose the right place to stay.”
Our mission is to position Dubai as the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub”
Glion Institute of Higher Education
Ranked number 2* among all international hos-pitality management schools in the world for an international career, Glion’s 100% online pro-grams are dedicated to developing executive talent for the global hospitality and wider ser-vices industry. As a market leader in hospitality management education and with close ties to the industry, Glion delivers tailor-made online programs for corporate partners and individu-als. Contact us for more information.
Glion’s Suite of Online Programs:
* Statistically, three institutes occupy this ranking position (TNS Global Survey, September 2010).
EDUCATING THE LOCAL HOSPITALITY SECTOR
For more information visit:www.gliononline.comEmail: inquiry@gliononline.com
GLION 100% ONLINE HOSPITALITY MBACONTACT NOW TEL: +31 20 7192500 EMAIL: INQUIRY@GLIONONLINE.COM
VP SPOTLIGHT
cpimediagroup.com
In 2011, Starwood relocated its
entire senior management team
to China to find out first-hand
about key market drivers and
actual growth potential.
ECONOMIES OF SCALEFollowing the temporary relocation of 200 senior staff to Dubai, and ahead of a huge expansion project, Starwood senior vice president Guido de Wilde explains why it makes economic sense to bring 14,000 new rooms to the local market
As a result, Starwood now bosts a
total of 119 properties in the Asian
economic powerhouse, 51 of which
have opened since that exercise, with
a further 106 properties currently in
the pipeline.
In March 2013, the exercise was
repeated, this time by sending 200 of
the company’s top minds to Dubai
for a month long, fully immersive
relocation, headed by global
president and CEO Frits van
Paasschen (overleaf) and SVP
and regional director Guido de
Wilde (pictured left).
During their time in
the region they visited 64
open and under construction
properties; met 3000 associates
and 150 customers and owners;
and managed to cycle almost
600km.
All in a day’s work, before
departing the announcement was
made that 50 new Starwood hotels
would open across the region over
the next five years, marking
a 60% growth
For the corporate traveller it’s about ‘do you recognise me, do you know me?’ That trend is global and it ties in with the mobilisation of booking systems”Guido De Wilde
W, St Regis and Westin are growing aggressively.
and turning the existing global
allocation of the chain’s properties
and brands on its head.
Properties already announced
include new W hotels in Amman,
Muscat, Abu Dhabi, and two in
Dubai. St Regis will continue to
expand in Abu Dhabi – the first city
to have two such branded properties
– and Doha, Cairo and Amman.
Luxury Collection will open in
Ajman in 2014 and de Wilde advises
a “stay tuned” approach towards the
introduction of Aloft to Dubai.
Adding a total of 14,000 rooms,
these openings and others will take
the regional portfolio to 100 (see
tables overleaf).
DOLLAR VALUEThe numbers are staggering, and
scream of the heady glitz of pre-
crash years, but the boys have done
their homework. After all, van
36 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013
Guido de Wilde
SVP and regional
director, Starwood.
VP SPOTLIGHT
cpimediagroup.com HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 37JUNE 2013
of over 60% in the UAE with 12 new hotels, including six in Dubai, bring-ing Starwood’s portfolio to more than 30 hotels across the country. Starwood’s growth plans in the UAE also include expan-sion into Sharjah and Ajman.
across Saudi Arabia with six new hotels slated to open by 2015 bringing Starwood’s portfo-lio to 15 hotels in this key developing market.
Starwood into Iraq with the milestone signings of three hotels across three brands in the city of Erbil, located in the re-emerging Kurdistan area of the country.
Nigeria with two new Starwood hotels, under the company’s Four Points by Sheraton brand.
new hotels in Algeria with a new Sheraton hotel in Annaba and Four Points by Sheraton in Oran.
Starwood’s Aloft Hotels brand in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Aloft will also open its second property in the UAE in emirates of Sharjah.
AT A GLANCE
HOTELS GLOBALLY, MAY 2013
TO BE ADDED
HOTELS EXPECTED TO OPEN BY THE END OF 2015
CHECKED INTO
ANY TIME
BY 2017,
STARWOOD
WILL OPERATE
MORE THAN 130
HOTELS IN MEA,
MARKING SOME
KEY MILESTONES,
INCLUDING:
Paasschen’s own catchphrase is: “We
have ringside seats at the global
economy”.
The equation is simple: Emerging
markets, plus population trends
and travel patterns, minus a global
economic melt-down, multiplied by
technological innovation.
According to Starwood’s figures,
more than 70% of the world’s
economic growth is coming from fast
growing markets such as UAE, Saudi
Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Senegal,
South Africa and Nigeria, and 80%
of Starwood’s development pipeline
overlays this economic strength, with
additional focus on Iraq, Pakistan,
Angola, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and
East Africa.
Over the last 20 years, the number
of people considered ‘middle class’
doubled to two billion, and looking
ahead that will grow again to five
billion. What that means is a city
with the population of Dubai will be
added to the world every week for
the next 30 to 40 years.
Also consider that in 2012 Dubai
International Airport counted
approximately 58 million visitors,
a number which is expected to
grow at annual rates of more than
10%, taking the airport to the
position of world’s largest in terms
of international passenger traffic,
by 2015.
The direct result of these socio-
economic conditions is an upward
trend that even the global financial
crisis couldn’t stem: Rising wealth
and connectivity.
In summary, Van Paasschen
concludes the MENA region is at
the epicentre of a travel revolution:
“Globalisation is accelerating new
trade patterns, capital flows and
wealth creation: this translates to
more people from more places
traveling to more destinations than
ever before. We are on the cusp of a
new Golden Age of Travel.”
BIGGER, FASTER, MORETranslated to the Starwood portfolio,
the growth isn’t just new builds,
it’s also conversions – such as the
recently acquired Sheraton, formerly
Accor’s Pullman at Dubai’s Mall of
the Emirates – as well as renovations
and extensions.
Over 95% of Starwood’s global
portfolio is actually owned by
investors, representing trillions of
dollars in global capital, so it’s no
wonder the expansions plans are
backed by the very highest people,
including Royalty.
New York State currently has the
highest concentration of Starwood
properties in the world, with Dubai –
a very close – second. When will first
position be achieved?
“You are asking the same question
as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum!” De Wilde begins.
“If you look at upper up-scale and
luxury, we would be on par to have
more hotels than New York in that
segment in practically a year or two,
we are actually very close. If you look
at Manhattan alone we are already
on par, but this [statistic] looks at
New York State, so I think we are
probably going to come on par in
around three years from now.”
Building hotels in the right place is
one thing, but the next major trend
in Starwood’s predicted revolution
will be the rise in mobile bookings,
which will apparently count for
half of all bookings in a matter of
months.
In fact, mobile bookings are
growing at almost five times the pace
that the internet itself was growing a
decade ago.
“That’s a growth that is just
unstoppable. The traditional way
to deal with wholesalers and tour
operators is gone. In the past, you
would have two prices a year, the
brochures would be printed and the
prices locked, now you have a very
dynamic pricing going on with the
tour operator.
“That is a new trend, but they also
want us to open our inventory so
they have day to day access and the
ability to see the rooms we have and
their categories.
“They want to interconnect with
our systems in a way that in the
past wasn’t possible,” says de Wilde,
putting the trend into context, then
adding that on any given day there
VP SPOTLIGHT
cpimediagroup.comcpcccccccpcpcpcpppcppcccccpcppccccpccccccccccccccccccpcccccpcppcccccccpcccccccpcccppimimimimimimimimmmmmmedededededdeddededeededeedddiaiaiaiaiiaiaiiaiiaiaiaaiagrgggrgrggrgrgrgrgrouououuuououuo p.p.p.p.ppp.p.ppp cococococooooooocococooocoooooocooocoooooooocooooooooooooooccoooooocooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Market Hotels
MEA 82 23189
Middle East 45 12674
AFIO 37 10515
MENA 63 18936
GCC 37 10775
UAE 21 6153
Dubai 14 4195
Saudi Arabia 9 2528
Qatar 3 1148
Syria 3 589
Jordan 2 697
Kuwait 2 460
Lebanon 2 206
Bahrain 1 256
Pakistan 1 407
Oman 1 230
Algeria 3 1036
Egypt 10 3992
Nigeria 5 1,355
Mauritius 3 629
Morocco 3 745
Gabon 2 343
Seychelles 2 192
South Africa 2 658
Tunisia 1 285
Libya 1 204
Djibouti 1 175
Ethiopia 1 293
Gambia 1 186
EXISTING PORTFOLIO CURRENT PIPELINE
Market Hotels
MEA 42 12268
Middle East 31 9574
AFIO 11 2694
MENA 36 10981
GCC 22 7217
UAE 12 4499
Dubai 6 2880
Saudi Arabia 6 1668
Qatar 1 350
Jordan 4 1050
Iraq 3 710
Pakistan 2 597
Oman 3 700
Nigeria 4 854
Algeria 2 371
Egypt 2 741
Madagascar 1 210
Senegal 1 223
Libya 1 295
We have ringside seats at the global economy”Frits Van Paasschen
MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA HOTEL/ROOMS COUNT
Frits van Paasschen,
CEO and president,
Starwood Hotels.
38 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013
are 250,000 people checked into
Starwood properties.
FINGER ON THE PULSEDuring the relocation period,
meetings were held with 150
customers and owners giving de
Wilde and his team unparalleled
access to market feedback and the
next big development.
“The corporate traveller is
interested in consistency of service
and there is a loyalty attached to
that, just the same is found with the
airlines. For the corporate traveller
it’s about ‘do you recognise me, do
you know me?’ That trend is global
and it ties in with the mobilisation of
booking systems, because with our
new systems we will soon be able to
use a [potential] guest’s location to
offer them a personalised service, on
the move, that they can literally book
with one hand, from their mobile
device, while doing something else.
“Then on the other hand,
the leisure traveller wants new
destinations and they want us to
opening places where we are not
already present. So we’re reaching
further, penetrating new markets,
but establishing our brand values
along with the physical building and
making it easier to book into those
properties,” de Wilde adds.
While the motives may be 100%
corporate, the future for Starwood
is driven by people. It’s reactionary
without being knee jerk, but is
strongly pegged on social and
economic patterns. All
that is left now,
is time for
the global
scenarios
to play
out
Untitled-3 1 6/27/13 11:02 AM
40 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
Hygiene under the spotlightIndustry gathers to share best practice tips and tricks at the Hospitality Hygiene Summit, May 27, Habtoor Grand
From staff training to the
regulation of chemicals and
equipment, hygiene in guest
areas is equally important
as cleanliness in food service and
preparation areas.
These issue, along with many others,
were on the table for debate at the
Hospitality Hygiene Summit, held at
Habtoor Grand on May 27.
Expert panellists Christiane Abou
Zeidan, director of environment,
health & safety, Rotana; Tatjana
Ahmed, housekeeping manager and
member of the council of experts,
Grand Hyatt; Nadaf Allabaksh,
executive housekeeper, Mövenpick;
and Balachander V, hygiene manager,
Grand Hyatt Dubai, were joined by
Dhofar Global’s deputy GM, Chandan
Singh in front of a live audience of
hygiene professionals.
The primary area of debate that
emerged was how best to combine
the a hotel’s hygiene standards with
sustainability targets – specifically
with targets to reduce energy and
water wastage, as well as overall waste
generation.
Disposable amenities were high
on the agenda and how best to
provide these while reducing negative
environmental impact, was hotly
debated.
Also discussed was the progression
of cleaning technologies, regarding
which, Dhofar Global deputy GM,
Chandan Singh predicts electric hand
dryers could soon become a thing of
the past, as more people learn about
US conducted research that claims
bacteria is only removed when hands
are wiped on tissue.
The summit began with a keynote
presentation from Dubai Municipality
principle food studies, Bobby Krishna,
who explained the concept of cross-
cultural hygiene, and concluded in the
afternoon follow-ing two panels on
food hygiene and F&B best practice.
HHS COVERAGE
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 41JUNE 2013cpimediagroup.com
HHS COVERAGE
With the support of: Platinum Sponsor:
Support Sponsor:
Meat Hygiene Sponsor:
Support Sponsor:Support Sponsor: Support Sponsor:
Dhofar Global deputy
GM, Chandan Singh. L&R:
Panellists Christiane Abou
Zeidan, dir. environment,
health & safety, Rotana;
Tatjana Ahmed, housekeep-
ing mgr, Grand Hyatt;
Nadaf Allabaksh, exec
housekeeper, Mövenpick;
Balachander V, hygiene
mgr, Grand Hyatt Dubai. Far
left: Bobby Krishna, princi-
ple food studies, D.M.
Hygiene is basically common sense but events like this help to focus the market on new solutions and provide oppor-tunities for those who deal with hygiene issues on a day-to-day basis, in order to refresh their thinking and consider alternative solutions. We see great opportunity in the hospitality sector for our innovative tissue products,” Chandan Singh, deputy GM, Dhofar Global
HHS COVERAGE
42 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
In a world where food safety, food traceability and workplace hygiene is a priority, the 2013 Hygiene Summit provided a timely platform for industry professionals to network and gather information and techniques that will no doubt benefit their best management practices and boost their businesses’ overall performance within this area,” Jamie Ferguson, regional manager ,
MENA Meat & Livestock Australia
As we all know, the UAE has a great mix of cultures each with its own customs and practices and that is why it is important to ensure the same proper hygiene habits are shared and practiced by all. To help with this transformation, Kimberly-Clark Pro-fessional has decided to bring its Healthy Workplace project to this region. Our objective is very simple: We identify germ hotspots for our customers and then provide them with the right reduction tools in the appropriate locations within their facilities,” Jordi Perpiñá, Healthy WorkPlace consultant manager, Kimberly-
Clark Professional.
Colour coded vinyl gloves ensure: Easy puncture identification No more latex allergies Good hygiene practice
Dhofar Global Tr. Co.L.L.C.
DHOFAR GLOBAL TR.CO.L.L.CP.O.Box: 70580, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesMobile: 050 631 6593, Tel: +971 6 5302525 / 5368690, Fax: +971 6 5302626 / 5368552Email: chandan@dhofartr.com - dhofart@eim.ae www.dhofartr.comBRANCH:Dubai Investment Park - 1,W-16/598-289-Dubai,U.A.E. Tel: +971 4 8856556, Fax: +971 4 8856566
In the kitchen the smallest things can be the most important...
Colour coded VINYL gloves
We also specialise in tissue paper and dispensers
TRADING COMPANY W.L.L, Po Box No 8028, Doha, Qatar, Tel: +974 44110511, Fax: +974 44110611, Mob: +974 70403935
SHOW ROOM: Office No 12, Building No 8, Barwa Village, Wakra, Doha, Qatar.
SPECIAL FEATURE/ FITNESS PAYS
44 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
Regionally, recreation and fitness industries are generating huge revenues and it’s a stream that doesn’t experience the same peaks and troughs as
F&B or ADR. But beyond guest provisions, are you doing enough to capture the local residents’ market?
SPECIAL FEATURE/ FITNESS PAYS
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 45JUNE 2013cpimediagroup.com
While F&B and room
revenues are the first
to suffer in times of
economic trouble,
the fitness and health industry is
one that has continued to see robust
growth. In the Middle East today the
spa and fitness industries are worth
a combined $20bn with most of that
revenue generated from local resident
markets, rather than tourism.
The YoY growth as a result has
been phenomenal, however while
spa generates significant interest and
investment, the hotel gym is often left
behind, with only basic facilities and
limited capacity to become a hotel
selling point in its own right.
But now fitness experts globally are
advising Middle East hoteliers to buck
the trend and follow the lead, not only
for fitness holidays but in capturing
the local market.
“Non-traditional fitness facilities
such as those found in hotels,
corporations, housing developments
and country clubs are growing rapidly
in popularity and are completely
redefining how we exercise,” says
Brian Green, president and CEO of
Advantage Fitness Products.
“It’s common place to open the
doors to patrons for other areas,
but not for fitness, yet today non-
traditional facilities are a primary
revenue generator,” he observes.
If your own gym lies empty for
most of the year it’s an even greater
reason to utilise the space.
It’s something that Sheraton has
implemented on a global scale,
partnering with Core Performance to
deliver, on a third party basis, a health
and fitness programme that is bespoke
to the hotel chain.
The tie up has seen the installation
of top-class gym facilities, healthy
dining, guest room workouts and
online training to follow up even after
check out.
Says brand manager VP, Brian
Povinelli, Sheraton Hotels: “Fitness
and travel go hand in hand and our
guests have told us that working out
is a priority when they travel. Our
unprecedented partnership with
Core Performance offers an array
of programmes and services to help
guests enhance their overall fitness
regimen and performance before,
during and after their stay.”
They are measures few Middle East
hotels have gone to. Fairmont The
Palm keenly promotes its health and
fitness offerings, but few others are
taking the lead. Fairmont currently
provides daily fitness classes with a
timetable incorporating yoga, pilates,
zumba, step aerobics, body balance
and aqua aerobics and in making
the most of its location, maps of
suggested running routes around
Palm Jumeirah.
At the chain’s Vancouver property,
GM Ian Pullan, will even run with
guests.
It’s a philosophy that has also
been echoed in Starwood’s Westin
brand, through the Westin Workout,
Some business streams are anything but ancillary and may contribute more than 50% of a hotel’s total revenuesGold’s Gym COO Nitesh Seebran
WORKING IT OUT
Follow these three steps to boost your
recreation centre revenues, by Bryan Green,
president and CEO, Advantage Fitness Products.
Paid for fitness programmes
Leisure travellers are typically looking for new
and better experiences than they get at home.
Their impulsive mind-set has made an industry
of fitness holidays in Thailand and India, but an
un-catered to market stays in city and beach
properties around the world. Work in a workout
programme and you could essential re-brand
your entire property and offering.
Outsource
If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing properly,
so if you do decide to enhance your offering,
you need the specialists to provide it. Also,
affiliation with the right third party brand can
really boost marketing activities.
Add on sales
While too many chains now offer free access to
mats, bottled water and even workout kits to
justify renting such equipment, gym and spa
does still come with F&B opportunities that
could cater to fitness dieters, rather than those
with special dietary requirements.
Loyalty pays
The rise in the popularity of loyalty schemes
– specifically aviation-related tie ups – offer
opportunity for value added extras. In addition
to sign-up promotions, corporate gifts such
as airmiles can be given to the most loyal of
clients.
SPECIAL FEATURE/ FITNESS PAYS
46 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
although this is yet to be brought to
the local market.
“Wellness has really become a
macro-global trend, and not only
in the hotel category but across all
industries,” Povinelli comments.
As an expert in generating ancillary
revenues, primarily through F&B,
Table4ME managing partner Tiina-
Maija Bergman, says that anciliary
should not automatically mean less
important in terms of total revenue
management.
“We know from the market in
the Middle East that some business
streams are anything but ancillary and
may contribute more than 50% of a
hotel’s total revenues. The question
is, are we investing 50% of our focus
and budget towards managing and
optimising these opportunities?
“With the world changing and
travel behaviour changing as a
result, due to corporate travel budget
restrictions, the mid-scale and luxury
hotels are facing increased pressure
to maximise their hotel’s revenue
generation per square metre,” she
observes.
GYM BUDDYThe next step in gym development
according to Gold’s Gym COO Nitesh
Seebran will be for more international
chains such as Gold’s to tie up with
hotel chains, in much the same way
spa and F&B brands do.
He says: “The UAE is such a place
where 5-star hotels are located in
residential areas, if Gold’s moves
into hotels it will have to be where
we know we can maximise our
investment. Members and a good
number of new members is what
all health clubs look for, hotels will
HOW TO OPTIMISE ANCILLARY REVENUES
Understand it
To effectively manage ancillary revenues
hotels need to have the ability to forecast
accurately. In order to do that, they need to
understand the business at a granular level. As
with hotel rooms where we now can dissect the
business into booking source, market segment,
rate code, room type and booking channel, the
other ancillary revenue generating departments
need a similar focus to understand where there
is room and opportunity to maximise revenues.
Plan for it
We want to turn the ‘chance business’ into a
planned and manageable business in order to
make the most of these additional sources of
revenue for the hotels.
Manage it
Effective reservations and database
management - the customer is still king - and
the more relevant information we can gather
about them the better.
it makes sense to ensure that the revenue and profit potential of your facility is maximised
be able to tick a few boxes on the
checklist, for what we look for. Gold’s
Gym caters for all therefore a hotel
tie up must be one with memberships
for residents as this will be our main
source of income.
But, he advises, in the meantime
while hotels are by and large left to
find their own way, skilled staff should
be a top priority.
“Don’t hold back on staffing, Hire
in advance and stop saying we will
hire down the line. Our success will
always be our staff and bringing the
team on board before a club opens is
vital. Members want to see our teams
presence when they come in for the
their first visits, remember a high
percentage of new members will be
joining a health club for their first time.”
According to Green the
maximisation of revenues in this
crucially neglected sector is nothing
but common sense, when the
cost of investment is brought into
consideration.
“Typically, hotels and resorts
that successfully leverage fitness
to support their core hospitality
business see a fitness centre as
more than a one-time, stagnant
installation. Contemporary
standards of safety and hygiene,
guest’s ever-changing expectations
in terms of amenities and unique
services, and keeping up with
state-of-the-art fitness modalities
and technologies, all play a vital
role in terms of your business focus
regarding fitness.
“Considering the work and
effort that goes into creating and
maintaining a successful fitness
centre, it makes sense to ensure that
the revenue and profit potential of
your facility is maximised,” he adds
OFFICIALPUBLISHERORGANISED BY
OFFICIALTRAVEL PARTNER
savo
urth
ese
as~
ww
ww
w.
wwse
afeffxm
e.co
m
17 - 19
NOVEMBER 2013
DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE
CATCH MORE BUSINESS AT THE WORLD’S
FASTEST GROWING SEAFOOD TRADE SHOW
CO-LOCATED WITHPOWERED BY
CONTACT THE SEAFEX TEAMTel: +971 4 308 6462 E-mail: seafex@dwtc.com www.seafexme.com
48 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
SPECIAL FEATURE
We have plenty of hotels
in Dubai. And we have
plenty of spas. And, we
have plenty of spas in
hotels too.
But do we have real retreats?
Or is it all about flamboyant, luxury
resorts and a few beauty treatments
and massages.
I am still to see in Dubai a real
retreat the likes of Shiva Som in
Thailand.
Retreats are not about caviar or gold
leaf facials of which Dubai is so proud.
True retreats are rather about
the ultimate wellbeing of body and
mind achieved over a period of time
where the body (through specific
dieting, foods and treatments) and
mind (through meditation, yoga and
relaxation) are cleansed, detoxified,
purified.
The world over, our day to day
cosmopolitan lives take a huge toll
on our bodies and minds. Pollution,
processed food, stress, cigarettes,
alcohol: they all contribute to our lack
of wellbeing.
There are many people out there
who, more conscious than others,
understand the benefits of not only
“taking” vacations but also “giving”
vacations to their bodies and minds,
and opt for health retreats that
would help gain that equilibrium
once again, an equilibrium that
is achieved through detoxing and
pacing ourselves down. A bit like slow
walking on a treadmill after an hour
of fast racing.
TKI’s Daniel During asks if perhaps the most effective way to maximise spa revenues is actually to shun the allure of catering to a tried and tested social scene
WHAT DO CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY WANT FROM A SPA RETREAT AS A HOLIDAY DESTINATION?
And there lies our un-catered-to
opportunity.
As much as we love our resorts
here, it is pretty obvious that alcohol
and partying negate the very core
belief of detoxing and cleansing and
we will never cater to the true retreat
seeker.
Is there an opportunity out there
to create a new offer and bring new
markets into our emirate?
While we all agree on the added
financial benefits that alcohol brings
to the bottom line, there may be room
for dry resorts that maximise revenues
through long staying guests and all
inclusive packages, catering to all the
guest needs all through his or her stay.
So, if retreats the world over can do
it, we should be able to do it too. Or
are we too greedy to let go of it? Or
afraid that the added benefit of long
stay guests and guaranteed revenues
will not compensate for the lack of
alcohol?
I believe we are still on time in
Dubai to create new resorts that
merge luxury and health, but if
Dubai is too gluttonous to lose
its alcohol revenue, is there room
perhaps in neighbouring dry
emirates such as Sharjah to cater to
this market?
Considering that the retreat
market comes in all sizes and budgets,
from the luxury end to the more
modest resort, it could also be an
opportunity for Sharjah to
come up with top end
glitz dry retreats,
attracting investors with more
affordable land and compete with
Dubai’s not so health oriented bling.
And there lies another opportunity
for Dubai: three and four star retreats,
an argument I have been preaching
for quite some time now.
When thinking of retreats we
generally think of inner peace, quiet
and meditation. And that comes
with modesty, both of spirit and of
surroundings. Is there not room
for more modest resorts too in our
“blingy” city?
Finally, there is another opportunity
out there: boot camps. Not the ones
on JBR beach, but rather the ones that
you join for several weeks to train
hard core and play hard core too.
These new Spartan resorts don’t
cater to boys alone: there is a whole
bunch of devotees out there who
seek adventure and adrenaline. And
probably nothing like our Musandam
mountains to offer that.
Austere camps, offering a range
of activities and hard core training,
using our very own nature, training
under a scorching sun, rock climbing,
mountain biking, trail biking, but
also, racing between barbed wire,
charged electric wires and mud. And
finally these resorts can also be host of
triathlons and Spartan races the like of
Mud on the Mountain, Adventurerace
or Spartan Race.
Catering to a currently non-
existing tourism segment would bring
additional tourism to the area and can
reposition the UAE as a more “real”
place to vacation.
Maybe there is a place out there
to create a new UAE? Not the one
of dining out and partying but
rather one that also caters to both
the peace and the adrenaline
seeker.
Maybe we have forgotten a
whole market out there which
is waiting to be catered for and
we are just missing out on the
opportunity?
By Daniel G During, principal and MD, Thomas Klein
International
Hospitality Business ME magazineThe choice of the professionals
Heinz GrubGM, Sheraton Dubai Creek and
Area Manager of 7 Starwood properties in Dubai
Samer KhanfarGM, Jumeirah Living Dubai
World Trade Centre Residence
Gerald LawlessPresident and Group CEO,
Jumeirah Group
To advertise please contact:
Alex Bendiouis, alex.bendiouis@cpimediagroup.com +971 50 458 9204
Alexander Griffin, alex.griffin@cpimediagroup.com +971 50 8500727
Ankit Shukla, ankit.shukla@cpimediagroup.com +971 55 2572807
Read every monthly issue free of charge via: www.hospitalitybusinessme.com
Majid Al MarriDirector Hotel Classification
at Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing,
Dubai Municipality
SERVICES AND SUPPLIES
50 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
Services and suppliesThe industry’s most useful and innovative new designs, delivered to you, every month
ADA CHAMPIONS CSR
Carpet manufacturer Desso is the first in the
world to be certified under Version 3.0 of the
Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard
administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products
Innovation Institute.
The Cradle to Grave concept is based on five
categories: material health, material reutilisation,
DESSO CRADLE TO GRAVE CERTIFICATION
ADA Cosmetics International has modified the
flacons of its successful cosmetics series ‘Eco by
Green Culture’, certified with the eco-label of
the European Union, to incorporate a practical
flip-top cap that uses less material and energy
to produce.
The new 30ml bottles are made from recycled
PET and are recyclable again. The fresh design
remains the same since it underlines the natural
Sabre Hospitality Solutions will provide its SynXis
Central Reservations System to Abidos Hotels,
conncting to global distribution systems, online
travel agents and mobile booking engines, to
increase global revenue and connect Abidos
Hotels CRS to major property management
systems, for merchandising and revenue
management.
Alexander Barder, regional director of business
development Middle East and Africa, Sabre
Hospitality Solutions, said: “We are truly grateful
to Abidos Hotels for having chosen to partner with
Sabre Hospitality Solutions. Abidos is a new and
exciting hotel brand in Dubai and we are thrilled
to be able to fully support their endeavors via the
SynXis CRS allowing seamless distribution across
all channels along with full integration with their
hotel PMS’s.”
SABRE SOLUTIONS STRIKES ABIDOS DEAL
appeal of the product line. In a statement, ADA
commented: “The fact that intelligent packaging
solutions preserve our resources is also proven
by ADA’s two dispenser systems: the tried and
tested press+wash system and the new smart
care system. Our clients can, therefore, continue
to order ‘Eco by Green Culture’ in the 300ml
dispensers, which are both economical and
eco-friendly.”
renewable energy and carbon management, water
stewardship and social fairness.The initial stages
of the certification process comprise assessing raw
materials in terms of human and environmental
health criteria, and evaluating the manufacturing
process according to recycling potential, energy
and water use, and social responsibility.
SERVICES AND SUPPLIES
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 51JUNE 2013cpimediagroup.com
Hansgrohe SE, the bathroom and
showerhead manufacturer last month
showcased a number of sustainable
technologies at Abu Dhabi Quality Forum,
April 28 – 29.
The two day event was organised by
the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity
Council (QCC) and was organised in pursuit
of QCC’s objective to act as key contributors
to achieving Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision
2030, through attracting recognised
industry players to share their knowledge.
Hansgrohe’s range of mixers and
showerheads fitted with the EcoSmart
technology consume up to 60% less water
than conventional products without any loss
of comfort and have recently been awarded
the prestigious Abu Dhabi Trustmark for
Environmental Performance to certify that
they have been rigorously tested by QCC and
meet UAE and international standards.
Lower hot water consumption also
means a reduced energy requirement,
resulting in lower CO2 emissions and lower
costs. Hansgrohe mixers go beyond the
minimum requirements set by Estidama
to deliver 5 l/min, instead of the minimum
6 l/m and can also help developers to
achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) building standards.
HANSGROHE AT A QUALITY FORUM
A range of front loading washing machines
featuring 6 Motion™ technology has been
launched to the market by LG.
The appliances also feature Inverter Direct
Drive™ motor and steam washer, complete with
an allergy care function and a Steam Refresh
Cycle for a detergent-free wash that uses less
than one litre of water, deodorizing and washing
with every cycle. Combined, the machines
incorporate scrubbing, stepping, swinging
6 MOTION WASHING MACHINE FROM LG
and rolling motion, immitating hand washing
techniques.
“The innovative technologies on LG’s new
front-load washers are designed to make laundry
time a breeze. The 6 Motion™ technology means
less wear and tear on clothes, giving consumers
more time with family and friends,” said Mr. D. Y.
Kim, President of LG Electronics, Gulf FZE.
The noise and energy reduced model also
comes with a 10 year warranty.
xxxxxxx
Luxury in-room automated technology vendor
DigiValet™ has responded to the rising demand in
the luxury sector with a suite of new technology
exhibited at the Arabian Hotel Investment
Conference (AHIC).
Exhibited at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai,
DigiValet promoted a “platform with which hotels
can take guest experience to higher levels of
comfort and complete satisfaction.”
IN-ROOM ENHANCEMENTS FROM DIGIVALET
The products integrate In-Room Controls
such as lighting and AC, entertainment controls
that include TV; a wide array of films and
music; a complete in-room dining menu; spa
options, shopping, a definitive selection of world
newspapers, concierge based services and other
features that are bound to enhance every guest’s
experience. The solution is available on the Apple
iOS platform on the iPad and iPad Mini.
Dirk Shilmoeller, sales director,
Hansgrohe Middle East.
For all advertisment related enquires please contact the following:
Sales Director: Ankit Shuklaankit.shukla@cpimediagroup.com
+971 55 2572807
Associate Publisher: Alex Bendiouisalex.bendiouis@cpimediagroup.com
+971 50 458 9204
The Pro Chef ME magazine - the magazine for professionals
Read every monthly issue free of charge via: www.cpidubai/com
If you work as a chef, restaurant manager, sommelier, banqueting manager or catering manager for a four or five star restaurant in the UAE, then apply for your free monthly
copy of The Pro Chef Middle East, the magazine for fine dining professionals.
SASCHA TRIEMER, EXECUTIVE CHEF,
ATLANTIS, THE PALM
Published by
MIDDLE EAST
APPOINMENT NEWS
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 53JUNE 2013cpidubai.com
Appointment newsThe latest appointment and promotion news from the region
GLOBAL PROMOTION FOR MARRIOTT MARQUIS FOH DIRECTORMarriott Marquis director of front of house
operations, Darin Davies, has been appointed
to the position of president of the Association
of Front Office Managers and Deputy
Managers of Luxury Hotels (AICR).
Founded in 1964 by, the front office leader
of several luxury properties in the south of
France, the international organisation is
represented in 15 countries and has almost
1000 members. Davies’ responsibilities will
include liaising with members worldwide,
HYATT VP OF SALES AND OPSRon Cusiter has been named as the newly
appointed VP of sales and operations for
Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Southwest Asia.
The Scottish national has 22 years’
experience in the industry, working in Europe,
North America, Middle East and Asia. Its
experience that will come in useful as Hyatt
prepares to open 57 properties globally.
Speaking about his appointment, Cusiter
said: “Hyatt International is a renowned
global hospitality company with a strong
growth strategy for Southwest Asia, these are
exciting times for Hyatt as we embark on a
strong period of expansion.”
Darin Davies.
expanding the association and planning for
the next Presidium and Receptionist of The
Year competition in Hamburg.
Davies’ shares his guest relations expertise
in this issue’s FoH IT roundtable, on page 20.
MERIDIEN F&B DIRECTOR ABU DHABIChristina Bowen has joined the Meridien Abu
Dhabi F&B team in the midst of a multi-
million dirham revamp project of all the
hotel’s restaurants and outlets.
“We are glad to have Christina join the
team at a time where strong leadership in
our F&B department is a must,” said Shaun
Parsons, general manager of Le Royal
Meridien Abu Dhabi.
“The plan to refurbish our existing outlets
and to open a new one within 2013 is a
great challenge with regards maintaining
service delivery at an optimum while keeping
inconvenience at a low for guests and clients,”
he added.
Drawing on previous experience with
Events and Entertainment UK and Canada and
Starwood Hotels, Bowen holds a BBA in Hotel
management from The Hague Hotel School.
Bowen will take charge of all current F&B
operations as well as being involved in the
re-opening of the hotel’s all-day-dining
restaurant, the launch of a “new culinary
concept” and revamps of the hotel’s landmark
revolving restaurant, in addition to a new
Club Lounge and lobby entity and conference
and banqueting operations. Later this year
the revamp will incorporate an expansion of
the Irish pub- the only Irish bar in the capital.
Christina Bowen.
Ron Cusiter.
cpimediagroup.com
JOB WATCH
54 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013
Job watchTime to move on? We can help. All jobs can be applied for through www.Hozpitality.com
GM – UAE
Level: Top Management
Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: Attractive salary and
benefits
Recruiter: Auris Plaza Hotel Dubai
The Operation Manager should be familiar
with all aspects of hotel operations with
strong background in Rooms Division and
Food & Beverage Departments.
Minimum Requirement:
Qualification: Western Hotel School
educated with a degree in Hotel Operations/
Management.
Experience: 5-6 years of experience in Hotel
Operations with background in Rooms Division
& F&B Service.
The candidate should be ready to travel
within and outside U.A.E.
GM – TANZINIA
Level: Top Management
Location: Worldwide, Africa, ME/GCC (Except
UAE), United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: attractive
Recruiter: FJ Recruiting and International
Consulting Service
We are looking for a GM for for a first class
chain hotel in Tanzania, East Africa. Must be
single or married WITH NO CHILDREN NOR
PETS !
Accommodation provided with full
maintenance.
Pay package is negotiable and tax free.
Age 35 to 48 years of age single or married
with no children nor pets. European/
American, Australian/Canadian preferred.
Please apply with your CV .
FEMALE OPERATIONS MANAGER, JEDDAH
Level: Department Head, Top Management
Location: ME/GCC (Except UAE), United Arab
Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: attractive salary and
benefits
Recruiter: Bouthaina Salon and Spa
Bouthaina Salon and Spa, a well-known high-
end beauty center exclusively for women in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where we provide high
standard services that offer a sense of pride in
elegance, prestige and style, and rejuvenating
the soul thus revealing true inner beauty of
a woman. For more than 20 years we have
been utilizing the latest technologies and
techniques and the best international talents
to provide the highest standards and services
in all areas of beauty and care. Our plan is
to spread our success into a chain of beauty
salons and spa all over the kingdom, providing
continuous excellence to our customer, and for
this, we need a highly qualified professional
Operation Manager to join us. The Operations
Manager’s is responsible for the overall
management of operations in all BOUTHAINA
Spas and Salons. The Operations Manager
oversees profitability, guest satisfaction,
performance standards, human resources
and training. New developments/projects
are also the responsibility of the Operations
Manager. Full time – a minimum of 48/52
working hours per week, or as required by the
operation
E-COMMERCE MANAGER
Level: Middle Management
Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Start Date: 01/06/2013
Recruiter: Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira
Creek
Job Purpose:
The purpose of this role is to establish, drive
and deliver the Ecommerce Strategy for
the Hotel and to manage activities to drive
traffic to the web-site; optimising marketing
activities to ensure maximisation of return
on investment. You will work closely with
the sales and marketing team to align brand
and marketing activities, whilst supporting
product and site development strategy.
Person Specification / Requirements:
environment
priorities.
Mercado, etc.)
CSS, etc.
MySQL or MS Database
InDesign
and sound
interpersonal skills.
HR MANAGER
Level: Department Head, Middle
Management
Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: Competitive Salary
Offered
Recruiter: GLOBAL HOTELS MANAGEMENT
LLC., Dubai
As a Human Resources Manager, you will be
reporting directly to the General Manager
and/or Chief Executive Officer.
Your responsibilities and essential job
functions include but are not limited to the
following:
of the Human Resources Department as well
as play a critical role in the implementation
of the human resources strategy to all the
properties of Global Hotels Management LLC.
human resource solutions and implement
strategies in the areas of employee relations,
compensation and benefits, recognition,
administration and employees’ wellness
Resources for at least five (5) years
applications required
Human Resources Management or Business
Management
organizational skills
from all backgrounds
SUCCESS CONSISTS OF GOING FROM FAILURE TO FAILURE WITHOUT LOSS OF ENTHUSIASMWINSTON CHURCHILL
JOB WATCH
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 55cpimediagroup.com JUNE 2013
A PERSON IS A SUCCESS IF THEY GET UP IN THE MORNING AND GO TO BED AT NIGHT, AND IN BETWEEN DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DOBOB DYLAN
Jobs supplied by:
be given priority.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
OFFICER
Level: Middle Management
Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: attractive salary and
benefits
Recruiter: Grand Hyatt Dubai
You will be responsible for the efficient
running of the department in line with Hyatt
International’s Corporate Strategies and brand
standards, whilst meeting employee, guest
and owner expectations. The Occupational
Health & Safety Officer is responsible to
develop, implement, monitor and evaluate
the hotel’s environmental, safety and
health activities / programs, and policies &
procedures.
Qualifications: Ideally with a professional
diploma or certificate in Safety and Health.
Minimum 2 years work experience as
Occupational Safety & Health Officer, or in any
related field of Safety and Health in larger
operation. Good practical, operational and
adequate administrative skills are a must.
RESERVATIONS MANAGER – JEDDAH
Level: Middle Management
Location: ME/GCC (Except UAE)
Salary Description: Competitve Salary
Package
Recruiter: Qasswa for Haj and Umra
We are Looking for an Experienced
Reservation Manager for our Qasswa Head
Office Located in Jeddah. The Position is very
vital and need some one strong in Sales and
Reservation of Hotels or Travel Business. Only
Muslim candidates are requested to apply.
Handsome Salary package+Housing Allow
ance+Transportation+Medical and Return
Tickets.
REVENUE MANAGER
Level: Department Head, Middle
Management
Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: attractive
Recruiter: One to One Hotels- the Village
One to One hotel – the village: designed by
an innovative creative team, stands alone in
the region offering a unique home away from
home for both business executives and leisure
travelers alike.
REVENUE EXECUTIVE
Level: Middle Management
Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: Competitive Package
Recruiter: Al Manzel Hotel Apartments
Al Manzel Hotel Apartments Abu Dhabi has
a great opportunity for an enthusiastic and
committed Revenue Executive to join our
dynamic and professional team.
Job Role & Responsibilities:
Establish, manage and monitor standards,
processes, communications, training and
systems to ensure:
forecast for hotel daily rooms revenue.
discrepancy and pick up daily.
to increase the market penetration and hotel
Revenue.
Reservations department
targets to ensure goals are achieved.
strategy by market segment with reference to
market intelligence, buying patterns and pre
determined seasonality.
Candidate Profile:
Executive, UAE market will be a plus
similar.
HR COORDINATOR
Level: Staff- Line level, Supervisory level
Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: attractive
Recruiter: One to One Hotels- the Village
One to One hotel – the village: designed by
an innovative creative team, stands alone in
the region offering a unique home away from
home for both business executives and leisure
travelers alike.
We are currently looking for:-
Good English speaking
3-5 years of similar experience in star hotels
in UAE/Gulf
Good Computer skills
Extremely active and prompt
Able to sustain pressure
Good delegation skills
HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICER
Level: Department Head, Middle
Management
Location: ME/GCC (Except UAE), United Arab
Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: attractive
Recruiter: Regency Group Holdings, Doha
Regency Group Holding is one of Qatar’s oldest
and largest business entities encompassing
several divisions across a spectrum of
industries and a portfolio that includes several
internationally acclaimed brands.
Health & Safety Officer required for Regency
Group Holding, Doha, Qatar.
HR MANAGER
Level: Middle Management
Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: Up to AED 8,000 plus free
accommodation and other hotel benefits are
provided
Recruiter: Apt Resources, Dubai
For an established group of 4star hotels in
Dubai, UAE
Location: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Hospitality/hotel/tourism
Department: HR / Training & Development
Level: Managerial
Minimum experience in same role: 3 years
Minimum experience in same industry: 5 years
Education: Degree/ Hotel Management
Salary: Up to AED 8,000 plus free
accommodation and other hotel benefits are
provided
I
NFORMATION SYSTEMS COORDINATOR
Level: Staff- Line level, Supervisory level
Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Salary Description: attractive salary and
benefits
Recruiter: Grand Hyatt Dubai
You will be responsible to assist with the
efficient running of the department in line with
Hyatt International’s Corporate Strategies and
brand standards, whilst meeting employee,
guest and owner expectations. The Information
Systems Coordinator is responsible to assist
in the smooth and efficient running of
Information Systems Department.
56 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JUNE 2013 cpimediagroup.com
COMMENT
Somehow, email marketing has
been more recently overlooked,
what with marketing campaigns
focusing more on interactivity
that social media platforms can
deliver, we wanted to remind you why
it’s still one of our favourite methods
of marketing and how it can also
ensure more direct bookings for your
hotel whilst being an excellent tool for
you to stay in touch with your guests
and prospects.
Nurture relationshipsEmail marketing is an excellent
relationship building tool, and can
be one of the most effective ways
to deliver revenue growth and by
personalising the email and targeting
specific audiences for specific offers
you will inspire more bookings and
drive responses.
Send a pre-stay welcome email;
a post-stay thank you email;
and, to loyal guests, personalised
communications notifying them
of exclusive offers, new amenities,
Email marketing for hotelsDigital Nexa MD Andrew Thomnas asks if email marketing is the key to boosting direct bookings
or special packages. Some of the
larger hotel chains have used email
marketing to cross-sell, where they
partner with local retailers and offer
exclusive discounts to guests (e.g.
snorkelling packages, golf packages).
Improve Customer RetentionThe best way to increase customer
retention is by automating your guest
relation program to keep in front
of your customers even after their
checkout.
Even if your guests are only likely
to visit you once a year, keep in touch
with them throughout the year so that
when it comes time for them to book
their next trip, your hotel is firmly in
their mind.
Feedback is essential to know
what your guest wants, so ask for it!
Invite comments on the quality of
their experience, the services offered
and most importantly; suggestions
for improvement, you can reward
or incentivize this by entering them
automatically in to a competition.
When done the right way, email
marketing can help you build brand
awareness and create direct revenue
opportunities with past, present and
future guests.
Integrate Data SystemsWe encourage our clients to integrate
their data systems to personalise their
automated email communications
to maximize potential. Seamless
integration between your email
marketing system and your internal
database eliminates the need to
manually upload CRM data and email
tracking data.
Email marketing also allows
you to gain an understanding of
the effectiveness of your campaign
by providing information such as
indicating data on opens, clicks,
bounces, unsubscribes, etc. By
integrating email with your CRM
data, you can also identify your most
influential and profitable customers
and create, manage and send out highly
targeted promotions to that profile.
Transform Transactional Email into Revenue According to Forrester,
confirmation emails are 17% more
likely to be opened than newsletter or
promotional emails, and customers
are 20% more likely to click through
on them. They are often read multiple
times and are usually last to be deleted,
include in these emails details about
hotel and local facilities. And even if
the guest cancels, follow up with an
email suggesting other properties.
To conclude, the key is to make
your emails stand out by delivering
messages that are timely, relevant and
personalised. It is not a broadcast
medium where you can just “batch
and blast” out messages, but one
when carefully crafted and segmented
can deliver highly compelling and
contextually-rich messages that drive
people to act time after time
For more information on email marketing solutions contact us via:www.digitalnexa.com
top related