hotel news me november 2015

THE profEssional pErspEcTivE for THE HospiTaliTy indusTrynovEMBEr 2015 | WWW.HoTElnEWsME.coM

When and how to roll out your new look property

Highlighting the burgeoning region's

pipeline plans

Spotlight on Saudi

The fight to train & retain foodies

F&B talent Show

Coffee suppliers and specialists tell all

Spilling the BeanS

CONTENTS

hot topics

features

08 | NEWS rouNd up a summary of regional and global news

48 | takE 10bateaux dubai

40 | F&B FEaturE how f&b professionals are securing and retaining staff

32 | chaiN FocuSdusit international

26 | covEr Story when is it time to roll out a new look and refurbish your hotel?

22 | EvENt rEviEW highlights from hotel news me's procurement conference

50 | MEEt thE EXpErtShospitality specialist views

32

4816 22

HOTEL NEWS ME NOvEMbEr 20154

CONTENTS

36 | couNtry FocuSspotlight on saudi arabia

62 | MarkEtplacEthe supplier and buyer roundup of news, products and services

56 | SuppliEr FocuStaking a look at the latest coffee machines, trends and beans

44 | ElEgaNt rESortSmichelle sephton discusses the brand's middle eastern debut

16 | aMadEuS jeff hiscox, president and ceo talks over new developments

CONTENTS

S U B S C R I B E

C o n t R I B U t o R S

[email protected]

Managing Director Walid Zok

[email protected]

Director Rabih Najm

[email protected]

Director Wissam Younane

[email protected]

Group Publishing DirectorDiarmuid O'Malley

[email protected]

Group Editor Melanie Mingas

[email protected]

Editor Sophia Soltani

[email protected]

Sales ManagerCharlotte Ringrose

[email protected]

Art Director Aaron Sutton

[email protected]

Marketing Executive Mark Anthony Monzon

PO Box 502511 Dubai, United Arab EmiratesP +971 4 4200 506 | F +971 4 4200 196

For all commercial enquiries related to Hotel News ME contact

[email protected] T +971 50 55 97339

All rights reserved © 2014. Opinions expressed are solely those of the

contributors.Hotel News ME and all subsidiary

publications in the MENA region are officially licensed exclusively to BNC Publishing in the

MENA region by Hotel News ME.No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.

Printed by Raidy Emirates Printing Group LLC www.raidy.com

Gemma Greenwood, Lucy Taylor

26

62

44

36

interviews


It has been an extremely busy month for us here at Hotel News ME, as we hosted our inaugural Procurement Con-ference on 19 October, at Grosvenor House Dubai. It was fantastic to hear the experts impart anecdotal advice and share their worries and hopes for the future alike, and it was an educa-tional experience too. Our speakers warned that moving the purchasing process online isn’t as simple as follow-ing best practice, as there are very few solutions readily available to fully auto-mate the process, whilst linking all re-lated procurement activities; perhaps one to think about for the suppliers.

And that wasn’t all I learnt, we heard from Alison Grinnell, PwC hotels leader that the hospitality, leisure and tourism sector generates 10% of global GDP and that the economic value add of this sec-tor amounts to $7.6tn as recorded in 2014. Over 277 million jobs were created globally in 2014 through the sector which is one in every 11 jobs. Bearing in mind the 175,574 rooms currently under construction in the Middle East this statistic raises hope that the sector will continue to boom and create a modern-day gold rush of fresh talent entering the region.

So as we loved hosting the Procure-ment Conference so much, we have de-cided to do it all again this month with our inaugural Executive Housekeepers Summit on 18 November, at the Conrad Hotel. Here we will hear from a set of

high-profile industry leaders on new technologies which promise to trans-form housekeeping, including their suc-cess and the areas they fail to address; how to create 5-star quality in mid-scale properties; including tips and tricks for tight budgets and quick effi-ciencies that can add to the guest expe-rience; safety in the workplace; and re-cruitment and training issues facing the vital department.

Lastly, as the experts I ask you to get involved in the event, whether it be in attendance, or participation. If you are interested in having your say on one of the panels, conducting a workshop or sharing your advice on a case of best practice, reach out and get in touch, af-ter all none of this would be possible without your continued support.

Sophia Soltani Editor

homing in on houSekeeping

Follow us on oursocial media pages

@hotelnewsme /hotelnewsmme

hotelnewsme


NEwS

mClass smart hotel classification launched at giteX

283 keys

2018

60

WHO SAID THAT?

“Our Venu

brand is

expected tO

Open in 2017 and

will Offer 119

serViced

apartments and

300 rOOms,

ensuring we

stand Out in the

market."

OGerald lawless,

president and

GrOup CeO,

Jumeirah GrOup

maJlis Grand merCure dOha

will have a tOtal Of

COnsistinG Of

and

GO FIGURE

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced its new smart services the mClass smart hotel classification and the Sharjah Mobile App, which is available in seven languages, to en-hance the tourism experience in Shar-jah at this year’s GITEX Technology Week 2015.

Discussing the new launch, His Ex-cellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chair-person of SCTDA, described GITEX as an ideal platform for government en-tities to inform the public about their latest smart services aligned to UAE Smart Government goals to save people’s time and effort and contribute to sus-tainable development process.

H.E. Al Midfa said the smart ser-vices provided by the Authority come under the Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 which has adopted an innova-tive approach to tourism as a key pil-

lar of the Vision. “Based on this pillar, SCTDA has offered smart services and solutions for the tourism sector in the emirate, and comprehensive information and facilities to visitors to make their visit a memorable experi-ence,” H.E. Al Midfa said.

The Authority announced on the first day of GITEX Technology Week its ‘mClass’ smart hotel classification application, marking a qualitative leap in the classification of its 105

hospitality facilities. The new smart application, which will be available for download on mobile phones, en-hances interaction with hotels and evaluates their performance based on guest reviews.

SCTDA showcased its existing

smart applications, notably ‘Sharjah My Destination’ tourism portal that is currently available in seven languages. The portal provides comprehensive information to visitors and investors about the emirate of Sharjah and its major tourist locations. It also pro-vides details about the major events and activities organised across the year in the emirate as well as its most important shopping destinations. The portal contains the latest facts and fig-

ures about the tourism sector in the emirate and facilities offered to investors.

SCTDA also high-lighted at GITEX Technology Week its interactive touchscreens

offered at hotel facilities in the emir-ate. The touchscreens provide visitors detailed information in seven lan-guages about Sharjah’s tourism prod-ucts as well as its cultural centres, geo-graphical details and universities and restaurants.

NEWS

“BASED On THIS pIllAR, SCTDA HAS OFFERED SmART SERvICES AnD SOlU-

TIOnS FOR THE TOURISm SECTOR In THE EmIRATE”

h.e. al midfa

223 rooms

and is due tO Open in

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NEwS

10%

WHO SAID THAT?

“there is massiVe pent-up demand fOr new

midscale prOjects and

this cOuld alsO be the catalyst fOr a new waVe Of VisitOrs fOr whOm saVing

mOney On their hOtel stay

wOuld free up their budget tO spend in Other

areas frOm dining and

attractiOns tO shOpping and excursiOns.”

mOhamed awadalla, CeO,

time hOtels

GlObally hOspitality, leisure and tOurism seCtOr

Generates

Of the GlObal Gdp(Source: Pwc Middle eaSt)

adr april ytd

GO FIGURE

$263

“looking at the competition in the middle east, no other company offers the services to the extent that we do in the region. elegant resorts comprises the full 360 package, we are all about service and providing the accommodation plus the little extras.” Michelle Sephton, Managing director, elegant reSortS

“A DRy HOTEl CAn yIElD THE

SAmE GOp AS THE OnE WITH

AlCOHOl pROvIDED THE

FACIlITIES ARE DEFInED RIGHT.

AFTER F&B THE lARGEST

mOnEy mAkER In A HOTEl IS

BAnqUETInG. SO WHEnEvER

HmH IS InvOlvED In plAnnInG

AnD DEvElOpmEnT OF HOTEl,

WE ADvISE OWnERS TO

AllOCATE mAxImUm SpACE TO

mEETInG AnD BAnqUET

FACIlITIES.”

laurent a. VoiVenel, ceo, HMH

aCCorhotelS inkS deal with al JaSSim group

AccorHotels has announced the signing of a management agree-ment with Al Jassim Group, one of the leading diversified busi-ness groups in Qatar, to operate the first Majlis Grand Mercure hotel in Doha, Qatar. The new upscale property will be Ac-corHotels’ seventh hotel in Qatar, and is expected to be com-pleted by mid-2018.

Christophe Landais, chief operating officer of AccorHotels Middle East, said: “We are delighted to partner with Al Jassim Group, and are confident that this project will mark the begin-ning of a long-lasting collaboration. Al Jassim Group has im-mense regional knowledge with respect to the local culture and business environment. Their expertise in working with interna-tional brands and adapting them to the Qatari market makes them the perfect partner for the development of the Majlis Grand Mercure in Doha.”

Majlis Grand Mercure Doha will have a total of 283 keys, con-sisting of 223 rooms and 60 serviced apartments. The hotel fea-tures extensive business, sports and leisure facilities, is equipped with nine F&B outlets, an infinity swimming pool located on the ninth floor that overlooks the West bay and the Arabian Gulf Sea, a health club, state-of-the-art spa, conference and meeting rooms as well as a large ballroom.

The new property brings the total number of Majlis Grand Mercure hotels in the Middle East to four, following two existing properties in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, and another one under development in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, due to be completed by 2018.

(hiGhest GlObally) in dubai

(Source: Pwc Middle eaSt)

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NEwS

new travel app for $223bn muslim market

94,000

“with OVer 55

hOtels in the

mena regiOn, we

are a key player

especially in the

2- tO 4-star

range, and will

cOntinue tO

suppOrt a Value

fOr mOney

Offering.”

amine e.

mOukarzel,

president, lOuvre

hOtels GrOup &

GOlden tulip mena

by

GO FIGURE

140,000

160,000

2020

dubai Currently has a tOtal hOtel

key COunt Of apprOximately

this fiGure is set tO rise tO between

The world’s first online hotel refer-ence tool dedicated to Muslim trav-ellers, Salam Standard was launched at the inaugural World Halal Travel Summit and Exhibition (WHTS15), in Abu Dhabi.

The unique standard, which provides information on ‘Muslim-friendly’ amenities and services avail-able at hotels and resorts around the globe, caters to the specific accom-modation requirements of Muslim travellers, who spent more than $142 billion on tourism in 2014, accord-ing to Thomson Reuters research.

“With this figure set to rise to more than $233 billion in 2020, which accounts for 25% of total global travel expenditure, there is a need to provide this influential group of travellers with tourism products that make them feel at home,” said Salam Standard creator Faeez Fadh-lillah, the CEO and co-founder of one of Asia Pacific’s leading travel and tourism companies, Lagisatu Travel. “Salam Standard provides Muslim travellers with a one-of-a-

kind reference tool, enabling them to choose Muslim-friendly accommo-dation that adheres to their Islamic principles.”

More than 10,000 properties worldwide have already joined the Salam Standard initiative with major international hotel chains on board including AccorHotels, Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts, Rotana Hotels and Resorts, Anantara Hotels and Resorts, and Rixos Hotels. Indo-nesia’s biggest hospitality firm, the Archipelago Hotel Group, as well as Tauzia Hotel Management and Berjaya Hotels and Resorts, are also high-profile Salam Standard part-ners. The standard is divided into three main categories; bronze, silver and gold, according to the range of amenities and services each property offers Muslim guests.

For example, bronze-standard properties must have Muslim prayer mats available and Kibblat directions (signs pointing to Mecca) in the room or be made available; silver-rated properties must also provide a

list of halal restaurants nearby and there must be no alcohol in gues-troom mini bars; while accommoda-tion with gold status must also offer halal food certified by a recognised certification body. “Salam Standard is based on the feedback of 50,000 Muslim travellers from around the world,” revealed Fadhlillah. “We conducted an extensive global cam-paign asking those surveyed what services and amenities were most important to them when travelling. The Salam Standard helps them se-lect hotels according to this Muslim-focused criteria – no other review portal provides such comprehensive information.”

Fadhlillah said Salam Standard could evolve into the “biggest infor-mation provider of Muslim travel content” over the next few years if more Muslim-focused travel prod-ucts and services are added. “Our aim is to encourage hotel operators to offer more facilities for Muslim travellers, ensuring they experience their holiday of a lifetime,” he said.

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NEwS

$142bn

2014

WHO SAID THAT?

“I Am DElIGHT-ED TO BE

TAkInG THE HElm, ESpE-

CIAlly AT SUCH An ExCITInG TImE In THE

HOTEl’S lEGACy FOllOWInG THE

RECEnT ExTEnSIOn, AnD I lOOk

FORWARD TO STREnGTHEn-

InG THIS lEGACy EvEn

FURTHER AS WE mOvE FORWARD

TOGETHER.” RichaRd collins, GM, Ritz-caRlton

dubai

MusliM travellers spent More than

on tourisM in

(sourCe: thoMson reuters researCh)

GO FIGURE

Despite a 4.4 percentage point decrease in occupancy levels to 58.8%, hotels in Cairo recorded a 3.2% increase in RevPAR to $72.61. The growth was fuelled by a 10.9% rise in ARR to $123.44. However, TRev-PAR (total net revenue per available room) was weighed down by a soft food and bev-erage demand, resulting in a 0.7% drop to $133.37. The decrease in overall revenues coupled with a 3.4 percentage point increase in operating costs resulted in GOPPAR de-creasing by 12.5% to $65.44 According to the latest HotStats MENA report.

Hotels in Cairo and doha witness weakening performance metrics

hilton garden inn debuts in tabuk, Saudi arabia

Jeddah hotel proFitS witneSS Steady growth

Hilton Garden Inn has an-nounced the opening of the brand in Tabuk, adding to the growing portfolio of nearly 640 hotels worldwide. Hilton Garden Inn Tabuk is owned by ADFX Contracting, Main-tenance and Operations, and is managed by Hilton World-wide. The 104-room hotel is the brand’s first property in Tabuk, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Commenting on the new agreement, Adrian Kurre, global head, Hilton Garden Inn said: “We are delighted to bring the Hilton Garden Inn brand to Tabuk, we are excited that we are now able to offer business and leisure

travellers to Tabuk our signa-ture Hilton Garden Inn value added amenities and service, backed by our Satisfaction

Promise.”Hilton Garden Inn Tabuk

is located 15 minutes from Tabuk Regional Airport and

close to key government of-fices, shopping malls and the city’s main transport hubs, making it ideal for travellers. The new hotel is convenient to several local attractions including the seventeeth cen-tury Repentance Mosque and the ancient Tabuk Castle.

The new Hilton Garden Inn will offer complimentary WiFi throughout the hotel, a 24-hour business centre, a 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness centre and an outdoor swim-ming pool. The hotel also features three meeting rooms and one multi-function ball-room offering more than 200 square metres of flexible func-tion space.

hotel demand in jeddah continued to flourish, as hotels reported a 4.5% increase in revpar for the month of august, compared to the same period last year. the surge in room revenues was driven by a solid 6.3 percentage point rise in occupancy levels, offsetting a 3.3% drop in adr to $286.66 for the period. the spike in hotel guests had a trickle-down effect on other hotel services, as f&b revenues increased, allowing trevpar to grow 5.6%.


Diversifying from its core focus on airlines, Amadeus has announced a number of huge developments over recent months; including the acquisitions of Hotel SystemsPro, Newmarket International and Itesso. Jeff Hiscox, president and CEO of Newmarket, an Amadeus company, explains why hotels are getting the airline distribution makeover and how Amazon and Google may have a lesson for the industry

Changing the ruleS

FaCE TO FaCE

November 2015 HoTeL NeWS me 17

What are the primary consumer trends that are driving the travel and hospitality markets currently? At Amadeus, we have long been committed to really understand-ing the traveller and their preferences, travel needs and habits. We commissioned Future Foundation to develop a new study, Future Traveller Tribes 2030: Understanding tomorrow’s traveller, which seeks to identify different ‘tribes’ or different traveller segments that will shape the future of travel through to the end of the next de-cade. The report found that in order to truly cater for the travellers of tomorrow, the industry needs to ensure they truly understand the traveller as an individual and offer products based on this – in the same way that major retailers and technology providers such as Amazon and Google have already learnt to do.

Are there any emerging trends which have surprised you and what do you predict the impact of these will be?Specifically in the hotel and hospitality industry, the common thread between all traveller ‘tribes’ is the need for personalisation. Currently, personalisation is possibly the biggest trend in the hospitality sector – however, it could be argued that rather than a passing trend, personalisation is driving what lies at the heart of the industry - the ability to make our customers feel at home.

The GCC doesn’t work as other markets do – LCCs aren’t as prevalent, consumer rail travel is non–existent, hotel stock is mainly upper–upscale and luxury. How does that change traveller behaviour and how do you predict the market will adapt in future? Offline channels still heavily dominate in hotel distribution in the region and we offer booking applications tailored to the specific needs of travel agencies in the region offering the most relevant hotel content and payment methods sourced from regional and global providers. Guests here have very high expectations when it comes to service levels - even more so than in other regions - and today this means equally high expectations when it comes to personalised and mobile-enabled services especially for upscale branded properties.

In terms of region-specific traveller behaviours, a recent Amadeus study identifies emerging traveller profiles in the region: the ‘coming of age traveller’. About 25% of the GCC population today is under the age of 15; the ‘family traveller’ – there is a strong preference in the region to undertake leisure travel with family and family friends; and the ‘independent middle class business and sea-sonal traveller’. Each of these profiles will have their own divergent set of aspirations and needs to be catered to. In addition, we see changes which will increase intra-regional travel and facilitate more

“hOtels need tO be tuned-in tO lOCal trends, attraCtiOns and

fliGht and transpOrt GuidanCe, as well as their Own prOduCts,

in Order tO attraCt the mOst business”

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FaCE TO FaCE

achieving their business goals and hinder hotels when it comes to delivering personalised and differentiated brand experiences and retaining or regaining control of their distribution. Many hotel organisations are looking for more integrated solutions that can cover their critical business needs and give them a single view of their guests and of the business.

This feedback inspired us to work with hoteliers to build out a hotel community model IT platform.

The community model involves a system being shared by a number of companies with a percentage of the revenues allocated to fund the continual development of the infrastruc-ture. It is a common approach and is in place across the airline industry with Amadeus as the technology partner.

The community model brings together a community of major travel suppliers (includ-ing hotel chains, over 140 airlines, car rental companies, etc.) and allows users to use in-novative technology, as the functionality of the system is determined by the members.

By having dedicated technology experts to build and develop a core infrastructure, its members are left to focus on business and brand developments that can build a competi-tive advantage. The community model offers the benefits of scale beyond the size of one single company, through use of a common platform and sharing of cost across all users. It also ensures continual development in the infrastructure as multiple companies are con-tributing fees, which will be reinvested.

Looking now at the automation of sales and catering software, how much has the

events. With so many hotels on offer, custom-ers such as meeting planners and corporate buyers have the ability to be more demanding than ever when it comes to selecting hotels for their conferences or events. Hotels need to be tuned-in to local trends, attractions and flight and transport guidance, as well as their own products, in order to attract the most business.

While locally, group business also still conducted by phone and via face-to-face meetings, international business must be targeted via a hotel’s own website. A lot of investment has gone into optimising online distribution, direct as well as OTA, targeting transient business. However, we see room for hotels in the region to optimise their website to better fit meeting planners and corporate buyers’ needs. Quick turnaround time on proposals is paramount to win busi-ness and these must always be professional and highly accurate. We also see an op-portunity for hotels in the region to leapfrog to online collaboration tools particularly for international group and event business so staff can deliver on the high service expecta-tions of their meeting planner clients.

There have been a number of huge developments at Amadeus over recent months including the acquisitions of Hotel SystemsPro, Newmarket International and Itesso. This marks a departure from the aviation focus Amadeus was established under and sees a strong move into property management. Why were these decisions taken and what is the future for Amadeus moving forward with this new operational capacity?Our strategy is to diversify and our recent acquisitions and bring Amadeus closer to replicating its success in the Airline IT indus-try to the hotel and hospitality industry. The acquisitions also bring infrastructure, expertise and high-value solutions, which are allowing us to accelerate in delivering on our promise. The now-extended promise will work to offer a next-gen, end-to-end community model platform, which will serve hotels at both enterprise and property level.

What is the community model and what inspired the concept? How will it shape products in future?Many hoteliers tell us that current fragmented technologies are holding them back from

“We recently partnered with IHG to

develop the community model Guest

Reservation System (GRS). IHG is the

ideal launch partner for this, as they

have more than 4,800 properties with

hotels of all profiles – from Holiday

Inn to Intercontinental. The Amadeus

community-model GRS will be feature-

rich and flexible and will allow IHG

and other future community members

to use these features in conjunction

with their other systems (proprietary

and third party), to enable competitive

advantage. ”

“The acquisitions of Newmarket, Itesso

and Hotel SystemsPro are fully aligned

with our long-term growth strategy

within our IT Solutions segment, which

has been a key driver for growth for

Amadeus to date. Our strategy is to

diversify and these acquisitions bring

Amadeus closer to replicating its

success in the Airline IT industry to

the hotel and hospitality industry. They

also bring infrastructure, expertise and

high-value solutions, which are allowing

us to accelerate in delivering on our

promise. This platform will enable hotels

and chains of all sizes to have a single

view of their guests and a unified view

of their business.”

THE GUEST RESERvATiON SYSTEM

ACqUiSiTiONS

“we alsO see an OppOrtunity fOr hOtels

in the reGiOn tO leapfrOG tO Online

COllabOratiOn tOOls partiCularly fOr

internatiOnal GrOup and event business sO staff Can deliver On

the hiGh serviCe expeCtatiOns Of their

meetinG planner Clients

inbound travel to the region such as an easing of visa requirements in the coming years.

The region is investing heavily in infrastruc-ture and in specialist tourism sectors such as conferences, events and cruises. This means competition is becoming more intense, with more and more new hotels springing up within the region – targeting groups and corporate

FaCE TO FaCE

“It remains to be seen but I think the

biggest threat to traditional hotel

business is the growth of peer to peer

sites (such as Air BNB). If you are

a traveller, the advent of these types

of sites is great as it increases the

overall supply of options. However,

from a hotelier’s perspective it means

more competition in what was an

already competitive market.

The most surprising shift I have

seen in the travel and tourism

industry is…

The most surprising shift has been

the success of sites and experiences

such as UBER and AirBNB.

This shift is really impacting the

traditional mainstays in the travel

and tourism markets.

The one consumer trend I believe

will change the face of hospitality over

the coming years is…

The one consumer trend that will

change the face of hospitality is that

consumers want and will expect to be

treated in a very personalised manner

during every trip. This means that

hospitality providers will really need to

understand their guest, and be able

to tailor an experience based on their

preferences. Companies that have

access to the full travel experience

and that can provide a personalised

level of service will win in the end.”

THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE BUSiNESS OF HOTELS TODAY iS…

hospitality industry embraced this? What are the primary advantages in doing so and what are the main objections you hear to not doing so?There are huge efficiencies to be gained through using technology to optimise the sales and catering side of the hotel business, which can account for up to 30 to 50% of a full service hotel’s revenue.

The benefits of these solutions also impact logistical processes and make day-to-day pro-cesses more effective. Sales and catering teams can work smarter and spend more time gen-erating revenue, managing their accounts and creating enhanced events because normally tedious and lengthy tasks, such as creating sales proposals, can be accomplished in a matter of minutes. The sales software, specifically, allows hotel sales teams to gain greater insights into what opportunities are the most valuable, re-sulting in better forecasting, meaning they can be focused on their work and use intelligence that is already in place rather than reinventing the wheel with each proposal.

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HOTEL N

EWS MIDDLE EAST IS PROUD TO PRESENT

NOVEMBER2 01 5

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CO N RA D HOT E

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I

EXECUTIVE

Housekeeper's SUMMIT

The inaugural edition of Hotel News ME’s Executive Housekeepers Summit, is due to take place on 18 November at the Conrad Hotel,

Dubai on industry event is set to bring together executive housekeepers from across the region.

On the agenda will be new technologies which promise to transform housekeeping, including their success and the areas they fail to address; how to create 5-star quality in mid-scale properties, including tips and tricks for tight budgets and quick efficiencies that can add to the guest experience; safety in the workplace; and recruitment and training issues

facing the vital department.The half day event will boast a stellar line-up

of panelists, keynote speakers, expert sessions and analysts from across the sector to offer a broad insight into the industry, with plenty of prime networking and discussion time. Chair-person of the UAE Professional Housekeeper’s Group, Tatjana Ahmed is already confirmed as one of the high-profile speakers for the day.

Panel sessions will cover the next generation of housekeeping and how the department can effectively recruit, train and retain staff, as well as the potential impact relations between GCC and recruitment source market countries could

have on the HR balance sheet.Confirmed exhibitors at the event include Infoscape Technologies, DCS and Unique Precise International.

The event is free for all hospitality housekeepers to attend. To register your attendance please contact: [email protected]

For speaking opportunities please contact: [email protected], [email protected]

For sponsorship opportunities please contact: dom@bncpublising, [email protected]

Bringing together housekeepers from across the region for a day of workshops, panel discussions and debate

Giving delegates a prime opportunity to network and discuss the landscape of the ever changing hospitality industry


EvENT

What are the most pressing issues

for you the in the hospitality

industry today?

Escalating operating costs due to

factors like increased energy prices,

higher insurance, expensive labour and

maintaining brand standards to remain

competitive.

Evolving customer expectations,

satisfying the sophisticated needs of

guests has always remained the priority

of the hospitality industry.

Accelerating change and merging of

technologies, the investment required

to upgrade is significant, but the full

benefits of this change cannot be

achieved without it.

Renovation and construction of

the property to improve and upgrade

the physical condition of hotels and

maintain the brand standards results in

escalating capital investments.

Our solutions help reduce this

burden by increasing the efficiency of

hospitality operations.

Why do you believe it is important

for the industry to meet at such

events?

Such events serve as a platform for

industry professionals to leverage each

other’s knowledge and experience.

It helps individual growth and these

interactions help the industry move

forward. Our participation in the event

is to gain firsthand information related

to challenges faced by the industry

and discuss and develop solutions for

them to end their quest. It helps gain

an insight into future trends and drive

innovations to remain competitive.

What product innovation do you look

forward to sharing with delegates?

We have some key solutions for the

housekeeping department in optimising

their housekeeping operations by using

applications like REX and Invotech.

Invotech is a brilliant tracking

solution for linen and uniforms. It

helps you to have a complete control

over your inventory and addresses

some of the biggest pain points in the

departments in terms of minimising

losses, reducing purchases and

lowering expenses, by implementing

the latest in RFID based technology.

Why is it important for you to be a

sponsor of this event?

It is an honour to represent Infoscape

Technologies as a sponsor at Executive

Housekeepers Summit. We believe that

the event will serve as an opportunity

to meet, learn and share tips with

executive housekeepers and their

team on the key operational issues,

and discuss how our technology can

transform guest experiences and

operational efficiency.

How will you add to the Summit

with you sponsorship?

InfoScape is a niche value added

partner and distributor for software

solutions in the hospitality industry.

We help hotels optimise valuable

IT investments with solutions centered

on the needs of the hotel and designed

specifically to help them quickly reduce

costs, improve business operation

and free up assets to more strategic

initiatives that generate business value.

What are the most pressing

issues for you the in the industry

today?

Many hotels still rely on manual

processes to run their back of house

operations - including housekeeping-

hence missing out on opportunities

to use technology to streamline

processes, achieve back-of-house

efficiencies and increase productivity.

In addition, many hotels are

looking to enhance and communicate

their green credentials to their guests,

especially in housekeeping, which

can be done through reducing the use

of finite resources whilst enhancing

the operational efficiency of a hotel.

Why do you believe it is

important for the industry to

meet at such events?

These events create a platform for the

exchange of ideas, experiences and

innovations within the sector. I also

believe that it’s important for fellow

professionals in any field to come

together on a regular basis to connect.

For us as solutions providers these

events allow us to showcase how our

products help address the various

issues faced by our hotel partners,

helping them improve their efficiency

and making managers more effective

with the resources available to them.

What product innovation do you

look forward to sharing with

delegates?

We look forward to sharing our

e-Housekeeping solution along with

our m-Housekeeping Mobile App. We

will also present our latest innovation,

the m2Talk Walkie Talkie solution

which we recently launched.

m-2Talk is a push-to-talk mobile

app designed to provide instant

and secure staff communication for

hotel properties. Using m-2Talk,

management, runners, room

attendants and supervisors can

communicate instantly with each

other by speaking directly through

walkie-talkie-style conversations on

their smartphones.

Why is it important for you to be

a sponsor of this event?

As one of the hospitality industry’s

leading providers of housekeeping

technology solutions, FCS considers

the UAE to be one of its most

important global markets. The

Executive Housekeepers Summit is

the perfect platform for us to engage

directly with existing and potential

users of our technology, and to learn

more about the current challenges

and trends within the industry.

How will you add to the Summit

with your sponsorship?

We look to create a dialogue with

housekeeping professionals about

what their needs and expectations

are when it comes to housekeeping

automation and how we can help

further advance the sector in the

region. We will provide a lot of

talking points during our workshop,

making the session very interactive,

and we will encourage the sharing of

best-practice.

MEET THE SPONSORS

Akhil Biju, sales manager, Middle East and Africa, Infoscape Technologies explains why the company will be present at this year’s Executive Housekeepers Summit

Akina Ho, VP of Strategy and global business development, FCS Computer Solutions explains why the company will be exhibiting at the conference


EvENT rEviEw

HotEl NEWS ME’S ProcurEMENt coNfErENcE 2015 Hotel News ME hosted its inaugural Procurement Conference on 19 October at Grosvenor House, Dubai, here we showcase the highlights from the day

(L-R) Bhanu Singh, Asif Kayani and Joseph Ghosn

Procurement professionals from across the emirate’s came together at Gros-venor House, Dubai on 19 October 2015 for the inaugural edition of Hotel

News ME’s Procurement Conference which fea-tured some of the Middle East’s leading profes-

sional’s and analysts sharing their expert observa-tions to a full house at the half-day conference.

The event, which was moderated by broad-caster, presenter and journalist, Stephen Marney comprised of two lively panel discussions, prime networking opportunities, presentations and

open Q&A sessions with Alison Grinnell, PwC Middle East, hotels leader opening the day with her keynote speech.

Business as usual?In line with the 275,574 rooms under construc-


EvENT rEviEw

tion in the Middle East, according to STR Global, the first panel discussion of the day titled: ‘Business as Usual’ consisted of: Bhanu Singh, procure-ment director at Atlantis The Palm; Asif Kayani, director of purchasing at Four Seasons Resort Dubai; and Joseph Ghosn, area procurement director Middle East and Sub Saharan Africa at the Rezidor Hotel Group. The panel debated the potential impact on supply and demand for hotel equipment and furnishings based on large scale regional events and the vast anticipated number of rooms expected in the region. They also analysed the availability and pricing issues that could arise from any surge in demand.

Singh outlined the current supply chain market in the region, saying: “In Dubai we have over 300 food and beverage suppliers but only 20% supply to most hotels. If we look at our supply for the next three years the objective is not just on price but sustainability. As we are expanding in the UAE over the course of the next few years, and in Saudi, Africa and Turkey, we need to identify the type of partners we have.”

He continued and told delegates: “Firstly, on the procurement side we have a simple commitment to buy for quality not price, secondly we buy at a competitive market price which impacts the EBITDA of the hotel. Thirdly, once we have the right product and the right price we need to ensure it’s ef-ficiently managed, so the speed of delivery is very important.

Ghosn added: “We want the most suitable supplier and the most suit-able products, and we are trying to limit the number of suppliers we use by removing 35% over the last few years and a further 30% going forward.”

Kayani was also in agreement, saying: “We are also trying to minimise the number of suppliers we use. When we do find a new supplier, we ensure that they are approved and certified before we ask for a quotation; we won’t do business just based on the price.”

Singh also told delegates that it was the responsibility of procurement managers to ensure that returns on investment correlate with what is pur-chased: “This is expected out of your function and we need to learn to accept this. Investors demand returns and procurement plays an important role

“Based on PwC’s Global research outlook, we see six global mega trends which have a deep impact on business and influence investment trends in the future. Firstly there is a rapid shift in global demographics, the rise of a huge middle class, an increase in youth and spending spurring growth and increased ageing population in developing markets. The economic power is shifting from the West to the East with emerging economies driving growth in GDP of E7 countries; China, India, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey.

“There is also rapid annual population growth and an estimated 72% increase in the world’s urban population by 2050. Technology breakthroughs have meant rapid transformations in practices over the last 20 years, new technology will pave the way for new ways to do business, transport and manage life connectivity, and communication and hybrid technologies will emerge to change our lives.

“For example, the leisure and tourism sector generates 10% of the global GDP and so the economic value add of this sector amounts to $7.6tn as recorded in 2014. Over 277mn jobs were created globally in 2014 through the sector which is one in every 11 jobs, and visitors from emerging markets represent over 46% share of international arrivals and are originating from growth markets. The middle classes in emerging economies are expected to consume $53.6tn worth of hospitality and tourism services by 2025. And as for Dubai, the sector plays a strategic and vital role as it generates approximately a third of Dubai’s GDP across all components.”

Muhammad Qamr

a changing landscape

Alison Grinnell, PwC Middle East hotels leader opened the conference with her keynote speech discussing the evolving landscape of the hospitality industry and how the influx of rooms anticipated in the region will affect procurement processes


EvENT rEviEw

ThE prOCurEmENT CONFErENCE 2015 waS SuppOrTEd by:

•Understandthebusiness’sneedsandgenerate a strategy

•Providemarketinformation•Knowwhichproductwillnotbeeasily

available in future to stay ahead of the curve. Coffee beans are getting scarce, so the prices of buying cocoa will be high in future, for example.

•Solarenergyisgettingpopular,whatcan I do to capture this new innovation.

•Devisecreativesourcingandcontracting approaches

•Buyinbulk•Purchasecollaboratively•Valueengineer•Identifyandreducerisk•Buildcostmodelsandassessprices•Prioritise–sometimesfast,othertimes

slower•Identifysupplierimprovement

opportunities•Negotiateeffectively•Reducetime•Getinvolvedearly

in addressing that, this is the basic function of procurement. We must realign the function of procurement and investment partners for trust and a relationship, then your partner becomes a solution provider and offers new opportunities.”

According to the panel, a trend not explored in the past is technology, which directly affects the speed of delivery. Today, procurement must be a technically driven function, with 95% of processes now fully automated.

Kayani said: “Pre 1998 price didn’t mat-ter, and today it’s a combination of price and quality but post 2020 the question will be how we maintain that level of service. The solution is centralising and streamlining pro-cesses and suppliers. With a lot of new ven-dors coming ahead of 2020, it is essential for us to have a central procurement function, which will ultimately mean less local func-tions for procurement managers.”

e-procurement practicesThe second panel of the day included category lead of strategic sourcing and purchasing at Far-ah Leisure Parks Management Raman Nathani, procurement manager of Jumeirah at Etihad Towers Radha K Valiathan, and Roopali Khura-na, lead procurement management consultant at Arc Blue. With purchasing process moving online, the experts discussed if new software solutions simplified the buying process or hin-dered the user further.

According to Nathani, online procurement

has been recognised as a best practice. How-ever, he considered if it is indeed something that stakeholders are requesting for. Khurana said: “We need to understand why we should consider e-procurement. We need to do pre-qualification checks before going in for it to see how valuable and worthwhile it could prove to the business and our purchasing practices.”

She admitted that new software has proven to be useful and reduces man-power, although the scale of which it should be used depends on each establishment. She said: “We could decide on what kind of procurement we would like to arrange for online. We could pick a large scale online procurement or small scale depending on our business”

Valiathan expressed his decision to remain neutral in his preferences for online purchas-ing tools and he said: “We have to wait and see how e-procurement is received in the market. We also have to take it slow and purchase small portions at a time to see the way it functions, we need fully automated services if anything so that we have one integrated buying system.”

Khurana was also in agreement and said that to start off, the products purchased online should be of low risk and value, “Not vital daily purchases.”

Nathani concluded reminding his fellow panelists and the audience how the market has been tirelessly evolving. He said: “We all know the changes happening in the market, and we have to go along with it.”

purchasing power

Roopali Khurana, lead consultant and trainer, Arc Blue, shared tips to stay on top of the purchasing process and advised how a procurement team can add value to return on net assets.

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(L-R)RadhaValiathan,RamanNathaniandRoopaliKhurana


Quality control The second expert session of the day was executed by Paul Feeney, head of sourcing and development at Mohebi Logistics. He examined whether new software solutions really simplified the buying process, and offered his top strategies for auditing suppliers and products.

“To many, quality just means whether a supplier has HACCP and ISO, but at Mohebi Logistics we believe it goes much deeper, that by working together we can work to ensure the products are safe. As a buyer you have a hard job because there are thousands of suppliers and they all claim to have the best products.“Many suppliers can be filtered out from the start by working with quality assurance teams in terms of the way suppliers work and the practices they have in place. You can then categorise suppliers by risk in terms of the high, medium and low risk suppliers.“It is imperative that purchasing managers understand where the food has come from in terms of who is supplying the supplier and whether they can assure regular quality supplies. To assist purchasing managers there are several useful tools, including a pre-qualification questionnaire to enforce a minimum supplier requirement. At Mohebi Logistics, we understand the entire supplychainand thatmeanssupplier visitsandaudits– therereally is no substitute.”

Feeney’s top tips to vetting a supplier: •Pre-qualificationquestionnaire•Mustmeettheminimumsupplierrequirements•Evaluateifthesupplierknowsmorethanyoudo•Youmustunderstandthesupplychain•ConductsuppliervisitsandauditsHow to purchase as an ambassador:•Ensurecontinuoussupplyofproduct•Sourcedatasustainableandcompetitiveprice•Buyfromasafeandreliablesource•Purchaseinamannerthatsupportsyouroperations•Toprotectyourguestexperienceandbrand

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CONTENTS

The challenges and opportunities emerging in the region’s most promising hotel market

By Gemma Greenwood


COvEr STOry

The Middle East and Africa is one of the world’s fastest-growing hotel markets with 763 hotels spanning some 191,047 rooms currently under contract, the September 2015 STR Global Construction Pipeline

Report reveals.This represents a 26.3% increase in rooms under contract

compared to September 2014 and a 42.1% year-on-year in-crease in rooms under construction, highlighting the on-going supply boom.

And with the majority of these properties due to open their doors by the end of the decade, it is forcing the region’s current hoteliers to re-invent their offering in order to remain competitive. As a result, the refurbishment topic is an issue being pushed to the top of their agendas.

There’s even more pressure to evolve in dynamic hotel markets like Dubai, which has the largest number of rooms under construc-tion in the region, and if you consider the 19,719 rooms across 67 hotels under con-tract will open in time for the World Expo 2020, the heat is truly on.

It’s therefore no surprise that consultancy firm Faithful+Gould has noted a marked increase in demand for hotel refurbishment projects in the run-up to the event, which is expected to attract more than 25 million visi-tors to the emirate.

“Upwards of 10,000 rooms in Dubai need to be refurbished by 2020,” according to the company’s UAE country director and head of project management, Tom Hasker.

Fahda Barrak, senior architect at Draw Link Group, Dubai, agrees there is a “certain sense of urgency for hoteliers in the mar-ket to be the best and to offer the best” and this is “more so the case with the upcoming Expo 2020”.

Renovations are also a priority in Doha, Qatar, where 30 new hotels spanning 7,315 rooms are pipelined, according to STR Global. This is giving existing properties a run for their money as they look to attract visitors attending the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

“The massive size of the Middle East hotel pipeline is cause for concern for many existing operators in the region,” confirms head of TFG Asset Management, Mariano Faz. “Established operators are wary of the significant pressure new competition could place on RevPAR.”

He highlights the need to “pay more attention to existing stock”.“The majority of hotels have crossed the seven-year operational

threshold and many are in need of refurbishment,” he says.

keepinG up with the JOnes’s In the case of Dubai, it really is a case of ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’, according to Alexander Suski, sales and marketing director at Kempinski Mall of the Emirates, which is currently complet-ing one of the region’s biggest hotel renovations to date at an estimated cost of $100 million.

“About 50 to 60% of the Dubai market are GCC guests and

they expect brand new lobbies, rooms and restaurants,” he says.“The international market also expects the newest things from

Dubai and we have to ensure we keep up with their perceptions and the image that Dubai has.”

Kempinski Mall of the Emirates celebrated its 10-year an-niversary in 2014 and needed to retain its status as a “flagship property”, says Suski. A complete refurbishment was the solution.

“It’s a very competitive market - every year up to 10,000 new room keys are added and at least 20 to 30% of those are in the luxury and upscale category,” he says. “If you want to be among the top 10 hotels in Dubai you need to evolve.”

The Kempinski Mall of the Emirates renovation was spear-headed by owner Majid Al Futtaim, which recently unveiled the

$272m extension at Mall of the Emirates.“The project was called ‘Evolution 2015’

and Kempinski wanted to be aligned with this strategy and vision,” says Suski.

Barrak agrees that Dubai is known interna-tionally as a “pioneer in developing innova-tive concepts” and hotels are therefore “forced to keep up with this trend and innovation”.

“As for the wider Gulf region, demand for refurbishment is quite high as the focus is on attracting more tourism business,” she adds.

wear and tearOf course, one of the key determining factors

driving hotel refurbishments is wear and tear, which in the UAE market can be an issue earlier on in a property’s life cycle than in markets with more moderate weather conditions.

“In general hotels in Dubai are built to very high standards, however, harsh climates can have a negative impact on the build-ing itself and its facilities,” confirms Raki Phillips, who recently joined the Dubai-based International Hospitality Consulting Group (INHOCO Group) as senior vice president development, after a long tenure with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in the UAE.

“High occupancies cause heavy wear and tear too, which will wear out product fast, plus the very competitive environment pushes owners to stay one step ahead of their competition.”

Bassem Salah, general manager hotels and hospitality at ISG, an international construction services company specialising in fit outs, says the trained eye of an architect, designer, hotel facili-ties manager or general manager, will easily identify “common signs” that a refurbishment is needed. These usually include dated furnishings, worn FF&E and tired finishes, but there are more technical signs that require “intrusive surveying or testing”, he continues to explain.

He says: “They include humidity and mould levels, air flows for mechanical ventilation, air quality tests, facade moisture ingress, heat flow scans and more,” he says. “These tend to look at how a building is performing and if properly addressed, can save the owner/operator a lot of ongoing operations costs while providing a better quality environment for the hotel guests.”

He says that “without a doubt” the Gulf ’s arid climate wears

“the massive size Of the middle east hOtel pipeline is

Cause fOr COnCern fOr many existinG OperatOrs in the

reGiOn,”

marianO faz


COvEr STOry

“sOme hOteliers are takinG advantaGe Of the hiGh OCCupanCy

levels and hiGh rOOm rates and are there-

fOre lOOkinG tO refur-bish later On when mOre stOCk COmes

OntO the market and trade is mOre likely tO be less prOfitable fOr

them,” -bassem saleh

“in General hOtels in dubai are built tO very hiGh standards, hOw-ever, harsh Climates Can have a neGative

impaCt On the buildinG itself and its faCili-

ties,” -raki phillips

What? A total refurbishment of the Aspen lobby lounge; all rooms, suites and chalets; meeting facilities and the pool deck. Three new restaurant concepts are being rolled out too.When? A phased programme running from 2012 to 2015. The final stage of the renovation project will involve the complete refurbishment of the chalets and suites, which will be finished by early 2016.Why? Kempinski Mall of the Emirates is one of the hotel brand’s flagship properties in the UAE and wider Gulf region. The hotel celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2014 and was in need of modernisation to retain its status as one of Dubai’s top luxury hotels. The renovation project coincided with the $272m extension at Mall of the Emirates project dubbed ‘Evolution 2015’, which was spearheaded by mall and hotel owner, Majid Al Futtaim. The three new restaurants are designed to attract more Dubai residents and their visiting guests.Cost: Approximately $100m.Design inspiration: Winter wonderland - the ski slopes of Aspen and neighbouring Ski Dubai – sharp lines and ice blue tones.The details: Highlights of the renovation work include:• 118 refurbished guestrooms with contemporary winter wonderland-inspired interiors but encapsulating Arabic motifs in a nod to the region;• Each guestroom is equipped with an iPad, allowing guests control their TV, order room service, making a restaurant reservation, booking a spa treatment and access Mall of the Emirates information;• Revamp of the chic lobby lounge, Aspen by Kempinski, combining luxurious but warm interiors, Italian marble flooring and a classic Swarovski crystal chandelier;• New authentic Spanish restaurant, Salero Tapas & Bodega;• New authentic Levant cuisine restaurant, Olea;• New restaurant Noir serving Latin American Asian fusion with a terrace offering shisha service plus an in-house New York mixologist;• 17 new-look meeting rooms (15 refurbished and two new) with natural daylight and state-of-the-art equipment;Return on investment: Calculated on restaurant revenues and guest reviews, which so far are very positive, say management. The true test will be when all the work is complete.

Kempinski Mall of the Emirates

down hotel buildings more rapidly.“The quality of the construction work

in some buildings also contributes to the shortened life cycles,” he says. “The me-chanical services are also affected by these factors as they work much harder than they would elsewhere in the world to keep the building at optimal temperatures.”

refurb versus upGradeIconsulthotels CEO Martin Kubler says while extreme weather conditions – sun, sand and high temperatures - play an important role in the Gulf in terms of determining hotel renovation schedules, it is important to “distinguish between refur-bishment requirements and upgrades”.

“Refurbishment should mainly be concerned with keeping a property in great condition inside and out, which isn’t neces-sarily competition-led, but more a matter of asset management and looking after your building and its contents,” he says.

“Competition factors often require more than refurbishment, but rather a product upgrade. For example, if my hotel has happily survived without the latest rainfall showers in its bathrooms, but suddenly all my competitors are installing rainfall showers, I obviously have to think about whether I want to follow the trend and upgrade my bathrooms, or whether I’ll be able to live with my current bathrooms.

“The same is true for changing travel patterns and behaviours - guests today expect fast and free WiFi, so if you’re hotel doesn’t offer it yet, it’s time to upgrade, regardless of when you last refurbished your property.”

ask the audienCeWhile a competitive marketplace puts pressure on hoteliers to conduct up-grades, Kubler stresses that the property’s facilities are only one ingredient of the “magic sauce” that keeps guests returning to a property.

“Before jumping into expensive refurbish-ment or upgrade projects, hotels should take a step back and look at the entire guest and employee lifecycle,” he suggests.

“Many visitors to Dubai appear to be very fond of ‘cutting edge’ and ‘new’, so new properties will always attract their fair


COvEr STOry

What? A full refurbishment of guestrooms, public areas, restaurants, meeting rooms and health club.When? Starting now - the plan is to phase renovation over an 18-month period.Why? The hotel has been operational with the same FF&E and look and feel since inception. It is the right time to change and bring a fresh new look to the premises in order to be able to compete and retain a leading position in the market.The details: Highlights of the refurbishment work include:• A complete makeover of the rooms, with a new contemporary theme and a fresher look and feel, plus system/technology upgrades;• A new concept for the Arjaan F&B offering to include a newly designed Lobby Café, lounge and dining experience, as well as a deli service that will become a feature of Rotana’s serviced apartment projects.

Maha Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi

share of interest, yet it’s clearly impractical to refurbish or upgrade every time some-thing new comes along.

“Perhaps more important would be to see if a property is still able to serve its target audiences and successfully attract new travellers with its current offerings. Hardware is just one part of the picture.”

Phillips says customer feedback is crucial to determining the extent of the refurbish-ments and upgrades required.

“It is so important to be open minded and to ensure you are engaged with your customers through in-house surveys or review sites like TripAdvisor,” he argues. “Research is important for looking at the viability of each element of the refurbish-ment and its impact.

“Sometimes you can go overboard, par-ticularly with technology – today’s traveller doesn’t always need complicated fancy tech points as people travel with their own technology these days.

Kubler adds: “The main question is not ‘when does a property become outdated?’ but ‘when does the hotel’s audience think a hotel requires refurbishment?’

“Guest expectations will differ accord-ing to market segment, location and many other factors, but refurbishment planning should largely be guest intelligence led.”

GOOd timinGSalah says current market conditions are breeding two opposing hotel owner/opera-tor attitudes when it comes to taking the decision to renovate.

“Some hoteliers are taking advantage of the high occupancy levels and high room rates and are therefore looking to refurbish later on when more stock comes onto the market and trade is more likely to be less profitable for them,” he says. “The danger with this is that they are sometimes too late to reposition and their reputation with clients is damaged because of the age of the stock; they lose appeal and ultimately, market share.

“There are other owners who would like to reposition the brand and the hotel be-fore the onslaught of new stock comes onto the market. The danger here is that they are not capitalising on a great trading period and forego margins.”

He adds: “Somewhere in the middle of that is a happy medium of a slower refur-bishment programme only taking out the vacancy levels so as to not impact on the occupancy levels.”

Faz says it takes a “brave hotelier” to commit to a full refurbishment when oc-cupancy rates are 90% plus.

“Closing an entire hotel for any number of weeks is rarely feasible in today’s climate. Yet, in the long run, it is vital for hotel asset managers to balance the cost of op-portunity with the risk of failing to take action,” he says.

Kubler says there’s “never really a right time to refurbish” but suitable times are dependent on the scope of the project.

“It could be that you can get away with carrying out the works immediately with-out affecting overall hotel operations, but it


COvEr STOry

might also be that you’ll have to wait until the next period of low occupancy,” he says. “You might even have to split projects into phases, particularly if there’s a lot of work that needs to be done.”

deCisiOns deCisiOnsDeciding what aspects of a hotel to refur-bish is not always straightforward.

“It really depends on the number of years a property has been operating and the positioning of the hotel,” says Faz.

“If you want to attract the local commu-nity, then focus on your F&B outlets, but if you are mainly orientated towards groups, refurbish the rooms. During the first five to 10 years [of a property’s life cycle] there should be a constant ‘make-up’ refurbish-ment and after seven to 10 years, a property is looking at a major refurbishment.”

Faz’s tip is to hire a reputable and expe-rienced design firm with the skills to “pro-vide wow factor for a small investment”.

Phillips says top priority is to “look at revenue generators” – restaurants, rooms and banquets.

“The cost analysis of their impact on revenue generation plays an important role on how you refurbish,” he explains.

“It’s always optimal to refurbish an entire hotel at once from a customer journey and user perspective, however, from a PR and cost perspective it’s easier to do phase by phase so that there’s always something new to talk and get excited about.”

Barrak says both rooms and F&B outlets play an “important role in delivering the ‘first’ and ‘last’ impression for guests”.

“However, F&B outlets are refurbished more frequently because they not only cater to in-house guests [but in the case of the UAE], local residents too,” she adds.

tOp trendsKubler notes a “clear trend towards making reception and lobby areas more welcoming and, more importantly, more functional”.

“Guest room design is also changing slowly to incorporate the needs of new segments of travellers – leisure guests for example, who combine leisure and business in the same stay and property, so require rooms that work for both,” he says.

“Looking to major markets abroad we’ll

“it’s always Optimal tO refurbish an entire

hOtel at OnCe frOm a CustOmer JOurney and

user perspeCtive, hOwever, frOm a pr

and COst perspeCtive it’s easier tO dO phase

by phase” -fahda barrak

“refurbishment shOuld mainly be

COnCerned with keep-inG a prOperty in Great

COnditiOn inside and Out, whiCh isn’t neCes-sarily COmpetitiOn-led, but mOre a matter Of

asset manaGement and lOOkinG after yOur

buildinG and its COn-tents,”

-martin kubler

What? Rooms, public areas and some restaurants.When? Now - over a two-year period. Some rooms will be unavailable during the renovation period and the pool is currently closed.Why? General manager Maria Tullberg says market conditions (supply growth exceeding demand) make it a good time to refurbish the property in order to be “ready before Expo 2020”. Many other Dubai properties are upgrading so the property needs to remain competitive, she says. “The purpose of the refurbishment is for aesthetics, atmosphere and to modernise the facilities,” Tullberg adds.The details: Highlights of the refurbishment work include:• New restaurant concepts that reflect the Emirati heritage, particularly given Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek was the first hotel built in Dubai; • A new large terrace with “amazing creek views” from what will become one of the largest pool decks in Dubai;• A large play area for children;• An extension to the Emirati restaurant with an outside terrace and creek views;• Upgraded health club facilitiesReturn on investment: The refurbishment will build on the hotel’s unique selling points including its Creek-side location and strong history and heritage.

Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek


COvEr STOry

“ClOsinG an entire hOtel fOr any number Of

weeks is rarely feasible in tOday’s Climate. yet, in the lOnG run, it is vital fOr hOtel asset manaG-ers tO balanCe the COst Of OppOrtunity with the

risk Of failinG tO take aCtiOn,”

-mariano faz

also see a trend to make technology more user-friendly - the dreaded room-control consoles are disappearing and are being replaced by switches. TVs are getting big-ger, but also better connected and focused on travellers bringing their own devices and entertainment.”

Of course, many refurbishments must also take into account brand standards and Barrak says it’s all about “finding the right balance, without compromising on quality”.

“Draw Link has been operating in this market for more than 10 years and is adept at embracing new trends while adhering to brand guidelines,” she says.

“We have built a good reputation for bringing new trends to old spaces, while keeping its unique ‘touch’ and style the space embodies.

“The challenge is to not only add new

materials, furniture and innovative facili-ties to the space, but to create an entirely new ambience and guest experience.”

Draw Link has witnessed increased de-mand for eco-friendly materials given in-creasing global concern about preserving the environment, while ISG has noticed a shift away from high-end bespoke finishes to more practical design finishes that are easily maintained and replaceable.

“There is also a big move towards the integration of technology within a space such as the use of mobile applications that integrate with access and lighting controls,” says Salah, and once the refur-bishment is done, don’t forget to party, notes Phillips.

“Celebrating a change to a hotel offers great PR value,” he says. “If a hotel is proud of its work it is important to invite key people to get the message across.”

Radisson Blu HotelDubai Deira Creek


Group overvieWFor over 65 years, Dusit International has been synonymous with world-class hospitality, delivered with the iconic touches of service and artistry of Thailand.

From pioneering hospitality and education to leading development in emerging destinations, Dusit International offers an encompassing range of hotel, resort, spa and educational experiences.

Today, each Dusit brand endeavors to create a personalised welcome under the brand promise that started it all: the delivery of an experience that enlivens the individual spirit, no matter the journey.

Currently, Dusit has over 26 existing and 41 upcoming properties under four brands - Dusit Thani Hotels & Resorts, Dusit Devarana Hotels & Resorts, dusitD2 Hotels & Resorts, and Dusit Princess Hotels & Resorts.

Dusit Thani Residence Dubai Marina

Dusit Thani Jeddah dusitD2 Residence Al Manzel Abu Dhabi

Dusit international Hotel News Me profiles tHe Hotel group’s 2015 AcHieveMeNts, future goAls ANd its plANNed worldwide pipeliNe

ChaiN FOCuS


Dusit WorlDWiDe properties (completeD anD upcoming)

China - 2

China - 20

Vietnam - 1

maldiVes - 1

saudi arabia - 1

thailand - 10

thailand - 1

PhiliPPines - 1

PhiliPPines - 5

singaPore - 1

australia - 1

tunisia - 1

uae - 2 bhutan - 2myanmar - 2

Kenya - 1

ComPleted (18 total)

uPComing (42 total)

india - 1

india - 2

egyPt - 1

usa - 2

Qatar - 2

Dusit Thani Hotels & Resorts: 1 • Dusit Thani Jeddah

dusitD2 Hotels & Resorts: 4• dusitD2, Jeddah• dusitD2, Doha• dusitD2 TECOM, Dubai• dusitD2 Residence Al Manzel Abu Dhabi

Upcoming properties in the region

New openings in the region

• Dusit Thani Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (schedule to open in 2018)• dusitD2 Salwa Doha, Qatar (schedule to open in 2018)• dusitD2 TECOM Dubai, U.A.E. (schedule to open in 2016)• dusitD2 Residence Al Manzel Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. (schedule to open in 2016)• Dusit Thani Residence Dubai Marina (schedule to open in 2016)

ChaiN FOCuS


What were the hotel group’s key achievements and milestones in 2015? Opening our first hotel in sub-Saharan Africa, the beautifuldusitD2Nairobi,whichhasopenedupDusittoseveral new opportunities in southern and eastern Africa which we are currently working on. Reaching 15 hotels signed for China within 15 months of opening our office in Shanghai.

What have been the key challenges facing the hotel group and the hospitality sector in general?Both the group and hospitality sector have the challenge of sourcing, training and retaining talent as we grow and open in new countries. To help meet this challenge we have further synergised our education and hotel divisions to attract a fresh pool of highly motived graduates and enhance the training and career development of our hotel employees.

What are the hotel group’s key goals for 2015 and why? It has been a very active 2015 thus far, entering into a joint venture primarily for of Saudi Arabia and signing five new projectswithintheMENAregionthisyear;DusitThaniJeddah, dusitD2 Doha, dusitD2 TECOM Dubai, Dusit Thani Residence Dubai Marina, dusitD2 Residence Abu Dhabi and looking to conclude and announce several more projects, for which we are currently working on in Bahrain,Egypt,KSA,OmanandUAE.

How is technology dictating the way you run your business and liaise with customers from bookings to social media?It continues to have a significant impact on our business and in response we have recently launched our new Dusit.com and will shortly launch our truly pioneering and innovative Dusit App which will link bookings, social media and a uniquely enhanced destination experience to guests via their smart phones.

5 minutes with...

ruStoM VickErSgroup director of development, Dusit international

ChaiN FOCuS

Innovative General TradingTel: +971 4 8135963Mobile: +971 56 6233153 + 971 50 2957747Email: [email protected]

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CONTENTS

Official figures indicate that religious tourism in Saudi Arabia will rise from 17.5 million visitors a year in

2014 to potentially 30 million in 2025 and, in response, the country’s leaders are investing heavily in hospitality and travel infrastructure to cater to the new demands, as well as open-ing up opportunities for private sector compa-nies – specifically hotel operators – to take a piece of the action.

The kingdom has the most active hotel pipeline in the region and new contracts are signed on a nearly weekly basis. Saudi Arabia

has the most rooms under construction in the region with 28,050 rooms in 64 hotels and in Riyadh alone there are more than 43 projects totaling 10,000 rooms in the construction pipeline currently.

Capital city Riyadh and second city Jeddah, will add a combined 16,000 new hotel rooms within the next three years to meet demand in the kingdom, and more than half will be part of new 5-star hotel developments, as interna-tional hotel brands put in place ambitious ex-pansion plans. The number of rooms in Jeddah is expected to increase by 2,700 in 2015 alone.

While luxury and upper upscale mega-developments such as the 12 tower, $35bn Abraj Kudai, which is reported to add 10,000 rooms to the country’s hotel stock by 2017, may grab headlines, it is developments in the mid-market which are adding pace to the kingdom’s growth.

At one end of the scale – the brand mix is far greater than ever before, with new con-cepts, as well as tried and tested international names, vying for market share. For example, international luxury cabin concept YOTEL, will debut in the country following a deal signed between IFA Hotel Investments and Capital Group International. With hotels co-located with airports in Amsterdam, Lon-don and New York, the “affordable luxury model” is expected to contribute towards plugging the gap in both the business and religious tourism landscape.

At the other end of the scale, one project combines the size of the largest luxury proper-ties with a mid-market brand name. With a higher room stock than the world’s tallest ho-tel, the Marriott Marquis in Dubai, the highly anticipated Holiday Inn Makkah Abraaj Al

spotliGht on saudi With the most active hotel pipeline in the region and a captive audience of religious and business travellers, Saudi Arabia continues to see strong growth and performance. But things are changing. Examining the burgeoning mid−scale pipeline, Hotel News ME investigates.

Religious tourism

• Religious tourism set to rise to 17.5m visitors

• Saudi Arabia has the highest number of rooms under construction in the region


dESTiNaTiON FOCuS

Tayseer, with 5,154 rooms, begins phased opening in December this year with the launch of 1,642 rooms across two towers.

The entire development will comprise five towers, located 900 me-tres from the Grand Mosque, adding the owning operator IHG’s 25 hotel portfolio in the kingdom.

It is one of nine hotels scheduled by the operator, which also includes InterContinental Riyadh and Hotel Indigo Riyadh, which will be the Middle East’s first Indigo property.

Commenting on the activity, IHG chief operating officer for In-dia, Middle East and Africa Pascal Gauvin, says: “Saudi Arabia is a fascinating country. It has an international and domestic market and it is very diverse.

“You go from a business city in Riyadh, which is very government led, where we have Intercontinental Riyadh as well as Holiday Inn. Then you go to Jeddah, which has tourism and business markets on the Red Sea and is developing quickly with the new airport. Then you have Mecca and Madina where growing numbers of pilgrims are visiting.”

“The business in Saudi Arabia is really diversifying as well as growing. Pilgrimage is increasing dramatically and IHG will grow as the market grows, or more if we have a greater market share than our competitors,” he adds.

Due to the rapid expansion of mid-market stock, it’s easy to forget Saudi Arabia continues to press on with a large luxury hotel pipeline in tandem with the development of mid-market hotels.

In Q2, 2014, The Rezidor Hotel Group signed four new hotel projects and opened one property, Radisson Blu Hotel Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Upon announcement of the new properties, Wolfgang M. Neu-mann, president and CEO of Rezidor, said: “Due to its fast economic growth and ambitious public spending initiatives, Saudi Arabia is a powerhouse in the Middle East. We have accelerated our development in the kingdom together with strong regional partners, and are actively seeking further growth opportunities.”

Hilton too has big plans for the kingdom, with the announcement of Hilton Al Ahsa, due to open in 2016 and an expansion of the Hil-ton Garden Inn brand, to cater to the mid-scale market, including the recent opening of Hilton Garden Inn Tabuk.

Rudi Jagersbacher, president, Hilton Worldwide Middle East and Africa says: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an integral part of the Hilton Worldwide portfolio and today’s announcement strengthens our commitment to the country and to one of the company’s biggest development markets.”

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide will open three new hotels in Mecca by 2016, adding 1,496 rooms; Sheraton Makkah with 532 rooms, Westin Makkah with 513 rooms and Four Points by Sheraton Makkah with 451 rooms.

Meanwhile Fairmont Hotels and Resorts International (FRHI) has also maintained a strong pipeline, following the opening of the iconic Raffles Makkah Palace and Makkah Clock Royal Tower, a Fairmont hotel, in 2010.

FRHI president Jennifer Fox says: “Jeddah was a new market for us two years ago; we have always wanted to be there and we have three great hotels in Mecca, so we have a big presence in Saudi Arabia. We want to leverage against that strength as our brands are well known in the country.”

But while being in the kingdom itself is important, Fox adds that


dESTiNaTiON FOCuS

location within the country is still everything. Commenting on the opening of Fairmont

Riyadh, Business Gate, she adds: “The area is home to major Fortune 500 companies and we have a hotel right in the middle of that complex; that’s also very important for us.

“There is a lot more opportunity for us in Saudi Arabia. We already have a healthy pipe-line and we have more announcements to make,” she adds.

the tourisM strateGy Religious and business tourism create a cap-tive market for operators in the country.

But while the supply is certainly there, fluc-tuations in demand prove tricky to control. In order to prevent steep peaks and troughs in performance metrics, demand needs to re-main near constant; however with more than 3 million people descending on the country for one week of the year it’s no easy feat.

In September 2015, STR Global reported that Saudi Arabia had an average occupancy of 52.2%; with an ADR of $182 and RevPAR of $95.15.

In Jeddah, ADR rose 11.5% YoY and was also one of four markets to experience double-digit RevPAR growth, up 13.1% to $188.94

While government measures such as the “Umrah plus” visa – which allows free travel to other areas of the kingdom after religious duties have been performed – helps to boost interest in coastal tourist towns and secondary cities – promotion of the country as a whole is still required.

In 2014 travel and tourism contributed 2.4% of GDP, and that is forecast to rise by 6.2% in 2015 and a further 4.3% pa by 2025. In order to sustain such growth hotels and related tourism infrastructure will need to be developed across the country.

Supporting the boom in hotel develop-ments, in June of this year, the country’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) issued a contract for $394m to Muhaidib Contracting Company for the expansion of Prince Naif Regional Airport in Al Qassim re-gion. In the same month another contract was awarded on the $1.45bn King Khaled Airport expansion, Riyadh.

Other key projects include the Makkah metro, the expansion of Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport in Madinah, and the development of more luxury hotels especially in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

Meanwhile, direct investment in the tour-

ism industry is worth almost SAR33.5bn to 2020, according to figures disclosed during AHIC Riyadh last year. However issues re-main in the consistency of quality across dif-ferent properties – specifically the local, un-branded properties compared to those which are internationally branded.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) tourism development strategy includes a number of measures to include Saudi nationals in the industry and develop small towns and coastal areas, beyond the main tourism hubs, as well as supporting small tourism businesses and en-trepreneurial startups.

Strategic sub-sectors for focus include MICE, culture and heritage, sport and eco-tourism, with specific focus also to be placed on health and education tourism.

Gauvin adds: “Saudi Arabia is one of the strongest markets and it has always been a very stable market for us.

“What Saudi Arabia offers is stability. The hotel business is always a very sensitive busi-ness and safety and security is the first thing you need to have. People don’t travel to trou-bled places, unless it is an absolute necessity.

“We follow what the government is doing because there is a need for hotels, a need for people to travel and a need for people to find the rooms. As an international operator with great brands, we ensure we put the right brand in the right place to ensure the differ-ent guest profiles can find what they want in the city they visit,” Gauvin adds.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia’s busiest period, Hajj, was overshadowed by two tragedies – the collapse of a crane at Mecca and a stam-pede, which combined claimed the lives of almost 1,000 people in a week.

Yet with stability, growth and deci-sive leadership to work to ensure greater safety of travellers in future, business will remain strong.

SAR

SAR

SAR

ADR - Average Daily Rate SAR - Saudi Arabian Riyals

Source: STR Global

SAR

SAR

SAR

SAR

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Saudi Arabia Cities (Actual Performance Occupancy & ADR YE 2014)

Saudi Arabia & Cities Occupancy, ADR % Change (December 2014 YTD)


F&b FEaTurE

Securing and retaining experienced kitchen professionals is a long-standing challenge for the Middle East; Lucy Taylor finds out how regional F&B professionals are working to overcome this culinary hurdle

Talent Show

Over the past decade the Middle East, particularly the GCC, has gained significant prominence under the global travel spotlight.

The region has become a byword for hospital-ity excellence, with a wide variety of stellar hotels, seemingly limitless entertainment options and of course, a mouth-watering array of food and beverage options.

What’s more, with numerous new proper-ties in the pipeline, this development is set to continue at a cracking pace.

But the F&B scene in particular is seeing swift and exciting progress, as it feeds off grow-ing demand not only from tourists but also local residents, a situation which puts the region’s hotel outlets in an unusually strong position.

And yet despite this, culinary recruitment and even staff retention remain a challenge, especially in the more skilled sectors.

At hospitality recruitment consultancy Bin

Eid Executive Search, managing director MD Warrier observes: “There are continuous requests from UAE and GCC countries for skilled chefs. Demand has drastically changed over the past decade, and is definitely still on the rise.”

Warrier adds that in addition to numerous new hotel openings, both kitchen and front-of-house staff are in demand for the plethora of independent outlets in new mall projects and mixed-use developments.

Michael Kitts, director of culinary arts at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Manage-ment (EAHM), points out that staff recruit-ment and retention has been a hot topic for the past decade.

“Ten years ago, recognising potential and having a career plan would have helped stem the job-hopping scenario that was going on at the time,” he asserts. “But today, Dubai is a very dif-ferent place; the growth and vision for the future is fantastic, and I’m sure it will draw the next

generation of hospitality professionals.”It certainly seems that regional F&B opportu-

nities are better today – with employers offering improved salaries, benefits and development prospects – as well as being more numerous. Why, then, are so many operations having problems finding the necessary F&B staff for their teams?

what’s hampering hiring?In a region packed with hotels, plus many more in the pipeline, a huge number of staff is re-quired and competition for the best individuals is an issue, admits Peter Drescher, vice president of food and beverage – Middle East and Asia with Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts.

“In the past, we only had a few international hotels in Dubai… Now, we have every hotel player on the planet, and naturally it is more difficult to attract talent as there are more oppor-tunities for chefs to choose from,” he comments.


Despite this competition, hotel groups are still prepared to be picky in their hiring. Bin Eid’s Warrier says that employers are asking a lot of their new recruits. “It’s a formidable challenge to find suitably qualified, experienced and competent chefs with just the right at-titude and skills,” he says.

What’s more, Warrier points out that with the hospitality sector doing increasingly well in traditional source markets such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India, more F&B professionals are finding satisfactory employment at home.

“In Sri Lanka recently, I came across some employees who’d returned from the Gulf and are now working in the local hotel sector – and their current salaries are reasonably healthy. [They explained] they were only interested in returning to work in the Gulf region if better salaries and benefits were offered,” he reports.

Even for F&B professionals actively seeking roles outside their home countries, the Gulf faces stiff competition from other historic dining destinations, predominantly in Europe and the USA.

Uwe Micheel, director of kitchens at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek and president of the Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG), says this poses a particular challenge when recruiting mid-level staff.

“I don’t think it is a challenge to get a good chef for a top position, a well paid position, but in junior management or lower the salaries are low in comparison with other countries, considering the lifestyle in Dubai is so expensive,” he observes.

However Roger Marti, executive chef at Grand Hyatt Dubai, thinks that the region is competitive when it comes to salaries and benefit packages, although he notes that this “depends on the com-pany and level you are working for”.

“From my experience, the Middle East offers generally good pack-ages for the employees. I always compare the final, net amount the employee would get to take home. Looking back to Europe, the taxes and accommodations are highly charged,” he says.

Meanwhile EAHM’s Kitts agrees that “the UAE certainly doesn’t have a problem attracting the big guns”, but appreciates the problems of attracting and retaining young talent.

“The thing they will ask is, ‘Do I feel appreciated?’ I think that is sometimes the most important aspect when it comes to retaining staff,” comments Kitts.

Salaries aside, veteran international dining destinations hold significant appeal for talented young chefs and F&B staff looking to learn and climb the career ladder. How can Middle East hotels compete with history?

Mövenpick’s Drescher points out that in this part of the world, staff will find themselves working with a superlative product. “The design guidelines and specifications, kitchen, stewarding and front-of-house service areas are amongst the best I have seen in all my travels,” he asserts. “I honestly think that we have some of the best physical working environments.”

Radisson’s Micheel agrees: “In terms of kitchen equipment or products, we have everything that could be required.

“The big difference [between us and western operations] is when it comes to developing young talent,” Micheel continues. “We are opening new hotels and restaurants at a much faster rate than we develop talent, which reflects on quality of service.”


F&b FEaTurE

sought-after staffWithin this maelstrom of F&B hiring, there are certain positions that are traditionally tricky to fill.

The most difficult kitchen roles to recruit for are pastry and bakery, according to Mövenpick’s Drescher. “I think it has to do with the fact that it is very hard to find someone who works hands-on all day long, and who is an artist and manager at the same time,” he explains. “These are the expectations today, since we need to control overheads. In the past, we had specialists. Today, there are many cases wherein the pastry chef is also expected to be an expert baker, although these two jobs are very different from each other.”

Hyatt’s Marti says specialists in a specific re-gional cuisine are also particularly tough to find. “It takes more time and effort to secure such a person. We have to travel around and look for specialists, not always very successfully.”

And adding to the challenge of finding this elusive niche professional, who wants to work in the region and is happy with the remuneration on offer, is that fact that several other hotels are after him as well.

time for changeAs Radisson’s Micheel puts it, there is “no secret advice or recipe” to make regional F&B recruitment easier. However there are things that operators can do to ensure they are as an attrac-tive an employer as possible.

“We need to look after our talents, and offer the right package,” he states. “And as mentioned earlier, development at the junior level has room for improvement.”

Bin Eid’s Warrier agrees: “Scope for self development and career advancement in a vibrant learning environment and a healthy work culture is what will encourage chefs to stay committed. They need to feel that they are an integral part of the process.”

At Hyatt, notes Marti, every new associate goes through an initial three-day orientation “to understand the basic hotel standards”, after which the individual outlet or department takes over.

“We conduct weekly training based on our yearly goals, incorporating schedules and topics are based on the individual related outlets,” he explains.

Continuing training and development is vital not only to retention, continues Mövenpick’s Drescher, but also preparing the brand’s next generation of leaders. “Chefs, especially young

Peter DrescherVP, F&B, Middle East and Asia with

Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts

Michael KittsDirector of culinary arts, EAHM

Uwe MicheelDirector of kitchens at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek and president of

the Emirates Culinary Guild

M.D. WarrierMD, Bin Eid Executive Search

Roger MartiExecutive chef, Grand Hyatt Dubai

the ideal Kitchen candidate

“Dedicated, focused, willing to make big sacrifices, a great sense of humour and last but not least, you’ve got to love it!”

Michael Kitts, director of culinary arts, The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management

“There are two main ingredients we look for: the first is passion and talent, and the second is purely the hard work you put in. “

UweMicheel,directorofkitchens,Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek and President of the Emirates Culinary Guild

ones, need to gain experience to be able to grow and become confident, strong, assertive leaders,” he points out.

“It is our responsibility as chefs or F&B direc-tors to nurture, encourage and advise our team members. Human resources or learning and development departments can only do so much; the rest is up to the head of that particular outlet or division, and most importantly the drive and energy of the people themselves.”

The need for regular training, career develop-ment opportunities, brand involvement – these are things the F&B industry has understood for some time. Indeed, the vast majority already incorporate such elements into operations.

Ultimately, it appears there are two factors which could draw specialist culinary talent away from the ‘old guard’ of dining destinations: a superlative and respected culinary environment, and a large salary.

With so many outlets coming online in the next few years, the region’s hotels will most likely have to bow to the latter to compete. The former is simply a matter of time.

M. +97155 5032366 T. +9714 3253130www.hills-hospitality.com

Magy KhalilGeneral Manager

Hills Hospitality & Services DMCC

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For more info, please contact:


iNTErviEw

You began your career with Elegant Resorts in 1992, what first attracted you to the role and what has kept

you with them for more than 20 years? I started my career in finance as I was training to be an accountant, I loved the actual job itself but found the industry didn’t challenge me. So I took the role at Elegant Resorts, and soon fell in love with it.

At that time luxury travel hadn’t exploded onto the market, but the glamour of the industry and the role, completely sold it to me and kept me in the hospitality game for over 20 years. The opportunities that I have had whilst working in luxury travel have been spectacular, and other roles don’t offer the same kind of experiences.

What are the key ways in which the indus-try has evolved over that time?The industry is ever evolving, but the big-gest change that I have seen throughout my career has been the evolution of practices due to technological advancements. When I first began my career, everything was documented on paper and hand written, it was books, writing out currencies, filing out bankers drafts, and writing forms for clients. Today we do nothing like that with the majority of processes being online with easy access to banking, flights and accommodation.

The industry has further evolved in the sense that when I first joined Elegant Resorts, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean resorts were really far away exotic places and every-one knew that the Caribbean was where you went for a luxuriously mysterious experience, but now the world is a lot smaller. In terms of travel, how people are able to visit exotic destinations at the click of a button, and

Scouring the globe Michelle sephton, managing director, Elegant Resorts tells Hotel News ME about breaking stereotypes as a female MD in the industry and why the operator decided to make its Middle Eastern debut

now with with the luxury of air travel being reasonably priced. When I started out, flying to the Caribbean was far too expensive, now it is just a whole different ball game.

How did you transition from an executive level to become a managing director? For me it has just been progressing though the business and growing along with it.

It has been quite an easy transition as ev-ery promotion I received happened naturally.

Becoming the MD generally came about because we were experiencing such change within the company from 2008 onwards and so I was then responsible for looking after the business and employees.

I am often teased in the office as my team call me mum, and I don’t mind that because one of the most important factors of being an MD is remembering your people are your core and they keep the business going. For me it is easy to navigate because I have

Michelle Sephton


iNTErviEw

grown up with Elegant Resorts and the people there too.

There are very few females in leadership roles in the hospitality industry; what challenges have you faced as a woman in the industry? To be a woman in the industry you need to be extremely confident in yourself and in your position. You can’t spend too much time procrastinating over the fact that you are a woman, you just have to remember that you know your role, and being a woman in the industry doesn’t mean I need to talk louder or try and assert my position. I know when to talk, how to talk and I’ll always wait until I have something to add to the equa-tion in order to prove that my voice is just as valuable as those of my peers.

It can sometimes take a little longer as a female leader to gain the respect and recogni-tion that you deserve, but it isn’t impossible. It is important to let people know that you aren’t a push over, and that is often quite a

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iNTErviEw

big challenge in itself. There is also an element of stereotyping,

whereby people perhaps think that you aren’t up to par, and unfortunately there will always be that group of people in existence that place you into a category and think that is where you belong, it is our job to break those stereotypes and continue thriving.

What advice can you offer to other women in the industry looking to climb the career ladder? I’d say to any female who wants to climb the career ladder to keep going, persevere, be confident and don’t be intimidated. Women have the ability to multitask and are extremely resilient, two very important elements that will carry them through their career.

Elegant Resorts recently made its Middle East debut, what attracted you to this market and what value do you believe ER as a tour operator can bring to the Middle East? Elegant Resorts was acquired by Al Tayyar Travel Group (ATG) in February 2014 and that really opened doors for us and made

the Middle East an extremely viable option. Looking at the competition in the Middle East, no other company offers the services to the extent that we do in the region. Elegant Resorts compromises the full 360 package, we are all about service and providing the accommodation plus the little extras. We deliver the luxury experience but we also build firm relationships with our clients and we become a lifestyle choice, which is the attraction. Nobody seems to be providing the full package here and that is where we spotted the niche in the market.

There are many tour operators and travel sites for the Middle East market. How will ER differ from those and what value can you add for hoteliers and the leisure industry in the region?Elegant Resorts is a global brand. So in es-sence we sell the world and are well known in the luxury travel sector. We contract all of the luxury hotels around the world and at the moment we are selling to the UK and Europe so what we say to the suppliers from this region is that we are still using all of you but we are bringing volume and a new set of clients into the loop. The attractive

thing for the suppliers is that our service is not just about the accommodation, the flights and the travel it is about the in-resort spend and everything the traveller spends whilst staying, which adds to the whole tourism piece. It isn’t just the suppliers we bring value to, we also add to the economy and the tourism boards.

Which country markets within the region do you expect to generate the lion’s share of your business? At the moment our focus is the UAE, both locals and expats. Moving forward our focus for 2016 will be on Saudi Arabia, where there is a massive market for what we do and it appears no one is currently tapping into the services that we offer. Following that we are very open to new markets and ideas and may look at Lebanon or Oman for example.

What is your global growth strategy for the brand? The strategy is to place offices in various stra-tegically positioned areas around the world that it will become a global brand function-ing out of different locations, helping us to sell more across the entire network.

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ALL ABOARDFor more than a decade, Bateaux Dubai has been serving 5-star food while sailing on Dubai Creek, but it isn’t the only time a hotel chain has created an out of the ordinary, off site dining concept. Hotel News ME discovers how standalone restaurants are diversifying business beyond the hotel property

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the diversifiCation Bateaux Dubai is managed by JA Resorts and Hotels as part of the hospitality com-pany’s portfolio of hotels, restaurants and sports facilities in Dubai. The Dubai Creek dining experience was originally conceived to compliment the operator’s portfolio of hotels, resorts and serviced apartments and leisure facilities, not to mention growing trend in standalone restaurants outside of hotel environment.

the establishMentIt may not stay still for long but the empha-sis for Bateaux Dubai was always to create a dining experience to rival others found along the waters of Dubai Creek. With desert properties which specialise in leisure and family acitivites, JA Hotels and Resorts

created the dining experience to add to its portfolio what its physical properties could not, aimed at couples, groups and private charters.

the experienCe The most exclusive table onboard Bateaux Dubai is the “Captain's Table” located at the front of the vessel, it comfortably seats up to eight guests and offers amazing views of the historic sights and modern landmarks of the creek as you cruise along the glittering wa-ters. The idea of an exclusive table is widely used in standalone and hotel restaurants around the world and its application here has proven a draw for hundreds of guests.

deCadent CruisinG With a number of dinner cruises in

existence and an even greater number of waterside cruising experiences launched since, Bateaux has maintained its repu-tation for four course, 5-star food in a number of ways: fresh, on board prepara-tion; exclusive seating plans; and an inside outside concept.

sense of tasteThe cruise was created by Seine Design in France in 2003 and launched in Dubai 2004 and is the only dinner cruise experi-ence on Dubai Creek that features an on board kitchen, which can cater to up to 300 guests per cruise. The menu consists of a number of signature dishes and seasonal ingredients, and also features more than 70 varieties of grape from more than 10 countries

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6 on boardThe 56-metre long glass-enclosed vessel had a modern décor, offers a personalised service and a panoramic view of Dubai. The full length glass windows allow guests to experi-ence uninterrupted 360 degree views while dining and the outdoor deck at the back of the vessel allows guests to enjoy an al fresco drink while taking in the sights and sounds of the city.

sustainable sailinGAll our properties use sustainable ingre-dients and refrain from using endangered species on menus. Ingredients such as Veal and Foie Gras have to be supplied with a “Humane Raised Certification”, sustain-able produce and products that are not harmful to our environment, which means

purchased from suppliers with “WWF Hu-manitarian Certification”. Ingredients such as Tuna, are only provided by approved suppliers.

loCal foCus In addition to the sustainability credentials, we support local suppliers of fruit and veg-etables and refrain as much as possible from purchasing frozen or processed goods. We strive to make all dips, sauces, dressings and marinades from scratch and we also smoke our own salmon, duck and vegetables.

the ChallenGe Just because Bateaux’s achievements have been possible, it doesn’t mean to say they were easy. For example, The Galley, the Bateaux kitchen, is the same as most cruise

ships around the world; a completely dif-ferent ball game from a restaurant kitchen ashore, challenged by space. However all dishes are cooked and prepared onboard, from scratch. A huge achievement for the executive chef.

the offsite dininG ConCept While no other hotel chain has gone as far as to replicate the 5-star restaurant concept of Bateaux, multiple chains are now operating restaurants offsite and, on many occasions, under a completely autonomous brand.

The likes of Bateaux, Pier 7 and West 14th are now paving the way for rolling out exceptional concepts and experiences with far fewer boundaries and therefore thriving in spite of previous limitations.

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mEET ThE ExpErT

In business circles and beyond, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a one of those buzzwords that gets bandied about on a regular basis. What started

out as charitable activities by profitable busi-nesses just 40 years ago, has now evolved into a full-blown programme worldwide, including in the hospitality industry. While fundraising is noble, CSR is far deeper than the annual blood donation drive. When implemented effectively, this concept has the potential to improve any business’ triple bottom line, i.e. people, planet and profit.

It is no secret that hospitality is an industry with great potential. While there are numerous studies quantifying growth prospects, statistics from the tourism industry, a sector with which we are inextricably linked, stands out. Ac-cording to the World Tourism Organisation, tourism accounts for almost 10% of global Gross Domestic Product, generates more than $1.5 trillion in trade income or 30% of the world’s services exports and provides one in eleven jobs worldwide. It is also no secret that the competition in the hospitality industry – for guests, for talent, for revenues – is fierce. The only way to survive is to make sure that you are working in a way that is responsible to your guests, to your employees and beyond.

For the cynics, CSR is a sometimes per-ceived as a crass attempt to gain goodwill, an opinion that is a misperception. Take CSR initiatives related to the environment, for example. Constructing buildings that are re-sponsible in their energy and water usage often get a bad rap for being too expensive, with superficial benefits to the environment. But with simple adjustments in our operations, including retrofitting all lights to LED bulbs, we achieved 11% in energy savings in 2014 when compared to 2011. For people in the Middle East this might seem like a deceptively modest reduction, however, when you consider the savings in utilities payments, the decrease in operational costs in the management of hotels is significant. Similarly, introducing measures to save water, such as the new spray

Being better: how corporate social responsibility is essential to hospitalityMark willis, area vice president, Middle East and Turkey at the Rezidor Hotel Group outlines why CSR and a commitment to the environment is more crucial than ever

on the ozone layer, but has also led to wiping off a third of its share price and a plummet-ing of public perception of the brand into the negative territory, at the time of writing this column. And who knows what tomorrow might bring?

Whether it be your guests, or employees, never underestimate the power of perception. To manage this, CSR as a concept can help. For hoteliers, no matter the age, brand or lo-cation, service to guests is key. A holistic view of service will include the safety of guests, hence the properly stowed fire extinguishers, first aid kits and so on. And while having things like Automatic Electronic Defibrilla-tors on demand in the event that anyone has a heart attack is key, having guests participate in a unique way will not only help in raising brand awareness but maybe even brand loy-alty. One example of this is The Box Appeal, our annual CSR initiative, where people fill up boxes with essentials for the underprivi-leged. What started out as an initiative from volunteers in the Radisson Blu Dubai Media City in 2008, has grown to a region-wide campaign that has contributed nearly 20,000 boxes from volunteers of all ages. Every year, we have participation from numerous schools, charities and businesses, sometimes months ahead of schedule. It’s impossible to quantify if this has resulted in sales, but an-ecdotally, I can confirm that we are now seen as a responsible, ethical hospitality group with heart. And this quality, these values have allowed us to recruit and retain some of the brightest minds into our group.

A truly effective CSR programme is some-thing that balances the tangible (capital, costs and revenues) with the intangible (percep-tion, goodwill and reputation). Building an intuition that manages this will be based on developing an intuition that that looks at something… the environment, people, whatever… and turning it into an opportunity will be crucial in helping hoteliers sustain their business, and will ultimately take a group from being good, to being better.

efficient valve that cuts down water usage by more than 50% during dishwashing, reduces the operational costs for hotel owners and operators alike, leading to a positive return on upfront investments for these adjustments.

Fundamentally, businesses do not work in a vacuum, and the environment is a key facet of how you run operations. We are living in a world with finite resources, so making do with this status quo is the most responsible way to work. The flipside has serious consequences. One might argue that the recent Volkswagen scandal is a result of gross misconduct of company governance, which is true. However, this carelessness will not only have an impact

“for the cynics, csr is a sometimes perceived as a crass attempt to gain

goodwill, an opinion that is a misperception”

Mark Willis, area vice president, Middle East and Turkey, Rezidor Hotel Group


I like the way Albert Einstein defined insanity; doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In the world of business repetition is unavoidable and, hand in hand with that, many tasks can

make you feel you’re losing your mind; not least the up-hill struggle that is the hotel pre-opening.

It is well expected by all parties involved that there will be hurdles, complica-tions, problems and difficulties during pre-opening, in fact it is considered as a norm. But how is that possible if we know what we are doing?

let’s Consider this as a play; a tale of os&e proCureMent. Introduction:Your project is almost finished and you are at the last step; OS&E procure-ment. The scenario is, you have the following parties, who know their responsi-bilities and will act accordingly as a team to make this project a success.

The cast, roles and responsibilities are…- Client: The owner or developer of the property, the client is the one who provides the finances, and has hired all the right consultants to manage the various processes, without micromanagement. They are trusted for their experi-ence and guidance. - Operator: The operator is the brand; providing the standards, specifications and knowhow. The operator has the full list of OS&E, ready with the right quantities and specifications for the property. The operator also manages the pre-opening team, detailing each area of the new operation. - Procurement Agent: The specialist in the field, the procurement agent knows the sources, knows where to get what, when to start, and when to finish, thanks to the tried and tested systems in place. The agent has people with experience to manage the client's budget and reach the operator's brand standards.

that is the sCenario, but What aCtually happens?- Client: He is at a stage where they don’t want to spend any more money. Although OS&E generally gets the smallest budget in a hotel development, the client still thinks as if there is no money left and so approaches the task with a mentality of saving…. A lot!

The client is often heard saying things like: ”Let’s cut the budget down 20% more,” ”Let's hire the procurement agent at the last minute, so we can save from fees,” ”Let's not approve

the budget or the POs right away, let's negotiate more with the suppliers, sleep on it, think a bit more, get more discount.”

Unfortunately, all good intentions of saving money result in either spending more money on airfreighting the goods the goods at short notice, or losing ADR through a late opening.

Operator: The operator knows that it is time to get the OS&E going, so provides a list of items that are half of what is needed for the property and generally outdated. It is a mixture of pre-opening, FF&E and OS&E. He provides brand standards on certain items that are not more than 10% of the overall budget. Are there any guidelines for the rest? Not really. Are there any team members on board who can guide and select? Not really.

Therefore, specifying takes longer. Unless you are in good hands with pro-curement, it is inevitable that things will be forgotten or ordered incorrectly.

Procurement Agent: Every procurement agent is happy to be selected for a new project, however tough competition has reduced fees so much, resources are severely stretched. When the schedule is considered, there is not much time to do anything, let alone sourcing, finding the right fit for the project, doing something special is out of question. Getting three quotations and recommend-ing the cheapest becomes a norm.

Curtain Closes…I think it is time to play it as per the scenario. There is a better way to do busi-

ness and there is a better way to open hotels. In doing things differently we avoid the same traps and expect the best result.

mEET ThE ExpErT

Behind the Scenes: The secret to pre-opening sanity Yasemin Akaydin Miller, managing director, Pass International breaks down how to successfully procure OS&E items

ABOUT PASS INTERNATIONALPASS International provides the hospitality industry with professional solutions and expert advice on a va-riety of operational supplies and equipment (OS&E). Specialised in pre-openings, its primary objective is to provide knowledge, experience, information and systems to set up realistic budgets, standards and schedules for OS&E. The professional advise includes presentation of alternatives, customisa-tion, sourcing, ensuring the interior design intent is achieved and delivering within the target budget and schedule. The products meet the operating quality standards, functionality and durability. Items are, unique and sustainable. Working with operators, owners, interior designers, developers, procurement agencies, chefs and restaurateurs. For more information, please visit: www.pass-international.com


Food wastage is immoral, it is also plainly avoidable. Sadly, a considerable amount of food decays during the storage, handling and transportation processes because of lack of precautions or inadequate oversight and therefore has to be discarded. This can also cause diseases, ailments and can have an adverse impact on the environment. Hotels, restaurants, F&B outlets and transport fleet operators therefore need to focus on intelligent logistics.

It is estimated that nearly 3.27 million tonnes of food (worth more than $3.55billion) produced and imported in the UAE is wasted every year, according to a study by the United Nations’ World Food Pro-gramme. The figures were released in light of the growing efforts around reducing food wastage to help resolve many of the sustainability chal-lenges faced by the food industry.

According to a study by the United Nations, a shocking 32.7% of food produced globally is wasted each year for various reasons. With over 10 million tonnes of food being mobilised within the UAE per year, includ-ing imports and local production, it is estimated that 3.27 million tonnes of food is wasted in the country, enough to fill 136,250 trucks. Massar further estimates that a truck load of food is worth on average $27630, meaning that the annual cost of food waste in the UAE is a staggering $ 3.55 billion.

According to the Alpen Capital Food Industry Report 2015, backed by

encouraging macroeconomic drivers, food consumption in the GCC is expected to grow at a 3.5% CAGR between 2014 and 2019 to reach 51.9 million metric tonnes (MT). Food consumption in the UAE alone is set to witness 4.8% CAGR, the fastest across the GCC.

Although some element of waste cannot be prevented, reducing its scale will deliver significant economic, social and environmental benefits. Commenting on this staggering amount of food wasted, rotten or dis-carded, Brent Melvin, GM of Supply Chain at Massar Solutions claims food businesses can achieve a 21% reduction in operating costs through smart logistics management.

F&B fleet operators play a critical role here, just as much as produc-tion and distribution companies. However, there is an urgent need to increase the level of efficiency of F&B fleets and logistics operations. This can be achieved by adopting innovative solutions and technologies that can help ensure the quality of food is maintained right up to final delivery.

Melvin believes that around 5% of the food loss can be reduced through intelligent logistics. There is now a growing trend to harness modern technology and telematics systems that will allow suppliers and delivery personnel to gain deeper insight and visibility into fleet opera-tions. This includes engine and driver performance, trailer temperature and payload condition, door openings, tyre pressure, travel time and route progress. In case of irregularities, fluctuations or unexpected events, an immediate alert is sent directly to the user’s PC via SMS, e-mail, or a popup window.

Advanced telematics and mobile tracking systems are the biggest game changer for the food logistics sector and have become a ‘must have’ tech-nology for those looking to increase their profit margins and market share in the industry. The technology has proven itself to be highly effective in maximising fleet productivity and utilisation rates, which in turn helps optimize efficiency and increase profitability.

Food wastage leaves a bad taste in the mouthWith over 10 million tonnes of food being mobilised within the UAE per year, including imports and local production, it is estimated that 3.27 million tonnes of food is wasted in the country, enough to fill 136,250 trucks, Malcolm dias, editor of Logistics News Middle East explains the impact of intelligent logistics in the food supply chain

mEET ThE ExpErT


what are Some oF the lateSt trendS Being Seen in

the CoFFee market?

Jones: Over the last few years, the food and beverage industry has evolved at a rapid rate and consequently, has enhanced consumer appreciation and knowledge for quality coffee. As such, we’ve witnessed an increased interest in specialty coffee amongst the foodservice and retail segments, as consumers turn to microlots and single origins to use their knowledge and experiment with flavours found in the coffee. These flavours are enhanced through alternate brew methods such as a Chemex coffee maker, rather than a traditional espresso extraction.Elyaderani: There is greater expectations for unique, high quality coffee beverages since it is notable that the palates of consumers are chang-ing towards the flavour and the profile of quality specialty coffees. Moreover, the role of a barista has expanded into becoming that of a mixologists due to the rising popularity of this trend. People in the UAE look for variety and value for money, that is why Julius Meinl emphasises the

importance of serving high quality coffee with a unique coffee experience. De Silva: Regarding investment, monitored trends are all pointing in one direction: go global.

Regarding consumption, the capsule market presents challenges as it goes against the traditional coffee making methods. Today’s consumers don’t limit themselves at drinking a cup of coffee, but they want to know where the plant is grown and what coffee varieties are included into the blend. Billingham: Everything in the coffee market is heading towards capsules and that is because the patent from Nespresso was lifted which opened the door for everybody to actually make compat-ible capsules, as far as BONCAFE Middle East is concerned we set up and did our own capsules in our plant in Thailand which is Lavazza compatible and we will be launching our Nespresso compatible capsules around February 2016. Sinno: Coffee shops are moving towards roasting their own beans to control quality, improve supply chain efficiency, and gain the creative freedom to experiment with roast profiles. The novelty aspect

of the beans being roasted on the grounds has had massive appeal with consumers and has generated interest in the process of making coffee. This has also led to having more transparent processes in cof-fee shops, where coffee bars and espresso machines are being positioned in a way to provide coffee fans a front row seat to showcase the craftsmanship and art that goes into making a cup of coffee.

how iS the perCeption oF CoFFee Changing in the

middle eaSt?

Sinno: Coffee is becoming more of a specialty and luxury item than a mere commodity that wakes people up in the morning. Customers are becom-ing much more discerning of quality, thus more willing to pay higher price points for their daily cup of Joe. Coffee drinkers are also becoming coffee afi-cionados and are more interested in understanding what goes into their cup of coffee, as they identify themselves as loyal specialty coffee consumers. Jones: Despite the fact that more than 50% of the UAE’s population hail from East Asia and the Indian subcontinent with a consumer base that fa-

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supp

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RobeRt Jones, Managing Director of coffee Planet

ola sinno, owner anD

Managing Partner, SPill the Bean

ali K. elyadeRani, Managing Director,

Merchant Star international llc

Gihan de silva, general Manager,

Shura traDing

tony billinGham, ceo, Boncafe MiDDle

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Hotel News Me asks coffee suppliers and specialists to elaborate on the latest trends, newest machines and how to source beans sustainably

SuppliEr FOCuS


vours tea over coffee, the demand for coffee is booming. According to research by Euromonitor, the UAE's coffee consumption market is set for remarkable growth and will be worth $112 million by 2017, which Coffee Planet will take full advantage of in the coming year.Billingham: The coffee market in the UAE is much more competitive and there are local roaster that have started out, which is what we call micro-roaster. More people are buying into artisian coffee shops and concepts as the knowl-edge pool of coffee grows. Coffee culture, especially in Dubai, is catching up with the likes of London. De Silva: The UAE alone spent $121 million on the beverage sector; a sum that Euromonitor expects will grow by 35% in the next five years by 2020. 82% of those surveyed this year said they consume coffee every day. Another 13% responded that they have coffee a few times a week. As the demand in cof-fee increases in the Middle East, people are becoming more knowledgeable and create innovative techniques in the preparation of coffee.

where do you SourCe your CoFFee BeanS From and how iS SuStainaBility taken

into aCCount when SourCing and Farming?

Jones: We source coffee from over 23 countries around the world, including: Africa, Indonesia, India, Central and South America. We also pride ourselves on buying only specialty grade beans, grown over 1700m above sea level, which is compliant to our 100% pure Arabica coffee standard. We buy direct from the source to guarantee quality, a fair price for the farm and to always learn more about the coffee bean. This approach helped us achieve our UTZ certification in 2013, whereby we directly support coffee farmers and their workers, in learn-ing better farming methods and improving their working techniques to grow better crops and generate a regular income. Elyaderani: Sustainability is more than just a word at Julius Meinl. We live it, believe it, think it and are convinced it is the only way forward in the future. Julius Meinl made a commitment to have products certified by different organ-isations such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ. By choosing to source coffee from these certified farms, we are having demonstrable impacts on the ground, conserving natural resources and improving the lives and livelihoods of farm communities.Sinno: Coffee has various classifications that determine farmer involvement in various combinations of social, environmental, and economic standards. Cof-fees that fit these categories and that have been certified to match these criteria are then labeled "sustainable coffees". The problem is that many of these certifi-cations are not accredited and only used as a marketing ploy to sell their coffee.

Spill the Bean is committed to only buying and serving 100% organic, 100% ethically traded, and 100% freshly roasted Arabica beans from sustain-

able sources, which are credibly certified. As such, we have chosen to work with

Raw Coffee Company; as they are the only coffee supplier in the

UAE that is committed to providing beans that are of high quality, specialty graded, organically certi-fied, and roasted in small batches to maintain freshness. De Silva: illycaffè

manufactures a unique blend of 100% Arabica

espresso coffee. The taste and

Personalised design from Wired Designs & Alger Triton

5 minutes with… Dinh Thuy Linh, barista, Kempinski Hotel Ajman

WHAT dOES yOUR ROLE ENTAIL?I am in charge of the Lobby Lounge at Kempinski Hotel Ajman, and besides my regular barista tasks, I am also responsible for educating our guests about our premium coffees and teas. We are currently the only hotel in the Northern Emirates that offers guests an authentic, handpicked Tchaba tea experience at our Tchaba Tea Boutique.

HOW LONg HAvE yOU BEEN A BARISTA, ANd WHAT fIRST ATTRAcTEd yOU TO THE ROLE? I have been a barista for a year and a half now and I started as a waitress but I loved making different coffees and surprising the guests. Our F&B manager saw potential in me and sent me to do our Lobster Ink training programme which is tailored for the Kempinski brand. Under the F&B course which focused on the blends and methods I took practical assessments and qualified as a barista.

WHAT IS THE HARdEST PART ABOUT BEINg A BARISTA? There is always pressure to find a coffee-based beverage that has not been done before and to create something that everyone will enjoy which is tough. Timing is also crucial to brew the perfect cup and presentation is also important. You have to pay attention to every single detail, as there are a lot of people, besides the judges, who will spot even the smallest inaccuracy.

WHAT dO yOU LOvE ABOUT THE ROLE?I love that I can be very creative, as coffee is a very special beverage. You can make a limitless amount of different drinks with it. And coffee is an evergreen beverage! I believe that there will always be people who start their day with a cup of the finest brew.

cAN yOU TELL US ABOUT yOUR SIgNATURE cOffEE dRINk?My signature coffee drink is called Jasmine. It is a cold beverage and consists of espresso, roasted-crushed nuts, brown sugar and ice cubes that are made of jasmine tea and basil leaves. I make this by brewing a cup of single espresso, add roasted-crushed nuts and brown sugar and cool the beverage down. Add ice cubes made of jasmine tea and basil leaves. Enjoy immediately.

WHAT ARE SOmE Of THE LATEST cOffEE TRENdS BEINg SEEN IN THE mARkET?Everyone can make a regular espresso and Americano, but if you are able to replace regular milk with natural strawberry milk, it creates a whole different experience, and instead of sugar, use flavoured sugar syrup with fruit, vanilla or coconut.

WHAT cOffEE BEANS dO yOU USE ANd WHy?We use Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee, mainly because it’s grown very high above sea level at 1,800-2,000 m (5905.5-6,561.7 ft) and its lasting aftertaste is slightly fermented with jasmine.

WHAT cOffEE mAcHINES dO yOU USE AT THE HOTEL? We are currently using three different types of machines: automatic from Delonghi; Automatic from Dallmary and Manual from Simonelli.

WHAT IS THE SEcRET TO BREWINg THE PERfEcT cUP Of cOffEE?First: the high-quality coffee beans; second: the grinder; and third: the dozing and tamping. These three steps might seem simple, but they have a crucial impact on the final result.

Coffee planet’s top

sellers•Foodservicecapsuleisthe

full bodied, dark roast Kenyan Ristretto

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aroma of illy coffee are the result of the masterly blending of the best Arabicacoffee varieties, com-ing from producing countries in South America, Centralb America, India, Africa, and China. The beans are selected through a supply chain based on economic and environmental sustainability. illycaffè has developed an exclusive approach to sustain-ability, that rests on three main pillars: selection and direct working relations with the best producers of Arabica coffee; know-how transfer, and training to quality production while always respecting the environment; remuneration for the quality pro-duced, and the pledge to provide them with a profit anyway, so to make their production sustainable. This vision goes very far back in years: in fact, since the Eighties illycaffè has always purchased 100% of its raw materials directly from the producers, without go-betweens and outside the commodity

international market.Billingham: There is Fairtrade and UTZ for example who encourage sustainable sourcing and protect the farmers, unfortunately a lot of the time when people are offered these products and they see that it is more expensive, they will back away from it and go back to the original pricing. Since joining the MZB Group, we now have plantations in Ha-waii, Brazil and Vietnam. As an example we work with the Thai farmers in Thailand and purchase on the international stock exchange everywhere in the world we source beans so that a fair rate is secured.

how do you eduCate your CuStomerS on matterS

SuCh aS Fair trade and where your BeanS Come

From?

Sinno: We ensure that the information is readily available and clearly communicated as part of our

Spill the Bean coffee shop

1862 with Mahlkonig grinder from Julius Meinl

La Marzocco Strada from BONCAFEMiddleEast

Colombia, Finca La Meseta Red Honey Processed Castillo and Caturra from Coffee Planet

Illy Coffee Beans-250g from Shura Trading

Date cold brew from Spill the Bean


store visuals, as it is an integral part of our brand DNA. We also have posters in the shop that highlight the beans that we are showcasing each month, where they come from, and the tast-ing notes they can expect to enjoy from these beans.Jones: Coffee Planet is not Fairtrade certified, we are however immensely proud of our internationally renowned UTZ certification and believe it’s our responsibility to edu-cate the foodservice industry and consumers about quality coffee, the origin of their beans and how to select premium quality coffee from fair farms.De Silva: To spread the knowledge and culture of coffee, in 2000 illycaffè created Università del Caffè, that spreads its heritage of competences to coffee producers and growers, coffee bar businessmen, baristas, restaurants, hotels, consumers and coffee lovers alike.

With branches in Trieste and all over the world, including Dubai (The Coffee Training Institute-Dubai), the Università del Caffè is an international knowledge hub where experts from different sectors – from the scientific to the economic and cultural sector – can exchange views and work together, generate new stimuli and create a real communion of ideas with the power of a cup of coffee as a start-ing point. In 14 years of business, it has trained more than 158 thousand people worldwide.

what are Some oF the lateSt teChnologiCal developmentS in CoFFee maChineS?

Jones: As part of our continued efforts to provide complete coffee solutions, we offer an extensive range of state-of-the-art machines from leading manufacturers - and new to product lines including the world’s leading fully automatic machines from Eversys, whereby the coffee bean mimics the same journey as that from a barista operated machine. Sinno: It’s been more about the accessories than anything else; and we are loving smart scales. Smart scales

SpIll THE BEAn’S

FAvOURITE BREW• Date Cold Brew: Cold brewed

coffee that is brewed overnight in ice cold water, blended in with dates to

produce a decadent, almost dessert like drink, that is naturally dairy and sugar free

• Single Origin Espressos: The coffee beans are influenced by where and how the coffee is grown, and how

it’s processed, then roasted to release various distinct

flavours


SuppliEr FOCuS

monitor the weight, time, and flow rates as you brew the coffee and also save coffee brewing pro-cesses to recreate the perfect cup of coffee. Most of these are Bluetooth enabled and allow you to store data via phone apps. A very interesting brewing gadget new to the mar-ket is the steampunk brewer that uses a steam boiler and a computer to control the many parameters that effect the brew, such as water temperature, pressure, and agitation. It then allows the barista to replicate an array of brewing methods for coffee or tea and is even programmable and allows the input of recipes. De Silva: The developments we have noticed are individual boilers for each group head (coffee ma-chine) as it enables the barista to adjust the tempera-ture on each group head. Next, Teflon steam wands on coffee machines, which prevent the barista from hand burns, and finally digital-grind on demand (grinders), as they dispense the right amount of grind coffee in the porta-filter without wastage and ensure freshly ground coffee for each cup.Billingham: A great technological development comes from Thermoplan, their milk system tech-nology is currently unique as it adds air instead of water, it has a 1.8 mm coils that goes into the boiler and so the boiler then heats the milk through a tube and then air goes into the tube to create a silky foamy cappuccino milk, so now at least 70 to 90% of drinks are now milk based.

how haS teChnology Changed the way CoFFee iS

produCed, manuFaCtured and Served?

Jones: Technology has allowed us to change the way we prepare and consume quality coffee. Single serve capsules are a great example of how technologi-cally advanced machines offer a unique speed and convenience factor to the drinking occasion.

bonCafe’s top sellers

•Thermoplanvariety-fullyautomatic machines

•LaMarzocco–traditionalcoffeemachines

•Mahlkoniggrinders–withceramic burrs reducing the

heat of the grind

Sinno: Drastically, as it has affected every other commodity. The simplest way to see the effect of technology on coffee is to check out all the apps out there that allow a whole new level of quality control when it comes to brewing, like the Mincher App that even has server side brewing recipes. Billingham: If you look at the evolution of coffee, you have gone from drum roasting to turbo-air roasters. From the manufacturing perspective, like everything technology has evolved the process, for example computer programs allow us to do traditional roasting but control the whole process through a computer. The coffee itself hasn’t changed, it is the processes that has transformed.

there iS a riSe in CuStom BlendS, why do you think

thiS iS?

Jones: With the emergence of choice and an in-creased interest coupled with a deeper understand-ing of coffee, consumers are turning to a diverse range of custom blends from the bean belt, such as rich flavour profiles from Ethiopia and Central and South America to name but a few. Recognising the benefit of fresh, good quality coffee, consumers are also beginning to favour coffee that is roasted locally, while pushing the boundaries to explore unique brewing methods.

It is not only the way people enjoy their coffee and the taste of fine aromas, consumers are now

Julius Meinl’s top three•JuliusMeinlFrenchPress-Available

in three exclusive blends: Tanzania Kilimanjaro, Etiopia Mocca Sidamo and King Hadhramaut

•PremiumBreakfastandBanquetsGrind on Demand - A smart brewer is interactively connected to an on-demand grinder, so that clients can decide exactly what quantity of coffee that needs to be grinded

•1862PremiumAromaFezwithMahlkonigGrinder–Ablendconsisting of carefully selected highland Arabica beans from regions in Brazil and East Africa

shura tradinG’s top three•Y3CoffeeMachine•250GmsMediumRoast–carefully

selected and meticulously blended and roasted, illy coffee beans

•Coffeebeans(MediumRoast)3KgsDrums–Composedonninedistinct highest-order Arabica coffees spanning in four continents

interested in sourcing fine taste. Moreover there is a worldwide consumer trend which is to individualise products. Sinno: With so many new coffee shops popping up every day, coffee providers need to distinguish themselves and give customers a brew that they won’t get anywhere else. A distinct custom blend gives them that edge. Plus, creating your own blend is one of the most exhilarating exercises for a roaster or coffee shop. It’s a little bit of a science experiment with endless possibilities and boundless potential for explosively exciting new combinations and flavours.

GrandecruGrinderfromBONCAFEMiddleEast

Julius Meinl French Press

Sponsorship [email protected]

Sponsorship [email protected]

To [email protected]

Speaking [email protected]

Bringing together housekeepers from across the region for a day of workshops, panel discussions and debate

Giving delegates a prime opportunity to network and discuss the landscape of the ever changing hospitality industry

SAVE THE DATEHOT

EL NEWS MIDDLE EAST IS PROUD TO PRESENT

NOVEMBER2 01 5

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Housekeeper's SUMMIT


Adel SAjAndirector, danube Group

The supplier and buyer roundup of news, products and services

Matcha tea Avantcha has expanded its online and locally available repertoire of international teas with the addition of a globally trending favourite; Japanese matcha, to its growing collection of fine single origin teas and exotic infusions. Matcha, which means powdered tea, contains the nutritional equivalent of 10 cups of regular green tea and has been dubbed the ultimate superfood by nutrition experts.Made from green tea leaves, matcha comes in concentrated finely ground powder form, which makes it one of the more unusual, yet most versatile teas around.avantcha.com

the Pro-Xtract rangeThe PrO-Xtract one and three litre centrifuges can be found worldwide in leading restaurants and are not only being used for molecular gastronomy but traditional cooks have found using a centrifuge in cooking can ensure intense and deep flavours can be added to traditional classic cooking. [email protected]

Market placecan you share some details about the company history?Danube Group was founded and established by my father, Rizwan Sajan, in 1993. Danube Group has two major segments, Danube Building Materials FZCO and Danube Home (interior solutions). These companies provide more than 25,000 products in stock in all of its multiple set of showroomsacrosstheMENAregion,IndiaandChina.Other Danube Group’s companies include Danube Property Development (residential projects) , danubedirect.com (online home solutions) Danube F&B (Cha Chai Café & Lounge) and Danube Fashions (Tudors).

Danube Home, the retail arm of Danube Group houses complete solutions for interiors. The products include hotel and restaurant furniture, chandeliers, luxury sanitaryware, wallpapers, curtains, venetian blinds, carpets, parquet flooring, ceramic tiles, kid’s play, garden and outdoor furniture, gazebos, electrical and kitchens. The hotel and restaurant furniture division of Danube Home came into existence in early 2014.

What is the most popular product that you supply to the industry and why? It is impossible to pin down most popular products in such a dynamic

5 minutes with...industry however I can confirm that the wooden and soft-seater furniture are our primaryproducts.Nowadays,thefocusison quality and customisation more than following a particular trend. The strength of our hotel and restaurant furniture division lies in the fact that we have quality products for every concept our customer believes in.

What growth do you anticipate to see over the course of the next 12 months?The future holds great promise for our hotel and restaurant furniture division. We move into next year on the back of our recent strategic tie ups with quite a few hotel chains, retail chains and franchise owners. Caribou Coffee has partnered with us for all their outdoor furniture requirementsintheUAE,SaudiArabia,Qatar,KuwaitandBahrain.

What new products and announcements should we know about? Our most recent collection features exclusive table tops, chairs and a variety of room fixtures by renowned furniture brands from Portugal, Italy and Indonesia. Sometime next year we plan to introduce office and banquet furniture as well to make our portfolio extensive.


Assem HAmzeHmAnAging director, cHoco’A LLc

can you share some details about choco’a company history?ChoCo’a is a family-owned manufacturer and a leading retailer of unique chocolate products and confectionery. Wholly owned and managed by myself, Assem and Dina Hamzeh, ChoCo’a is the result of our long-life dream: opening a chocolate business.

Our products also extend to an assortment of exclusive pastries, cakes, macarons, petit four as well as bespoke arrangements and specially designed cakes for all occasions and celebrations. ChoCo’a also specialises in custom-made corporate products for companies seeking their very own branded delicacies.

What does your company offer that other suppliers do not?At ChoCo’a, all of our chocolate products are artfully hand-made and presented. Our packaging and branding reflects the exclusivity and elegance of the products offered. In addition, ChoCo’a uses the finest Belgian milk chocolate couvertures, while all of our accessories are imported from Germany, Italy and France.

What is the most popular product that you supply to the industry and why? The most popular product would be our infamous “Caramel Collection”, named as “Karma” and ChoCo’a’s very own chocolate cake, “Dina’s Cake.”

What growth do you anticipate to see over the course of the next 12 months?Over the past few years, we have participated in several international exhibitions to expand our market presence internationally. We distribute our chocolates to selected international markets and GCC countries. In the near future we have plans to expand our distribution network globally and are looking to open new franchises within the region and internationally as well. Our projected growth rate for the year 2016 would be 5% in retail, 10% in corporate and 5 % internationally.

What new products and announcements should we know about?We will be launching our new exclusive corporate catalogue. With it we aim to make the process of choosing corporate gift box much easier and pleasurable for our corporate clients. The catalogue represents the Iconic line, Bracket line and Amenities which consist of a variety of beautiful colour options to choose from and customisation of the boxes with their very own brand. The variety in sizes, colours and designs provided would fit in for all tastes and budgets alike.

5 minutes with...


Showcasing the latest tech innovations available to the industry

What factors should hoteliers consider when reviewing in-room technology products? Hotels should consider how to help guests charge, yet still be able to play on their mobile devices. Smart phones and tablets make great companions when we are away from home. In-room technology also needs to be simple for the guest to use. From the hotel’s perspective technology needs to offer a good level of future proofing, compatibility across multiple devices and security for devices installed in the guest room.These factors are:1. Importance and performance of in-room technology products 2. Understanding of guests' expectations (e.g. What type of in-room tech amenities will drive guest satisfaction and increase loyalty to the hotel brand?)3. Security of these amenities installed in the rooms

What is the must have piece of in-room technology hoteliers should invest in and why? The must have technology allows the guest to connect their devices to the TV, this provides a great home away from home experience. Guests can watch films, view images or entertain the children with their favorite programmes or games, all on the large in-room TV.

The reason why: Hoteliers increase revenue as they enhance the guest experience by providing comfort in a "home away from home".

How are guests' details kept private after the use of in-room products?The TeleAdapt range of Audio and media connectivity products uses the guest device to play their content. Our products do not require guests to use or share any personnel details. Reasonable steps are taken to protect guests' personal information such as the use of firewalls, secure servers, or retaining personal information for no longer than it is required. If the info is no longer required, it must be ensured that it is cleared.

How can in-room technology help boost revenue for a hotel?By recognising quest expectations hotels can increase room value, achieve ultimate guest satisfaction and maximum revenue from guest services. The level of In-room technology is key indicator of a hotel standard. Hotels must cater for the modern tech-savvy guest and offer more than basic levels of technology. By adding guest friendly technology a hotel has the ability to ‘wow’ the guest and provide increased levels of service and satisfaction.

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• Flush Mounts into wide range of furnishings, millwork, casegoods, and partition walls

• 2.1 Amp, 5 volt USB charge port for tablets and smart phones

• 1 Amp, 5 volt USB charge port for simultaneously charging additional phone or accessory

• Bluetooth pairing point for wireless audio playback on the TV speakers• Audio jack option for audio playback on the TV speakersintl.teleadapt.com/[email protected]

WHAt'S NEW?PowerHub-USB-7533

TA-7530 PowerHub with USB, New TrimsThis compact product puts two additional power outlets, and two USB charging ports right at the guest’s fingertips.• Provides guests with four easy-to-find charging outlets• Uniquely designed for installing flush into furniture, millwork or case

goods. n Two AC outlets and two USB device charging ports • High-current/fast-charging USB port supports wide range of portable

devices including smartphones and tablets that require higher USB charging current

intl.teleadapt.com/[email protected]

Hot PickLg’s Pro: centric Smart Tv (UX960H)• The ultra HD display and minimised bezel

elevate guests’ viewing experience to the top along with professional sound technology enriching guests’ hotel stay. For hoteliers, the enhanced customisation and advanced performance provide convenience in management as well as in use.

• The Pro: Centric Smart TVs includes a cutting edge remote management system (RMS) that supports TV diagnosis, controlling and configuration set-up. With this feature, TV conditions, input/App conditions, broadcasting signals, and network conditions are examined without extra application software.

lg.com/ae


advErTOrial

How does the Brinkhaus collection differ from other hospital-ity products available on the market? We offer a complete range of sleeping solutions, including beds, mat-tresses, duvets and pillows.

Our historical heritage sets us apart as we have been in operation since 1847 and secondly we are extremely proud of having a fully integrated down-feather production line which comes from one source.

Our unique and patented RHOMBO-FE technology has been tried and tested for several years within the medical, upholstery sector and is available in most high-end retailers including Harrods and LaneCraw-ford.

What new product launches and innovations should we know about?We are launching our latest bedding innovation, the patented RHOM-BO-FE collection, which has been designed especially for the hospitality segment. One highlight is the RF Topper which comes in two separate parts; the under layer is filled with RHOMBO-FE® and the top layer of fine quality soft down and feathers.

We also launched a new RHOMBO-FE Down Surround pillow range: This three chamber pillow provides maximum sleeping comfort combined with a smooth surface of the pillow.

Can you explain how the RHOMBO -FE range is designed and manufactured? Plus what features make it unique? The RHOMBO-FE contains air cells in rhombus form mixed with selected high- quality natural feathers. These snippets ensure that the

material preserves its elastic properties and depending on our customers’ requirements we can offer various combinations to suit.

How has technology changed the way in which your products are developed? Cost saving is always an important factor and with RHOMBO-FE we have cre-ated a filling which is lighter to the touch than other conventional filling materi-als. On top the material is durable and our aim is to sensitise between the ‘price per use’ and the ‘price per piece’ in other words, the cost price for RHOMBO-FE items may be slightly higher, but in the long run it pays off.

What are the USPs of the toppers and pillows? The toppers offer the following: a comfortable sleeping climate, perfect support, a long lasting restful sleep and is hard-wearing and washable 60 degrees centigrade.

The pillows offer different levels of firmness, individual support are long-lasting and hard-wearing and also washable at 60 degrees.

How successful was 2015 for the company and what growth do you anticipate to see over the next 12 months? Despite of the challenges seen in the region, for example in Russia and Europe, we have still been able to grow our business - this counts for both our hospitality and retail activities.

For the next 12 months we see a lot of opportunities both in Middle East and Europe. Since 2014 Unique Precise International, Dubai, represents Brinkhaus in the Middle East, this cooperation is working out very well and contributes substantially to our positive development in the region. Some of our recent proj-ects include Rotana Abu Dhabi, Rotana Riyadh and Al Murooj Rotana Dubai.

Brinkhaus GmbHAs Renowned duvet, pillow and bedding supplier Brinkhaus is set to launch its new RHOMBO- FE® selection, Rafael Torres, export director, Brinkhaus GmbH discusses the new innovative collection to the market

Rafael Torres, export director, Brinkhaus GmbH


Competition

neXt iSSue>

To be in with a chance of winning this Bentley Steam Iron which includes safe auto shut-off after 30 seconds when unused and horizontal (within 8 minutes when vertical), and with non-stick ceramic soleplate, powerful steam blast and spray function (70g/min) and 150ml water tank (2 filling cups included) simply answer the question below:

‘What other products does bentley Europe bV, from the Netherlands, sell?’ Email your answer to [email protected] with the subject line ‘competition’

room with a viewthis month’s room with a view goes to lion sands game reserve’s star-filled kingston treehouse

The MORE Treehouse Experiences are a standalone and unique way of expe-riencing the African bush. At this point, only Lion Sands Game Reserve offers The Treehouse Experience, but plans are in the pipeline for treehouses at sister properties, Marataba and Madikwe Safari Lodge. Lion Sands Treehouses include Chalkley’s Treehouse and Kingston Treehouse, which are located in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, and the Tinyeleti Treehouse in the Kruger National Park. All of the Treehouses are securely constructed above the ground, where animals remain at a safe and comfortable distance. No electricity lends itself to the authentic ‘Night under the Stars‘, but all of the creature comforts are met with a deluxe king-sized bed, flushing WC and running water. Guests are dropped off at sunset with a gourmet basket for dinner, as well as a radio should they need to get in touch with their guide at any point. They are collected the following morning, and can either enjoy a game drive, or return to the camp to freshen up.

The Kingston treehouse is constructed entirely from wood and glass, with contemporary décor in understated hues of greys, white, black and purple. Kingston is equipped with full bathroom and shower facilities. The 60m2 deck sleeps four and is children friendly. It is 1.6km from the main Lodge and is seasonal all year round.

We will be running a dedicated supplier focus on tableware available to the industry. Rang-ing from porcelain, steel, ceramic and the latest tableware designs. To get involved in this editorial, please contact [email protected]

Corporate Director of FinanceComplex Director of EngineeringDirector of Sales & MarketingComplex Executive Housekeeper

Laundry ManagerRevenue ManagerSales Manager

General ManagerDirector of OperationsHR Director

Training ManagerDirector of F&BBar ManagerExecutive Chef

Bin Eid is highly specialized in Senior Level Search & Placement of Hotel/Hospitality Industry Professionals. Our clients include prominent 5 star hotels (international chains), 4 star deluxe properties and other hospitality and leisure industry establishments

in UAE and other gulf countries. We are now in the process of filling in the above positions for our clients in the UAE, GCC and other countries

CV may be forwarded by email to M.D. Warrier indicating the present/expected salary

BIN EID EXECUTIVE SEARCH Specialised in 5* Hotel Sector PO Box 5455 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Email: [email protected] Tel: +971 6 5686144 Website: www.bineid.com

BIN EID EXECUTIVE SEARCH & SELECTION(Specialised in 5* Hotel Sector)

laST wOrd

The secret to a great night’s sleep

Registered Office: Al Lttihad Street, P.O. Box 2604, Ajman - UAETel: (+971 6) 740 7264 / 740 7511 Fax: (+971 6) 740 8550

Email: [email protected] | Facebook: @SilentnightUAE.1978Website: www.silentnight.ae

For further information, please contact the following:MATTHEW GO CHRIS [email protected] [email protected](+971) 55 6854 882

Silentnight UAE LLC has been in the UAE since 1978manufacturing quality mattresses not only for the retailsector as the UK’s No.1 brand but also for the contractsector supplying quality mattresses and divan beds andaccessories for all sections of the contract market.

Silentnight is the UK’s largestbed manufacturer with over 60years of excellence.

Voted one of the UK’s strongestbrands by experts & consumers

hotel news me november 2015

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