Hospitality Business ME | 2013 June

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Publication licensed by IMPZ

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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

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Photography: Anas Cherur

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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


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.”

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NEWS WATCH


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


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



CENTRAL/ SOUTH AMERICA



CARIBBEAN/ MEXICO



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


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.


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


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


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: [email protected]

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)


Phone: (+971-3) 767 3333 / 713 5950 / 713 5947

Fax: (+971-3) 713 4343


Website: http://www.uaeu.ac.ae

Nature of work: Carrying out preparing and

providing meals for the students to a university.



Client name: Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs

Address: Nassiriya Street

City: Riyadh 11136 , KSA


Phone: (+966-1) 456 9999/ 441 5434

Fax: (+966-1) 456 3196/ 441 2118


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


Phone: (+968) 2469 4599

Fax: (+968) 2460 0806


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.



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.


(Dubai)


Contractor: Mawten Hospitality LLC (Saudi

Arabia)


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)


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)


Project Name: Hilton Waldorf Astoria Hotel Project -

Doha West Bay

Description: Construction of a 42-storey Hilton

Waldorf Astoria Hotel.


(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


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)


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


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


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


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


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?


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.


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.


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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


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

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ROUNDTABLE


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.

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COVER STORY


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


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


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


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


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”

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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


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.


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


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


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


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

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SHOW ROOM: Office No 12, Building No 8, Barwa Village, Wakra, Doha, Qatar.

SPECIAL FEATURE/ FITNESS PAYS


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?



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.



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

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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, [email protected] +971 50 458 9204

Alexander Griffin, [email protected] +971 50 8500727

Ankit Shukla, [email protected] +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


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


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 [email protected]

+971 55 2572807

Associate Publisher: Alex [email protected]

+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


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


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


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




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


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


Management



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



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



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


Management

Location: ME/GCC (Except UAE), United Arab

Emirates (UAE)


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



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



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.


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

Hospitality Business ME | 2013 June

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Transcript of Hospitality Business ME | 2013 June