hospitality business me

Save energy, save money: Green Globe help light the way to creating a sustainable future

St Regis Saddiyat Island on creating Abu Dubai’s ‘first true beach resort’

Are Dubai’s diners still swayed by a celebrity chef?

The latest home furnishing trends from the States; how to market a jazz club; Jumeirah’s new fitness concept; the design tricks that make a menu work

23 tenders you can’t afford to miss out on

In association with...

GLOBAL HOTEL INDEX: Asia Pacific 65.5% - Americas 63.4% - Europe 70.5% - Middle East/ Africa 60.4% (Average room occcpancy May 2012)

Publication licensed by IMPZ

Majid Sager Al Marri, Director of Hotel Classification at DTCM, shares his vision for the hotels of Dubai

DESIGNER ARTWORKS FOR HOTELS AND COMMERCIAL PROJECTS

TEL: 050 5382067 E: [email protected]

cpidubai.com HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 1JULY 2012

CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

NEWS WATCHEVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UAE AND MENA

DATA WATCHTHE LATEST STATS FROM THE REGION’S ANALYSTS

TENDERSTHE REGION’S NEWS PROJECTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

OPENING SOONFRASER SUITES, DOHA, QATAR

COVER STORYCLASSIFIED! MAJID SAGER AL MARRI EXPLAINS THE NEW HOTEL CLASSIFICATION SCHEME

SAVE ENERGY, SAVE MONEYGREEN GLOBE’S SUSTAINABILITY AUDIT CAN HELP HOTELS’ BOTTOM LINE, AND THE PLANET

GM INTERVIEWMAX WIEBERINCK DISCUSSES THE NEW ST REGIS SAADIYDAT ISLAND’S POPULARITY

SUPPLY & DEMANDWE LOOK AT BOTH SIDES OF THE CLEANING SUPPLIES CHAIN

Q&AIS A CELEBRITY CHEF STILL A DRAW FOR DUBAI’S DINERS?

HOW CAN WE MAKE DINING OUT MORE AFFORABLE?DANIEL DURING FROM THOMAS KLEIN MULLS THIS OVER

DUENJOY BANDWIDTH ON DEMAND

TRENDSTHIS MONTH’S BOLDEST AND BEST IDEAS AND PRODUCTS

COMMENTDISCOVER THE POWER OF INTEGREATED SECURITY

0420

06

11

15

20

23

29

32

48

32

23

35

40

48

50

57

72

COMMENT / EDITOR’S LETTER

PUBLISHER: Dominic De SousaGROUP COO: Nadeem Hood

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERSAlex BendiouisCarol OwenGeorgina Wilson-Powell

EDITORIALGroup Editor: Georgina [email protected] / +971 50 574 2884Contributors: Dave ReederSenior Designer: Christopher HowlettPhotography: Cris Mejorada

ADVERTISINGAntony [email protected] / +971 55 338 7639Alex [email protected] / +971 50 458 9204Carol [email protected] / +971 55 880 3817Rekha D’[email protected] [email protected]

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONSMarizel [email protected]

WEB DEVELOPERLouie Alma

PRODUCTIONOperations Director: James RawlinsProduction manager: Devaprakash

DISTRIBUTIONRochelle Almeida

SUBSCRIPTIONSwww.cpievents.net/mag/magazine.php

PRINTED BYAtlas Printing Press LLC, Dubai, UAE

PUBLISHED BY

Head Office, PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE

Tel: +971 4 440 9100

Fax: +971 4 447 2409

Group Office, Dubai Media City

Building 4, Office G08, Dubai, UAE

A publication licensed by IMPZ

© Copyright 2012 CPI. All rights reserved.

While the publishers have made every

effort to ensure the accuracy of all

information in this magazine, they will not

be held responsible for any errors therein.

4 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JULY 2012

Editor’s letterThe future is set to be an exciting time here in Dubai

Paving the way to ensure Dubai sits up there with the world’s best cities is the DTCM

This month we’re looking to

the future. So far the year’s

been one of high hopes and

excitement with a flurry of

new launches and openings but the

future’s even more exciting. Paving

the way to ensure Dubai sits up

there with the world’s best cities

is the Department of Tourism and

Commerce Marketing (DTCM),

who have revamped the tired Guest

Accommodation Classification

Scheme and come up with something

far reaching and comprehensive,

which will help Dubai flourish as a

destination for all kinds of traveller.

Read more in our exclusive interview

on page 23 and as part of our future,

we will be working closely with

DTCM to bring you their latest news

every month.

Looking to a bigger future is

Green Globe, a global sustainable

certification programme, that hopes

to ensure properties don’t just save

money but also help to save the

planet (p28). Daniel During, from

Thomas Klein, wonders how we can

help shape the future of eating out

by reconsidering alcohol licenses on

page 48, whilst two panels of expert

restauranteurs and Executive Chefs

debate whether there is still plenty of

mileage in the celebrity chef concept.

GEORGINA WILSON-POWELL GROUP EDITORGEORGINA WILSON O GROUP OR

Elsewhere in the magazine, Du,

our exclusive telecoms partner,

explores the potential opportunity

for increased bandwidth as hotels

struggle to cope with guests’ needs for

higher and higher capacity internet

connections (p50), whilst we take a

look at prospective interior design

trends on page 60. We find Accor

and Jumeirah are also both investing

in their futures, with comprehensive

staff training (p62) and rolling out

holistic updated fitness concepts

(p68) respectively.

As the summer reaches its peak

and Ramadan is nearly upon us once

again, take some time to think about

what you want for your future, here

at Hospitality Business, we know we’re

really excited about ours.

Enjoy the latest issue.

Follow us for daily updates on the global hospitality industry at HospitalityBME.

On Twitter?

NEWS WATCH

cpidubai.com6 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JULY 2012

UAE NEWS FOUR SEASONS TO OPEN IN DUBAI

IN 2014Canadian brand Four Seasons has

announced it will debut in the UAE in

Dubai on Jumeirah Beach by mid 2014.

The property is owned by Bright Start and

developed by H and H Investment and

Development. It will be called Four Seaons

Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach.

MARVEL THEME PARK PLAN RESURRECTED AT CITY OF ARABIAA good superhero never dies, and neither

does it seem a plan for a superhero based

theme park. The Marvel theme park

(Spiderman, The Avengers, X-Men) will

open Q4 2013 as part of the delayed City of

Arabia development on Emirates Road. The

indoor family entertainment centre is set

to span 350,000 square feet and is owned

and operated by Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari

(IMG) Group.

4,000+ HOTEL ROOMS ADDED IN DUBAI THIS YEARAccording to Ernst & Young’s latest report,

Dubai has 19,000 hotel rooms (excluding

hotel apartments) in the pipeline, or 32.8

per cent of the existing supply (according to

STR Global), with 4,000 to come online this

year. Openings this year will include the JW

Marriott Marquis and Movenpick JLT.

DUBAI TOURISM INDUSTRY TO GROW 6.5% UNTIL 2021The World Travel and Tourism Council

has released a report showing that the

UAE’s tourism and shopping sector should

grow by 6.5 per cent annually until 2021.

This expansion is aided by new shopping

developments in the UAE, outside of the

traditional axis of Dubai and Abu Dhabi,

such as Al Shaab Village in Sharjah.

AIR ARABIA LAUNCHES DIRECT FLIGHTS TO SALALAHAir Arabia debuted a direct route between

Sharjah and Salalh recently. The new flights

have launched just in time for ‘Khareef ’, the

popular month of cooler weather.

NEWS IN BRIEF

30% REVENUE INCREASE IN Q1 FOR ELAF

GROUP, SAUDI ARABIA

Emirates Palace awarded Certifi-cate of Excellence by TripAdvisorThe leading Abu Dhabi hotel has

been recognised by popular online

site TripAdvisor, for its sumptuous

suites and outstanding service.

The award is a result of ® training

programmes that have developed

the VIP guest service.

“TripAdvisor® is pleased to

honour exceptional businesses for

consistent excellence, as reviewed

by travellers on the site,” said

Christine Petersen, President of

TripAdvisor® for Business. “The

Certificate of Excellence award

gives highly rated establishments

the recognition they deserve.”

Emirates Palace General

Manager Bugra Berberoglu

also added, “Emirates Palace

strives to set new standards

of excellence for both service

and facilities and is delighted

to have once again received

the international acclaim it

deserves. The TripAdvisor®

Certificate of Excellence is

extremely important to our team

as it recognises the voice of the

guest and rewards our continued

efforts to ensure Emirates Palace

remains the world’s leading,

luxury destination hotel.”

Spicejet takes off from DubaiIndia’s Spicejet, a low cost carrier

service, will now operate between

Dubai, Delhi and Mumbai. The

Boeing 737-800s will operate from

Terminal 1, and more routes will be

added in the future.

“Dubai is a good market for our

airlines, which is rare to find. There

has been more tourism to India

besides the large Indian population in

UAE who visit their homeland,” said

Neil Mills, the CEO of SpiceJet.SpiceJet launched in June

Oetker HOTEL Group debuts in Abu DhabiEuropean high-end luxury brand

Oetker has announced its first steps

into the Middle Eastern market with a

new property in Abu Dhabi. Le Bristol

Abu Dhabi will open in 2013. It follows

on the heels of the latest Oetker launch

in Marrakech, Palais Namaskar, which

launched in April this year. Oetker to open in 2013 in Abu Dhabi

NEWS WATCH


$700 AVERAGE VISA TRANSACTION OF

CHINESE TOURISTS IN DUBAI

(source: Visa)

DOWNS

UPS

BOMB MAKING IN BAHRAINThe US government has expressed

concern at the finding of bomb-making

equipment in the Kingdom, which

could escalate local tension further.

QATAR’S OLYMPIC BID FAILSQatar’s dream of hosting the Olympics

alongside the FIFA World Cup has

ended. It will now focus on bringing the

Olympic rings to Doha in 2024.

HERBIELAND CANCELLEDA theme park based around Herbie, the

sentient Volkswagen Beetle has failed

to attract any interest from investors.

The project will be relocted to Arizona.

UAE NO.6 FOR MILLIONAIRE HOUSEHOLDS

Boston Consulting Group has found that

the UAE has the sixth most millionaire

households in the world, having over $1m

cash, excluding property and businesses.

ABU DHABI SPENDING AT RECORD HIGH

The IMF has recorded the UAE capital’s

spending at an all time high to around

Dh314.7 billion in 2011, up from

Dh260.2 billion in 2010.

HILTON HOTELS & RESORTS WIN AGAIN

Named Leading Choice Hotel Brand for

Business Travellers in the Middle East

by BDRC Continental for the fifth

year running.

A recent report from Visa called

‘Tourism Outlook:UAE’ compared

tourism receipts to see who spent the

most in the Emirates. Saudis spent

the most in the UAE, clocking 1.1m

transactions on Visa debit and credit

cards in 2011, with a total spend

of $336.3m. $127m of this was on

accommodation (up over 80 per cent

on last year).

Saudis spend $127m on hotels in UAEAhmed Gaber, Country Manager

for Visa in Saudi Arabia, said: “This

report highlights the ongoing appeal

of the UAE as a destination for Saudi

travellers, as well as underlining

the importance of Saudi as a source

market of considerable income for the

UAE tourism industry. Visa ensures

travellers can make purchases and

payments securely and conveniently.”

Huge sums of Saudi rials are spent in the UAE every year

DOWNS

NEWS WATCH


MARRIOTT OPENS TWO HOTELS IN RIYADHThe Marriott Group has opened luxury

projects in Riyadh. Marriot Executive

Apartments recently launched for longer

stay high end guests, whilst the Courtyard

Riyadh by Marriott will open in time for

Ramadan, and is based near the city’s

Diplomatic Quarter.

OMAN TO GET THREE STAR HOTELOmran, the government company

which looks after tourism development,

investment and management, has approved

an agreement with Duqm Special Economic

Zone Authority (DSEZA) to build the

country’s first ever pre-fabricated three star

hotel. The hotel is a result of the increased

economic activity around Duqm Port and

Dry Dock.

30 MORE HOTELS IN ABU DHABI BY 2015The Abu Dhabi Hoteliers group has reported

that there will be no fewer than 30 new

properties over the next few years including

two new Marriotts, a huge Ritz-Carlton

which is due to open next year and a new

Edition hotel, which is another Marriott

brand and five new openings from Rotana’s

portfolio of brands.

SAUDI’S HOTEL PORTFOLIO TO GROW BY 58%STR Global have reported that number

of hotel rooms within the Kingdom will

increase by 58 per cent as international

brands look to compete for the millions

of annual pilgrims. InterContinental

will increase its share by 50 per cent to

7,300 rooms by 2015, while as reported

previously, Hyatt is to add eight properties,

and Accor will open a 1,315 room Pullman

in Makkah. In addition Starwood will

increase its portfolio by five hotels.

NEWS IN BRIEFOTHERNEWS

Thursday 52 - Week

Closing share price as at: 28-June-2012 High Low

Accor (Euro) 23.3 32.0 17.0

Hyatt Hotels (US Dollar) 35.8 44.5 29.2

Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC (British Pound) 15.1 15.8 9.4

Marriott International (Euro) 37.5 40.5 24.0

Melia Hotels International 4.2 8.7 3.5

Millenium & Copthorne (pp) 475.0 526.0 368.6

NH Hotesl (Euro) 2.1 5.4 1.7

Rezidor Hotel Group (KR) 23.4 41.9 16.3

Starwood Hotels & Resorts (US Dollar) 50.3 60.8 35.8

Whitbread PLC (British Pound) 20.2 20.6 13.4

Source: Reuters

ABSOLUTE SHARE PRICE PERFORMANCE: 24-28 JUNE 2012

Hospitality consultants, HVS, impart

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NEWS WATCH


LEBANON LAUNCHES TOURISM AWARENESS CAMPAIGNLebanon has kickstarted a major

promotional campaign across both Western

and Arab countries to help increase

tourism, which contributes 20 per cent to

the country’s GDP and employs 250,000

people. However the World Travel and

Tourism Council puts its GDP contribution

at half this amount, 10 per cent or $4.3

billion. Visitor numbers dropped to 1.6m in

2011, from 2.2m in 2010 as the country’s

tourism was indirectly affected by the Arab

Spring turmoil.

SWISSOTEL MAKKAH COMMENCES OPERATIONSThe Swissotel Makkah is located a few

steps from the Grand Mosque and offers

1,487 rooms and suites, it will be the

biggest property in the chain’s portfolio.

Opening in time for Ramadan, Mohammed

Arkobi VP & MD, Fairmont Raffles Hotels

International Makkah is buoyant about the

property’s upcoming performance, “With

the most convenient location in Makkah,

we anticipate Swissotel Makkah to be the

preferred destination not only for pilgrims

and Umrah performers but also for business

travelers, who will be visiting the holy city

of Makkah.”

ELAF GROUP TO BUILD FOUR MORE HOTELS IN SAUDIElaf group of companies will construct four

further properties in response to a strong

first quarter performance. The additional

hotels will be located in Jeddah, Makkah

and Madina, resulting in an investment

of around SAR400 m. The properties will

be completed between 2012 and 2014.

“These projects are part of our continuous

efforts to address the demands of the

increasing number of tourists visiting the

Kingdom. We will remain steadfast in our

commitment to support the government’s

move to promote Saudi Arabian tourism

and help the sector become a major

contributor to the country’s economy,” said,

Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, President of Elaf Group.

NEWS IN BRIEFMENA NEWS

$98m REVENUE BROUGHT IN BY ABU DHABI HOTELS IN MAY 2012 - UP

THREE PER CENT (source: Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority)

Economy chain to go into SaudiWyndham Hotel Group, the largest

hotel company in the world has

announced a franchise with the

Saudi Automotive Services Company

(SASCO) for 20 Super 8 hotels in

the Kingdom over the next five

years. The economy branded hotels

will be close to highways and offer

convenient access to food outlets,

mosques and petrol stations.

“Super 8 is a convenient and

trusted highway hotel brand, which

makes it ideal for the long highways

and the volume of car journeys in

this market,” said Wyndham Hotel

Group’s Regional Vice President

for Middle East and Africa, Bani

Haddad. “With expertise in

automotive and roadside services,

SASCO is the ideal collaborator to

bring the brand into this market, and

we believe the relationship between

Super 8 and SASCO will ultimately

be of benefit to road travellers

throughout the Kingdom.”

These hotels will also feature Super

8’s new room concept for the MENA

region which includes large family

rooms with adjacent living spaces to

reflect local market needs.

Al Jebel al Akhdar, Oman to be ready end 2013The Omani resort hotel at Hail

Misbhat will open in December 2013,

its owners Omran have announced.

Dawood Contracting has overseen the

construction of the property, working

to international LEED requirement

SASCO signs the Super 8 deal with Wyndham Hotel Group

to protect the local environment. The

hotel resort will be one of Oman’s first

environmentally friendly properties.

Operators Alila have planned a cliff-

side restaurant and a pool, 2,000m

above sea level.

DATA WATCH

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 11cpidubai.com JULY 2012

Data watchGlobal hotel data review for May 2012 from STR Global

ΜAY 2012 VS MAY 2011

ASIA PACIFIC

OCC% ADR PERCENTAGE CHANGE FROM MAY 2011

2012 2011 2012 2011 OCC ADR REVPAR

65.5 64.0 135.85 134.56 2.3 1.0 3.3

REVPAR

AMERICAS


2012 2011 2012 2011 OCC ADR REVPAR

63..4 61.4 107.64 104.38 3.4 3.1 6.6

REVPAR

EUROPE


2012 2011 2012 2011 OCC ADR REVPAR

70.5 71.2 134.93 149.19 -1.0 -9.6 -10.5

REVPAR

MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA


2012 2011 2012 2011 OCC ADR REVPAR

60.4 53.3 146.32 148.68 13.3 -1.6 11.5

REVPAR

2012 2011

88.94 86.12

2012 2011

2012 2011

2012 2011

KEY FIGURES

6.6% INCREASE IN

REVPAR FROM MAY

2011 IN AMERICAS

2.3% INCREASE IN

OCCUPANCY FROM

MAY 2012 IN ASIA

-10.5% DECREASE IN REVPAR

FROM MAY 2011

IN EUROPE

13.3% INCREASE IN OCCUPANCY

FROM MAY 2011 IN

MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA

68.30 64.04

95.11 106.27

88.39 79.30

DATA WATCH

DATA WATCH

12 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JULY 2012 cpidubai.com

The hotel benchmarkThe Earnst & Young hotel benchmark report provides a monthly performance overview of leading hotels

in the Middle East. It includes five star and four star international branded and operated properties

DUBAI OVERALL MONTHLY PERFORMANCE

DATA WATCH

% OCCUPANCY DUBAI - OVERALL HOTELS

Occupancy % April 2011 - April 2012100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Occu

panc

y %

Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr

75.2 76.7 75.980.8

52.6

74.1

82.387.4

8387.9 87.7 89.3

85.7

AVERAGE ROOM RATE DUBAI - OVERALL HOTELS (US$)

Average Room Rate April 2011 - April 2012350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

Aver

age

Room

Rat

e


249

193

156 158 147

189

255

217

254274 268

280290

REV PAR IN DUBAI - OVERALL HOTLES(US$)

Room Yield April 2011 - April 2012300

250

200

150

100

50

0

Room

Yie

ld


187

148

119 128

77

140

210189

211

241 235250 249

KEY FIGURES

Dhs290 AVERAGE ROOM RATE IN

DUBAI IN APRIL 2012

6.7% INCREASE IN ADR IN

MUSCAT FROM 2011

10.6% INCREASE IN

OCCUPANCY

IN DUBAI

FROM 2011

DATA WATCH

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 13HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 13cpidubai.com JULY 2012

DATA WATCH

VARIOUS MARKETS MONTHLY PERFORMANCE (US DOLLAR)ERNST & YOUNG MIDDLE EAST HOTEL BENCHMARK SURVEY

MONTHLY PERFORMANCE: 4/2012 CURRENCY: US$

KEY FIGURES

13.3% INCREASE IN ADR IN

DOHA FROM 2011

22% INCREASE IN

OCCUPANCY IN

MANAMA FROM 2011

Dhs208 AVERAGE ROOM RATE IN

ABU DHABI

OCCUPANCY AVERAGE ROOM RATE ROOMS YEILD

CURRENCY 2012% 2011% CHANGE IN

% POINTS

2012 2011 CHANGE 2012 2011 CHANGE

Bahrain

Manama US$ 38.0 16.0 22.0 272 180 51.2% 106 30 255.4&

Egypt

Cairo — City US$ 49.0 26.0 23.0 92 117 -22.0% 45 31 45.9%

Cairo — Overall US$ 50.8 30.2 20.6 96 120 -19.4% 49 36 35.6%

Hurghada US$ 73.0 56.0 17.0 32 33 -1.7% 24 19 29.0%

Sharm El Shaikh US$ 77.0 50.0 27.0 50 55 -8.4 39 28 40.4%

Jordan

Amman US$ 85.0 50.0 35.0 145 144 1.0% 124 72 70.7%

Kuwait

Kuwait City US$ 54.0 46.0 8.0 275 268 2.5% 149 126 18.7%

Lebanon

Beirut US$ 66.0 61.0 5.0 208 196 6.1% 138 120 14.9%

Oman

Muscat US$ 73.0 65.0 8.0 226 211 6.7% 165 138 19.6%

Qatar

Doha US$ 66.0 57.0 9.0 283 250 13.3% 188 143 32.1

Saudi Arabia

Jeddah US$ 79.0 75.0 4.0 226 227 -0.7 180 172 4.8%

Madina US$ 79.0 85.0 -6.0 162 139 16.4% 129 119 8.7%

Makkah US$ 90.0 92.0 -2.0 195 234 -16.7% 176 216 -18.5%

Riyadh US$ 65.0 63.0 2.0 232 219 5.9% 153 139 10.1%

UAE

Abu Dhabi US$ 77.0 74.0 3.0 208 204 1.8% 161 153 5.7%

Al Ain US$ 76.0 60.0 16.0 144 152 -5.4% 110 91 20.5%

Dubai — Apartments US$ 88.0 86.0 2.0 120 119 0.7% 106 102 3.4%

Dubai — Beach US$ 87.0 73.0 14.0 461 404 14.1% 401 298 34.6%S

Dubai — City US$ 84.0 74.0 10.0 201 181 11.2% 170 135 25.8

Dubai — Overall US$ 85.7 75.2 10.6 290 249 16.3% 249 187 32.7

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www.parasol.ae [email protected] +971 (0)4 347 9003 +971 55 282 1711

Tel: +9712-6348495Web: www.EmiratesTenders.com

BUDGET FOR AL BAYAA TEACHING HOSPITAL,

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

$210 m

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 15JULY 2012

TendersAll the essential information on this month’s

new and existing projects

Project name: Sheikh Khalifa Medical City - SKMC

(Abu Dhabi)

City : Abu Dhabi

Postal/Zip Code: 51900

Country : United Arab Emirates

Phone : (+971-2) 610 3699 / 610 2177

Fax : (+971-2) 610 4532

City : Abu Dhabi

Nature of work: Provision of catering and food

services for a hospital.

Cost of Tender Documents ($): 820

Last date of submission: July 12, 2012

Project name : Royal Saudi Air Force (Saudi Arabia)

City : Dhahran

Country : Saudi Arabia

Phone : (+966-3) 879 2963

Nature of work: Provision of food catering services

for a college.



Project name: Shaqra University (Saudi Arabia)


Nature of work: Operation of Restaurants and

Canteens at a university and its colleges.

Cost of Tender Documents ($): 1,335


Project name: King Fahd Medical City (Saudi

Arabia)

City : Riyadh 11525

Postal/Zip Code : 59046


Phone : (+966-1) 288 9999 ext:1449

Fax : (+966-1) 461 4006 / 467 4006

/ 1458

Nature of work: Provision of food

catering services to patients for a

medical city.

Cost of Tender Documents ($):

13,335

Last date of submission: August 5, 2012

Project name: Ministry of Health (Saudi Arabia)

City : Riyadh 11176



Phone : (+966-1) 401 5292/ 401 2220/ 401 5555

Ext. 1277

Fax : (+966-1) 402 6944/ 402 9876

Cost of Tender Documents ($): Provision of

catering services for a health authority.



Tel: (+971) 2 634 8495www.EmiratesTenders.com

NEW TENDERSProject Name: Al Bayaa Teaching Hospital Project

Project Number: WPR010-IQ

Territory: Iraq

Client Name: Ministry of Higher Education &

Scientific Research (Iraq)

Address: Kirkuk Road, Erbil

City: Kurdistan

Country: Iraq

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.mhe-krg.org

Description: Construction of Al Bayaa Teaching

Hospital comprising (600) beds, which will be used to

train physicians and other medical professionals.

Budget: $210,000,000

Status: New tender

Remarks: This project is in Baghdad. The new

teaching hospital will help improve healthcare

services in Baghdad and throughout Iraq. US’

Hill International has been awarded a contract

worth an estimated $5.2 million to provide design

management and construction management services

on this scheme. Duration of the contract is

three years.

Project Manager: Hill International, Inc. (USA)

Tender: Categories, Construction & Contracting,

Medical & Healthcare

Tender Products: All products selected

Project Name: Le Meridien Hotel Mina Seyahi

Refurbishment Project

Project Number: OPR566-U

Territory: Dubai

Client Name: Wasl Asset Management Group

(Dubai)

City: Dubai


Country: United Arab Emirates

Phone: (+971-4) 398 6666

Fax: (+971-4) 398 8111


Website: www.wasl.ae

Description: Carrying out refurbishment of Le

Meridien Hotel Mina Seyahi.

Status: Current project

Remarks: This hotel is located on Plot No. 3925304

in Dubai Marina. Local Golden Wing Contracting has

been appointed as the main contractor.

Main Consultant: Brewer Smith Brewer Gulf (Dubai)

MEP Consultant: Mario Associates Engineering

Consultants (Dubai)

NEW SUPPLY AND SERVICE TENDERS


TENDERS

BUDGET FOR DREAM TOWER, DUBAI MARINA

$460m

Structural Consultant: Brewer Smith Brewer

Gulf (Dubai)

Interior Design: Consultant Brewer Smith Brewer

Gulf (Dubai)

Quantity Surveyor: Sweett Group (Dubai)

Main Contractor: Golden Wing Contracting

L.L.C (Dubai)

MEP Contractor: Bin Shafar Electromechanical

Engineering L.L.C (Dubai)

Civil Engineering Contractor: Honest

Construction L.L.C (Dubai)

Tender Categories: Construction & Contracting

Hotels

Tender Products: Civil Works Construction &

Addition Works Hotel Construction Modification,

Repair & Refurbishing Services

Project Name: Al Mohanna Trade Centre Project

Project Number: OPR560-Q

Territory: Qatar

Client Name: Private Investor (Qatar)

Description: Construction of Al

Mohanna Trade Centre comprising a

hotel and offices tower consisting of

three basements, a ground floor and

(57) upper floors.


Remarks: This tower will be located in

Corniche street, near Sheraton Doha Hotel in Qatar.

Local Noor Al Huda Trading & Contracting has been

awarded the main construction contract. Earthworks

have commenced on the development. Local Al

Gazeerah Consulting Engineering Office is acting as

the consultant.

Main Consultant: Al Gazeerah Consulting

Engineering Office (Qatar)

Main Contractor: Noor Al Huda Trading &

Contracting (Qatar)

Tender Categories: Hotels Prestige Buildings

Tender Products: High-rise Towers Hotel

Construction

Project Name: Headquarters Building Project

Project Number: MPP2659-SAnm

Territory: Saudi Arabia

Client Name: Al-Abdulkarim Holding (Saudi Arabia)

Description: Construction of headquarters building

comprising 105-metre-high, 35-storey office tower.

Status: New tender

Remarks: This project will be located at Dammam

in Saudi Arabia. The commercial office tower will

have a built-up area of 54,846 square metres. Part of

the (27) office floors will be designed for the client’s

headquarters and remaining floors will be rented

to external companies. Size of the office floors will

range from 1,130 square metres to 1,344 square

metres. The facility will have parking spaces in the

basement and (7) podium levels. One of the podiums

will be used for retail facilities. Tower is scheduled

to open in 2014. Dubai-based Dewan Architects &

Engineers has been awarded a contract to design

the tower.

Design Consultant: Dewan Architects & Engineers

(Saudi Arabia)

Tender Categories: Prestige Buildings

Tender Products: High-rise Towers

Project Name: Delta 1 Residential Tower Project -

Dubai Marina


Territory: Dubai

Client Name: Delta Properties L.L.C (Dubai)

City: Dubai



Phone: (+971-4) 376 7555

Fax: (+971-4) 386 9001

Description: Construction of

21-storey Delta 1 residential tower.


Remarks: This tower will be located

on Plot 2Q, No. 392-259 in Dubai Marina.

Local Engineering Contracting Company has

been awarded the main construction contract. Work

is yet to commence on the development due to some

negotiations ongoing with the client. The project is

expected to be completed within (14) months after

commencement of work on site.

Main Consultant: National Engineering Bureau

(Dubai)

Main Contractor: Engineering Contracting

Company L.L.C. - ECC (Dubai)



Project Name: Dream Tower Project - Dubai Marina


Territory: Dubai

Client Name: Private Investor (Dubai)

Description Construction of Dream Tower

comprising four basement floors, a ground floor, (40)

upper floors, a mechanical floors and roof.

Budget: $460,000,000


Remarks: This tower will be located on Plot No. 392-

287-9E in Dubai Marina. Local S.S. Lootah Contracting

Company has been appointed as the main contractor.

Work has commenced on the development.

Main Consultant: Al Ajmi Engineering

Consultants (Dubai)

Financial Consultant: Emirates Islamic

Bank (Dubai)

Main Contractor: S.S. Lootah Contracting Company

(Dubai)

MEP Contractor: MAG International Electrome-

chanical Works L.L.C (Dubai)

Dewatering Contractor: National Dewatering &

Land Drainage Company L.L.C (Dubai)



Project Name: MY Tower Project


Territory: Dubai

Client Name: Worldwide Project Management

(Dubai)

Address: No. 2901, Saba Tower, Jumeirah Lake

Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road

City: Dubai



Phone: (+971-4) 427 0596


Website: www.worldwidepm.com

Description: Construction of MY Tower comprising

five basement floors, a ground floor, two mezzanine

floors, a podium, (30) upper floors, a mechanical

floor, a health club floor and roof.


Remarks: This project will be located in Dubai

Marina. Local Dubco Construction has been appointed

as the main contractor. Work has commenced on

the development.

Main Consultant: Dimensions Engineering

Consultant (Dubai)

Main Contractor: Dubco Construction L.L.C (Dubai)

Foundations: Enabling & Piling Contractor

International Foundation Group L.L.C (Dubai)



Project Name: Al Duaa Marina Tower Project


Territory: Dubai

Client Name: Al Duaa Holdings (Dubai)

City: Dubai



Phone: (+971-4) 341 7955

Fax: (+971-4) 341 7956


Website: www.alduaaholdings.com

Description: Construction of Al Duaa Marina Tower.


Remarks: This tower will be located on Plot No.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 17JULY 2012cpidubai.com

TENDERS

STOREY JW MARRIOTT TO BE BUILT IN BAHRAIN BAY

50

392-481-31 in Dubai Marina District 3. Local Kele

Contracting has been appointed as the main

contractor. Work has commenced on site.

Main Consultant: Dimensions Engineering

Consultant (Dubai)

Main Contractor: Kele Contracting L.L.C (Dubai)

Foundations: Enabling & Piling Contractor, Geo

Foundation Group LLC (Dubai)



Project Name: Mixed-Use Development Project -

Obhur District

Project Number: MPP2633-SA

Territory Saudi Arabia

Client: Rayadah Investment Company (Saudi Arabia)

Phone : (+966 1) 205 9911

Email : [email protected]

Website: www.raid.com.sa

Description: Design and construction of a 2.4m

sq metre mixed-use development in Obhur, which

includes (240 Nos.) residential towers, (1,200 Nos.)

villas, a five-star hotel, hospital, clinics, mosques,

commercial district, schools and municipal buildings.

Status: New tender

Remarks: This project is at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

Client has received prequalification entries for an

infrastructure package on the residential scheme

and is planning to issue tender documents for

the contract by July 2012. Local office of KEO

International Consultants has been appointed as the

project manager on this development.

Project Manager: KEO International Consultants

(Saudi Arabia)

Tender categories: Construction & Contracting,

Hotels, Medical & Healthcare

Tender products: Hospital Consumables, Hotel

Construction, Mixed-use Developments

Project Name: Dubai Modern Art Museum & Opera

House District Project - Downtown Dubai

Project Number: MPP2624-U

Territory: Dubai

Client Name: Emaar Properties PJSC (Dubai)

Phone: (+971 4) 367 3333


Website: www.emaar.com

Description: Construction of Dubai Modern Art

Museum and Opera House District comprising a

modern art museum, opera house, cultural facilities,

including two hotels, studios and leisure facilities.

Status: New tender

Remarks: This project will be located next to Burj

Khalifa development in Downtown Dubai area. The

Cultural District is part of Dubai’s efforts to expand

the cultural infrastructure.

Tender categories: Leisure & Entertainment,

Hotels, Construction & Contracting

Tender products: Hotel Construction, Museums/

Art Galleries

Project Name: Premier Inn Hotel Project -

Education City

Project Number: MPP2614-Q

Territory: Qatar

Client Name: Qatar Foundation

Phone: (+974) 4454 0000


Website: www.qf.edu.qa

Description: Construction of three-star Premier Inn

Hotel comprising four storeys, including (200) rooms.

Status: New tender

Remarks:This project will be located within the

Education City development on the western edge

of Doha in Qatar and cover a total area of 14 square

kilometres. UAE-based Dewan Architects & Engineers

has been awarded a consultancy contract to design

and supervise the construction on this scheme. The

hotel is set to open in 2013.

Design Consultant: Dewan Architects & Engineers

(Qatar)

Tender Categories: Construction & Contracting

Hotels: Tender Products, Hotel Construction

Project Name: JW Marriott Hotel Construction

Project - Bahrain Bay Waterfront Development

Project Number: MPP2597-B

Territory: Bahrain

ClientName: Remza Investment

Company (Bahrain)

Phone: (+973) 1782 2122


Description: Construction of

50-storey JW Marriott Hotel on a

waterfront development.

Status: New tender

Remarks: This project will be located in Bahrain Bay

Waterfront Development. It is being implemented by

local Khaleej Capital a joint venture of Qatar-based

Business Trading Company and the local Remza

Investment Company. The scheme will consist of

a 50-storey tower on top of a five-storey podium,

with three floors of underground parking. The

development will cover a total area of 97,000 square

metres. East side of the tower will contain 276

hotel rooms and related facilities and the west side

will contain 96 serviced apartments. Five-storey

podium will contain the banquet hall and meeting

facilities, lobbies and common areas, in addition to

200 car parking spaces. The underground car park

will contain 220 car parking spaces. Contractors have

been invited to pre-qualify for the main contract on

this scheme. Local YDA & Associates is acting as the

design consultant.

Design Consultant: Yousif Dawood Al Sayegh

Consultants (Bahrain)

Tender categories: Hotels, Prestige Buildings,

Construction & Contracting, Leisure & Entertainment

Tender Products: High-rise Towers and

Hotel Construction

Project Name: Seef Lusail Multi-use Development

Project

Project Number: ZPR610-Q

Territory: Qatar

Client Name: Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment

Company (Qatar)

Phone: (+974) 4497 4444

Fax: (+974) 4497 4333

Website: www.qataridiar.com

Description: Development of Seef Lusail multi-use

scheme covering an area of 600,000 square metres.

Status: New tender

Remarks: This project is in Qatar. A new company

known as Seef Lusail Real Estate Development

Company (SEEF) has been established, which is a

joint venture between Masraf Al Rayan and Qatari

Diar. Seef Lusail will be located at the waterfront of

Lusail, a distinctive 21st century iconic city, which

celebrates the special cultural and geographical

heritage of Qatar and the Gulf region. The scheme

will feature an interactive 2.3-kilometre waterfront

promenade that includes multiple world-

class attractions catering to various age

group and families. The design will

take into consideration the climate

in Qatar, in order to have a lively and

active waterfront all year long. The

hotels in Seef Lusail will cater to family,

business and luxury leisure segments.

One of the hotels will be a fully integrated

resort and spa providing guests with a unique

leisure experience. Discussions and negotiations are

currently underway with global hotel brands that

will bring new concepts and ideas to Qatar. UK-based

Broadway Malyan has been awarded a contract to

design and manage the delivery of headquarters

and a presentation centre in this development.

Aimed at visitors, the presentation centre contains

an interactive display of the project, as well as a

model of Doha with future projects planned for the

city and an F&B outlet. Broadway Malyan’s design

team will deliver architecture, landscape and interior

design services for the presentation centre, which

will comply with the Qatar Sustainability Assessment

TENDERS


System (QSAS). Design work is due to be delivered

by mid-2012, with the project aiming for completion

soon after.

Design Consultant: Broadway Malyan (Abu Dhabi)

Master Plan Consultant: DP Architects Pte. Ltd.

(Singapore)

Tender Categories: Leisure & Entertainment,

Hotels, Construction & Contracting

Tender Products: Hotel Construction, Public

Buildings, Retail Developments

Project Name: Mondrian Doha Hotel Project

Project Number: OPR557-Q

Territory: Qatar

Client: Name : Al Hamla Holding (Qatar)

Description: Construction of Mondrian Doha Hotel

comprising two basements, a ground floor, a podium

and (25) upper floors.


Remarks: This hotel will be located in Lusail area

of Qatar. Local SEG Qatar has been appointed as the

main contractor. Construction is already underway.

Almost six floors have been completed. Local South

West Architecture is acting as the design and

supervision consultant. The hotel will be operated by

Morgans Hotel Group.

Main Consultant: South West Architecture (Qatar)

Design Consultant: South West Architecture (Qatar)

Main Contractor: Societe d Enterprise & de Gestion

- SEG W.L.L (Qatar)

Aluminium Products Supplier: Alumco Qatar WLL

Steel Products Supplier: Blue Steel Factory W.L.L

Foundations, Enabling & Piling Contractor: Navayuga

Engineering Company W.L.L (Qatar)

Tender Categories: Hotels, Prestige Buildings

Tender Products: High-rise Towers, Hotel

Construction

Project Name: Ramada Hotel Tower Project

Project Number: MPR1388-U

Territory: Sharjah

Client: Private Investor (Kuwait)

Description: Construction of Ramada Hotel Tower

with two basement levels, a mezzanine level, three

parking levels and 34 storeys of hotel rooms.

Budget ($):55,000,000


Remarks: This project will be built on Buhaira

Corniche in Sharjah. Local Al-Hamad Contracting

Company has been awarded the main construction

contract on this scheme and the work has

commenced. Local Bin Dalmouk Consultants is acting

as the main consultant.

Main Consultant: Bin Dalmouk Consultants

Main Contractor: Al Hamad Contracting Company

Tender Categories: Construction & Contracting,

Hotels

Tender Products: Hotel Construction

Project Name: Assila Towers Project

Project Number: NPR002-SA

Territory: Saudi Arabia

ClientName: AMIAS Real Estate Company Ltd.

Description: Construction of 60-storey Assila Towers

comprising a five-star hotel with (242) rooms and

(104) serviced apartments.


Remarks: This project is in Jeddah and will cover

a built-up area of 46,949 square metres. The tower

will consist of two basement levels below ground.

It is understood that the hotel will be managed and

operated by Rocco Forte Hotels. Local construction

company Al Saad General Contracting has been

awarded the main construction contract on this

scheme. Dubai-based construction firm Drake & Scull

International (DSI) has been awarded an estimated

$37 million turnkey contract to carry out the

mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) works.

Main Architect: Mohammed Harasani Architects

Design Consultant: Perkins & Will (USA)

Main Contractor: Al Saad General Contracting

MEP Contractor: Drake & Scull International

Tender Categories: Prestige Buildings, Hotels


Construction

Project Name: Al-Habtoor Palace Hotel Project

Project Number: MPP2570-U

Territory: Dubai

Client Name: Al Habtoor Group L.L.C. (Dubai)

Phone: (+971 4) 343 1111


Website: www.habtoor.com

Description: Construction of 36-storey Al-Habtoor

Palace Hotel comprising a 226-room luxury hotel, a

fashion hotel with (424) rooms and a 996-room hotel,

including a five-star spa, a sports academy, multiple

theme restaurants, meeting facilities, a shopping

arcade and a theatre showing productions from

Broadway and Las Vegas.

Budget ($):130,000,0000

Period: 2016


Remarks: This hotel will be located on Sheikh Zayed

road in Dubai. It will be built on the property that is

currently housing the Metropolitan Hotel, opposite

Al Safa Park. The new hotel will comprise two

basement levels, a ground floor, mezzanine floor and

four-level podium with a 36-storey tower covering a

total built-up area of about 372,000 square metres.

Once completed, the complex will be one of the

region’s most luxurious hotel and entertainment

developments. The landmark development will

include:

1,600 hotel rooms, spread between three hotels

(lifestyle, luxury and main);

An iconic Las Vegas-style ‘aqua’ theatre;

A French provincial-inspired garden; and

Food and beverage venues.

Local/Australian joint venture Habtoor Leighton

Group (HLG) has been awarded a $515 million

contract on this scheme. Under the agreement, HLG

will be responsible for construction of the integrated

hotel complex comprising a five-level podium, a

36-storey tower and a 25-storey tower within a total

gross floor area of 350,000 square metres. Early works

are likely to begin in June 2012. The development is

scheduled for completion in second half of 2016.

Design Consultant: Khatib & Alami Consolidated

Engineering Company (Dubai)

Main Contractor: Al Habtoor Leighton L.L.C (Dubai)



Construction

Project Name: Dusit Thani Hotel Complex Project

Project Number: SPR564-U

Territory: Abu Dhabi

Client Name: East & West Properties (Abu Dhabi)

Address : Muroor Road, Opp. Al Jazira Club

Phone: (+971 2) 813 0000


Website: www.eastandwest.ae

Description: Design and construction of a mixed-use

complex comprising three buildings: the five-star

hotel, commercial and residential buildings.

Budget ($):200,000,000


Remarks: This project will be located in front of

Al Jazeerah Sports Club in Abu Dhabi. The 5-star

hotel building comprises three basement levels, a

ground floor and 39 additional floors. The commercial

building comprises three basement levels, a ground

floor and 36 additional floors. The residential building

comprises three basement levels, a ground floor and

35 additional floors. Amenities in the project include

modern food and beverage outlets, a health club,

a spa, a swimming pool, and a dedicated club floor

with an executive lounge. Dubai-based Al Habtoor

Engineering has been appointed as the main contrac-

tor to carry out this scheme.

Main Contractor: Al Habtoor Engineering

Enterprises L.L.C (Dubai)


Tender Products: Hotel Construction

T: +971 4 420 1088 E: [email protected] W: WWW.SPYRODUBAI.COMP.O.BOX: 113268 - DUBAI - UAE

ACRYLIC GUEST ROOM ACCESSORIESSPECIAL OFFER ON STOCK CLEARENCE

HOSPITALITY SOLUTIONS

TEST TUBE STAND QUANTITY AVAILABLE: 100

SOAP DISH QUANTITY AVAILABLE: 200

ICE BUCKET QUANTITY AVAILABLE: 464

MEMO PAD HOLDER QUANTITY AVAILABLE: 1300

BATH SALT CONTAINER QUANTITY AVAILABLE: 504

COFFEE POD SETQUANTITY AVAILABLE: 304

AMENITY TRAY SET QUANTITY AVAILABLE: 72 WASTE BASKET QUANTITY AVAILABLE: 340

TISSUE BOX QUANTITY AVAILABLE: 340

AMENITY HOLDER QUANTITY AVAILABLE: 936

WATER TRAY QUANTITY AVAILABLE: 200

cpidubai.com

Singaporean company, Fraser

Suites, had the official opening

of their first serviced apartments

in Qatar, last month. The 138

room property is fully furnished

and suited for long term guests

or large families wanting

an apartment stay with

multiple bedrooms, rather

than a hotel. Long term

guests may stay as long as

one year, before renewing

their contract.

The dry property is owned by the

Al Hitmi Group and although each

owner can style their own Fraser

Suites as they see fit, the

brand (which now has 64

properties all over the

world), offers a global

‘gold standard’ in

hotel services.

Since opening the

property has seen

repeat business to

the tune of 40–50 per

cent, with 22 per cent

of guests staying for

one year or longer.

To meet the needs of its

primarily business guests

the hotel apartments will

be converting the

entire first

GM: Mustapha Henini

Architects: NORR Group Consultants Ltd.

Interior designers: Badri & Bensouda

Contractors: Al Hitmi Property Development

Key players at Fraser Suites Doha

OPENING SOON

Sweet suitesFraser Suites offers five star luxury serviced apartments five minutes from Doha airport

floor into a series of multi-purpose

meeting rooms, to add to the current

offering of two, which have been

converted from suites. It will also be

offering a variety of courses to its long

term guests such as painting, cooking

and yoga.

The hotel will then convert the top

two floors (14 and 15) to a premium

executive experience which will

include its own check in/out, butler

service and more.

ACCOMMODATION 42 studio apartments

There are two types of studio

apartments, Deluxe or Premier,

between 50 and 86 sq m. All come

with a small kitchen and living space,

double bed and dining table for two.

A large bathroom with shower and

bathtub is standard throughout every

apartment and studio.

54 one bedroom apartmentsThese vary between 100 and 120 sq m,

depending on the Deluxe or Premier

variation. Each has a large bathroom,

fully fitted kitchen, living room,

double bedroom and work space.

28 two bedroom apartmentsAround 165 sq m, with a double and

a twin room and a fully fitted kitchen.

93%AVERAGE OCCUPANCY LEVELS IN JUNE 2012


Main pic: Exterior of

the Fraser Suites Doha

OPENING SOON


Also comes with a large storage room/

maid’s room.

14 three bedroom apartmentA 215 sq m space which can sleep six

people, with three bedrooms and three

bathrooms. Fully fitted kitchen, large

dining and living room area and a

maid’s room with its own en-suite.

Each apartment includes: Kitchen, complete with washing

machine and/or washer dryer.

Dishwasher (in everything above a

studio suite)

Wi-fi

One or two flatscreen TVs

DVD player

Dining area (for between two and

six, depending on room)

Work station (above a studio suite)

In room safe

Direct dial telephone with voicemail

F&B

The property offers the following:

The Restaurant The ground floor eaterie serves a

buffet breakfast and a la carte lunch

and dinner with a range of Arabic

and international dishes.

The Café Offers juices, teas, coffees and

pastries, the lobby café is a space

for those staying at the hotel to host

guests or meet others.

In room dining offered between 7am-

midnight.

FACILITIES Rooftop pool overlooking the Islamic

Museum of Modern Art with small

kids’ pool

Large gym

Spa, sauna and steam rooms

Two meeting rooms

24 hour concierge

Three atrium lounges where guests

can conduct meetings

Kids’ club

Occupancy demographic

70% LONG TERTM

Long term stay (over one month) vs short term stay (under one month)

30% SHORT TERTM

EUROPEANS

80% GCC

20%

Clockwise from top:

One of the atriums at

the hotel; the gym;

one of the apartments.

Fraser Suites Doha48675 Al Meena Street,Corniche Road,P.O.Box # 29444DohaQatarTel: +974 442 43444www.doha.fraserhospitality.com

COVER STORY


CLASSIFIED!Majid Sager Al Marri, Director of Hotel Classification at DTCM,

shares his vision for the hotels of Dubai

The Guest Accommodation

Classification Scheme from the

Department of Tourism and

Commerce Marketing (DTCM)

was launched at this year’s ATM,

but it has been a couple of years in

the making. The department’s team

travelled to international and local

destinations to gather ideas, perform

benchmark studies and collate

industry feedback. The result is an

all encompassing system, with eight

accommodation categories from

hotel resort to budget, through to

timeshares and youth hostels, which

reflects Dubai’s more mature and

diversified hospitality industry.

“We started the previous

classification, which was the first in

the region in 1998. The department

of tourism was started in 1997. So

Majid Sager Al Marri

COVER STORY


this is the first time the classification

has been revised since then and

Dubai has changed so much. It was

time we had a more comprehensive

system that includes more options.

We need to raise the bar a little bit,

a lot of hotels have a large portion

of the guidelines we’re requesting,

by raising the bar we’ve said these

are the services we’re focusing

on,” says Majid Sager Al Marri,

Director of Hotel Classification at

the Department of Tourism and

Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

As well as changing the overall

categories, the new scheme goes into

much more detail, and is much more

precise, to bring tangible standards

to Dubai’s hotel landscape. John

Podaras, Director of Christie + Co

explains further,

“Dubai has been using a star

system to grade properties, ranging

from one to five to which it now adds

a new lower end, ‘Budget’ category.

These grading systems which

traditionally deal with the hotel

hardware (size of rooms, bathrooms),

number and types of facilities etc., are

now quite specific in the hardware

requirement (down to the presence

of an internal lock for cloakrooms,

There’s a long history of hotel classification,

says John Podaras, Director Christie + Co.

“Hotel classification systems are not

especially new or uniform across the world,

but they do owe their existence to the need

of the consumer to rate the product so that

others will have an idea of the experience

before using it. Hotel classifications in

Europe originated with cycling clubs at the

turn of the last century that classified the

inns and guests houses that the various

cycling clubs would use at that time.

The WTO (World Tourism Organisation)

and IH&RA (International Hotel and

Restaurant Association) have been running

surveys on world hotel classification systems

and one of the conclusions of their 2004

survey was that ‘to be sustainable, tourism

should seek to consolidate its diversity

and not seek uniformity’. Consequently it

makes a great deal of sense for classification

systems to focus on the requirements

of the specific destination and the main

stakeholders of its hotel industry.”

HOTEL CLASSIFICATION HISTORY

table seat height ratio for restaurant

seating, meeting room equipment

etc.). These have been further

enhanced by the addition of ‘soft’

service related touches such as the

requirement for cultural awareness,

staff uniform requirements,

stipulations as to telephone manner,

guest greetings and so on.”

“We have 579 hotel properties

in Dubai, with a capacity of 75,

546 rooms so it’s time to focus on

increasing and enhancing services.

We have worked closely with the

hotel operators and management

teams, across all types of categories in

the draft plan, getting their feedback,”

adds Al Marri.

The development of the categories

for hotels has been a reaction to

Dubai’s wider welcome in the last

few years to a broader selection of

business and leisure travellers, in not

just the five star market.

“It’s a big difference and it works

towards our vision for Dubai 2015,”

says Al Marri. “We’re looking into the

sustainability of tourism and focusing

on the development of what we have

as well. We’re looking at new products

and avenues for tourism such as

sports tourism or health tourism as

we have Sports City and Healthcare

City, so we need to have a system in

place that can reflect all these things.”

“Hotels in Dubai, until fairly

recently, tended to cater to everyone.

A limited supply meant that no

matter what the purpose of visiting,

guests had a limited choice of hotels

and, for example, it would not be

unusual for a corporate guest with

business in Jebel Ali to be staying

at the Forte Grand (as Le Royal

Meridien was called) looking out

of the club room to the beach full

of holiday makers. This may not

necessarily be a bad thing, but it

doesn’t always address the specific

needs of that market segment.

As the market has matured and

Dubai has grown in size, there will be

a growing need for more specialised

hotels catering to specific market

needs,” adds Podaras.

The classification scheme then

allows for 18 designators, which

hotels can apply for to differentiate

themselves from their competitors,

Dubai’s visitor numbers

VISITORS IN 2011

9.3m VISITORS IN 2012

10-11m

COVER STORY


COCOCCOCOOCOCOCOCOCOCC VEVEVEVEVEVEVEEVEVEVEER R RRRR R RR STSTSTSTTSTSTSTSTTOROROORORORORRRROROOOOOO YYYYYYYYYY

We wanted to create something unique, where everyone can benefit, which will help hotels sell their product internationally and help visitors choose the right place to stayMajid Saber Al Marri, Director of Hotel

Classifications, DTCM

such as beach, desert, golf or

conference hotel. These are also an

essential aid for consumers when

booking. Again they reflect the move

to a more mature market within

Dubai as the hotel landscape has

become more secure and stable, and

each property has a distinct idea of its

unique offerings and its place within

the market.

“More importantly,” says Podaras,

“Designators provide tangible

statistics for the amenities that Dubai

as a whole can offer to particular

segments of the market and help the

authorities to target specific sectors

of the market, or to plan their hotel

stock to meet anticipated demand in

certain sectors.”

The DTCM have had an

overwhelming positive reaction from

Main picture:

Majid Saber Al Marri at

his office in Dubai.


COVER STORY

hoteliers on the designators, as they

aid in promoting each hotel properly

and in a focused manner.

“We meet with the industry a lot,”

says Al Marri. “They are our partner

in this and we appreciate their

feedback. Every star category has its

own co-ordinator.”

“Imposing regulatory controls

is always difficult, especially when

dealing with such a complex

entity. The latest version of DTCM

classification has gone further than

any other system that we have seen

to bring about a quantified quality

system that offers benefits to all

stakeholders and accommodates their

needs,” says Podaras.

In addition to all of this, the

DTCM have responded to the high-

end of the market’s requests on how

to make anything above a five star

hotel stand out,

“The argument has always been on

how to recognise hotels which are

demonstrably a class or more above

the standard (5-star). The industry

has argued for at least two levels

above the “standard 5-star” level,

leading to self-appointed 6 and 7-star

classifications,” says Podaras.

So DTCM will introduce two

Accolades, at gold and a platinum

level, which will distinguish the

variations at the top end of the scale.

Any five star hotels, or part of a hotel

within a larger five star resort can

apply for these, an inspection will

be done and each Accolade is valid

for two years. As with all categories

and designators in the new scheme

the check list is comprehensive. For

instance a hotel wanting a Platinum

Accolade, would have to have in

room check in, a daily gift at evening

turn down, a la carte offered at all

meals, complimentary poolside

soft drinks or water and full size

internationally recognised luxury

bathroom amenities.

”This is something new for

Dubai which makes it stands out

internationally. With the industry

feedback, we wanted to create

something unique, where everyone

Above and right:

Dubai has grown

massively since the

original classifications

were introduced;

one of 2012 biggest

openings, the JW

Marriott Marquis.


COVER STORY

Airport, All-suites, Boutique, Beachfront, Beachside, Business,City, Convention, Desert, Family, Golf, Heritage, Shopping, Sport, Spa, Theme Park, Wellness

Designators

NEW ROOMS COMING ONLINE THIS YEAR

11,700

can benefit, which will help hotels sell

their product internationally and help

visitors choose the right place to stay,”

explains Al Marri.

In terms of bringing this new

classification scheme online, the

DTCM are keen to get started. The

new law should be passed this year.

There will then be a six month

grace period for all new hotels or

conversion hotels to bring their

properties in line with the new

standards. After this six month

grace period, all existing hotels will

have one year to improve or add any

services and facilities they need to hit

their categories and designators.

“We will work on a case by case

basis to help the hotels make this

happen. A lot of them have what they

need already but by 2014 everything,

for everyone should

be in place,” explains Al

Marri. “We expect a lot of hotels to start

implementing this before the grace

periods expire, because the quicker

they can get accredited, the quicker

they can start to use the new categories

and classifications to market the hotels.

They can position themselves correctly

ahead of their competitors, which is a

good incentive.”

Another move forward for the

department is to implement new

software which connects the DTCM

directly to every hotel in the emirate.

The software was launched at ATM

and has seen positive uptake.

“All the services for the

classifications are electronic, so the

owners, GMs and PRs will all benefit

as everyone has access to the hotel

Hotel classfication development over time

profile on the shared platform on

DTCM,” explains Al Marri. “Each

hotel has a separate page like on

Facebook, where they can apply and

amend their classification application,

get feedback, book inspections

and have photos there. So all the

communication between DTCM

and each hotel will be easy and we

are able to send round news or press

releases instantly to everyone.”

Adapted from “Hotel Design Planning and Development By Walter A. Rutes, Richard H. Penner and Lawrence Adams

HOTEL

RELATED

RESORT

TIME

GUESTHOUSE

BOARDINGHOUSE

ROYALCOURT

HOUSING

GRECIANSPA

ROMANBATHS

AIRPORT HOTEL, EXCLUSIVE TRAINING CENTRE, UNIVERSITY CONFERENCE CENTRE,

SUBURBAN CONVENTION CENTRE, SUBURBAN COMMUNITY HOTEL, OFFICE PARK HOTEL,

SHOPPING MALL HOTEL, ROADSIDE MOTEL, LIMITED SERVICE/BUDGET, COUNTRY INN,

DOWNTOWN BUSINESS HOTEL, DOWNTOWN CONVENTION HOTEL, MIXED USE

ENTERTAINMENT, HI-RISE MEGATEL, BOUTIQUE HOTEL, ADAPTIVE HOTEL, CITY CLUB, WELLNESS CENTRE, ASSISTED-LIVING RESIDENCE, SENIOR

RESIDENCE, EXTENDED-STAYS, ALL-SUITES HOTEL, RESIDENTIAL HOTEL, CONDO HOTEL,

FULL SERVICE CONDO HOTEL

CASTLE HOTEL, SUPER-LUXURY HOTEL,

CONDO, BED & BREAKFAST, VACATION OWNERSHIP,

ALL-VILLA RESORT COMMUNITY

CONVENTION RESORT, RESORT THEME PARK, MEGA-HOTEL, CASINO RESORT, NATIVE AMERICAN CASION RETREAT,

ECOTOURIST RESORT/RETREAT, SCENIC MOUNTAIN/BEACH RESORT, MARINA

HOTEL, VACATION, VILLAGE, SKI LODGE, MULTIRESORT COMPLEX, GOLF-TENNIS

RETREAT, CRUISE SHIP, MEDICAL/MINERAL SPA, FITNESS SPA, COUNTRY CLUB

GREEN GLOBE


Everyone wants to go green, but how clear is the way forward? Green Globe, the international certification scheme, intends to light your way to increased occupancy and reduced costs. Oh and it can help save the planet too

80% OF TRAVELLERS WOULD

RATHER STAY IN A

SUSTAINABLE HOTEL

Going green’ might be a useful

phrase to pepper marketing

tools and social media with,

but how much has your

hotel been doing to actually become

sustainable? Green Globe, a worldwide

certification for the hospitality

industry, reckons that 75 per cent of

travellers are skeptical of operators’

green claims and 80 per cent would

rather book into a sustainable

compliant property. Which means if

haven’t got a sustainable plan in place,

you need one.

Green Globe’s representative in

the Middle East, Avireal, are seeing a

change towards embracing a greener

future, although the region lags some

way behind Europe,

“Independent hotels, regional chains

and owning companies are all showing

increased interest,” says Sandrine

Le Biavant, Division Manager –

Consulting, Farnek Avireal. “With

the ever increasing DEWA tariff,

the governmental pressure towards

a more sustainable country, and the

public image of a high CO2 emission

per capita, we feel the industry is on

the move to change their approach

to be more conscious about the

environment and the potential savings

it could bring with it.”

Avireal are finding more and more

managers wanting to implement

sustainable policies to attract eco-

conscious corporate bookings and

individual travellers, and the UAE as

a whole is seeing more support from

within from local groups, says

Le Biavant,

“There are also a number of

sustainability groups in the region,

such as CSR Arabia, who are heavily

involved with sustainability, the

Emirates Environmental Group,

UN Global Compact and the Abu

Dhabi Sustainability Group. In 2012

alone these groups had over 200 new

companies join as members, all of

which are looking to improve their

sustainability efforts within their

respective organisations.”

And the green traveller and tourism

sector is growing,

“We are moving from the eco-

warrior tourists to the eco-value

travellers who do not make a

statement about their choice but for

whom it is an obvious expectation.

Corporate clients and tour operators

incorporate in to their RFPs what

green initiatives or certifications the

GREEN GLOBE


MÖVENPICK’S WATER SAVINGS EVERY WEEK OF THE YEAR EQUATE TO THE VOLUME OF ONE OLYMPIC SIZED SWIMMING POOL

After the initial investment, sustainability starts to pay back straightawaySandrine Le Biavant


GREEN GLOBE

cpidubai.com

We are moving from the eco-warrior tourist to the eco-conscious travellerSandrine Le Biavant

11,765 TONNES OF CO2 EMISSIONS

SAVED ACROSS MÖVENPICK’S

MIDDLE EASTERN HOTELS

IN 2011

hotel provides. A recent study by the

European Institute for the Meetings

Industry discovered that 38 per cent of

companies have a sustainability plan

which includes a strict supply chain

process across the globe.”

But doing more than ‘going green’

can be a grey area. Operators who are

serious about sustainability have to

have a long term plan. Green Globe

lays out a plan which includes 337

compliance indicators which are

applied to 41 criteria. A hotel has to

pass 51 per cent of these to become a

partner. Once qualified a certification

is valid for one year the hotel has to

improve its energy saving by three per

cent for it to be renewed. Avireal work

as the Middle East trainers and guides

to help prospective hotels

pass inspection.

“Anyone can say that their hotel is

sustainable and that they use energy

efficient light bulbs but trust me

that is only the tip of the iceberg,”

explains Le Biavant. “Our first step is a

Sustainability Plan, which our auditors

need to view so they can see the

hotel has a vision and a strategy for

achieving it, which will be turned into

processes integrated into the SOPs.

The simplest things can help, planning

aids sustainability because once it’s

embedded in the SOPs, it becomes

part of the DNA of the hotel or chain.”

“In terms of technology, what we

see is hotels installing aerators and

reducing the water flow per minute

in shower heads, changing LED

lights, adding sensors in key areas,

adding electricity or water meters,

using solar panels and integrating a

procurement team to source green

compliant suppliers. I was amazed

to hear that one engineering team

in Dubai developed a home-made

thermal envelope solution to reduce

the air-conditioning consumption,”

says Le Biavant.

Remember that having a

sustainability plan, is about saving.

Saving water, saving energy, saving

money. So ROI shouldn’t be forgotten

when talking about environmental

policies. Avireal reckon their partner

hotels recoup their ROI between 18-

24 months, with 20 per cent annual

energy saving on specific items.

MÖvenpick for example (see

boxout) saved 8.2 per cent on their

water usage in 2011 which equates to

52 Olympic–sized swimming pools.

This work with MÖvenpick has just

landed Avireal, Green FM Company of

the Year by FM Middle East magazine.

“After the initial investment,

sustainability starts to pay back

straightaway, whether it’s solar panels

on the roof, or energy saving light

bulbs,” explains Le Biavant. “Also

you gain a competitive edge and can

attract environmentally conscious

travellers, a major trend today and,

most importantly it is our duty to save

energy and natural resources for the

next generation.”

How much will travellers pay for a sustainable stay?

(source: Travel Weekly)

44% WILL PAY 5-9%

MORE

23% WILL PAY 10-

15% MORE

14% WILL PAY 15%

MORE

19% WILL NOT PAY

MORE


GREEN GLOBE

GREEN GLOBE CASE STUDY - MÖVENPICK HOTELS, MIDDLE EAST

Martin Molloy VP of Technical Services at

Mövenpick talks us through the effects of Green

Globe on his 25 hotels in the MENA region.

How much energy and water have you

saved across the group after following

Green Globe’s plans?

We have saved in 12 months approximately

11,765 tons of CO2 emissions, and 129,346 m3

of potable fresh water, whilst our occupancies

rose by 8.3 per cent over the same period.

This is equivalent to the utility usage of a 200

bedroom hotel for a one and a half year period.

The wate savings every week of the year

equate to the volume of one Olympic-sized

swimming pool and the energy equivalent of

five round-trip flights from Dubai to London.

How much investment have you put into

making your hotels sustainable?

We have not overly invested; each introduced

a system to ensure reduction of our carbon

foot print was calculated with an attractive

return of investment. Moreover, processes

where introduced to ensure alignment with

international best practices, as set out in the

Green Globe guidelines.

What have been the most successful

policies you have implemented?

Our resort in Jordan at the Dead Sea achieved

during 2011, the highest Green Globe ranking

out of all Global Green Globe’s certified

property partners – a huge achievement for

our resort and for our company.

How long has it taken to bring all your

hotels into line?

All our Middle East hotels are now Green Globe

certified and this milestone was achieved in

2011. By year end 2013, our aim is inspiring:

to Green Globe certify all the 72 Mövenpick

properties worldwide.

What are the benefits for Movenpick as

a group?

It is important as a company and as individuals

that we all contribute to reducing the planet

we live on carbon foot print emissions. Our

sustainability contributions and commitments

within the various regions in which we operate,

include the local communities and business

partners. We enjoy seeing that our presence and

contributions benefit those we work with and

those communities which are our neighbours.

How do you promote this to consumers?

We promote it through our social media tools,

advertising, public relations and on our website.

How do you know your guests are aware of

all these policies?

When guests visit our website will find our

sustainability section, describing our companies’

vision commitments and contributions towards

sustainability. In addition, we have material in the

rooms informing guests about our programmes.

How have you got your staff involved? How

have you motivated them?

All our hotels have energy committees made up

of the Mövenpick ‘energy champions’, who

meet regularly to brain storm new ideas

and to study and review savings and system

improvements. All our hotels have staff notice

boards where the engineering department

posts daily the hotel’s performance vs the

same period the previous year.

What’s the best thing for a hotel

financially in taking permanent steps to

insure sustainability?

We have witnessed very good financial

returns on investment e.g. through LED bulbs

which operate at around 80 per cent less

power consumption vs. incandescent bulbs

and that they operate at near cold condition

which helps to reduce the air conditions

consumption. Likewise tap water savers

contribute greatly to water reductions. Both

with near zero inconvenience.

By year end 2013, our aim is inspiring; to Green Globe certify all the 72 Mövenpick properties worldwide

Martin Molloy VP of

Technical Services

cpidubai.com

Settling in on SaadiyatSt Regis Saadiyat Island has overcome its opening period to become a busy resort full of Emiratis, expats and international guests. Max Wiegerinck, Hotel Manager, fills us in on what makes the 377 key resort tick

It’s Friday afternoon and the St

Regis is bustling. Large groups of

locals are taking tea in the lobby,

laughing and joking, the family

pool is packed with excited children

and the beautifully designed adult

pool complex is full of people soaking

up the sun, recovering from a hard

week at work. For a hotel that’s under

a year old, there’s an impressive sense

of confidence buoyed by its healthy

occupancy. The property comes across

as slick and professional, St Regis is

going to give other luxury brands a

run for their money.

HBME: What are the biggest challenges for new hotels in Abu Dhabi?Max Wiegerinck: The biggest challenge

for any new hotels in Abu Dhabi is

making our potential guests aware of

the great offerings available in Abu

Dhabi. Especially the hotels targeting

leisure guest’s need to make an extra

effort to highlight what a great leisure

destination it is e.g. Saadiyat Island

with its pristine beach and white sand.


HBME: How buoyant is the local market?MW: The Abu Dhabi Tourism

Authority has an aggressive calendar

of events outlined for the year. These

certainly help raising awareness on the

destination and assist through the year

and most definitely during the quieter

months. The ‘Summer in Abu Dhabi’

is one such example.

HBME: How will the large amounts of rooms coming online affect occupancy?MW: Abu Dhabi is an evolving market

with an evolving clientele. The several

openings in the recent past have been

staggered and now offer discerning

residents and visitors a wider choice

be it for a weekend getaway, spa

treatment or even dining. Saadiyat

Island as a destination I believe offers

something very new and exciting

to Abu Dhabi. The amazing beach,

the world class golf course and the

renowned St. Regis Butler service

experience at our resort differentiates

us from the rest. The occupancy for

our first five months of operations

has been very positive and the guest

feedback has been very encouraging.

HBME: What plans do you have in place to combat this?MW: The intuitive St. Regis Butler

Service affords guests the rarest of all

privileges — time – it’s a hallmark of

all that we believe in. Accessible to

guests via in-room phones or email

from either inside or outside the hotel,

the team of St. Regis Butlers bring

to life the Allow Me philosophy and

assist guests with every need during

their stay. Additionally, our leisure

facilities are unrivaled – the two-level

family infinity pool caters to all guests.

Complemented with an adult-only

pool for those looking to escape the

heat and buzz of children, a 25 metre

outdoor lap pool as well as a 25 metre

indoor pool at the St. Regis Athletic

Club. For the children we have a

dedicated facility – the Sandcastle

Club – which features an indoor

children’s pool and activity based play

areas as well a outdoor climbing wall

Above: The impressive

pool area at the

five star hotel.

INTERVIEW


The St. Regis Abu Dhabi will complement us with its location and positioning. We are Abu Dhabi’s first true beach resortMax Wiegerinck

and sand play area. And lastly, the

unspoiled beach of Saadiyat where

bottlenose dolphins are often seen

playing along the shore and Hawksbill

turtles take refuge. The fact that we

don’t have any motorised watersports

only adds to the pristine blue water.

HBME: How will the new St Regis Abu Dhabi complement or challenge your own property?MW: Abu Dhabi today is as much a

business destination as much as a

leisure destination offering visitors

choices to suit a palette of different

travellers. The St. Regis Abu Dhabi

will complement us with its location

and positioning. We are Abu Dhabi’s

first true beach resort.

HBME: What have been the biggest challenges and successes in being the first of a new chain to the market?MW: The response so far has been

very encouraging. Whilst we have

introduced the St. Regis experience

to new audiences, with us being part

of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, it is

great to get feedback from SPG guests,

members of the group’s global loyalty

programme, on their delight and

excitement to have a St. Regis in the

Middle East. We also have received

very positive feedback on The Regal

Ballroom which can cater for a gala

reception for 1,800 guests. This is

becoming the venue of choice for

grand events and weddings. And last

but not the least, our leisure facilities

including the pristine beach. Most

guests are pleasantly surprised

at our gymnasium which is

spread across 3,500sqm

that includes an indoor

lap pool and is one of the

most comprehensive and

impressive facilities I have

come across as a hotelier.

HBME: What occupancy levels have you seen this year so far? Is it on target?MW: Occupancy

for the first five

months has

very promising. I am proud to report

that we continue to meet and exceed

targets, especially at weekends.

HBME: What effect will Eastern Mangroves by Anantara have on your business?MW: We are in two different

destinations with two distinct

products and we are catering to

unique audiences.

HBME: You’ve been here nearly a year, what have you learnt?MW: Moving to Abu Dhabi

from Dubai introduced me

to the beauty and serenity

of Saadiyat Island, of which

I had no prior knowledge.

It has been a delight to be

associated with such a project

of this scale and an

honour to be able to

launch the brand

in the region.

HBME: What skills are needed to run a resort on this size in a city such as Abu Dhabi?MW: No other skills then you

would need in any luxury resort

in the Middle East. An excellent

understanding of all the cultures that

represent our guests and staff, patience

during an opening and a positive

attitude towards the future.

HBME: Does it feel like St Regis Saadiyat Island is part of the Abu Dhabi community or does Saadiyat feel like a different destination?MW: St. Regis is part of the blossoming

Saadiyat community, which is

providing a new dimension to the

destination of Abu Dhabi. The hotel

itself is part of a larger complex which

has a residential component of 259

residences, with almost 200 already

occupied. The Collection, featuring

shops and cafes, is due to launch later

this year and will further strengthen

the sense of a community.

HBME: How has the delay on the Louvre and Guggenheim affected the hotel’s future plans?MW: With the fact that people are

moving in and around Saadiyat Island,

it is becoming a living and breathing

community. The beachfront is taking

shape and surrounding properties

are operational. Once the cultural

district is completed, it will further

complement the overall Saadiyat

Island experience and stay true to its

original vision

Left: The entrance of

the hotel resort.

Below: Max

Wiegerinck.

Precor welcomes the following Premier Brandsas tness artners in of

o nd o t how we can deli er a s erior tness e erience that ilds lo alt to o r rand contact the team at P

B B B of ce ra monds ort com B www ra monds ort com

r stal otel ha i iation l ha i he m man

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 35JULY 2012

Supply and demand: we talk to experts

on both side of the cleaning supplies

chain to discover what hotels need and

what suppliers can offer


SUPPLY & DEMAND

What are your most popular products?We are highly specialised in Italian

hygiene tissue paper products, air

care, floor care, skin care, non-woven

products and state of the art dispensers.

What new ranges or new products will you be introducing to the market this year?We have launched a campaign called

Cut Back, which aims to educate

people on the effective use of tissue

paper, reducing excessive consumption

in line with organic dispensers which

were launched four months back. This

award-winning product will cut the

amount of paper used by 22 per cent,

saving money and carbon emissions.

This year we have launched stainless

steel washroom accessories which

includes complete solutions for the

washroom such as soap dispensers,

interfold paper towel dispensers,

stainless steel bin, toilet brush,

and other accessories for disabled

washrooms, in the mid-range and

premium range category.

How important are the markets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for you?Very important as the UAE is still

a growth market, and with all the

new openings it will continue to be a

growth market, especially thanks to all

the big projects on Saadiyat Island and

many more.

What are your leading brands?Our leading brands are as Celtex from

Italy, Carind from Italy, Opahrdt from

Germany, Nofer from Spain, Chicopee

from Holland and QTS from Italy.

Do hotels pay enough attention to the quality of their hygiene care?Hygiene is an everyday learning

process and no one achieves 100 per

Chandan Singh, Deputy General Manager of Dhofar General Trading, the cleaning suppliers who won the Best Green Investment Project at the 2nd Annual Arab Investmnet Summit last year talks to us about how his company operates.

cent but we need to try to achieve

that 100 per cent. However, credit

goes to the Municipality and all their

awareness work over this issue. Hotels

are really inclined towards hygiene

and working hard to achieve the 100

per cent success rate.

How have you seen the market change since you started in 2001?The market has obviously changed up

and down during the recession. People

tend to go for cheaper products and

only look at prices not quality – and

the market is still going down.

What area of your business would you like to see expand?The market still very unorganised

and it needs to be more organised,

which we are striving towards. There’s

also areas which are untapped such

as industrial, spas, gymnasiums,

hospitals and many more and as a

company we wish to be a complete

solution provider.

How can you help hotels bring their costs down?It’s important to use the right

dispensers and the right tissue to

reduce the cost and consumption. We

are working to educate people and

save their costs by at least 20 per cent.

How do you satisfy your customers?As a company we always believe in

satisfying customers and giving them

a consultation so they can reduce

their cost and consumption with our

different mechanisms. Which means

we work on ‘demo modalities’ to prove

that we are the supplier that they can

trust. We work on an annual contract

basis and reckon we can save their costs

by at least 20 per cent through our

environmentally friendly products.

SUPPLY & DEMAND


How do you arrange your contracts with cleaning suppliers?Nadaf Allabaskh: Contracts with

cleaning suppliers are done yearly

and we stick with the same supplier

unless there are challenges with

quality. Some suppliers are corporate

suppliers and some suppliers are of

our own choice.

Laetitia Lasry: As much as we can,

we aim not to change the cleaning

suppliers to keep consistency for

better results and higher guest

satisfaction, especially in the long

term. The cleaning supplier we work

with currently we have worked with

Nadaf Allabaksh, Executive Housekeeper, Movenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate

Laetitia Lasry, Executive Housekeeper, The Palace, Old Town

for the past three years.

How do you go about choosing which companies you’re going to use?NA: We study the market, ask around

our colleagues in the industry who

are the best suppliers and get several

quotations to compare, and after

consulting our higher management

we make the decision accordingly.

LL: We look into the reputation of the

company in the market and check

out what other hotels in Dubai are

doing and what their the feedback

on them is. Customer service is very

important; someone who is flexible

How important are word of mouth referrals from your clients?We have become a market leader in

a short span of time due to word of

mouth referrals as we have the best

service ethics in the market, we deliver

every day of the week and will support

our clients to get whatever they need.

An ioniser to refresh and clean the air is another product which will add value to the cleaning processLatitia Lasry

and understands the function and

operations of a hotel is a key factor in

choosing the best supplier.

As Dubai is one of the most

cosmopolitan cities in the world, it

has its own trends from all around

the globe, which makes it crucial

for us to choose a company that

has experience within the region,

especially Dubai.

What products do you use most of?NA: Chemicals, bathroom amenities,

linen, paper supplies.

LL: We mostly use cleaning supplies

(sponges, mops, chemicals).

SUPPLY & DEMAND


Right: The enormous

challenge that Ibn

Battta Gate hotel poses

to cleaning staff

Do you have an environmentally friendly policy? Does this affect which companies you use?NA: Yes we do have a policy in place for

example on pest control and recycling.

Our hotel has a Go Green committee

where we focus on how we can

improve and what we can recycle.

LL: Yes we have and this is something

that we are focusing on more and

more every day. Some of the activities

that we do in this regards are: linen

getting changed only on request; the

segregation of garbage; using eco-

friendly chemicals.

What products or hardware would make your cleaning teams lives easier?NA: Quality and durability because

these two criteria ultimately save

money. We choose chemicals that are

environment friendly because they are

less harmful to the environment and

our staff.

LL: To have software which is linked to

our management system, and to have

a chemical free system is very ideal

for us. Also a deep cleaning machine

especially for beds and curtains would

be something that will save time

and get better quality results, not to

mention sustaining the product for

longer. An ioniser to refresh and clean

the air is also another product which

will add value to the cleaning process.

How do you look to reduce costs in the cleaning bill?NA: We use the right chemicals and

follow the proper directions of using

the cleaning agents.

We use the right shampooing

machines for cleaning upholstery.

Quality checks are done regularly and

correct action and through training

for our employees.

LL: We look into the long term with

new technologies and processes such

as no chemical usage and introducing

microfiber cloths.

What cleaning policies would you like to implement at your hotel?NA: That we categorise the cleaning

policies between the ones that need to

be done daily, weekly, monthly

and yearly.

LL: One of the main policies for the

future that we would like to run is no

more chemical usage. This will not

only help the environment but will

result in a better quality and sustain

the product for a longer period.

Designer artworks for hotels and commercial projects.working closely with clients and interior designers we create the perfect

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TEL: 050 5382067 E: [email protected]

Q&A FEATURE / CELEBRITY RESTAURANTS

Mark Patten, Vice President Culinary for Atlantis,The PalmPatten has worked in Asia, the Caribbean and Europe. He is now responsible for a team of over 400 chefs and manages the 18 major restaurants, and smaller F&B outlets across the resort.

Marc Matar, F&B Director, Sofitel Abu DhabiMatar joined the Sofitel Abu Dhabi in Ocotober 2011. He has previously worked for the InterContinental Group and also in Canada, in Montreal for Marriott Hotel Group and at Hotel Le St James.

Restaurant operator experts

Stefan Breg, CEO, Tribe Restaurant CreatorsBreg set up TRIBE in Dubai in 2003, as a F&B strategy and design house. It has helped create over 275 F&B brands and Its clients include Yas Island, Cavalli Club, Jamie Oliver, Buddha Bar, Aldar and the Abu Dhabi Royal Family.


Dubai and Doha are seeing healthy openings in association with celebrity chefs – are they still a draw for diners?Mark Patten: I believe that with the

correct concept for the current

pace of Dubai’s F&B market any

connection with a celebrity chef

could be a positive step, as long as the

concept itself is strong, it has a great

foundation, background and is also in

high demand.

Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre

White, Gary Rhodes, Sanjeev

Kapoor, Pierre Gagnaire…

the Middle East isn’t short of

a famous name or two when it comes

to choosing a place to dine. But is that

association worth the financial risk,

when diners elsewhere in the world

seem to be moving towards quality

and substance over flair and fame?

Our experts share their thoughts.

Stefan Berg: Yes, clearly from how busy

the individual restaurants are. Then

again, the associated companies spend

a huge amount on PR & Marketing so

there had better be a return!

Marc Matar: Yes, people are generally

drawn towards things that are popular

What’s in a name?Does having a celebrity chef on board really make a difference when it comes to fine dining?

and things that are branded. Chefs

that have reached celebrity status have

branded their names very well.

Is a tie up with a ‘name’ chef still financially viable?MP: As long as you’re not selling the

shop, so to speak, in an overall big

picture within a property with many

restaurants so perhaps you have one

or two celebrity partners. This adds

value to your overall portfolio, as long

as the business levels achieve and

exceed expectations and the business

is being managed and driven. It will

have a very positive impact on your

overall F&B strategy. However it needs

to be managed correctly and the tie

up needs to be done carefully so both

parties are in a win-win situation.

SB: Unless I see the P&L’s, I can’t tell

you but I can say with confidence that

a celebrity chef will put a premium

on revenue but is it enough to get a

successful return with the high capex

costs and marketing? Then again,

to some business owners, prestige is

more important than profit…

MM: Yes, because it is all about getting

famous through good food.

What makes a successful venture with a celebrity chef?MP:’ It is not only having the right

people on the bus so to speak it is

also have the right people in the right

seats on the bus,’ Jim Collins said in

Good To Great. It is important to read

the market trends and understand

what the customers and footfall is

telling you. You also don’t need to

complicate the process and in many

cases a celebrity chef or concept is not

required at all. We just opened TBJ

The Burger Joint in our avenues at

Atlantis and in a 25 sq foot space I am

turning over an average of 500 burgers

You don’t need to complicate the process and in many cases a celebrity chef or concept isn’t needed

Mark Patten



a day in an area that only cost money

before. Just last month we converted

another relatively small space into a

very upmarket casual Asian restaurant

which has been a great success in

its first month of operation. Neither

required outside involvement as

we have the skill set already within

our team and an entrepreneurial

philosophy to drive the new concepts.

SB: Essential elements include tying in

the chef to visit as often as required.

The tricky thing is that celebrity chefs

are individuals and their priorities will

change over time.

MM: Good design and layout of the

F&B outlets and a unique restaurant

theme along with a celebrity chef ’s

recipes and procedures is essential.

Do diners expect better value nowadays than these celebrity type of restaurant tend to offer?MP: Most definitely. The shift is

towards more casual and fun F&B

experiences without fuss and hype.

SB: Value is a very subjective measure,

even in tough times, the high end

restaurants seem to hold their own just

like luxury retailing in this area.

MM: Yes, because restaurants under

the flagship of celebrity chefs are

expensive and people expect quality

food and service.

Compared to London, New York, Paris etc., how sophisticated is the Dubai market when it comes to new restaurants capitalising on new trends?MP: Dubai also is very quick to

capitalise on what’s new and

happening from new street food,

casual restaurants or upmarket lounge

bars with cool food.

SB: Let’s get real, whilst we should be

proud of our achievements in the UAE

there are few restaurants of Michelin

standard (if you choose to use that

measure). If there were a quality

league, we would be behind London,

Paris, NY and the Michelin ‘leader’,

Tokyo. In terms of trends, the UAE

is still a follower and it would take a

sea change in the way businesses are

structured here to change that.

MM: Dubai is a land of competitors,

every week a new restaurant with new

concepts, new chefs, new pricing is

launched. The ones that succeed have

very strong marketing.

What would your advice be to an owner or operator considering employing a celebrity chef for an F&B outlet?MP: I would recommend having a

sound plan and philosophy for the big

picture. A celebrity chef will not fit

your market and is not required at all.

MM: You need a lot of investment and

to plan the marketing strategy well.

Is hiring a celeb chef an easy road for operators wanting a high end F&B outlet? MP: It can be very difficult as unless the

concept and demand is high and the

restaurant can diversify its offerings.

If it is a high end product with a very

high cost associated with it, the risk

of course will be much higher. As

well as a good strategy and business

plan with a good marketing budget,

you also have to blend the owners’

philosophy with the celebrity chef ’s to

ensure they are on the same path. This

is imperative, I know a lot of chefs that

will not allow involvement in regards

to the food from the operators and

that needs to be made clear early on in

the discussion process.

SB: It is anything but easy. There are so

many different elements each of which

could jeopardise your business derived

chiefly from doing a deal with a person

instead of an orthodox franchise with

a corporation. Individuals can change;

corporations providing franchises tend

to sustain themselves.

Does having a celeb on board really make a difference to the day to day offerings of a fine dining outlet?MP: It adds value to an overall F&B

strategy and when the quality is tip

top already, it adds huge value and

reputation to any establishment.

MM: No, I think would depend again

on quality of food and service of the

individual restaurants.

Individuals can change, corporations providing franchises tend to sustain themselvesStefan Breg

CELEBRITY RESTAURANTS / Q&A FEATURE


What celeb chef restaurant do you think works in Dubai? Why?SB: It’s an impressive list ranging from

Locatelli, Nobu, Jean-Georges, Rhodes

to Sandoval and Marco Pierre White

but the one that stands out for me is

Pierre Gagnaire, recognized in San

Pellegrino world’s top 50 in 2011.

MM: Gary Rhodes at Le Royal

Meridien Dubai, it has a good

marketing strategy.

What do you think the association of a celebrity chef can add to a fine dining restaurant here?Frederic Kulczak: Fine dining

restaurants can definitely benefit

from the expertise and vision

that a celebrity chef brings to his

team. The responsibility as well is

expanded and widens as a result

with this perspective. We represent

distinct culinary institutions and

I am personally convinced that it

creates positive memories and builds

expertise, having worked for ten years

in three Michelin stared restaurants.

Giles Bosquet: Having a name like

Gordon Ramsay helps enormously

here, the hotel and myself, because

people are curious about what will be

on offer. We had Maze before, which

is now shut, so there’s a lot of interest

in the local market. They want to see

if it will be the same. We’re not, it’s

a different concept. For me Gordon

Ramsay has done fantastically well

and he has a style of cooking that is

well known around the world. His

restaurants have a similar way of

working and it helps because people

know what’s going to go on and what

they can expect.

David Hemmerle: Having a celebrity

chef associated to a fine dining

restaurant adds identity to the hotel.

It also complements the luxuriousness

of the hotel in which the restaurant

is located. Celeb chefs already have a

high recognition on the market which

makes the restaurant more exciting.



Frederic Kulczak, Executive Chef, Meliá Dubai Kulczak has worked at Sofitel JBR, Le Meridien Bora Bora and Hotel Sainte Anne Resort & Spa in the Seychelles. He has eight years working at three star Michelin restaurants in France.

David Hemmerle, Executive Chef, One & Only The PalmHemmerle began his career in France and has worked at the three-star Le Jardin des Sens, in Moscow and Brazil. In 2010, he was selected by Yannick Alléno to join the pre-opening team at One&Only The Palm.

Executive Chef panel

Gilles Bosquet, Chef de Cuisine of Gordon Ramsay restaurants, St Regis Doha Bosquet has overseen the launch of two Gordon Ramsay concepts at the St Regis, Doha. He has his own Michelin star earnt in France and has worked at Michelin star restaurants in France.

How much extra pressure does the association of a famous name add to the actual chefs in the kitchen?FK: The pressure is translated into

responsibility, to deliver a constant

standard that the guest expects.

It is that pressure that has to be

considered when you take into

account the requirements and

character of daily tasks in the kitchen.

GB: You have pressure anyway, Ramsay

doesn’t put pressure on us but it’s

the guests. We want to achieve their

expectations and to be as close to 100

per cent as we can. No one is ever

100 per cent perfect, but that’s the

pressure. We want to get better. At the

end of the day, there’s always small

things that can be worked on, which

is more of the reason for pressure.

People pay a lot of money to come

here to eat and they expect to be

blown away, whether Ramsay’s name

is there or not, so we feel the pressure

to give them what they want and what

they’d paid for.

DH: There is definitely more pressure

when working in a restaurant

associated to a famous name, however,

all our key resources in the team

have worked with Yannick Alléno

for years all around the world and

were personally trained by him. We

are convinced that our entire brigade

is able to learn, grow and keep

consistency of the high quality cuisine

required when working for a ‘name’.

Do you think people are more concerned about the quality and sustainability of their food in Dubai, or are diners swayed by a name?FK: In Dubai, we do have fine dining

restaurants which are well established.

The comparison in terms of quality/

price is of course to be considered. I

don’t think that customers come only

for a name, I am 100 per cent convinced

that they come for an experience.

DH: People are still looking for high

quality food and are getting more and

more demanding when it comes to

quality. Food quality is what diners

keep in mind and compare, not only

the name of the celebrity chef.

Do Executive Chefs get enough recognition for bringing celebrity chefs’ visions to life?FK: Chefs are brought up to develop

various elements and in this particular

case, we need to understand

the philosophy of whom we are

representing. The recognition is

in the fact of satisfying the guest,

sharing and experiencing memorable

gastronomic moments and journeys.

I think personally it is necessary to

explain the philosophy of the one we

represent and the feeling that gathers

around the identity of a kitchen.

GB: Chefs are happy to be in the

background, I’d rather be in the

kitchen. I have to go and talk to the

guests sometimes and it’s a pressure

because I don’t really have time and if

I go and speak to one table then I feel

CELEBRITY RESTAURANTS / Q&A FEATURE


like I need to speak to them all.

DH: We get a lot of recognition directly

from the guests. We are shining under

the star of the celebrity chef associated

with our restaurants.

Operationally, what makes a successful venture with a celeb chef?FK: In our job, we need to and are

bound to take risks. The work drives

us to create and try new combinations

constantly. Once I met Marco Pierre

White and I proposed to him certain

existing products available in Dubai.

He was surprised and interested,

I believe it is our role to share our

knowledge also with the celebrity chef.

GB: With Gordon Ramsay it’s the

management programme he’s put

in to his restaurant to manage the

people, the food, the techniques–that’s

more important than what people see

on their plate, that’s what makes it a

Gordon Ramsay restaurant. It’s how

you can manage the restaurants to the

same standards across the world. The

same way of cooking pastas, the same

way of cooking sauces…to make sure

that no matter what Gordon Ramsay

restaurant you go into, the standard

will be the same.

DH: The most important factor is to

understand what the celebrity chef

wants and what his vision is. In order

to make the concept successful, the

collaboration between the restaurant

team and the celeb chef is continual.

Even if the celeb chef is not on site, we

work as a team.

How can you bring something new to a fine dining and a celebrity chef tie up?FK: We need to experience the

sensation, the well-being of the

individual and be convinced to 200

per cent. If at the beginning itself there

is not all the combination of the above,

it’s difficult to cope as the celebrity

chef is not a product but an identity.

DH: Depending on the location and

requirements of the restaurant, we can

We want to achieve their expectations and be as close to 100 per cent as we canGilles Bosquet



always bring something new to the

restaurant – it’s all about our creativity.

What would your advice be to an owner or operator considering employing a celebrity chef for an F&B outlet?FK: It is not all based on the celebrity

chef, we also need to bring together

people who have experienced the same

culinary thoughts and been brought

up to go in the same direction. This is

not an easy task to explain.

GB: You need to have open

communication between the chef and

the celebrity. A good balance between

their food and your food. I’ve cooked

for Gordon Ramsay many times, so I

know he’s happy. He doesn’t want me

to copy and paste everything he does,

he wants our own personalities to

influence what we do, but to do it in

his style.

DH: Having a restaurant associated

with a celeb chef automatically brings

a certain spirit to the hotel; however, it

is important for an owner to consider

if the celebrity chef ’s vision is in line

with the hotels concept and flair.

Is hiring a celebrity chef an easy road for operators wanting a high end F&B outlet? FK: I think that everybody could be

a celebrity chef on certain days, it is

not reserved to certain persons only.

However, being a celebrity chef implies

that each and every day spent in the

kitchen becomes more demanding

and it is the reason why we have to

consider them as elites with all their

talents and vision.

DH: It depends on the chefs’ style and

flexibility as well as his popularity.

The most important thing is that the

operator chooses the right chef for the

concept he is looking for.

What celeb chef restaurant do you think works in Dubai? Why?FK: A celebrity chef for me, is not only

a name but a person who lives his

“cuisine”. Whether he is popular or

not, he has his own style.

DH: There are many international

chefs in Dubai and they all bring

their own touch and art of life to the

gastronomic scene. Dubai is really a

crossroad between Europe, Asia and

Middle East and therefore one of the

best places for the chefs to create and

to be inspired.

I don’t think customers just come for a name, I am a 100 per cent convinced that they come for an experienceFrederic Kulczak


While out dining with a

group of friends last night,

we once again ended up

forking out over Dhs2,000

for our meal.

The meal was OK, and between the

five of us we shared three appetisers,

selected five main courses, drank eight

cocktails and two coffees. No wine.

No dessert. That’s US$110 per head,

plus tip.

We didn’t complain about the cost,

after all, it was an enjoyable evening

out with friends and the intention was

simply to enjoy a bite, a glass of wine,

some interesting conversation and

share a laugh.

Challenging the status quo of affordable diningDaniel G During, principal and managing director of Thomas Klein International asks whether the UAE will ever realise the commercial potential of the lower priced licensed restaurants

AFFORDABLE DINING


An Argentinean native, During has been

working in Dubai for over 15 years. He

founded Thomas Klein International in 2001,

following the successful development of

the Wafi Pyramids complex. Thomas Klein

International offers both complete business

services and design services, forming a

hospitality consultancy that establishes

businesses that are innovative and profitable.

DURING’S DEEDS

The issue is, that unless you have

no problem with spending this kind

of money every time you choose

to dine out in Dubai, it’s not the

intention to fork out a sizeable amount

for a pleasant, but not especially

memorable, experience where alcohol

is part of the equation.

You can eat extremely well for

that amount of money in most

metropolises, including London and

LA. You can also eat really well for

a lot less than US$110 per head. A

regular meal in a non-luxury, non-

branded restaurant will set you back

between US$30-45. We’re not talking

‘fancy’ we are talking ‘eating well’.

Unfortunately, we just don’t have

that ‘luxury’ of choice in the UAE,

with liquor only allowed in hotels

(with a few notable exceptions).

Here, we have two choices. You

either eat in a mall restaurant for

Dhs100-150 per head, or you dine in

a licensed restaurant where you are

going to pay Dhs300 and above.

So, this begs the question, will we

ever be able to dine out, with a glass of

wine or a beer, for Dhs100?

I’m not talking about introducing

liquor to the restaurants in malls, but

reducing the ridiculous prices charged

by hotel restaurants. If prices fall,

it’s only logical to assume that, faced

with more affordable dining, these

restaurants will get more customers

and it will encourage people to eat out

more often.

But principally this also has the

benefit of enabling the local restaurant

scene to cater to the growing market

of well-educated, well-travelled, young

expats with salaries in the lower

Dhs6,000-9,000 bracket who currently

can’t afford to enjoy a decent meal and

glass of wine very often, if at all.

The Emirates and Dubai especially,

are undoubtedly becoming younger,

with the expat crowd moving here in

search of a better life. But although

they may be earning more than in

their home countries, they can’t

afford the lifestyle they may have

had elsewhere and this is a major

contributor to attrition across all

industry sectors.

There are three major factors that

make the UAE’s dining and drinking

experience so expensive: restaurants in

hotels are costly to fit out; restaurants

are predominantly owned by the

actual hotel owner or investor who

are looking for a quick return on

investment as opposed to independent

chef-owners or manager-owners who

see the long-term benefits; and the

occasional independent restaurant

operating from a hotel or licensed

zone such as DIFC, is faced with

extremely high rental/leasing rates

which impacts menu pricing.

In my opinion, the way forward is

for hoteliers to create concepts that

offer good quality food at good value.

Interiors don’t need to be all onyx

and oak, nor do we need foie gras and

wagyu on every menu. We are equally

happy with a good pizza and a beer.

On the independent restaurant

front, not everyone has to be Zuma,

nor does every restaurant in the city

need to be located in DIFC.

Good licensing exceptions here are

The Irish Village and Century Village,

which are both great examples of

affordable dining. Will we ever see

other similar initiatives spring up in

the area or, is there the possibility

that we follow the Bahraini example,

where independent restaurants could

be licensed? I’d be happy to see more

Century Villages

Interiors don’t need to be all onyx and oak, nor do we need wagyu on every menu

50

Bandwidth on demand

L ook on TripAdvisor, Expedia, Yelp, or any other of the hundreds of ‘reputational’ websites where consumers make recommendations based on their experiences, and it is all too apparent that the quality of the internet connection provided

to guests at hotels or customers in cafes and restaurants that frequently draws most of the criticism – or praise, as the case may be.

More than the quality of the room-service food, the comfort of the bed or the si e of the in-room at-screen

plasma TV, online polls show that 40 per cent of hotel guests see Wi-Fi availability and Internet access as a deal-breaker when choosing where to book a stay.

Broadband wireless internet access is no longer a ‘nice to have’ option, but an absolute necessity in the hospitality industry, and businesses in the sector are nding it hard to keep up with soaring demand. Hotel guests now expect a replication of their in-home internet experience when they travel, and want to access their preferred applications with the same speed and quality of service.

Enhancing the guest experience with affordable high-speed internet

51BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Bandwidth consumption by meeting groups in hotels and convention centres is also growing signi cantly faster in Dubai than perhaps anywhere else in the world, creating the need for an internet solution to ensure the connection remains consistent no matter what the demand may be.

A service provider like du can supply bandwidth on demand as a managed service, in a way that guarantees availability and temporarily increases bandwidth dynamically. It helps optimise the utilisation of available bandwidth, and makes sure that access services are provisioned at maximum speed to the hotel’s staff and guests at all times. du has a customer base of hotels that use Bandwidth on Demand as a managed service to give their guests a richer experience and helps them managed their bandwidth more ef ciently.

Internet access can be prioritised for the right users at the right time, in accordance with speci c rules set by the hotel. This results in direct cost savings for the hotel, and a better experience for the guest.

Business case overviewWith the introduction of smart phones and tablets, people have begun to arrive at hotels with multiple wireless devices in hand, putting considerable stress on hotel internet access networks. In fact, studies show that over 15% of guests are now carrying a trio of smartphone, tablet and PC devices into their hotel rooms.

Many hotels have only a few megabytes of capacity to share amongst hundreds of potential users in their guest rooms, restaurants, cafes and administrative of ces. This may be suf cient when occupancy rates are low, and is adequate for light use such as e-mail.

However, hotel guests now want fast internet access to watch high-de nition streaming video on their laptop, tablet or smart-phone. Teenagers want to be free to run a broadband-hungry gaming or le sharing application from their hotel bedroom, while someone on a business trip may need to participate in a video conference.

The picture gets even more complex because demand for broadband in hotels changes with the time of day. Back-of ce usage normally peaks during the day and in some properties after midnight, with the electronic closing of the previous business day.

Meeting rooms are normally busiest during the day. Meanwhile, the guest rooms have the highest bandwidth demand typically in the morning and the evening.

This varied and upward demand for broadband in hotels is pushing up the need for bandwidth at an accelerating pace. A study carried out for infrastructure and networking supplier Cisco in 2010 suggested that the underlying rate of growth was around 4.4 per cent per month. This is equivalent to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 60 per cent.

In terms of the ways in which bandwidth is used in the hotel industry, various studies have revealed a uctuating pro le among guests most bandwidth is now used by guests watching streamed media of lms, TV programmes and music videos.

The chart below, taken from a Cisco study, indicates a typical usage pattern seen in hotels (these were across the US, but the picture will be very similar in the UAE) is a peak download of around ve megabytes per room from 10pm to 11pm, with uploads broadly constant at about

52

0.75 megabytes per hour per room. Studies also reveal that most hotel chains are seriously under-provisioned.

When the available bandwidth (average connection speed averaged across all US hotels samples) is divided by the average total number of rooms in the hotel there is a broad distribution, with a mean service per room of just 220 Kbps and a median of around 22 Kbps. This median connection speed is unlikely to result in a consistently excellent customer experience.

Bandwidth in computer networking refers to the data rate supported by a network connection or interface. Bandwidth represents the capacity of the connection. The greater the capacity, the more likely that greater performance will follow (though overall performance also depends on other factors, such as latency).

Understanding the nature of the problemKempinski, Crowne Plaza, Renaissance and Marriott are among many big name hotel chains leading the way forward with technology that ensures they provide the highest quality of internet services to guests. They have installed dedicated internet traf c management devices that combine multiple ISP services to boost connectivity and increase overall bandwidth.

In the UAE, bandwidth-on demand is one solution provided by du and being used by an increasing number of hotels, which describes a connection in which a hotel’s (or restaurant’s) available bandwidth can be increased for short periods of time on an as-needed basis. It prevents internet services from slowing during periods of high use. By increasing the capacity available in a burst to address a spike of usage, hotel and restaurant premises can provide the highest speed Internet access to guests – without having to commit to the expense of a bigger broadband pipe.

Currently, most bandwidth is sold on an access time basis, with little regard to the value of quality of service or quantity used. With bandwidth on demand, a hotel or restaurant chain would no longer buy huge amounts of bandwidth upfront; it would be bought only as their customers need it.

A hotel’s guest experience can be constrained by xed bandwidth broadband provision, but thanks to du’s

Bandwidth on Demand, it is possible to provision a xed base-line service, on top of which the hotel can take extra bandwidth capacity on demand to suit its uctuating business needs, guest requirements, occupancy rates and the hosting of in-hotel special events.

It provides the hospitality industry with a reliable and cost-effective way to balance the commercials of broadband provision with a rich guest experience.

It allows the hotel guest to subscribe to an internet service that meets their budget and expectations. One guest might want to subscribe for the duration of their stay to a premium in-room service that gives them access on a pay-as-you-go basis to a dedicated 10MB line. Another may prefer a more budget-friendly shared-access to 50MB

53BROUGHT TO YOU BY

services. All the while they and all other guests can enjoy free in-lobby Wi-Fi access.

Such a solution provides hotels and their customers with the choices they want. It provides new revenue generation opportunities for the hotel, helps it build differentiation from the competition, while at the same time proving to be more reliable in the context of the high-speed access that hotel guests now take for granted. Internet access for business meetings can be better managed.

It allows overall usage by the hospitality business to exceed a speci ed threshold for brief periods of time, without the hotel or restaurant chain facing a huge bill. It effectively means hospitality businesses can deliver excellent customer experience without having to buy a more expensive higher capacity internet service. The plan provides a guaranteed high level of internet access that comes with additional bandwidth, delivered on demand and generally billed at a slightly higher rate.

Simply by installing a du management gateway

54

alongside the internet ISP gateway, a hotel’s IT team can pull down burstable bandwidth on an as-needed basis. The advantages of such a service are numerous Always available high-speed connections. Ability to charge guests in different ways for different bandwidth packages. Works across DS , wireless or hybrid technology. Provides highly reliable business centre connectivity for videoconferencing applications.

Provides highly available Internet access for one-off events and/or ad hoc meeting room connectivity.

All internet access is password protected and secured. Caters also to lobby and common area Wi-Fi connectivity requirements.

Billing for usage brings business OPEX

As well as being able to better handle the normal peaks and troughs of everyday bandwidth requirements, bandwidth on demand opens a door to the introduction of high-de nition video links and conferencing suites for use in events and virtual business meetings. Quality

55BROUGHT TO YOU BY

videoconferencing can allow a conference to import a guest speaker who is unable to travel, while preserving or enhancing the audience interaction with a live speaker.

Commonly, hotels buy their internet services from a telco or ISP as a bundle or package that is speci ed according to the average consumption over a speci ed period of time, usually a month. The problem is that they can nd themselves left short at times, when demand exceeds expectations.

This is commonly seen when a hotel hosts an industry conference or large business event. Not only can the

process of provisioning the extra bandwidth needed for that event be slow, but if estimates of usage during the event fall short of demand the customer experience suffers as a result. If it is over-provisioned, the hotel and its client are charged for resources that are not utilised.

Usually an internet service provider will charge businesses a at rate for unlimited use, with the monthly bill set by the maximum speed band chosen by the customer – be that 4, 8, 16 or 24 MB per second. An alternative billing model is to pay for the total data transfer capacity used over a month, with a speci ed data transfer capacity delivered for free and with any extra bandwidth or data transfers over and above that incurring an additional charge. In both cases, the service might fall short of expectations at periods of very high usage, bandwidth could remain unused or charges may become painfully high during periods of over-utilisation.

The alternative presented by bandwidth on demand enables a hospitality business to request a boost in the available bandwidth for a short period to meet peaks in usage, without having to contract for any increased capacity that they will only need occasionally.

Both types of these quota and consumption-based billing options do not adequately address the problems of Internet traf c optimisation and congestion management, however. It can lead to latency, jitter, and round-trip-delay – technical characteristics of communications systems that affect their usability for particular applications.

Voice and video communications, and a variety of other applications such as online gaming and nancial trading, are particularly sensitive to high latency. A difference in latency of as little as 1 or 2 milliseconds can be signi cant.

itter re ects the timing variation experienced by users of a service. So-called load balancing technology helps ensure hotels can provide the very highest quality of internet services to their guests.

Rather than buying ever-bigger capacity connections, the systems installed by these leading hotels allows bandwidth-hungry applications to be automatically routed through the best internet service available, while email and non-critical web browsing traffic can be pushed across less-expensive connections. It is one other way of ensuring better internet experience for a hotel’s guests and diners.

If you are interested in du’s Bandwidth on Demand solution, kindly email managedservices du.ae.


TRENDS

The latest products, launches and services to make a difference to your business

Trend watch: July 2012Product watchEverything from the latest

door locks to cool wine cellars

Interior design & furnishings Take inspiration from

Highpoint Market exhibition

HR, recruitment & training Accor shares the details of its

global training academies

F&B How do you make a menu

really work for you?

IT ADVERTORIAL F1 Infotech share with us

their hospitality solutions

Marketing, advertising & branding How do you market a jazz club

in Doha? St Regis Doha tell us

how it will be done

Fitness Jumeirah rolls out a new

fitness concept, starting at

Jumeriah Emirates Towers

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66

62

60

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66

68

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cpidubai.com58 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JULY 2012 cpidubai.com

Product watchWe round up the boldest and brightest new launches and ranges

from all over the hospitality world

TRENDS / PRODUCT WATCH

COTTON EMPIRE

Cotton Empire, a leading producer of home

textiles and institutional linen in the UAE has

released new ranges of towels. The Pool Towels

are exclusive to hotels in the UAE, are highly

durable when it comes to anti-chlorine and have

good washing results. The brand also supply

exclusive designs for five star hotels under their

White Gold collection.

ottonempire.net

PURE

Pure Inspired Design provides fabrics,

eco-friendly furniture, wool rugs and home

accessories, designed by Samantha Cobos. She

sources the finest materials from solely U.S.

providers to produce high quality, natural ranges

that provide a touch of style to any hotel. The

brand can also supply bespoke printed organic

fabric, inspired by nature and your own colour

and pattern development.

pureinspireddesign.cartoncms.com

LA RIC ORGANIC LINE

Five star cosmetic lines suppliers, La Ric has

introduced a new organic body care line, which

has already been used by Sofitel, Jumeirah and

Millenium hotels. In response for a desire of more

holistic, natural products the range includes

shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and shower

gel, can all be co-branded. The company also

makes luxurious manicure and pedicure products,

room fragrances and high end gift boxes.

laric.eu


PRODUCT WATCH / TRENDS

THE BEST OF THE REST

FOCUS WINE CELLARSFocus Wine Cellars create bespoke wine cellars

for commercial needs and have clients included

Marriott, Hyatt, Sheraton and Trump International.

Pictured is their latest project for Divan Hotel

Istanbul, making it a feature of its restaurant.

This particular cellar holds 2,000 bottles, with an

innovative air circulation system.

focuswinecellars.com

Dometic Door Lock systems combine

contemporary design with state-of-the-art access

control technology to satisfy the highest demands

on aesthetics, security and ease of use. Dometic

Door Lock systems are available in two styles and

four different finishes – chrome, stainless, brass

or gold – to match the interior design. Suitable

for microchip or advanced proximity transponder

technology, intelligent software allows easy,

intuitive programming by the receptionist staff

and total control by the hotel management.

dometic.com

BREWING GADGETSA new UAE company will change the way

coffee is made in restaurants and cafes.

Brewing Gadgets’ ‘pour over coffee makers’

involve various different ways of pouring

the hot water over ground coffee. The range

makes the most of the coffee’s aroma.

__brewinggadgets.com

ISOBOX® MOBILEHupfer, the kitchen logistic solutions

company, has launched a new trolley where

individual boxes can be stacked horizontally

or vertically to form one unit. The boxes

can be equipped with a heating or cooling

module, allowing ultimate flexibility for

kitchen and waiting staff. ISOBOX® Mobile

also comes in various designs to meet every

requirement.

hupfer.deDOMETIC DOOR LOCK SYSTEM


TRENDS / INTERIOR DESIGN

A touch of homeWe look at upcoming furnishing trends from the United States

Artisan designs are coming to the forefront, with inspirational products

Add a cosy feel to any hotel with

some of these new trends,

highlighted by the latest High

Point Market exhibition.

Hand-craftedArtisan designs are coming to the

forefront, with inspirational products

that look hand-made, even if they’re

actually not.

Marrakech ExpressThe exotic arches, patterns, and

vibrant spice influence of Morocco

and North Africa have found a global

appreciation lately.

Buttoned UpIt’s all about the details, and buttons

make a strong return to the floor,

with furniture, especially sofas all

employing this design tweak.

Vintage MarketThe joys of bric-a-brac and an element

of kitsch are coming through to make

up a vintage trend that is gaining

ground across all budgets.

Stately ScrollsFor a more upmarket feel, the refined

scroll elements are inspired by ancient

motifs in both bold and subtle ways.

Vintage

HGTV Home

Marrakech Express

Eastern Accents

Vintage

Halo


High Point Market is the largest exhibition

for home furnishings, held in North Carolina,

America bi-annually. It has on average 2,000

exhibitors and 77,000 attendees and has over

350 categories. Buyers attend from over 100

countries. The next exhibition will be held in

October 2012.

www.highpointmarket.org

Highpoint Market

INTERIOR DESIGN / TRENDS

Stately Scrolls

Kincaid

Handcrafted

Currey & Company

Stately Scrolls

Christopher Guy

Hancrafted

Charleston Forge

Marrakech Express

Currey & Company

Buttoned Up

Dwell Company


TRENDS / HR, RECRUITMENT & TRAINING

Academie Accor Middle

East is one of 17 dedicated

academies around the

globe, which provides

continual training opportunities

to Accor’s staff. The Middle East

academy, based in Dubai is known

as Tamheed. It offers courses and

informal learning for first line to top

line staff.

How important is constant training? The environment is changing and so

are the needs and demands of our

guests and employees. Only through

constant learning will we be able to

LONG TERM LEARNING

Valerie Brignone, Director, Tamheed Academie

Accor Middle East, talks about the investment

the brand is putting into its staff, by making

training an ongoing commitment

stay at a competitive level and attract

new talents. This is a crucial issue

for us. Hotel brands are regularly

reviewing their offers and

services and this keeps us on

our toes as they rely on us

to translate and transmit

the vision and skills to the

hotel teams.

What training methods do you use? We mostly use interactive ways

aimed at facilitating operational

application. All types of methods

linked to digital are also developing

fast. Mostly we adapt to the needs

depending on the country, the

hotel brand and the team. Learning

methods cannot always be the same

in Egypt, the UAE or Jordan.

As we strongly believe in

experimental learning,

these days we lean

more and more towards

informal learning and

making sure we offer our

employees the chance to

informally learn as much as possible

before, during and after their shift.

These are not through training

courses, but through staff ’s day-to-

day interactions.

2.5-4%OF LABOUR COST IS

INVESTED IN TRAINING


HR, RECRUITMENT & TRAINING / TRENDS

We also strongly believe in cultural specificity hence we are flexible and always give the possibility to adapt courses to take into account the local realities

Valerie Brignone,

Director, Tamheed

Academie Accor

Middle East

With a massive shortfall in trained staff for new hotel openings in the region, does Academie Accor play a role in recruiting new staff? It does indirectly as it allows hotels

to focus on attitude rather than

skills when recruiting, knowing very

well that the pre-opening training

organised with the Academie Accor

will help reach the expected level.

What are the ethos and concepts that your university and training programmes are built on? Our training programmes are built

on Accor values, participative and

interactive methods, operational

relevance and diversity. We also

strongly believe in cultural specificity

hence we are flexible and always give

the possibility to adapt courses to take

into account the local realities.

What does Accor do differently compared to other global chains? Apart from delivering training to all

levels directly in the hotels as well as

in regional courses, we also focus on

sustainable development (diversity,

cultural awareness, etc). We adapt our

courses to local realities and propose

tailor-made learning development

solutions to the hotels.

We are working closely with all our

employees to ensure that we achieve

the 21 commitments and quantifiable

goals outlined in our new sustainable

development programme PLANET 21

by 2015. These goals include employees

training in the prevention of diseases

in 95 per cent of hotels, the promotion

of balanced dishes in 80 per cent of

establishments, the use of eco-labelled

products in 85 per cent of hotels and

the reduction in water and energy use

of respectively 15 per cent and 10 per

cent in owned or leased hotels.

What are the most popular courses for hotel staff in the UAE? We have a few, among them:

communication and presentation

skills, cultural awareness and

managing diversity, proximity

management, finance for non-

financial managers, ibis Players and

Novotel Itineraries (both competence-

based development programmes for

first-level employees). All of these

courses are very much in demand as

well as courses dealing with attitude,

customer care and sales.

What are the most important courses in your opinion? Without any hesitation, any course

that deals with engaging teams,

enhancing customer care and

improving management skills. Revenue

management and sales courses are

also topping the list. In our industry,

considering our realities, these are the

topics most needed in all hotels.

How long should staff members be trained before a new hotel opening?

Hotels usually organise training

sessions over a period of 16 weeks.

Starting with team building for

managers to set and agree on their

ambition and objectives, continuing

with all specific brand courses and

customer care and quality for all

front lines. We do not stop when the

hotel opens – rather we continue

training the team throughout

the opening and after too. It is a

continuous process.

Can you give us some examples of how your staff can develop themselves after being with Accor for a time? We have numerous programmes aimed

at developing people in their own

area of specialisation such as revenue

management, sales, distribution and

training. We also have an International

Hotel Management Program (IHMP)

built to develop future general

managers for the EMEA region.

Do rising guest expectations and more well travelled guests make training harder? It does force us to be constantly

updated on new trends, demands

and methods. Training is not

harder because of this however the

investment in terms of time and

budget tend to be more important.

Do you teach staff to learn more languages? Why is this important in the Middle East? English is so important in the region

that we organise English courses.

Depending on the hotel and their

customer needs, we also organise

Arabic and French courses. However,

we are lucky in this region as our

employees for the most part already

speak more than one language and

learning another one more is easier for

them than for others in different parts

of the world.

How much does it cost per staff member to train? Our hotels are asked to provision

between 2.5 and 4 per cent of the

labour costs for their staff ’s

training investment.


Many restaurants don’t give

much attention to their

menus, which is a real mixed

opportunity. Most are based

on cookie cutter designs, without any

thought put into maximising orders

and helping high-margin items to look

more appealing.

Strangely, this is a world where big

chains spend a lot of time and money

reseearching what works – they want

your mouth to water and your wallet

Many diners will just run down a list of items and choose the cheapest, so don’t make a big deal of the prices

Object of desireA menu that works is one of a restaurant’s best weapons. But how

do you design a good one? Dave Reeder investigatesto open! To first thing to realise is

that menu design is more about the

look and feel – crucially, it’s using

sceince and research in your favour.

For most people, for example, their

eyes naturally fall halfway down a

page - the hot spot. Maximise your

profits by putting high margin items

and signature dishes here – these are

the ones that make you most money

from and the ones that will get your

customers returning.

Traditionally, menus are desigend

with a hierachy that reflects the

way that a meal is served – starters,

mains, sides, desserts – but even here

designers can use tricks to maximise

sales. Research shows that people look

most often at the first and last menu

items in a section, so prioritise high

profit dishes here.

One area that needs careful

attention is the wording of your menu.

There’s a fine line to be drawn between

making dishes sound appealing and

completely over the top descriptions

that put off many diners. So, by all

means describe a fish as coming

from Omani waters but resist the

temptation to say it was ‘lifted at dawn

as the sun kissed the Omani white-

capped waves.’

That said, let’s look at a traditional

menu that works. The dinner menu

from French bistrot Balthazar in New

York City. It looks solid and standard,

but numerous tricks have been used to

make it really pop.

Before diners’ eyes fall on the hot

spots, they first gravitate to the top

right so Balthazar places a desirable,

hot ticket item them, an expensive

pile of seafood. It steps back from

using photography because of the

connotations with lower-rent outlets

and opts for a line drawing that creates

a bistro resonation. Note too that by

placing the most expensive dish on

the menu here it makes other dishes

nearby look like real bargains – such

as the smaller platter. What size is it? It

doesn’t tell you but at $70 as opposed

to $115, it must be a bargain, right?

Many diners will just run down

a column of dishes and choose the

cheapest, so don’t make a big deal of

prices. By listing the price as 85 rather

than Dhs85.00 you’re making the

diner focus more on the menu item,

not the price. The fancier the box, the

more you will shift high-profit items

like a cheeseboard. Use a simpler box

for daily specials. Look also at how

they play with portion sizes in the

hors’ d’hoevres section, if you don’t

specify the actual size, chances are

diners will trade up.

TRENDS / FOOD & BEVERAGE


T

Keeping up with

technology

F1 BRANDSInfor -Salto -Ruckus -Motorola -Altai -Psion - Interel -Trend (Honeywell) -iBAHN -Legrand -Gantner -

ADVERTORIAL


Introducing jazz Jazz at Lincoln Centre will open in September at the St Regis, Doha.

Club manager, Isabella Murgu tells us how the hotel intends to

bring the improvised art form to the city

Jazz isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and

even if you’re a fan of the music,

chances are you won’t be able

to reel off a list of well known

contemporary jazz perfomers. The St

Regis Doha is looking to change that.

The hotel chain has partnered

with the original club, Jazz at

Lincoln Centre, New York, who will

programme set seasons of music,

sending out trios and quarters to

perform for two weeks at the Doha

outpost, which has been closely

modeled on its namesake.

“The artists will be brought in and

curated from New York, so they’ll be

world renowned artists which makes it

very exciting,” says Murgu.

“St Regis is connected to jazz

through our New York history and our

original home. Jazz is an integrated

part of the brand, in New York the

hotel always had jazz musicians and

worked with the Lincoln Centre on

a number of projects. St Regis has

partnered not just with Jazz at Lincoln

Centre for Doha but also for other St

Regis properties round the world, so

we’re the first, which is fantastic.”

Fast becoming the Middle Eastern

city to go to for high brow art and

culture, the jazz club will be another

string to Doha’s bow, but how does the

hotel plan to go about marketing this

niche night out?


MARKETING, ADVERTISING & BRANDING / TRENDS

“Doha is very intrigued about what

we’re doing, it’s developing an art and

culture scene and we have a lot of

expats in Doha who are jazz lovers, so

we’re filling a niche. A lot of the locals

are keen to embrace new music and

new culture. Our Qatari owner is a

big jazz lover so that has helped. The

Qatari population are open minded

and they travel a lot to the States

so there is some awareness there,”

explains Murgu.

The hotel expects the uniqueness of

Jazz at Lincoln Centre to pull in GCC

guests as well as locals and expats.

“Beyond Doha, people will travel

from all over the GCC to have a

weekend experience at the hotel,

complete with live, real jazz.”

And it’s not just the guests who

they’re hoping to educate, the club’s

staff have been trained in the genre,

“The entire team has been trained

in jazz music and has been listening

to it for months as it’s important that

they’re all knowledgeable about it

as an art form and understand the

artists,” says Murgu.

The 98 seat venue will have a

permanent stage at the front, whilst

the seating will be split between

cinema style chairs and booths for

groups with a bar at the back. There

will be a dinner slot from 7-9pm,

serving up high-end jazz inspired

American classics for those that want

an entire evening. The focus will be

on the music as a performance, rather

than as background noise. Murgu

explains the how the programming

will work,

“We look at it as a season, so we’ll

have New York programming of a

few months at a time, so people will

be able to plan their trips and we

can communicate that information

months ahead. We don’t want to just

come and talk about next week.”

The hotel sees the club’s impact as

more than just nightly performances.

“We’re discussing possibly doing

a charity event around jazz, with

tickets to an open air event. We’re also

considering classes for children and

awareness talks in schools about jazz.

We would like the artists to do music

talks with afternoon tea, where people

can get to know more about the genre

and the individual artists who are

playing,” Murgu says.

The hotel is also considering

offering up the venue for rentals,

“We would consider renting the

space out, it’s a beautiful location with

a huge terrace. The club is only open

in the evenings so we could use the

space in the afternoon as it’s on the

sunset side, so a cocktail reception

or high end afternoon teas would be

possible. We could offer it for exclusive

meetings or presentations because you

have a ready made stage. This will add

something new to the hotel, for a more

high end option.”

St Regis has partnered with Jazz at Lincoln Centre not just for Doha but for other St Regis properties round the world as well

Isballa Murgu, Club

Director, Jazz at

Lincoln Centre, St

Regis Doha

Jazz at Lincoln Centre: the stats

2012OPENING SEPTEMBER

98PAX SEATED INSIDE

6DAYS A WEEK (CLOSED SUNDAYS)

cpidubai.com68 / HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST JULY 2012 cpidubai.com

TRENDS / FITNESS

What is Talise Fitness and how is it a new concept?Talise Fitness is an

extension of our global

wellness brand “Talise” that also

includes Talise Spa and Talise

Nutrition. The Talise Fitness

responsibility is to create an

environment that will support the

adoption of healthy lifestyles and

an environment that will make our

members feel part of the Talise family.

The diversity in fitness enthusiasts

has increased over the past few years.

People are becoming increasingly

more in tune with their personal

health and wellbeing and are looking

for new experiences and innovative

options. The only way forward was to

reconsider our approach and look for

a new direction.

Beside our new approach to space

design based on aspirational training

zones, innovative programmes

and services, Talise Fitness places

members and guests at the centre of

our business model. We recognise

that each person is unique and

we enhance our relationship with

members through the use of customer

relationship management tools to turn

aspirations into results!

How does the new fitness and spa centre at Jumeirah Emirates Towers differ from what was on offer before?In addition to being a brand new

facility with state of the art equipment,

Talise Fitness is also a much bigger

facility covering 1000sq/m with seven

separate exercise zones, including a

dedicated functional training zone.

Talise Fitness is also a fresh new

concept, which provides individuals

with a new approach to physical

Talise goes globalJumeirah are rolling out a new wellness concept, called Talise Fitness, starting with Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Sports and Leisure Manager, Tim Dorrington talks us through the changes

Talise will be cascaded to our properties in the GGC and globally from 2013 onwards

Tim Dorrington, Sports

and Leisure Manager,

Jumeirah Emirates

Towers

activity and wellbeing. By placing the

aspirations and motivation of fitness

enthusiasts at its core, Talise Fitness

offers ground-breaking solutions for

overall wellbeing and integrates fitness

into day-to-day life.

Why has it changed?The implementation of a new gym at

Jumeirah Emirates Towers has been

planned for over a year. With the

launch of the new Talise Fitness brand

and the opportunity to expand into a

bigger and better facilities, it was the

perfect time to change and upgrade

our health and fitness facilities.

Will this be rolling out to any other Jumeirah properties?Yes, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and

Madinat Jumeirah are scheduled to

implement the Talise Fitness concept

in September 2012, it will be then

cascaded to our properties in the GCC

and globally from 2013 onwards.

How has guest expectation changed concerning fitness within hotels?With the rise of chronic diseases such

as obesity and diabetes, health and

fitness is becoming a more prominent

aspect of peoples’ everyday lives. It is

important for hotels to recognise this

and offer facilities and services that

will live up to the expectations of the

guests. It’s not just about providing

the right equipment for the end user,

but offering solutions aligned with

member’s aspirations.

Do you think the Middle East has the same approach to fitness and the importance of keeping fit say as America or Europe?Managing and reducing lifestyle

diseases through eating right, exercise

and supplementation is becoming a

major preoccupation for individuals

and corporations around the globe.

Today the wellness industry enjoys

annual revenue exceeding billions

of dollars and is expected to grow

massively over the next few years.

Several wellness related businesses

are emerging at incredible rates

(supplement stores, fitness centres,

natural food markets, spas and so

many more).

cpidubai.com HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST / 69JULY 2012cpidubai.com

FITNESS / TRENDS

There is a colossal existing demand

for advancements in pro-active health

but there is still discrepancy from an

educational point of view in different

part of the world. The Middle East

remains behind the America and

Europe, mainly because of cultural

differences. However, the region is

adapting fast, mentality is changing

rapidly and people are becoming

more and more aware of the benefits

of physical activity.

How important is it for a hotel to have a decent, authentic fitness facility to attract repeat business? Or new business?At Jumeirah Emirates Towers, many

of our hotel guests are repeat guests

therefore it is important that they see

that we are constantly innovating and

evolving as a hotel, especially with the

increase in competition over the past

few years. With the implementation

of the new Talise Fitness facility, we

hope to add value to the complex as a

whole, not just for the hotel guests but

also to our valued tenants in the Office

Tower and shopping Boulevard.

The next few years are a period of

major expansion for Jumeirah Hotels’

operations with many hotels in the

pipeline or under development around

the world. Therefore, it’s a necessity to

drive consistency in the operating and

service standards to ensure our guests

enjoy the same fitness experience in all

our fitness facilities.

Sept 2012: Jumeirah Beach Hotel /

Madinat Jumeirah

2013: Rest of portfolio

Rollout schedule

cpidubai.com

JOB WATCH


Job watchTime to move on? We can help. All jobs can be applied for throughthe Hozpitality website

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Industry: Hotels Clubs and Spas

Department: HR

Level: Top Management

Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Salary Description: Negotiable

Posted: 24/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP

Recruiter: CHA International

Job Ref: 4420

We are looking for a Director of Human

Resources for a 5* hotel, newly open in Abu

Dhabi.

Experience of hotel opening and Arabic

speaking are a must. GCC and UAE (Abu Dhabi/

Dubai) exposure is recommended.

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND BUSINESS

SUPPORT


Department: Finance and Accounts

Level: Department Head


Salary Description: Attractive

Posted: 24/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP

Recruiter: Confidential

A luxury five star hotel in Dubai, is looking for

a dynamic finance professional to join their

growing, motivated team as a Director of

Finance and Business Support. The successful

candidate is expected to carry out the Finance

and Accounting functions for the company.

Their job responsibilities include achieving

long term and short-term objectives, and

ensuring that financial resources are effectively

utilised to realise these objectives. The duties

encompass managing the company’s financial

affairs, directing and facilitating the day to

day operations of the accounts department,

preparation and consolidation of the annual

and long-term Capital, Operating & Revenue

budgets and business plans, developing and

implementing corporate policies, systems and

procedures, liaising with the owning company,

following-up on joint venture accounts,

managing risk and cash flow and comparing

budget vs. actual balance sheet and providing

business support to the General Manager.

GENERAL MANAGER


Department: General Management




Posted: 24/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP


We are looking for a General Manager for

a renowned international hotel in Dubai.

Candidate should have 15-20 years experience

with minimum five years as General Manager in

branded hotels in UAE.

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER






Posted: 21/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP


We are looking for a Director of Operations

in Dubai, UAE for a four star modern stylish

hotel in Dubai (260 rooms, meetin facilities,

several F&B outlets). The ideal candidate

should be under 35 and stylish and trendy.

Experience in all areas of hotel operation,

managing all direct reports in a professional

and motivating fashion and will replace the GM

while travelling. Excellent package offered for

suitable candidate.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER






Posted: 21/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP


Job Ref: 4325

A leading private/international business - group of

hotels organisation in the UAE, is seeking to recruit

a Chief Financial Officer/Corporate Director of

Finance. The candidate should must have a Multi-

unit or GCC experience. They also have to have

a CPA or equivalent. Past hotel experience with

international chains is a must. Fluent in English,

matured and wants to settle in Dubai. Any age but

no older than 55 years. Salary negotiable based on

experience and super expatriate benefits.

CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN

RESOURCES


Department: HR



Salary Description: Excellent package

Posted: 21/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP


Job Ref: 4365

One of the UAE’s leading private business groups

is looking for a Corporate Director of Human

Resources for the hotel division with the following

criteria :

property experience

The package will be determined as per a

candidate’s qualifications.

GENERAL MANAGER



RESEARCHERS AT HARVARD SAY THAT TAKING A POWER NAP FOR AN HOUR IN THE AFTERNOON CAN TOTALLY REFRESH YOU. THEY SAY THAT BY THE TIME YOU WAKE UP YOU’LL FEEL SO GOOD, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO START LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB JAY LENO

JOB WATCH





Posted: 27/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP


We are looking for a General Manager’s position

for a 355 key, hotel opening soon in Abu Dhabi,

offering a good package. European candidate

with UAE experience and currently working in a

reputed five star hotel chain with 10-15 years as a

GM preferred.

DIRECTOR FINANCE – DOHA




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

Emirates (UAE)

Salary Description: attractive

Posted: 06/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP

Recruiter: Amari Doha

Amari Doha is part of ONYX Hospitality Group

based in Thailand. ONYX offers a wide portfolio

of hospitality brands, including the luxury

Saffron portfolio, the market-leading Amari

brand of hotels and resorts, Shama serviced

apartments, and the all-new select service Ozo.

As the Director of Finance you will oversee

the operational running of this Pre Opening

property from a finance perspective. You

will have extensive contact with the General

Manager and sitting on the executive team you

will be expected to deliver a robust financial

control function. It is also expected that you

will play a commercial part in the growth of

the business

GENERAL MANAGER




Location: Africa


Posted: 21/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP

Recruiter: African Management Services

Company (AMSCO)

A boutique four star hotel in Lagos is looking

for a General Manager. They must be able

to manage all facets of the hotel operation,

including the Rooms, Sales & Marketing,

Accounting, Human Resources, and Engineering

departments.

services and manage revenue management.

with the FC and business plan, implementing

initiatives, strategies and action plans to

achieve goals.

Marketing plan.

relations with key Community and Corporate

groups.

and implement programs to achieve these

objectives.

and progressive performance management for

all establishes personal development plans.

working environment.

programs, and ensures regulatory compliance.

GROUP DIRECTOR OF FINANCE






Posted: 20/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP

Recruiter: Grand Belle Vue Hotel Apartments-

Dubai

Job Ref: GDOF

The ideal candidate should be responsible for

all financial accounting, ensuring accurate and

timely production of monthly management

information across the region. They should also

be responsible for the:

financial statements for hotels in the group and

that the accounts are prepared in accordance

with company policies.

maintained and appropriate accounting

processes, procedures and controls are in place.

business report to the board.

as required.

areas of problems and cost savings.

The candidate should have at least three years

of experience in a similar capacity in a well-

established hospitality organisation.

FACILITIES MANAGER


Department: Engineering and Projects


Location: Doha, Qatar


Posted: 18/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP

Recruiter: Hozpitality Consulting

We are looking for a Facility Manager for a

renowned hotel company in Doha. This person

will be liaising with our hotel, but is for our

owners side, for their group. Salary will not be a

constraint for the right candidate. The candidate

should be of Engineering background, Arab and

Western educated.

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR




Location: Saudi Arabia


Posted: 18/06/2012

Start Date: ASAP

Recruiter: Hozpitality Consulting

We need to hire for the following key position

for our client, a five star hotel in Saudi Arabia:

Operations Director.

The right Operations Director candidate

should have the following:

preferably in UAE/ME

excellent guest relation skills

preferred.We prefer all the European

nationalities and also Canadian, Australian,

New Zealand or Americans with managerial

skills with at least seven to eight years

experience in the hospitality industry or five

star hotels. Attractive salary and benefits

offered to the right candidate.

THREE RULES OF WORK: OUT OF CLUTTER FIND SIMPLICITY; FROM DISCORD FIND HARMONY; IN THE MIDDLE OF DIFFICULTY LIES OPPORTUNITY ALBERT EINSTEIN

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COMMENT

Discover the power of integrated securitySecurity demands vigilance, vigilance demands integration

Access control. Intrusion

detection. Video surveillance

and analytics. Fire and life

safety. What’s wrong with

these pictures?

Traditionally, these systems were

set up separately – with their own

hardware, software, installation,

oversight, service, maintenance,

administration and training. This

approach is no longer viable in a world

where security threats are increasing

and budgets are shrinking.

Over the decades the hotel has been

an attractive target for terrorism and

other acts of intimidation. With two

high profile incidents occurring in

this part of the world in recent years

the spotlight has again fallen on hotel

security. As systems become ever

more connected, combining optimum

security management systems and

integration expertise with best-in-class

technology is a critical process.

Integrated security solutions allow

you to control the entire security

landscape from a single user interface

providing faster response times,

improved overall security, reduced

costs, and valuably, peace of mind.

In order to understand the holistic

value of integrated security solutions,

it’s worthwhile recapping the evolution

of security. Among the changes that

have occurred over the past decades,

software integration has giving rise to

integrated solutions, and economic

factors have made demonstrating

return on security investment (ROSI)

a requirement rather than an option.

As a result security can now be

categorised as delivering three levels

of value: security effectiveness, risk

reduction and business efficiency

from the synergy between, people

and process and technology. This is a

compelling factor in designing security

management strategies.

The customer benefit of security

effectiveness is in CapEx and OpEx cost

reductions that result from integrating

multiple disparate technologies onto

a single, comprehensive security

network. Securing the people and

assets that make up a business reduces

risk, ensures business continuity, and

enhances reputation. Additionally,

the investments customers make in

security technology can be leveraged

to improve business processes, reduce

variable costs and increase revenues. In

all the cases the real financial benefits

are many.

Even in the most advanced hotels,

security threats remain real. By

integrating various security systems

such as Access Control, Building

Management Systems and Video

Surveillance Systems, an intelligent

Security Management System can be

created, which helps hotels improve

all round safety, ultimately making

everyone from staff to guests feel more

comfortable and reassured.

Whether serving as a visual deterrent

to crime or giving managers and

security professionals tools for dealing

with liability claims, employee theft

or other management issues, video

security offers the most practical and

cost-effective solution available. For a

system to meet the needs of a business

location – and to be counted on 24/7 –

only the most reliable equipment can

be used.

Integrated Security System can

also serve as a powerful management

tool, assisting hoteliers to assess traffic

flow, customer purchasing behavior or

helping to reconcile POS transactions

and so much more. No other form of

electronic surveillance provides for

real-time monitoring of situations,

both at the location and remotely, while

simultaneously providing indisputable

documentation of an event.

Anant Berde is Vice President Gulf

Countries, Buildings Business, Schneider

Electric

BREWING MOMENTS OFINDULGENCE SINCE 1890.

As the world’s no. 1 tea brand, Lipton Tea is enjoyed in over 150 countries and trusted by industry professional the world over.

Unilever Food Solutions: Tel: +971 4 881 5552 UAE Distributor: +971 4 347 0444 / +971 4 347 3455For mor information, email: [email protected]

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