Hospitality Business ME | 2015 May

ISSUE 35

MAY 2015

WWW.HOSPITALITYBUSINESSME.COM ISSUE 35 MAY 2015

Double the key count, double the opportunity HOTELS TO COME

MANAGING RISK

CUSTOMER DRIVEN STRATEGY

A great mustard is all about the right balance.

Unlike other mustards, we’ve had 200 years to perfect our recipes.

SMS “COLMAN’S” to +971-56-3902833 to receive your free Colman’s gift*

ufs.com

*This campaign is for UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and KSA markets only.

EDITOR’S LETTER

MANAGEMENT Dominic De Sousa Chairman Nadeem Hood Group CEO Georgina O’Hara Publishing Director Paul Godfrey Group Director of Editorial

Editor Dave Reeder dave.reeder@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9163

Contributors Paul Godfrey Rashika Bhatia Sophie McCarrick

ADVERTISING Business Development Director Elaine McCarrick elaine.mccarrick@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9112

DESIGN Head of Design Glenn Roxas Production Manager James Tharian Data Manager Rajeesh Melath

Printed by Printwell Printing Press

Head Office PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 (0) 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 (0) 4 447 2409

© Copyright 2015 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

Service delivery for success I

stay in hotels less than six times a year, but am constantly surprised at the different betweeen those here in the Middle East and those in Europe or America. Regional hotels seem to think that the best way forward in a crowded market is to over-bling their rivals; more considered operators elsewhere understand that luxury is hollow unless the guest feels welcome.

A common issue we have here is a lack of understanding of customer flow - I’m sure you can think of many hotels where, entering reception, it’s not all clear where the guest goes to check-in. It shouldn’t be a guessing game - instead it’s the key point of interaction between guest and hotelier, plus the point at which the relationship is forged, for better or worse. Why should I have to negotiate through a coffee lounge to get to check-in? Why am I left unguided to find my room? Compare that with the truly excellent 5-star Dolder Grand in Zurich - there the recptionist also accompanies you to your room, explains the facilities and ensures that you know your way around the hotel. Heavy on staff time and cost? Yes, of course, but if it can be afforded on Swiss level wages, it can surely be achieved on the UAE’s hospitality pay scales.

None of this is rocket science, of course. i suspect that most of it does not happen because the industry is focused on the

operation not the guest. A recent stay in Paris at the Park Hyatt, formerly the Concorde Lafayette, demonstrated the small touches that make all the difference: an in-room safe big enough to hold a laptop, cleaning staff who realised I wanted my window open and left it so, a comfortable chair for reading and so on. The hotel has issues: its size and location make it ideal for convention goers and tour groups, plus its massive lobby area is a main thoroughway from the Metro and a large shopping arcade, but the friendliness of staff make up for a lot of structural issues.

One way forward might be for senior management to stay in hotels other than their own brand once in a while and see how others do it. Another would be to take the part of a guest and do a full walk-through: if any of you see the excellent Hotel Impossible show, you’ll understand the routine.

In short, be critical. Because your guests will be!

Meanwhile, welcome to the relaunched Hospitality Business Middle East. We’ve spent a couple of months analysing the market and talking to the industry and our focus is now on the key operational areas of the hotel sector, with dedicated areas in the magazine that will, in time, develop into miniconferences, awards and much more. We think it’s going to be a fun ride and we look forward to your feedback and involvement.

Dave Reeder dave.reeder@cpimediagroup.com HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

1

CONTENTS THE NEW LOOK LOBBIES First impressions mean everything for guests, so it’s critical to get lobbies right

32

MANAGEMENT 6 Back to school Regionally, an increasing number of hotel executives are going back to studying.

11

How risk averse are you?

There’s no success without risk but you can minimise the impact.

14

Infographic

16

Refurb ROI

20

At a glance information about the hospitality industry.

How can a multi-million dollar investment pay back?

Facing the future All the news from this year’s IHIF.

DESIGN 26 Down to earth It’s not easy in this climate, but landscaping is key to client satisfaction.

32

First impressions Get the lobby right and half your design issues are solved.

38 It’sTECHNOLOGY all mine!

Making the right connections between data stores can drive revenue massively.

44

2

Appy happy A quick round-up of some of the more interesting hotel group apps currebtly avaIlable. Are you onboard with this trend?.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

COVER CONCEPT The Jumeirah Group plans to increase keys from today’s 82,000 to 150,000 by 2020. In the US, the current 5 million keys will be joined by the already planned 435,000 new ones. Globally, the industry is doubling. What share will you enjoy?

E-mail us: hospitality@cpimediagroup.com

CONTENTS

48 ViewHYGIENE from the top

26

Tatjana Ahmed, founder of the UAE Housekeepers Group, on current trends.

50 Hygiene 101

Quick checklists and tips covering some of the key hotspots in a property.

48

54 Go green!

Eco-friendly housekeeping products now on the market.

THE PRO CHEF 58 Authentic sourcing?

Top chefs discuss ethical authenticity and sourcing.

for victory 64 VOpening of the year? We get the lowdown from Jean-Georges himself.

50 58

change 68 All We follow a dine at home even organised by ChefXchange, new to Dubai.

kanapes 72 Kiwi The annual Taste of New Zealans competition found increased interest this year.

eggs factor 74 The Spanish chef Marta Yanci reveals what’s in her fridge at home - not what you’d expect!

of Thailand 76 Taste Exclusive recipes from Aziamendi restaurant, Iniala Beach House near Phuket.

full Monty 78 The Chef Paolo Sari from Elsa in Monaco draws inspiration from local produce.

last word 80 The Only in Japan? We take a look at the recently opened Godzillathemed hotel.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

3

“If technology is not helping to personalise the customer experience, it is not working.”

Gerald Lawless, President & Group CEO, Jumeirah Group

06

BACK TO SCHOOL

11

MANAGING HOSPITALITY RISK

16

REFURB ROI

20

IHIC REPORT

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Over the past decade hotel schools across the globe have seen tremendous amounts of hoteliers in the Middle East returning to school, even with 15+ years’ experience.

Modernising

measures In the work place, what we know today may not always be applicable tomorrow. And, as in any industry it remains vital for one to stay on top of their game to remain in the job. With the Middle East’s expanding hospitality sector welcoming ever more fresh-outof-university graduates into employment, seasoned hoteliers must now keep up. Sophie McCarrick finds out exactly how they’re doing so.

6

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

A

mongst the fastest growing in the world, the Middle Eastern hospitality industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 9.5% toS$35.9b by 2018, compared to $22.8b in 2013.

Parallel to this surge, is an increasing demand for not only talented individuals, but professionals adequately equipped to deal with the ever-changing service model of today.

By 2025, the tourism and hospitality industry is forecasted to swell 10% to add nearly 72m additional hospitality jobs worldwide, the World Travel and Tourism Council predicts. And with events such as Dubai Expo 2020 and Qatar 2022 World Cup on the horizon, the region’s need for suitable employees is soon to be further accelerated, simultaneously putting pressure on existing hoteliers to update their skills and be on-track to compete with incoming candidates.

Over the past decade hotel schools across the globe have seen tremendous amounts of hoteliers in the Middle East returning to school, even with 15+ years’ experience. Clementine Rouan, head of industry relations global, Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, says: “Demand from the region is definitely on the rise, which is creating pressure on hotels to not just

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

“Demand from the region is definitely on the rise, which is creating pressure on hotels.”

Clementine Rouan, head of industry relations global, Les Roches Intl School of Hotel Management.

recruit fresh talent but also to place the correct talent in leadership positions to successfully manage and direct this growth.”

Catering to this, hospitality higher education has shifted from offering general undergraduate programmes in hospitality management, to delivering specialised education. In the hospitality industry where 21% of companies report skills gaps – compared to an overall business average of 13% – there is a clear need for continued education.

“We have noticed increased interest in our programmes amongst professionals looking to update their skill set. Our online programmes especially are very popular with professionals in the region,” comments Anouk Tenten, senior manager global admissions and market development, Glion Institute of Higher

Education. At the Swiss-based Glion Institute, 11% of students enrolled on the Online MBA are based in the Middle East.

In addition to 10% of its overall students coming from the Middle East.

According to Tenten, hospitality professionals are looking for programmes that allow them to expand on their skills without interrupting their careers. “We find that most hospitality professionals enrolling do so towards the middle of their careers,” she explains. “Professionals with ten to 15 years of experience that are progressing through management level that need to update their skills.”

Careers in hospitality are not always linear, however, and many non-degree professionals rise through the ranks by experience and hard work. More often, many reach a point in middle management where career advancement is slow for non-

degree holders and decide to enrol.

More commonly, hoteliers are now also interested in the areas of Internet and social networks, for jobs such as hotel social media specialist or community manager, as well as professions in productivity and financial competitiveness, reveals Rouan. The rapid evolution of the Internet and the expansion of social media has significantly changed the relationship between the industry and the customer.

“This is creating new demands for particular skills and knowledge that perhaps weren’t seen as necessary in the industry before,” adds Tenten. For example, the e-reputation of a hotel is now essential and is determined by customers through various social media platforms, including on-line travel forums and customer-led ranking sites. In the United

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

7

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

States alone in just one day, hotel brands are mentioned 3.3b times in 2.4m on-line conversations.

In line with the increasing online input, the flexibility of online programmes are allowing hospitality professionals today to remain employed, yet complete courses in their own time. Or alternatively take individual modules to earn an executive certificate and revive their career prospects.

At Glion alone, almost 400 students are learning online, with an average age of 37 and over 15 years’ work experience.

“Current on-line students include professionals from Accor, Hyatt, Rotana, Taj Hotels, Marriott, Starwood, Banyan Tree and the IHG group, to name but a few,” reveals Tenten.

As an alternate to on-line, Rouan adds that Les Roches has witnessed an increased interest in shorter courses that professionals can take to further their skill set without interrupting their careers.

In terms of interest, both hotel schools agree that there has been a big rise in hoteliers looking to develop an in-depth understanding for the wellness and spa industry. “There has also been very promising growth in the region with regards to the spa and wellness industry,” comments Rouan.

According to the Global Wellness Tourism Economy 2013 report, during the next five years the spa sector is predicted to grow at almost double the rate of global tourism, totalling $678.5b in 2017. To put it into perspective, in 2012, wellness tourism accounted for 1.8% of the world’s GDP, creating 11.7m jobs accounting for $1.3t global economic impact.

“As a result of this rapid growth, the spa industry is facing major challenges in recruiting enough talent to meet the increasing demand for qualified spa managers,” Rouan confirms.

In a nutshell, while global hotel brands are majorly focused on seeking new ways of improving employee loyalty, retention rates and boosting staff performance, middlemanagement professionals are looking for flexible programmes that will allow them to improve their skills and career prospects, without leaving their jobs.

It’s safe to say that with a continued push from existing hoteliers and those now entering the industry, the world of hospitality will continue to be one of the most dynamic, career-rich and expanding sectors in the world.

8

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Nothing is certain Deciding what risk is and how much of it you want the business to entertain is a core part of a business owner’s remit - but are you equipped to take the necessary steps? This is even more crucial a question in the context of a hotel or resort with liabilities for public safety. We go in quest of some key risk fundamentals.

A

s far as a company is concerned, the term ‘risk’ is largely taken to refer to financial exposures. However, in reality, anything that poses a threat to the achievement of the company’s goals or an event which adversely affects your company; is perceived as a risk. There is a common conception that successful entrepreneurs aren’t averse to a modicum of risk. On the contrary, rather than facing risks as they come, a successful entrepreneur is one identifies and anticipates potential risks and manages them appropriately.

The first questions we should ask are: what is risk and how much of it do you want? Risk, in simple words, is the potential to lose something of value. It can be measured by the impact an event has on the financials, reputation, health and safety of you or your employees and the community.

Most companies evaluate one risk at a time. The amount of risk to be retained by the company is most often weighed against the premium or other savings for assuming each risk. It is less common to find companies that make risk transfer-risk retention decisions based on their entire portfolio of activities. Doing so however, could help companies derive the greatest value from their available risk-bearing capacity: its financial capacity and tolerance for taking risk.

This approach is known as intrinsic risk valuation (IRV). The intrinsic value of each risk, or layer of risk, is defined as the company’s internal cost to retain, or self-insure, the risk at the break-even point over time. The intrinsic value is the sum of the expected (average) cost of a loss or losses to be retained, a risk charge based on the difference between the expected value

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

11

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Making it simple A few steps in effective risk management include: Ě˝ ([DPLQLQJ GLIIHUHQW VFHQDULRV WKDW PD\ RFFXU LQ \RXU EXVLQHVV ,GHQWLI\ DQ\ HYHQWV WKDW FRXOG WULJJHU XQGHVLUDEOH RFFXUUHQFHV 2QFH \RX LGHQWLI\ \RXU EXVLQHVV ULVN HVWDEOLVK D FRQWLQJHQF\ SODQ WKDW GHILQHV WKH VFRSH RI WKH SUREOHP ZKHQ WKH SODQ VKRXOG EH SXW LQWR DFWLRQ WKH VHTXHQFH RI DFWLYLWLHV WR WDNH DQG ZKR ZLOO DFFRPSOLVK HDFK WDVN

“Risk, in simple words, is the potential to lose something of value. It can be measured by the impact an event has on the ďŹ nancials, reputation, health and safety of you or your employees and the community.â€?

12

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

of losses and a high- confidence interval outcome (the equivalent of 95%), a charge for the ‘surplus’ capital needed to support taking the risk and any other expenses associated with retaining it.

Remember that all activities involve risk in some shape or form and without risktaking, nothing is possible. In quantifying risk and communicating the acceptable financial thresholds of risk to the board, the executive can actually define the organisation’s appetite for risk.

Let’s assume your company wishes to open an outlet in a particular area during the first quarter of the year and ensure that it breaks-even by the end of the year. Your financial team should work out each risk element based on impact and probability.

The next step would be to compare each risk against its position in the following matrix and plan the risk mitigation method accordingly. Risks with rating as A are of critical importance. They are high impact/ high probability. These are your top priorities and are risks that you must pay close attention to. The plan should be to closely monitor them and bring them to a lower risk rating if possible.

Risks with rating as B are of high importance if they do occur. For these, you should do what you can to reduce the impact they’ll have if they do occur, and you should have contingency plans in place just in case they do.

Risks with rating as C are of moderate importance. If these things happen, you can cope with them and move on. However, you should try to reduce the likelihood that

Ě˝ %UHDN GRZQ SRVVLEOH ULVN VRXUFHV WR UHYHDO ZK\ WKH\ PD\ RFFXU WR HVWDEOLVK WKH OLNHOLKRRG RI HDFK ULVN KDSSHQLQJ DQG WKH FRVW RU LPSDFW LI WKH LVVXH GLG DULVH 4XDOLI\ ULVNV LQ WHUPV WKDW DSSO\ WR \RXU EXVLQHVV VXFK DV D ORZ PHGLXP RU KLJK ORVV RI SURGXFWLRQ WLPH Ě˝ /LVW FRPPRQ ULVNV DVVRFLDWHG ZLWK FRQGXFWLQJ EXVLQHVV LQ \RXU LQGXVWU\ %H SUHSDUHG WR LGHQWLI\ SUHYHQWDWLYH PHDVXUHV \RX FDQ WDNH WR UHGXFH ULVN IURP RFFXUULQJ RU OHVVHQ WKH LPSDFW WR DFFHSWDEOH OHYHO ([DPLQH VDPSOH FRQWLQJHQF\ SODQV DQG GLVDVWHU UHFRYHU\ SODQ WHPSODWHV DYDLODEOH

they’ll occur. Risks with rating as D are low and you can often ignore them. However, it is important to note these risks - they may have the potential to grow into something more serious.

Once you have a clear picture of the nature and impact of the risks, you can review the business plan with the help of the rest of your finance team. Brainstorming with the accountant, financial adviser, staff, suppliers and other interested parties, will help to get many different perspectives on the level and range of risks to your business.

The main questions to be addressed are: t 8IFO XIFSF XIZ BOE IPX BSF SJTLT MJLFMZ to happen in your business? t "SF UIF SJTLT JOUFSOBM PS FYUFSOBM t 8IP NJHIU CF JOWPMWFE PS BGGFDUFE JG BO incident happens?

Use flow charts, checklists and inspections to assess your work processes. Identify each step in your processes and think about theassociatedrisks.Askyourself what could prevent each step from happening and how that would affect the rest of the process.

The only thing constant in business is uncertainty. Thinking about the worst things that could happen to your business can help you deal with smaller risks. The worst case scenario could be the result of several risks happening at once.

Depending on the nature your the business you can determine which events may adversely impact project teams and prevent them from achieving their strategic objectives. Employees should be trained to recognise and handle these events.

Aim high with your business Enjoy up to at NO

50% MORE broadband speed

EXTRA COST.

800 5800

etisalat.ae/businessquickstart

T&C Apply

Offer available for Business Quick Start and BusinessSuper + Voice bundles.

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Surviving the digital age: hotel technology trends

Current trends

52%

of companies within the hospitality industry have yet to use technology to enhance the guest experience

51%

already use technology to differentiate from competitors

79%

report that failure to address the technological needs of a customer will result in competitive disadvantage

30%

of global hoteliers plan to hire staff specifically for social media

14

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

Hotels leading by example

€225 MILLION

is the amount Accor will invest in its digital transformation by 2018

300

team members were trained to use Meliá Hotels’ new sales app at its 2014 global sales convention

AED 7 MILLION

spent by Premier Inn to develop its online reservation system

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

78%

think investing in technology has resulted in positive ROI for the company

82%

believe that providing guests with innovative, high-quality and interactive solutions enhances customer loyalty and room occupancy levels

73%

believe that the use of interactive tools can boost commercial opportunities

Enhancing customer experience

92% of hoteliers believe that by 2020 guests will expect their stay to be personalised around a set of choices before they arrive

82%

believe that customer experience in the future will be driven by technology

What consumers are saying

28%

of smartphone or tablet owners used a mobile device to research their last hotel stay

80%

would like to set preferences ahead of time so to enjoy a personalised stay

73%

SOURCES: Transforming the guest experience – Hospitality Outlook by Samsung; Seeing Returns – Building loyalty at hotels through digital customer experience by Magnani Caruso Dutton (MCD)

Positive returns

of travellers would use their smartphone for automated check-in and bypass the front desk

80%

of travellers would use their smartphone to browse through the amenities offered by the hotel

46%

of millennials believe that the ability to check in/out using a mobile device would motivate them to return

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

15

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Refurb ROI

One of the iconic hotels of Dubai and a very early entrant into the 5-star market, the Sheraton Dubai Creek underwent a major renovation last year totalling some $55m in CapEx costs owner Abjar Hotels International. This followed another $10m renovation back in 2002. Hospitality Business Middle East sat with the key operator and owner players to understand the impact on the business and how such expenses are justified longterm.

16

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

D

espite the inexoral move of Dubai’s epicentre up the coast towards the capital, the Creek is still the heart and soul of Dubai. The iconic Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers has been central to that Creek’s skyline for more than three and a half decades, built when the Creek was the base for manufacturing offshore structures, oil support industries and supply boat operations.

Saudi company Almullah Enterprises decided to build a hotel snd the Sheratpn became one of the first two 5-star hotels in the Emirates, alongside the InterContinental (later rebadged as Radisson Blu Dubai Deira Creek). Work began in the mid 1970s on reclaimed land as the 255 room Sheraton Hotel Complex, formally opening in 1978 - at time before the completion of the Dubai’s World Trade Centre. It was one of Dubai’s first buildings to enjoy cutting edge architecture and its distinctive shape is still a key point aloingside the Creek.

A $10m refurbishmen in 2002 saw the lobby brought up to date and then, in July 2013, the hotel closed for a ten month revamp, costed at over $50m.

268 rooms and suites have been fully refurbished, as have the F&B outlets and the Conference Centre. Rooms now feature 42” LCD TV, DVD player, iPod docking station and Wi-Fi, amongst other upgrades. In fact, just about the whole hotel has been revamped, apart from the Chelsea Arms, the very first English pub in Dubai!

So how does such a major refurbishment take place. Stephan Vanden Auweele, the hotel’s General Manager, explains: “To be honest, the refresh was probably a few years overdue as properties need to stay up to speed with Dubai and we’re seen such a dramatic transformation of the hospitality sector in the Emirate.

Like every Sheraton property, we have brand guidelines that we need to keep up with and, although the Middle East has always been ahead of the curve in exceeding those standards, it was clearly time to make some changes.

We have a constant dialogue with the owners and there was a real willingness to invest in the property.”

Abdellah Essonni is CEO of Abjar Hotels International, the hotel arm of

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Stephan Vanden Auweele General Manager

Almulla, the Sheraton property owner and also builder. “In cases like this, the entire renovation is paid for by the owner as part of CapEx. Any OpEx costs would be part of the operator’s normal P&L though, of course, you can get accounting discussions about where particular costs fall! The Sheraton is a very special building for the Almulla family - in a sense it was their playground and both the Chairman and MD played here as kids. The hotel is part of the owners’ DNA, you might say.”

“Of course,” adds Auweele, “although everyone wants the best, you need to face reality in a refurbishment. Things may be must-do or nice-to-do but that dialogue went well. Did we face problems? Well, I guess the main one was that the building had been built too well! On the good side, that meant we didn’t find anything unexpected that needed fixing; on the down side, we were having to cut 18” ceilings when the norm now is 1” or less.

This is a extremely strong built building and so for the AC and electrical work, it was heavy duty stuff.”

What had happened was that the operators presented a Property Improvement Plan to the owners, which detailed the requirements of what was needed to match current Sheraton guidelines. In response, the owners simply said that a complete renovation made sense. This, explains Essonni, is “something you expect every decade or so”.

“Putting in new equipment especially in bathrooms is a challenge,” recalls Babu Paul, the hotel’s Director of Engineering.

Saskia Evraet Director of Guest Servies

“However, it was a very exciting project and we worked closely with the owners who, of course, knew everything about the building, having constructed it initially.”

Work was completed in a record ten months.

“We took the view that we would take less of a hit if we did the whole project at once,” says Auweele. “The option was to compartmentalise different sections and close different parts of the hotel so we could keep operating but, frankly, the noise and inconvenience to guests would have been unacceptable. It’s a trade off between speed and disturbance - I think we made the right choice.” Essonni agrees.

“When we did a refurb at Crowne Plaza, we went the 50:50 route - never again! We learned a lesson from that and decided not to do it again. Instead, we wanted to reintroduce the hotel as a new hotel.”

“The issue in today’s market,” explains Auweele, “is that your reputation can’t hide anything. The risk we took of trying to do the work piecemeal is that if there’s no water to rooms for ten minutes, then you face instant complaints. Of course, on an on-going basis, we’re constantly undergoing maintenance but larger jobs start to accumulate. Our position is that we cannot force the owners to commit major revenue for construction but, at the same time, we had a firm commitment from them. Did the closure affect our business? Yes, of course, especially for sales and marketing but we took some 18 months to draw up our plans and to make sure we stayed connected to the market.”

Dana Hupkova Director of HR

“We took the view that we would take less of a hit if we did the whole project at once” Stephan Vanden Auweele General Manager

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

17

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Babu Paul, Director of Engineering

“The hotel is a heritage, a landmark and something the owner holds close to his heart” Abdella Essonni CEO, Abjar Hotels International

18

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

One major issue was how to deal with some 800 staff members. Dana Hupkova, Director of HR, explains. “Wherever possible, we tried to relocate staff and some 60% were found other positions in St Regis Abu Dhabi, for example. Then we had a number of people close to retirement age - 20, in fact, had worked in the hotel for more than a quarter of a century! We also needed a project team of engineers, HR and finance - in fact, we started the recruitment process for the opening on the day the hotel closed!”

On the F&B front, new Executive Chef Stuart Sage was brought in to help overhaul and update the hotel’s restaurants. “I was very excited by the plan and saw that we clearly had to change the dining environments. F&B is an area where change is constant and we knew that after the reopening that expectations would be higher. One thing I was keen on was to source as much local produce as possible.”

What research was done to focus down on the choice of new outlets?

“We looked at 36 hotels within a two to four kilometer radius, all facing the same problems of traffic here in Deira. What were they offering? How could we keep ahead?”

Since the reopening, guest levels are moving in the right direction, claims Saskia Evraert, Director of Guest Services.

“After summer, room occupancy was back up to previous levels and we’re now running anywhere from 10-20% above where we were. So, yes, we’re getting a fair share of the market and we’re now

Stuart Sage, Executive Chef

discounting less by doing more research on daily RevPar and our rates are about 10% up.”

But given the investment and the need for the owners to see a return on investment, more surely needs to be done? “It will take time,” admits Auweele.

“What we’re working on now is a strategy of different rates for different customer segments, whether they’re tours or individuals etc. Success depends on how well you manage the segments but it’s tricky as we’re now having to set our pricing for tour operators for next year.

They get a right to buy but don’t always take their allotment, which messes with our figures, especially when we’re facing a Dhs 1.5m rent increase!”

Meanwhile Abjar Hotels International continues to invest heavily in its holdings - the complete refurbishment of Crowne Plaza, for example, as well as doubling the size of The Ritz-Carlton in the Marina.

“The owners are very keen on keeping their products fresh and competitive,” explains Essonni.

But was the massive Sheraton investment justified? “Purely as a business decision, you may possibly be right. But the hotel is a heritage,a landmark and something the owner holds close to his heart. In his view, you get what you pay for and he was not prepared to go halfway.”

In the future for Abjar Hotels International are new brands coming up at Al Maktoum International airport - an opportunity that should see the group continuing to prosper.

JUST ADD YOU.

ME by Starck. Clear lines, iconic shapes, pure aesthetics, sustainable and long-lasting. Perfect and yet distinctly individual design.

Because it‘s all about your personality. Duravit Middle East SAL (Off-Shore), info@lb.duravit.com, Phone +961 1 283429, DURAVIT Middle East SAL Off Shore - UAE Rep OfďŹ ce info@ae.duravit.com, Phone +971 4 4274080, Duravit Saudi Arabia LLC, info@sa.duravit.com, Phone +966 2 66 580 54 / +966 2 66 410 38 More at www.duravit.com and www.duravit.me

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Facing the

future The recent 18th International Hotel Investment Forum welcomed over 2,000 delegates from over 70 countries to Berlin for a meeting of global collaboration, which was marked by general feelings of positivity amongst delegates set against a major flurry of hotel signings and developments unveiled.

A

nnually, the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) is a global gathering that brings together a diverse range of stakeholders from across the hospitality, property and investment communities. IHIF is seen by many as an essential ingredient for success within the industry with the most senior and influential members of the hotel community gathering for unrivalled networking opportunities, doing business, completing deals and forging productive business relationships.

“Several industry leading speakers commented that we are ‘entering the golden age of hospitality’ and the energy and enthusiasm felt amongst delegates, speakers and sponsors certainly reflects this,” claims Kerry Gumas, President and CEO of Questex, the conference organiser.

The conference programme started with ‘A Bird’s Eye View’ looking at the global and European investment landscape by Elizabeth Winkle, Managing Director, STR Global.

Notable points were that Europe had seen 18 months of consecutive RevPAR growth and demand in Europe was back to that seen in the early 2000s. Chris Day, Managing Director, Christie + Co concluded with a positive speech which noted that European yields are still very attractive and there are

20

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

“If technology is not helping to personalise the customer experience, it is not working.”

Gerald Lawless, President and Group CEO, Jumeirah Group

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Jumeirah Group is trading at between 82-85% occupancy on an annualised basis in Dubai and has an average rate of upwards of $600. The company is looking at growing globally from 82,000 keys to 150,000 in 2020.

“no signs that hotel transactions will lessen across the whole of 2015”. He expects to see a rise in secondary transaction markets and observed that lower oil prices will boost travel and tourism. The session concluded with him saying “hotels continue to offer great value and very solid investment returns for innovative buyers”.

Next was ‘Riding the Investment Cycle’ hosted by Simon Johnson, Specialist Markets, CBRE, in discussion with Andreas Loecher, Union Investment Real Estate, Puneet Chhatwal, CEO of Steigenberger Hotel Group, Federico J. González Tejera, CEO of NH Hotel Group and Dr Edward Wojakovski, CEO of Tonstate. Johnson began the session by asking each of the participants “How’s business”? Loecher responded by saying they were quite active with 12 hotels acquired over the last two years and he sees the current level of activity continuing as “eight out of nine funds are interested in hotel real estate assets”. Wojakovski response was slightly more guarded and he said “business is neither good nor bad, but challenging and unpredictable”. Johnson asked the panel whether they were finding opportunities to buy to which Wojakovski responded that the current environment is both a good time to buy and also a good time to sell and this

rarely happens in the hospitality industry. On the subject of branding, the panel was largely in agreement that brands did add value to properties. Wojakovski stated that “a brand is a good instrument to fill a room particularly for what is a generic product”. Johnson then asked the panel how they generated their business to which Chhatwal replied that “if used wisely, OTAs add considerable value to companies of our size”, but that it remains “a challenge to get the cost of distribution under control”. González said that the industry was “too obsessed with OTAs” and he preferred to view it as direct versus indirect business.

From that perspective he was happy to announce that NH get more than 50% of business directly.

The first day concluded with the much anticipated panel ‘Colliding Megatrends: Innovation, Disruption and Sharing – The Challenge of Change’ which was chaired by Michael Hirst, Consultant, CBRE Hotels.

First to the stage was Leo Johnson, Partner, PwC who focused on how we should use technology to create real connectedness and that this connection should be real and not virtual. He also highlighted the significant opportunity for the sector to provide local knowledge to guests, stating that “local knowledge is really prized” and “there is

huge economic potential in exploring ways in which to deliver this”. He encouraged us all to “make the real more fun than the virtual”. Dr Graeme Codrington, International Director, TomorrowTodayGlobal followed with a look into the future. He began with the startling statistic that there are over 400,000 people in the world who are currently over 100 years old and this figure is only going to increase.

Increased longevity is a considerable factor when looking at future proofing business as it not only impacts guests but also employees.

He also noted that if you were born in the 1990s there is an 80% chance that you will live through three centuries.

Codrington talked at length about the availability of being connected and that, with the development of cheap smart phones and free Wi-Fi as standard, connectivity was not reserved for the rich but available to everyone. He believes we are entering a golden age of technology and we need to consider how we respond. Firstly to change the way we think and unlearn the existing beliefs that shape our system. Secondly to “sort out our technology” by which he pointed to the fact that approximately 70% of senior executives don’t have personal social media accounts and this indicated a serious lack of engaging with technology. Thirdly he

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

21

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

STATS

European hotel transaction volumes rise to a total of €14.4 billion in 2014, an increase of 86% on 2013 - a record figure since the onset of the financial crisis. Europe’s hotels also saw their fifth consecutive year of value growth last year, with properties in the UK and Southern Europe seeing some of the biggest gains.

There are over 400,000 people in the world currently over 100 years old and this figure is only going to increase.

Increased longevity is a considerable factor when looking at future proofing business as it not only impacts guests but also employees.

22

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

encouraged us all to experiment more and finally to deal with the limiting orthodoxies that we are surrounded by.

Vivek Badrinath, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Marketing, Digital, Distribution & IT for Accor talked to Michael Hirst about the digital changes the brand are embracing.

Badrinath has a budget of $225m for investment in digital developments for Accor.

Hirst asked whether Badrinath considered the sharing economy a friend or a foe? He replied “it is an inspiration and a flashlight on things that are changing”. The final speaker was Chip Conley, Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy, Airbnb, who owns 18 hotels but sees himself as a student rather than an hotelier or technologist. He says that Airbnb is focusing on localisation and experience and that he has tried to bring inconsistency to the company. Hirst asked whether Airbnb was a hospitality or technology company.

Conley replied that he wanted to take the tech company that it originally was and turn it into a hospitality company. 20 million people used Airbnb during 2014 and Conley sees the company as facilitating travel, especially in the developing world where, for example, a hotel stay for a family of five would be unaffordable and impractical but staying together in an apartment makes travel and adventure accessible. He said that the empty nesters are their fastest growing segment as couples find themselves with two or three spare bedrooms and want to experience “kitchen table diplomacy”. His philosophy is to “stay humble, stay curious and continue to learn”. Hirst then brought the speakers back to the stage for a few concluding questions including the speakers key message to the hotel investment

audience. Badrinath reassured them that Accor were embracing the coming digital changes and had $225m to invest in innovative technology. Conley asked the audience to consider whether they were transactional or legacy investors. On the future of the hotel industry, Johnson said “the small can become the massive small” and Codrington said that organisations needed both depth and breadth to be successful. He advised that a “mix and match of skills” was preferable and warned against boards of directors with 30 years’ experience all in the same industry. Hirst concluded by asking them where they would like to be. Codrington replied that his ideal was a “personalised world with as much access and connection and disconnection as I want”. On whether investing in hotels was a sound business decision, Conley said that “there is always going to be a place in the world for hotels. I would continue to invest in hotels but only those who are smart about investing in technology”.

A new report by Grant Thornton - ‘Hotels 2020: Welcoming tomorrow’s guests’ - finds that the hotel industry lags behind others in adopting technology to meet customer demand. It means hotels are now playing catch up and must put mobile technology at the centre of their customer experience to compete in the ‘sharing economy’ where services such as Airbnb are challenging the traditional business model. However, Grant Thornton cautions against de-humanising the hotel experience, stressing the importance of balancing technology with the customer touch people still value.

The second day began with ‘The Economic Overview’ presented by Andrew Kenningham

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Hotel announcements STATS

$225m

- Accor’s investment budget for digital developments

from Capital Economics, which discussed the global and European markets. The key points from this session included the warning that one of the main risks to the Eurozone was deflation as this would make paying down debt harder, especially in an area which currently has a large amount of debt. He spoke of the growth in the BRIC emerging economies and how the rapid growth in China, which was mostly supported through huge lending, has stabilised slightly to a more sustainable level.

A popular CEO panel concluded the general sessions for the morning. Chaired by Arthur de Haast, Global Chairman Hotels & Hospitality Group, JLL, in discussion with Sébastien Bazin Chairman and CEO, Accor; Stephen Joyce, President & CEO, Choice Hotels International; David Kong, President & CEO, Best Western International; Gerald Lawless, President & Group CEO, Jumeirah Group; and Arne Sorenson, President & CEO, Marriott International. Notable points from this session included consensus amongst all participants that 2015 looked optimistic for the industry globally with lower oil prices and interest rates contributing to this. Lawless commented that Jumeirah is trading at between 82-85% occupancy on an annualised basis in Dubai and have average rate of upwards of $600. The company is looking at growing from 82,000 keys to 150,000 in 2020. When considering China and the 300,000 of the global 1.3 million rooms in the development pipeline coming from there, Bazin believes that the partnership recently agreed with Accor, Huazhu and China Lodging will be the key to their success in the region. “I don’t believe in competing with the

Chinese operators. You need to be there, you need to be visible so the decision is to partner and then you must decide who to partner with”. Kong strongly believes that “people are looking for experience when they travel” and being able to provide this is a significant part of success. Looking at technology, Sorenson feels strongly that it is important that people get value from booking directly with them and referenced the recent move to provide free Wi-Fi to all Marriott members when they book directly.

Lawless said if “technology is not helping to personalise the customer experience, it is not working”. He said that converting the ten million hits on the Jumeirah website last year into as many direct booking guests as possible was one of the company’s priorities. Finally when asked whether Airbnb was impacting the sector, Joyce said that they were big with millennials and “that is something the hotel business should be looking at as it is very relevant for our customer set”.

The final day saw the introduction of new In-The-Round sessions to facilitate more intimate and informative discussion platforms on specialist subject areas. Each session was guided by an industry expert who prepared information in advance to share with delegates to enable a worthwhile and useful conversation. The sessions covered a wide range of topics including assessing the reliability of hotel valuations, crisis management, the sharing economy, technology and improving RevPAR among others. They also provided an opportunity for an in-depth focus on specific geographical areas and the hospitality and investment status within those countries.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced the signing of four Holiday Inn brand family hotels in Germany, with management agreements signed for Holiday Inn Express Berlin – Alexanderplatz and Holiday Inn Express Munich - City West with UBM, Holiday Inn Express Cologne - City Centre under a multiple development agreement with Foremost Hospitality, plus a franchise agreement for Holiday Inn Essen - City Rathaus with Tristar Management. IHG has also opened Holiday Inn Frankfurt - Alte Oper under a management agreement with UBM. IHG also announced the signing of a multiple development agreement (MDA) with Interstar to develop ten hotels by 2019 beginning with Holiday Inn Frankfurt – Airport. IHG’s growth strategy continues to gain momentum in Germany with over 85 hotels currently either open or planned under MDA agreements.

Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) announced that the EHL Foundation has set up a holding company to optimise its operations and hence meet the demands of the global hospitality markets. EHL SA is fully owned by the EHL Foundation and will manage EHL’s entire portfolio of activities, organised into several specialised business units.

Qbic Hotels announced plans for aggressive expansion in 2015/16. The group intends to spread its acquisition net into Europe, with hot-spots including the likes of Edinburgh, Paris, Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Dublin and a second hotel in Amsterdam. In addition, it will continue to seek new opportunities in London.

Foncière des Régions announced the acquisition of 22 B&B hotels in Germany totalling €128 million. The group also announced a €400 million investment target for 2015.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

23

FOR INTERIOR DESIGN THAT TICKS ALL THE BOXES Resorts

Restaurants and cafes

Health Clubs and Spas

Guestrooms and Suites

Hotels

Every designer promises quality, attention to detail and an unsurpassed level of creativity. At Idolise Interiors, you get that and much more. As a boutique design firm specialising in fresh and innovative hospitality design, our personal touch sets us apart. We bring flexibility, cost-effectiveness and years of experience to every new project to deliver not only what you need, but also, what you'll love.

0FĂ€CES

For originality and a bespoke service get in touch today

www.idoliseinteriors.com

“With the help of technology, hotel owners can create beautiful atmospheres in the lobby though lighting.”

Kenny Hytönen, Head Designer of Workspace International

26

THE GREENERY IMPERATIVE

32

LOBBYING FOR CHOICE

HOTEL DESIGN

Down to earth

Think of your hotel and probably the thing you overlook because it’s so obvious is its landscaping. However, for guests, it’s one of the first things they notice and will make a vast difference to their experience of their stay. Despite the extreme climatic conditions here, it is possible to maximise the freshness and variety of your property’s plantings, create interest and delight in guests whether it’s their first or tenth visit.

W

e may have little seasonal variation to our landscape in the Middle East, but building on climate, colour and light exposure will allow you to vary the hotel’s landscape and keep guests interested. The first job is to split the year into time bands that best suit design and cultivation, or maintenance and upgrading. By adopting this seasonal approach to landscape design maintenance, you’re creating a year-long appeal.

To keep your landscape fresh, be creative and add a seasonal twist. Swop out colour areas a couple of times a year before moving on to more heat tolerant annuals for the summer mon ths and then other annual for the cooler winter period.

One easy trick that makes a read difference is to use flowering plants instead of non-flowering ones - they give longer value than trees and shrubs that will flower only for a short time.

Also use beds, window boxes, rock gardens and hanging baskets to flesh out displays.

It’s important to remember that annual flowers will need both more care and more

26

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

water, though bunching them will reduce the amount of maintenance required. Don’t forget to improve the visual appearance of your property by curving flower beds and keeping them edged. Whatever you do, be bold but don’t be muddled.

Although not adding colour, too many landscape gardeners in the region fail to consider indigenous plants. These are already acclimatised and the recent announcement of 100,000 ghaf trees to be planted in the UAE by Accor over the next decade marks a major step in reducing the impact of imported species.

Other ways of creating interest in a landscape include island planting with a mix of plant height or mixing formal and informal planting in different parts of the property.

Remember that, overall, the appearance of foliage in high visibility areas around your hotel property has a powerful message to your guests, not only about the appearance of your property but also about service. Conversely, poorly maintained landscapes send a strong signal about your lack of care.

HOTEL DESIGN

The hanging gardens of Al Barsha One of the more adventurous and unusual landscape initiatives has been the vertical gardens of the Novotel Dubai Al Barsha. Developed in partnership with Planet 21, Accor’s worldwide environmental campaign, it is one of a number of initiatives ensuring hotel operations and products are eco-friendly. The unique sevenfloor Hanging Garden has a custom-made irrigation, plant feeding and draining system, bringing nature to the busiest street in the Emirate.

7KH Ě´*UHHQ :DOOĚľbFRYHUV an area of 1,200sqm, with 9,000 kits of the latest Grow Wall systems. In

Our landmark project on Sheikh Zayed Road.

total, there are 27,000 number of plants in total, made up of seven types. According to Yazan Al Sahnawi, MD of Swiss Plus, “Generally, Green Walls range in price between Dhs 1,700 to 2,500 per square metre depending on the system, plant VHOHFWLRQ LUULJDWLRQ VSHFLͤFV PDWHULDOV DQG many other factors. For the Novotel Project, we gave them a promotional rate of Dhs 2,000/sqm to be our landmark project on Sheikh Zayed Road.�

The greatest hotel gardens Hotel Bel-Air Los Angeles Majorly renovated four years ago, the new eco-friendly gardens still maintain their horticultural history, with 483 historical trees and over 4,000 plants.

Boath House Lake Como, Italy The hotel features a wildflower meadow and woods, plus a walled garden home to bees and hens.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

27

HOTEL DESIGN

Bodysgallen Hall & Spa Wales 200 acres of land and a mix of formal and wild lanscape, plus walled garden and more.

Langham Huntingdon Pasadena, California Set against the San Gabriel Mountains, the hotel has two gardens: the Horseshoe Garden and the Japanese Garden.

Landscaping is one of the ďŹ rst things guests notice and will make a vast difference to their experience.

Mirbeau Inn & Spa Skaneateles, New York Inspired by Monet’s garden in Giverny, complete with pond covered with lily pads and a bridge.

Powerscourt House & Gardens Wicklow, Ireland Dating back to the 1700s, the gardens were designed to replicate the grandeur of Versailles and Schonbrunn over 47-acres.

28

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

Head Office : Tel: (+9714) 2977972 Fax: (+9714) 2977974

P.O. Box 8411, Dubai, UAE E-mail : info@daitona.com

www.daitona.com

Showroom : Tel: (+9714) 268 3390 Fax: (+9714) 268 3391

HOTEL DESIGN

The American Club Resort Kohler, Wisconsin Designed by the brains behind Cebtral Park, these 1,000-acre gardens include many courtyards, fountains, gazebos and more.

Cuisinart Golf Resort & Spa Anguilla Beautiful landscaped grounds take an HFR IULHQGO\ DSSURDFKWKH ͤUVW K\GURSRQLF farm in the Caribbean.

It is possible to maximise the freshness and variety of your property’s plantings, create interest and delight in guests whether it’s their first or tenth visit.

The Out NYC New York City The centre of Manhattan and you’re surrounded by green space and multiple courtyards plus a 2,000sqft Great Lawn.

Powerscourt House & Gardens Wicklow, Ireland Dating back to the 1700s, the gardens were designed to replicate the grandeur of Versailles and Schonbrunn over 47-acres.

30

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

SEASON 2 HOSPITALITY

NEW

TV SHOW FOR

all new episodes

SHOW TIMINGS Sundays: 1900 hrs.

Replay - Fridays: 1130 hrs.

Fridays: 2130 hrs.

In association with

If it’s hospitality, it’s RAJ! Production Partner:

Segment Sponsor:

Radio Partner:

Print Partners:

Marketing Partner:

Media Partner:

Transport Partner:

Now with over 350,000 views www.youtube.com/hozpitality and find updates on our facebook page, now with over 100,000 fans... check it out at

www.facebook.com/hozpitalitybuzz

Wardrobe Partner:

Segment Sponsor:

HOTEL DESIGN

First Impressions Acting as the e nerve nerve centre of any hotel hotel, the lobby is where people meet, check-in, work, relax, wait and socialise.

Only taking serval seconds for a guest to feel welcome, or reversely on-edge – we recognise the designing of a hotel lobby is no easy process. Weighing up developments and trends shaping lobbies of tomorrow, we speak to two design professionals for the latest on all things lobby design.

Main image: Regent Place Taiyuan

32

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

HOTEL DESIGN

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

33

HOTEL DESIGN

A well designed lobby manages to successfully create a strong visual first impression while also giving visual clues to the guests in order for them to move through the lobby.

D

esign of a lobby has the power to make the strongest of guest impacts right from crossing the threshold and, in a market abundant with incoming inventory, hospitality design firms increasingly emphasise that now more than ever, it’s vital for hoteliers to identify the smartest of solutions and strongest of design plans for the lobby.

Working with hotels across the Middle East to achieve optimum efficiency and a stunning first impression, Kenny Hytönen, Head Designer of Workspace International and Clint Nagata, Senior Creative Director and Founder of BLINK Design Group discuss the issues facing designers and hoteliers..

processes, customer experience, material and colour trends or technology. There are also factors like people flow, how the reception is organised and where the lounge areas are.

Have you noticed any recent trends affecting lobby design recently?

Kenny: Millennials are starting to change the design of lobbies and it’s becoming a place for social interaction and collaboration in a more open and multifunctional space. Younger people will sit next to you and start chatting.

This change in behaviour is influencing the design. The lobby is now more of a communal living room for being social.

The major factors influencing lobby design?

Clint: A hotel lobby is the first and last impression the guest will have of the hotel.

Gone are the days when lobbies were enormous and mainly focused only on welcoming guests. Hotel lobbies of today are often heavily influenced by the high cost of development with owners and hotel operators looking to generate revenue. But I think most owners do not understand that in the luxury hotel sector space is luxury.

Kenny: Several factors influence design today, and the final outcome can be driven by things such as overall design, cost efficiency, working

34

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

Clint: I have noticed that lobby designs are now less about over the top glamour and more about creating a unique first impression for guests.

There’s a lot of emphasis today for capitalising on all square footage to ensure maximum profitability...

Clint: I believe space is luxury and a luxury hotel can’t not have a grand lobby. It would be like walking into a mansion through the servant’s entrance. The key is to make sure the lobby is a catalyst for generating income - like the lobbies of lifestyle focused hotels which are more about being social gathering spaces.

HOTEL DESIGN

The lobby has to create a feeling of luxury, however luxury can mean different things.

Kenny: Capitalising on space means that you have to be very clever with design, to ensure the customer feels comfortable and the flow is smooth. While placement of all functions needs to be thought out properly. Electronic devices are helping to achieve this more today, as well as versatile furniture.

How do you balance design integrity versus movement and flow through a lobby?

Clint: A well designed lobby manages to successfully create a strong visual first impression while also giving visual clues to the guests in order for them to move through the lobby. As an example front desks should be carefully placed but not in a direct view.

Kenny: One has to work on the movement and flow first. You have to solve the puzzle of how people are going to move throughout the lobby and arrange things in a way that makes sense.

If the layout is not understandable it frustrates people and they won’t come back, for example if you can’t find the elevator.

What’s the most challenging aspect of hotel lobby design in the 5-star property sector?

Kenny: Creating the kind of atmosphere that appeals to the target group is a challenge. The space has to look extraordinary, the service

has to be of top class from the main door to entering the lobby and beyond. The lobby has to create a feeling of luxury, however, luxury can mean different things to different people, finding the right balance is the challenge.

How do you see hotel lobby design evolving?

Clint: For 5-star hotel lobbies, they will remain as luxury spaces that are critical in setting the tone for guests’ expectations for the rest of the hotel. But I can envision that the check-in and out processes being moving into a smaller, more private and intimate setting to create an even higher level of personalised service.

How much of a role is technology playing in lobbies now?

Kenny: Customers are very technology orientated and expect that technology will have a role during their stay. With the help of technology, hotel owners can create beautiful atmospheres in the lobby though lighting, water fountains with music etc. You have about seven seconds to win the heart of your customer as they enter.

Clint: Unfortunately technology has yet to play a major role. Most hotels still struggle with the idea of providing free Wi-Fi.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

35

INDEX IS BACK AGAIN! FROM THE 18 - 21 MAY 2015 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE, HALLS 1 - 8 INDEX International Design Exhibition, now in its 25th year, continues to grow and adapt inline with the demands of the region’s architecture and design industries. INDEX 2015 presents 8 dedicated product sectors, along with three new sub-sectors; all of which cover the entire spectrum of products and services required for the design, fit-out, or upgrade of residential, retail, and hospitality spaces. INDEX’s product sectors include: furnishings, furniture, kitchen & bathroom, lighting, objets, outdoor living, retail (formerly InRetail), and textiles.

Join us at the Dubai World Trade Centre and celebrate the 25th Anniversary edition of INDEX. Pre-register online at www.indexexhibition.com/register to fast-track into the event.

Entry is FREE for trade-professionals

“We deal with a lot of external and internal data. We’ve struggled to pull that together on a regular basis in a format that we could use to analyse.”

David Schmitt, Director of Interactive Marketing Operations and Analytics, IHG

38

DRIVING BUSINESS THROUGH DATA

42

TOP TECH TRENDS IN TRAVEL

44

GETTING INTO APPS

HOTEL TECHNOLOGY

Guest data delivers revenue Hotels have traditionally had a problem fully understanding their guests, partly through diverse invoicing and software systems holding different types of customer information and partly through the extremely complex mix of reasons behind guest behaviour. Unless you’re a ski resort or an island spa, guests may have chosen your hotel for location, services, recommendation or many other reasons, as well as having different reasons for staying whether business, leisure, holiday, honeymoon or family gathering. However, the key to increased revenue is to get to grips with the underlying patterns and maximise on those that deliver the most beneďŹ ts to the business.

38

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

HOTEL TECHNOLOGY

Data mining has transformed many industries. As soon as executives realised the value of data residing in siloes of information, the rapidly exploited connections created between different data sets soon bore dividends.

And it all began quite simply.

A couple of decades back a US retail chain of corner groceries bagn to look in more detail than usual at sales patterns of product lines and they discovered some strange correlations. To take one example, on Friday evenings there was a joint spike between the sales of disposable nappies and six-packs of beer. A coincidence?

Possibly but the more they analysed the data, the more they realised the probable reasons: husbands sent to the store to buy nappies for the weekend taking the opportunity to stock up on liquid refreshment. To test their hypothesis, they began stacking the items next to each other in stores and were surprised to see even larger sales spikes, the quantity sold of one product line matching the quantity sold of the other.

By creating different product bundles and analysing data in various different ways, retail stores were able to drive more business. Walmart, for example, processes over 20 million PoS transactions daily, storing the information centrally. But that data is useless unless data mining software to analyse it and deliver information on sales trends, marketing campaigns and predictive customer loyalty.

Business of all type collect data about user behaviour whenever a credit card is used and we’re all used to the arguments about the danger we face from the amount of information held about us by companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon.

However, the value to a hotel’s marketing strategy of concentrating its efforts on prospects that are predicted to have a high likelihood of responding to an offer rather than just randomly contacting prospects, can clearly be seen. And the technology rapidly gets more sophisticated, where so-called uplift modelling is used to decide which customers have the greatest increase in response if given an offer and so not sending offers to people who would buy the product anyway.

Historically, the needs hotel customers were quite easy to predict, mainy based on mobility. However, in an increasingly complex world, hotel guest profiles become more diverse, people travel more widely and needs and interestes diverge.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

39

HOTEL TECHNOLOGY

“We deal with a lot of external and internal data. Historically we’ve struggled�

David Schmitt, Director of Interactive Marketing Operations and Analytics, IHG.

Boosting brand performance As one of the world’s largest hotel companies, IHG collects massive amounts of data. Its challenge was to use data from multiple sources and gain the insights needed to help drive performance. David Schmitt was tasked with bringing in external data and tying it into sales and marketing to understand what drives performance. “Like most sectors of the economy, the hotel industry was really impacted by the recession,� says Schmitt, Director of Interactive Marketing Operations and Analytics. “The industry saw a pullback in travel from both business and leisure travellers, resulting in the biggest decline in industry performance that we’ve ever seen. But as demand is returning we continue to look for increased opportunities to attract guests.�

In the past, Schmitt’s group tried to analyse data but kept knocking up against data set limitations and spent too much time trying to pull all the data together. “We deal with a lot of external and internal data. Historically, we’ve struggled to pull that data together on a regular basis in a format that we could use to analyse more easily and understand what was going on.�

They were “digging at the data and stitching it together. We spent so much WLPH FRQͤJXULQJ PDQLSXODWLQJ DQG assembling data that it left us very little time to actually analyse.�

40

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

SAS has changed that. “We’ve used SAS to pull together all of this different data in a very fast fashion, so we have D ORW PRUH WLPH WR ͤQG LQVLJKWV :LWK more time for analysis, we’re better able to discover new insights into what drives the performance of our brands.�

6SHFLͤFDOO\ ,+* LV DEOH WR understand how the combination of sales and marketing activities and industry and competitive factors impact performance. “There’s been a lot of information that has been locked up in our data that we have not been able to get our hands on because of the complexity and the time it would take WR GR WKDW :HĚľUH ͤQGLQJ QHZ LQVLJKWV LQ how our sales and marketing efforts are driving our brand performance.â€?

As an example, a recently completed analysis on the factors that drive topOLQH SHUIRUPDQFH IRU D VSHFLͤF EUDQG unearthed an insight into how the nearby presence of certain competitors affected the performance of the brand’s hotels. Before using SAS, doing this analysis was too labour-intensive. “The amount of effort that it would take to evaluate every one of those competitors’ brands and to see which ones even mattered just wouldn’t have been possible,� says Schmitt.

Before the adoption of SAS, IHG analysts were spending 80% of their efforts assembling data and 20% doing analytics. Now they enjoy strong analytical capabilities for tchannels including IHG Rewards Club, guest marketing, call centre optimisation and revenue management.

HOTEL TECHNOLOGY

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is most people’s belief that a hotel stay is an experience that includes fine dining, entertainment, spa sessions, outings, shopping and more. Leaving aside the focused needs of those looking for space for seminars and meetings, it should be clear that different hotel-based activities will have different levels of appeal across different guest profiles. Data mining and analytics can help hotel operators to understand these varying needs in a profitable way.

This starts with the concept of customer value. Unlike most industries, hospitality has a signficant seasonal element which affects spending patterns hence the need to identify best customers. If you, for example, spend $2,000 a year on a number of short trips and I spend $2,000 in a focused week built around a core focus - Dubai Summer Surprises, for example - then we’re clearly different types of customers.

Base revenue to the hotel may be the same but our needs and potential upsell opportunities differ.

The next step is to apply the data captured from customers to identify distinct customer segments and then perform a value segmentation exercise for each cluster. For hotel A, for example, we identify four distinct customer groups: scuba/sailing group, fine dining group, spa group and family group. By then comparing segment values we may see, for example, that the average value of the family group is signficantly lower than the fine dining group. What does that mean for our marketing strategy? The first step is to create cross-selling packages to the high value customers: chauffeured food-related excursions to the fine dining group, for example, or post-scuba spa sessions. In other words, added value VIP packages that complement existing spending patterns.

What this represents is nothing less than a seismic shift in way that the hotel industry drives revenue. Traditionally, this was driven by superior customer service that reacted to immediate customer needs. The move to predictive behaviour will see the ability to meet as yet unrequested needs and that will deliver competitive advantage. Data mining delivers.

“Employees get the best application experience and the overall availability of the data centre improves” Neil Menezes, VP of Information Technology Operations

The perfect host With over 20 5-star properties in its portfolio, the Jumeirah Group has an obligation to provide high quality, non-stop services for its guests and operations teams. Neil Menezes, VP of Information Technology Operations wanted to enable the use of smarter services within the company and saw WKH PRYH WR D VRIWZDUH GHͤQHG GDWD centre as an essential catalyst that could allow this to happen.

He wanted to split his single central data centre into two parts, forming a single cloud in the process. As the volume and complexity of the company’s data and applications had increased over time, it had become harder to manage Jumeirah’s separate sites. So a faster provisioning system for the company’s applications and online environments would mean he could “move knowledge from the heads of employees into the system”.

Menezes set about implementing a simple, smart and open next-generation data centre that could accelerate the deployment and delivery of applications within and across multiple sites and clouds. The architecture would have to work around the complexity and compromises associated with the geographic distribution of data centres and their compute storage nodes.

“When the network and the applications it carries interact at a pace that ensures that neither has to wait on the other,

productivity soars and the cost of the network tumbles,” he explains.

“Consequently, employees get the best application experience and the overall availability of the data centre improves.”

The desire to integrate the various components of Jumeirah’s technology was a key driver in the move. “We had a lot of great technology at Jumeirah, but nothing to connect it together. ,W ZDV FUXFLDO WKDW ZH FRXOG ͤQG D way to glue our investments so that WKH EXVLQHVV FRXOG EHQHͤW %HIRUH the implementation we could deploy services but there were problems with our processes.”

He knew that in order to glue the company’s technology together, a PLJUDWLRQ WR D VRIWZDUH GHͤQHG ,7 infrastructure was necessary. With openness in mind, bringing storage, network and security solutions together in the infrastructure was the obvious choice to allow for faster application and service provisioning, which would facilitate the introduction of automated processes and better allocation of human resources.

Huawei’s support would prove to be a key factor in the project’s success.

“Unlike the way certain vendors may attempt to wash their hands of you once initial work has been done, Huawei always went out of their way to help us. There is a great deal of entry level support, and they offer help when not even asked, which runs parallel to our work as a hotel, whose job it is to do just that.”

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

41

HOTEL TECHNOLOGY

WHAT’S HOT THIS YEAR? As part of the on-going shift of anticipating guest wishes instead of delivering on their requirements, 2015 is already seeing a focus on both convenience and wellness initiatives, as well as RevPAR improvement via direct bookings and new revenue streams. This is a space in the hospitality sector where hotels that innovate ahead of the curve will see growth and profitability.

Here are what we believe are the top five trends in hotels that will need fast-moving IT implementation. Executives who capitalise on these will enjoy a real competitive advantage. However, they will need to test each new initiative in order to understand which programmes will work best weith maximum return for minimum risk.

SELF-SERVICE AND MOBILE CHECK-IN

42

FLEXIBILITY IN BOOKING OPTIONS

We’re all used to using ATMs to do the bulk of our bank business instead of waiting in line for interaction with a teller and many of us now check in for flights on-line, so why are guests still queueing at reception in your hotel? A number of leading chains have already acted on this and are trying different approaches to self-service check-in initiatives, check-in kiosks with Marriott and

keyless entry via mobile devices at Starwood. Potential advantages?

More consistent opportunities to upsell, savings in staff costs and a more convenient experience for guests. However, the issue LV PRUH FRPSOH[ WKDQ LW ͤUVW appears, as some guest segments will actively seek out involvement with staff and hotel chains will probably need to selectively trial self-service to assess the impact on business and leisure guests.

Hotel chains are increasingly exploring a range of strategies to drive direct bookings, whether that means free upgrades such as Wi-Fi, targeted promotions and best price guarantees. A word of caution, however: without proper data analysis of success rates, there can be no certa`inty in the future increase in RevPAR. Guests also may be upset by a layered approach and see themselves discriminated against by a lack of incentives in certain initiatives.

ANCILLARY REVENUES

TREAT YOUR GUEST WELL

RETHINK THE LOBBY

Last year, fees and surcharges - minibar restocking to reservation cancellation fees, for example - reached an all-time high and are likely to continue to increase.

The trick, however, will be an understanding of how each individual increase impacts on key metrics: for example, Wi-Fi fees may impact a leisure guest more than a business one and increasing fees may result in a decline in bookings. Testing differing fee combinations on a small scale may be the key here to ͤQGLQJ WKH PRVW SURͤWDEOH PL[

As people become more health conscious, they want to continue that focus when travelling. This is a different developing sector then the tradional spa seeker and we’re already seeing properties like the MGM Grand introducing ‘wellness rooms’ and Westin providing workout gear to guests.

The danger here, though, is that some hotels may see incremental bookings covering the cost of converting rooms whilst others will merely experience cannibalisation of traditional rooms without extra revenue.

Leading brands like Sheraton and Marriott are currently taking a long, hard look at the traditional lobby and turning what for most properties is a single-use area into multifunctional spaces that can also be used for meetings, working alone or dining. Look at the Conrad Dubai, for example, where the lobby lounge is not a diversion away from the entrance but an integral part of the whole lobby. ROI needs to be carefully calculated, however, before major refurbs that fail to deliver extra revenue: for example, a larger cafe may be a better investment in a business KRWHO ZKLOVW D VRFLDO ORXQJH PD\ ͤW D leisure property better.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

Presenting partner

Presenting partner

Presenting partner

Presenting enting partner partne

ISSUE 104

STARS OF BUSINESS

CLOSE-UP ON A TEMPLATE FOR GROWTH

strategic SME partner

strategic SME partner

strategic SME partner

KCAL’S PROSPECTUS

ISSUE 107

ISSUE 106

BE IN IT TO WIN IT – APPLY NOW!

THE AGE OF THE SME

HIRE, HIRE DON’T FIRE!

AT YOUR SERVICE

WELCOME TO SME BEYOND BORDERS

WELL, MAYBE.. MASTER CUSTOMER SERVICE ESSENTIALS

IPO?

MEET THE EXPERTS: NASDAQ AND GRANT THORNTON

AIMING HIGH IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THE WHITE HOUSE'S LAURA SCHWARTZ

THE ART OF

LEADERSHIP A meeting with HE Abdullah Al Darmaki, CEO, Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development

Connectivity is king Di it l solutions Digital l ti with ith Salvador Anglada, Chief Business Officer, Etisalat

M&As

STRATEGIES FOR GETTING THE STAFF YOU NEED

STREET

LIFE

THE LOW-DOWN ON CAR FLEET MAINTENANCE

THE END OF THE BEGINNING?

2015 JUST A NUMBER OR THE YEAR YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

SME Advisor – a champion of the SME sector – has built its peerless reputation on the ability to get in front of SME decision makers, speaking frankly and directly to the movers and shakers of the industry.

Providing a trustworthy conduit that’s evolved for nearly a decade and creating one of the region’s best-known ‘how to’ blueprints for everyone looking to build a prosperous SME agenda.

In 2015, the publication brings together diverse media and integrates different formats into a seamless mix – events, online and hard copy.

Will you be part of this exciting journey?

SUBSCRIBE NOW! www.smeadvisor.com ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP Christopher Stevenson

Tel: 04 440 9138 chris.stevenson@cpimediagroup.com

EDITORIAL Rushika Bhatia

Tel: 04 440 9115 rushika.bhatia@cpimediagroup.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Rajeesh Melath

Tel: 04 440 9142 rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com

HOTEL TECHNOLOGY

Appy happy It used to be simple. People would book a hotel via a travel agent and then rely on the concierge desk for local information once they checked in. Now, in a digital world, they want to handle all this themselves and a hotel’s Web site is not flexible or exciting enough to get over the property’s qualities. Enter the hotel app. Most of the big chains now offer their own apps to help people find a room and track rewards points, but the technology is moving rapidly and soon guests will be able to use their phones to check in and out, unlock their room door, order room service or even control the TV.. We look at the new world of apps.

One thing is clear in the world of hotel apps: nothing is clear. If you’re in the business for a hotel brand specific app, then prepared for confusion as many brands not deliver individual property apps rather than, perhaps more sensibly, a single app for each territory.

However, here are the ones that appear to be leading the field - though the market is moving quickly and we may find, for example, that the Apple Watch may be a game changer.

HYATT Although some Hyatt properties have their own apps and there are some third-party ones on the market, ‘Hyatt Hotels’ is the app that allows guests to do most of the expected things such as book a room, manage a reservation and track rewards as well some things that should become industry standard soon, such as check in and out of a property.

44

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

HOTEL TECHNOLOGY

MARRIOTT Now it gets confusing! The Marriott chain has dozens of apps, providing services for individual properties, but the key one is ‘Marriott International’ (‘Marriott Mobile’), designed to PDNH LW VLPSOH WR ͤQG DQG ERRN D URRP DV ZHOO DV PDQDJH D Marriott Rewards account. It also links through to individual city guides. There is a separate ‘Guest Services’ app, allowing phone-based check in and out but only at fewer than a` dozen properties in the US.

STARWOOD Starwood’s ‘SPG: Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ app allows booking the chain’s 1,100 hotels, checking reward points and checking in via phone, as well as 24-hour support team assistance via video FKDW 7KHUHĚľV DOVR WKH EUDQG VSHFLͤF Ě´: +RWHOV :RUOGZLGHĚľ DSS offering local weather, room service, special requests and the DELOLW\ WR VWUHDP : VW\OH PXVLF YLD WKH SKRQH

HILTON (QWHU WKH PLQHͤHOG WKDW LV +LOWRQ 7KH ̴+LOWRQ̾ DSS LV WKH PDLQ one, allowing booking to 3,000+ hotels across the Hilton brands - DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood - which also have their own individual apps.

Confusingly, to book a room using points or for special requests, then the ‘HHonors Rewards’ app is required. Also available is Ě´&RQUDG &RQFLHUJHĚľ ZKLFK LV EUDQG VSHFLͤF DQG HQDEOHV D ZKROH bunch of activity from airport tra`nsfer to spa bookings.

Ahead of the wrist

RITZ-CARLTON Snappy app ‘Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts’ is a standout product which not onloy delivers generic services (reservation management, IRU H[DPSOH EXW DOVR SURSHUW\ VSHFLͤF features. These deliver special offers during a guest’s stay along with local suggestions from individual concierges plus a built-in QR Code scanner used to ‘unlock’ experiences encounters during a stay on the property.

$YDLODEOH RQ WKH $SSOH :DWFK RQ UHOHDVH ZLOO be an app from Starwood that will, among other things, let guests use it as a room key DW RYHU : +RWHOV $ORIW DQG (OHPHQW properties globally. The ‘Starwood Preferred Guest’ app already provides this functionality for a small number of properties, but the broader rollout of SPG Keyless will have seen locks upgraded in over 30,000 rooms to enable SPG Keyless. “For us we always want to be on the platorms that our guests use and we are excited about the opportunity the :DWFK SUHVHQWV Ěš &KULV +ROGUHQ 6HQLRU 93 6WDUZRRG 3UHIHUUHG *XHVW 'LJLWDO H[SODLQHG ̸:HĚľUH H[FLWHG WR EULQJ 63* .H\OHVV WR WKH :DWFK :H WKLQN WKDW JXHVWV EHLQJ DEOH WR XVH WKH :DWFK WR RSHQ WKH GRRU LV D UHDO JDPH FKDQJHU Ěš The keyless functionality will work with iPhones, Android GHYLFHV DQG WKH $SSOH :DWFK +RZHYHU LW LV ̸QRW MXVW D SRUW RI RXU L3KRQH DSS :H VWDUWHG RYHU ZLWK XVHU H[SHULHQFH LQ PLQG ZKDW ZRXOG SURYLGH WKH PRVW YDOXH Ěš +ROGUHQ FRQWLQXHG “SPG is focused on driving the deep relationship.“

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

45

BREAK THE STATUS QUO:

THINK BIG. START NOW. Brocade and the New IP.

“Keeping up with the latest industry trends in terms of cleaning and hygiene is an ongoing task.

Every day I see new things popping up” Tatjana Ahmed, Housekeeping Manager, Grand Hyatt Dubai

50

HYGIENE BASICS 101

51

HOUSEKEEPER UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

54

GO GO GREEN!

HYGIENE & HOUSEKEEPING

Housekeeping Faced with a king-sized plush white bed in a pristine-looking room whilst refreshing with lemon scented welcome towels, it’s easy to forget all the hard work that went on prior behind the scenes.

We sat down with Tatjana Ahmed, housekeeping manager of Grand Hyatt Dubai, and founder of the UAE Professional Housekeepers Group, to hear there’s much more to the role of a housekeeper than meets the eye.

From product innovations, continuous training, incoming trends and pressurised moments on the job, Tatjana reveals the latest from the sector.

Tatjana Ahmed, housekeeping manager of Grand Hyatt Dubai, and founder of the UAE Professional Housekeepers Group

48

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

HYGIENE & HOUSEKEEPING

101

Looking at the role of a housekeeping department in the luxury hotel sector, what would you say are the main challenges?

Achieving 100% guest satisfaction, you can never please everyone and in today’s industry travellers have very high expectations.

Cleanliness will always be high on a guest’s priority list, especially when staying at a 5-star hotel. Guests more frequently are looking for increasingly personalised experiences, which makes it a challenge keeping up on their specific wants and needs, it’s vital that we stay updated.

To exceed their expectations we must provide them with an unexpected service, which in turn builds client loyalty. With the variation of guests growing vigorously in the Middle East, it’s crucial that we are able to cater to every need, from the tech-savvy millennials to the single traveller, female traveller, a business traveller, families, honeymooners and more.

I assume training plays a major role in combatting this?

Training of the staff is a continuous. Keeping up with the latest industry trends in terms of cleaning and hygiene is an on-going task. Every day I see new things popping up and even subscribe to several housekeeping magazines to keep up.

As the industry progresses, so do products and equipment hotels operate with. What are the latest housekeeping innovations that have caught your eye?

There’s always something new! But, on a whole I’ve noticed that cleaning machines are becoming smaller, easier to handle and are more versatile now, which is what housekeepers want.

For example, small battery operated scrubberdryers are replacing mops and buckets. They are far more convenient and prevent cross contamination of dirty water. When it comes to cleaning chemicals, we’re seeing a lot of changes and a move towards plant based cleaning agents, which are biodegradable and non-toxic, yet still able to sanitize kitchens and bathrooms in the same way that hard chemicals would. For example, electrolysed water is a revolutionary chemical-free cleaning and sanitising system, which uses the process of electrolysis with water to change its pH. Laundry tagging is another and allows housekeepers to track the amount

of towels and linens being used at any one time, enabling us to prepare accordingly.

How many cleaning products are needed for a guest room?

We have narrowed it down to just three products for general room cleaning.

Additionally, equipment wise microfiber plays a major role and is continuously being improved, it’s something causing a lot of excitement in the housekeeping world.

How big of an impact is the modernisation of technology having on the housekeeping department?

Mobile devices are playing a huge role now and are making operations much more eco-friendly by cutting out the paper trails of yesterday all through specialist software that allows us to track everything from general operations, inventory lists, guest satisfaction, employee

“To exceed their expectations we must provide them with an unexpected service, which in turn builds client loyalty” Tatjana Ahmed, founder of the UAE Professional Housekeepers Group

performance, guest arrivals and more. Having everything automated is a great help, as it also allows me to keep track of how long my staff are taking in each room.

Are there any new trends that you’re noticing?

The focus has shifted from cleaning for appearances to cleaning for health, which is very important and now ensures housekeepers place more emphasis on quality control tests, to guarantee that bathroom hygiene is up to standards. Through swabs and checking bacteria counts, we can check that the cleaning procedure has been adhered to and that no one is taking short cuts.

Operation-wise, what’s different now in your department comparing to five years ago?

Over the past few years there has been a dramatic increase in outsourcing. It’s been something common in Europe for quite some time, however it’s now really taking off in the Middle East.

Why do you think that is?

Hotels don’t want to bear the costs of full

time employees. By outsourcing they forfeit accommodation, insurance, medical and visa costs, plus more. Generally, outsourced staff are previously trained, ready-to-go people who are supplied depending on the specifications a hotel provides, which saves money and time.

It’s a common misconception that housekeeping simply cleans guest rooms, when really the role entails much more. How crucial is the department amidst overall hotel operations?

There is more than meets the eye in the housekeeping department, it’s very crucial.

Housekeeping is somewhat the forgotten child of the hospitality industry, and I hope moving forward we can lift this image, because we do so much more than just clean rooms. A hotel stands or falls with cleanliness – who would return to a dirty hotel? We are very often underestimated and it’s a common assumption that hotels are always spick and span, when really the planning and organisation that goes into executing a clean involves a lot of hard work and a strong team.

What’s the most stressful part of the department?

It’s an extremely pressurised job. Guests sometimes don’t realise that when we’re running at high occupancy, especially around mid-day check-in time, we have rooms on a waiting list to be turned around, which has to be done without any forgotten procedures, inventory checks and adherence to brand standards. This can be trying in a pressurised situation.

On average, what is the turn-around time for a room?

There are different factors that determine this, such as size of a room, number of housekeepers per room, equipment staff are provided with, whether they have smaller baskets or large trolleys, how far away a stock pantry is, whether they have balconies or not, etc. But on average, 20 minutes for an occupied room and 30 minutes for an unoccupied room.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

Being able to work with such a vast range of nationalities, the people are great and really make you feel a part of an extended family, which is very important when living in an expatriate community.

And the key benefit?

There’s also nothing better than positive guest feedback and seeing my department succeed.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

49

HYGIENE & HOUSEKEEPING

ISSUES OF THE MONTH Every month, we’ll look at some of the key issues surrounding hygiene in hotels, with outlines of problems and practical steps for solutions. To start off, we look at cleaning spa baths, nail spa instrument handling and the importance of hygiene ygiene standards in cilities. gyms and massage facilities.

1

CLEANING SPA BATHS

The problem is simple: spa baths aths circulate water through pipess with the assistance of a pump and a booster heater however, unlike swimming pools or spa pools, ls, they don’t have a filter. That means that any dirt that is not drained out remains within the piping system.

In other words, body fast, soap residue, aromatherapy oils and more are deposited posited on the insides of the piping system so blocking off the supply of water to the outlets. ts. They are also clearly a hygiene problem since the deposits are a breeding ground for bacteria such as pseudomonas and staphlycoccus, occus, which are associated with ear, eye, hair follicle and wound infections. Normal mal circulation of water will not removee this, meaning that a proper degreasing sing solution must be used.

Commercially formulated degreasing asing solutions that are specifically manufactured ufactured for use in spas should remove all fats ats and debris, which will be brown in colour. our. In addition, a degreaser that also sanitises should d be used so that the pipes remain hygienically clean. Note ote that a degreaser is still required even if the spa is self lf draining.

50

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

HYGIENE & HOUSEKEEPING

2

NAIL INST INSTRUMENT CARE

3

HYGI Y GYM HYGIENE MEASURE MEASURES

All instruments instrume used in a nail salon, such aas files and buffers, must be washed in soa soapy water after each client and fully immersed i in a disinfectant for at least leas ten minutes, with soiled instruments stored sto separately from clean instruments in llabeled receptacles.

These are base line essentials.

In addition, instruments instrum and supplies that can’t be disinfected disinfecte - orange sticks, sponges, etc - must be thrown away immediately after use. use Drills or electric files are quite common used in the industry and, when used properly, prop are perfectly safe. Drill bits should s be cleaned after each client.

Finally, all equipment equipme containers should be clearly marked mark with the indicating dirty or contents and status in clean and sanitised.

According to Emprise, 88% of adults won’t won exercise in a gym if they find it has cleanliness issues.

Further, cleanliness is one of Further the most m common sources of ccomplaints that fitness facilities and gyms receive. faci Tak Take a quick look around you your own. Are hand sanit sanitisers placed near the equip equipment? Are there paper towels and sanitisers to clean d down equipment after use? Are changing room floors clear of spills spil or dirt?

In the Emprise study, respondents were

“All equipment containers should be clearly marked with the contents and status”

asked which specific cleanliness issues would prevent them from exercising in a fitness facility.

The results?

71% would be put off by unclean changing rooms.

56% would be put off by dirty floors.

46% would be put off spills and stains on the carpet or floor.

36% would be put off by dusty surfaces.

This is why an effective hygiene and cleaning strategy is essential for delivering a positive brand image and ensuring customers return.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

51

THE NEXT MEETING OF

WILL BE HELD ON

MAY 18TH VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED

WITH THE SUPPORT OF

4 For more details, e-mail: hospitality@cpimediagroup.com

HYGIENE IN MASSAGE

For a normal massage, these should be the base hygiene steps: * Wash hands before and after a massage. * Change sheets and towels, so a client will always have fresh and clean ones. * Wash towels and sheets at minimum 60C the temperature normally recommended to avoid the spreading of sickness. * Change uniform if it’s been in contact with the client. * Wipe massage table/chair with an antibacterial cloth between clients. * Make sure the environment is clean and tidy. * Tools used for a massage need to be disinfected and cleaned properly between massages to avoid the spreading of

especially skin-related diseases - this is especially important for hot stone massages as the hot water can provide for a very good environment for bacteria.

One useful thing to bear in mind is that sick people don’t normally get massages, so the risk of spreading any disease is small to begin with. However, there can be undiscovered skinconditions plus the normal bacteria on our skin that we carry around with us.

Any well trained massage therapists knows these hygiene rules and follow them, keeping the well-being and health of clients first. It is part of their training and will be incorporated into their daily routines.

HYGIENE & HOUSEKEEPING

For a greener tomorrow Bringing your housekeeping department up to the increasingly high eco-standards of today should be a journey, not a destination. Whether it begins with a towel re-use programme, or the elimination of toxic chemicals from cleaning products, it’s becoming ever-more vital for all sectors of a hotel to reduce negative environmental impacts. Beyond the everyday sustainable practices, we have complied a few ideas, which encourage the concept of ‘go-green housekeeping’.

“The project has seen more than 3,370 tonnes of wasted hotel soap diverted from landfill since 2009, and now has nearly 3,000 participating hotels supporting it.”

SAVE SOAP Flagged by the re-occurring issue of disposing bars of soap that have been used only once or twice in a hotel room, the not-for profit Global Soap Project was established to recover discarded soap from hotels.

Once collected, the barely-touched bars of soap that would otherwise end up in landfills, are reprocessed, removed of any bacterial residue and remoulded into new bars, then distributed to underprivileged areas in thirdworld countries, where people lack sanitation.

The project, which has attracted the support of international hotel groups such as Hilton Worldwide, has seen more than 3,370 tonnes of wasted hotel soap diverted from landfill since 2009, and now has nearly 3,000 participating hotels supporting it.

54

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

HYGIENE & HOUSEKEEPING

SUSTAINABLE SLEEPING Inspired by an initial idea to turn waste into valuable and desired products the brand Ekocycle was born, leading to the recent introduction of Ekocycle branded bed sheets to the market.

The sheets are manufactured using polyester that is partially made using recycled plastic, meaning that for every king-sized Ekocycle sheet set that is made, nearly 31 recycled 20oz plastic bottles have gone into it. The result is said to produce bedding that is luxurious as it is environmentally conscious.

Currently, more than 268,000 plastic bottles have been recycled into Ekocycle sheets across all W Hotel beds in North America - a number which continues to increase as the roll-out goes global.

MAINTAIN AND RETAIN Maintaining carpet and hard floor surfaces throughout a hotel extends the life of flooring, which long-term not only saves the property owner money, but also prevents waste.

The investment in eco-friendly vacuum cleaners, by the likes of Kärcher, enables the housekeeping department to keep a property looking like new for longer, whilst saving energy.

With preventative maintenance sweepers that help reduce the cost to maintain floors by stopping damaging soils before they enter, and dry vacuum cleaners that are proven to use 40% less energy consumption when compared to other market brands, the daily act of vacuuming has been highlighted an as area that can substantially contribute when it comes to eco-friendly operations.

CRUSH WASTE Now penetrating hotels across Dubai and other international markets, PEL Waste Reduction Equipment is providing the hospitality industry with the means to reducing waste glass by 80% with a glass crushing range which includes the ‘Mega Jaws’.

With the ability to crush 4,000 glass bottles in one hour and reduce glass bottle volume by 5:1, the glass crusher not only reduces the need for storage space, it lowers a hotel’s carbon footprint by decreasing the need for frequent bin collections.

As glass is reduced to cullet size, the glasscrushing machinery allows all crushed glass to be recycled back into bottles again.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

55

58

AUTHENTIC SOURCING

64

JG HITS TOWN

68

CHEFS FOR HIRE

72

THE KIWI KOMP

PRO CHEF

Chefs attending the round table

Dirk Haltenhof Executive Chef, The Oberoi Dubai

Saneesh KV Chef de Cuisine, Ananta, The Oberoi Dubai

Jamie Robertson Head Chef, Gaucho Dubai

Keeping it real Two key trends are setting the pace for F&B this year: sustainability and authenticity. And, as we witness a seismic shift towards more casual, family-style dining, we concurrently see diners wanting to feel more connected to the traditional, originating flavours of a cuisine. With farmers’ markets and events like Slow Food Dubai helping to remind us of what real food tastes like, we sat down with a group of Executive Chefs to debate how a kitchen can stay true to its culture, yet remain responsible in produce purchasing.

T

here’s a trend developing that sees diners inquiring more and more about sustainability and traceability of their food, however, simultaneously a heightened demand for more authentic foods. For you as chefs, this round table is about finding how you balance the two expectations; how you remain loyal to the foundations of the cuisine you’re representing, but also how you keep things sustainable within your kitchens.

Dirk Haltenhof: I think I speak for the trade when I say we should always be proud of the products we use in our kitchens. When I first came to Dubai, I didn’t really find a big demand for consumers wanting specific products - this was three years ago - however, when we began implementing higher quality products across all of our restaurants to retain the authenticity of the outlet’s origins, I noticed a spike in positive feedback, proving authenticity really is important to a restaurant’s success.

Luigi Vespero: It’s important that chefs show

58

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

a willingness to learn and be educated in the kitchen about sourcing the right produce that allows us to be authentic, but also keep things sustainable. In our case, we do farm trips and supplier trips, where we take as many chefs as we can each month to go and see what’s available at local farms, and appreciate the produce that’s in season and readily available locally. I think the industry is really changing and chefs are being held more responsible for what they are putting out. More recently, we have started working with more local suppliers, especially for the vegetables, as a way of heightening of contribution to being

PRO CHEF

Luigi Vespero Head Chef, The Rib Room

Cedric d’Ambrosio Executive Chef, Sofitel Downtown

Yoann Le Chatton Executive Chef, Al Murooj Rotana Hotel

Antonello Manca Executive Chef, Dusit Thani Dubai

observe all of the produce available, because just by looking they can learn so much. We then went back and brainstormed about all of the new, unique things they had found and how we could support things from more local areas.

Vespero: The consumer is really driving the change in demand for more authenticity, yet with the need to remain sustainable. Ten years ago the majority of diners didn’t even know the difference between burrata and mozzarella.

Now, however, diners are even requesting certain types of burrata. The customer has really evolved and they know the difference between something coming from Napoli, in comparison to something coming from Sharjah. As a chef, it’s about knowing which products you can get locally yet are still good enough in terms of quality. We get our clams for example in Fujairah and they’re great. If the product is good and it works, source locally. It’s when the product isn’t quality enough that we face issues.

Jamie, Gaucho’s spotlight is on meat. How do you find it sourcing meat locally?

(L – R)Dirk Haltenhof, Executive Chef, The Oberoi Dubai, Saneesh KV, Chef de Cuisine, Ananta, The Oberoi Dubai, Yoann Le &KDWWRQ ([HFXWLYH &KHI $O 0XURRM 5RWDQD +RWHO &HGULF G̾$PEURVLR ([HFXWLYH &KHI 6RͤWHO 'RZQWRZQ /XLJL 9HVSHUR +HDG Chef, The Rib Room, Jamie Robertson, Head Chef, Gaucho Dubai, Antonello Manca, Executive Chef, Dusit Thani Dubai.

“Ten years ago the majority of diners didn’t even know the difference between burrata and mozarella.�

Chef Luigi Vespero

sustainable. There are two great local markets too, the one at Emirates Towers every Friday morning and the RIPE market, it’s an amazing place for chefs to explore and be inspired and smell and touch how fresh produce really should be.

At least during the ‘colder’ season! It’s great to have high profile chefs like Darren Velvick and Silvena Rowe making regular visits to the Farmers Market, too.

Haltenhof: We also took a recent trip to the market with our chefs. I told them to really

Jamie Robertson: I don’t think you’re ever going to find enough of the meat that we use at Gaucho here. There’s not enough grass and it’s not the right environment for cows to live in. So it’s difficult for us when it comes to meat.

Dubai has gotten much better though, many suppliers now import the produce we need.

When I came here five years ago with Jamie Oliver’s first restaurant, because he’s such an advocate for sustainability and also traceability, it was an absolute nightmare trying to get the right products here. It’s definitely getting better.

So do you think the methodology of suppliers is changing?

Robertson: Yes, suppliers are definitely changing. Especially for me, I’ve been at

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

59

PRO CHEF

“Perfection means something different to everyone. Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten was in Hong Kong in restaurants that would be shut down in minutes if they were operating here. At the end of the day, the authenticity was there and the flavour was there!”

Chef Jamie Robertson

Gaucho now for nearly three years and I found in the beginning that suppliers didn’t always know what I was asking for, however, now they do and I have people coming to me competing for my business. There’s been a definite evolvement of suppliers, which has been driven by the large spike in new restaurants coming into the market.

Saneesh KV: I grew up with my grandfather being a chef and my family owning a cattle business. So, being surrounded by traditional, authentic cooking all of the time and through seeing the way that he cooked, I really learnt the importance of using proper, fresh products in recipes. In India we cook using a lot of coconut milk for example and I can say that the majority of branded coconut milk that is available here does not taste anything like the freshly squeezed coconut milk that we have back home. When it’s cooked, the taste is very different. So, in our restaurant I ensure that we only use the fresh one, in order to achieve an authentic dish.

Haltenhof: That’s something that wasn’t possible until recently. Only a year or two ago suppliers began supplying the fresh stuff.

Saneesh: Yes, that’s true. Before that, we used to have to bring in around 800 fresh coconuts to break and squeeze, to supply food for a banquet. Recently I went on a trip to Kerala in India to do some research on the local authentic food. Having fresh, land grown produce from the nearby land really shone through in the food there. I try to do the same here, however it’s much more difficult because the terrain is different and the quality of produce here isn’t the same. Certain things I must bring from India such as toddy vinegar.

Unique ingredients really make a dish and most dishes cannot be made without those ingredients, and I have to bring them to Dubai. For some ingredients, however, there’s only a certain amount of time they can spend travelling before the taste changes or they go bad, so again, it’s another limiting factor.

That would be the same case with ingredients such as mozzarella, I assume. In the four days that it takes to ship from Italy, has the taste changed?

Vespero: You’re touching my heart now [laughs]. You’re right, the taste would change.

But, interestingly, with some products coming from Italy such as mozzarella, there are two types of production: one for international distribution and one for local distribution.

The ones that are being exported are made to

60

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

last and remain preserved longer, however, having grown up in the region in Italy where mozzarella comes from, I can say there is definitely a different taste between the two.

Producers now are experimenting more to find a way to make the exported products taste as close to the real thing as possible.

Cedric d’Ambrosio: Local producers are actually sometimes creating better tasting products than those ones importing it.

Vespero: Absolutely, we really have to be selective as chefs and shop around. On another note, I’d also like to bring up the point about social media and the impact I feel it has had on the way consumers are acting within restaurants now. Pretty much the whole world is using social media, not only as a way of connecting, but as a way of educating themselves. If a diner wants to know something about a certain restaurant all they have to do is ask Google or Facebook and they can view the opinions of previous customers instantly.

Robertson: The hardest training session I’ve done in the last five years, was a social media one. However, I think social media is great, although it can sometimes prove challenging because everyone is going to have an opinion, whether positive or negative - social media makes it available for everyone to see.

Whilst on the topic of social media and the Internet, just briefly, I’d like to ask for your opinions on food bloggers and their compulsion to take photographs of everything at the table?

Haltenhof: We’re very open to it at The Oberoi, because it allows someone to come in and share their experiences with everyone from prospect diners to perhaps people who are not able to visit our restaurants. At the end of the day, it comes down to a matter of opinion, because I can vow that all of my chefs put out plates to the best of their abilities. My motto is to produce dishes with love and not to put something out unless you’d happily present it to your wife, husband, children, friends, family members. Everything I put out, I would eat myself, so if someone comes in with a negative opinion I’m open to hearing about it.

I believe that there is always room to grow, and tell myself that I haven’t learnt enough yet and tomorrow I can do better. So, if someone wants to give positive criticism, that’s fine by me.

Surely a food blogger should also have knowledge about food, I’ve encountered

PRO CHEF

“Many chefs are unaware of what is actually out at the market here.”

Chef Yoann le Chatton

bloggers who want to review food, yet know nothing about the actual dishes to begin with. This makes no sense to me.

Saneesh: I agree, but it’s always down to matter of opinion. You could have four bloggers on a table, eating the same thing, yet receive four very different opinions.

Robertson: I’ve done cooking classes with bloggers and at times felt like I was telling them which end of the knife to cut with. Some are very ill-educated about what actually happens in the kitchen, so how can they judge what comes out of it? I haven’t met a blogger yet who really enjoys to cook, they only seem to enjoy the eating side of things and the social experience.

Haltenhof: When someone cooks themselves, they can appreciate and respect the work that goes into food because they understand. They are the ones that respect a chef ’s work.

Vespero: We have a few regulars, who are well known bloggers in Dubai and write well.

What they do is helpful to us and especially for new restaurants, but I agree that there are also others out there who do not know what they’re talking about.

Back to the original question: would you say that we could have an authentic, say, Tuscan restaurant, operating here without Tuscan ingredients?

Robertson: One thing I noticed when I worked in Jamie’s Italian was that people would come in and walk past the open kitchen and see chefs working, who were predominantly from India or the Philippines, wondering how we ran an Italian restaurant without Italian chefs. The answer is that most of the ingredients we used were from Italy, so that’s where the flavour came from whilst the passion and talent of the chefs would shine through and they produced amazing food.

Vespero: As long as the concept reflects the authenticity of the cuisine it’s trying to promote and the working there are passionate enough to create the right flavours then it can work.

Haltenhof: It inspires creativity when you have chefs of different nationalities in the kitchen. If you have ten chefs all from the same country, I think it narrows their mind-set and discourages them to share experiences through fear of sharing information they assume everyone already knows. I think you can most definitely do authentic if the owner of the concept is fully behind the idea and drives it forward. d’Ambrosio: It’s about passion. If a chef is passionate and has the eagerness to learn, then they will adapt quickly to new cuisines. I have chefs of all nationalities, who are able to turn their hands to all different types of cuisines and have the ability to present authentic dishes from all over the world.

Saneesh: I totally agree. Although I do think having a head chef who is a native from the country he is cooking for, makes a difference.

Our old Japanese chef, for example, used to have guests returning to the restaurant just for his sushi especially. d’Ambrosio: The unique blessing that Dubai has is that the Emirate is filled with talented chefs of all nationalities, and who have the ability to have the good majority of the ingredients that they need, imported to them.

Many places around the world do not share this opportunity.

Do you all agree with that?

Robertson: You’re very right. Even if you think about the locally produced things here in Dubai, I think we forget sometimes that we are in fact in the middle of a desert and not surrounded by an abundance of fresh growth and greenery. We’re lucky to get all of the things that we do, which enable chefs to create such strong concept restaurants here.

How much do you think that chefs genuinely know about what’s readily available here?

Antonello Manca: A lot of them don’t and that’s why having trips to places such as the local markets is important for chefs. We do regular market trips with our chefs and all the F&B teams are welcome to join, even from the service side. It’s important for everyone to see what’s available here, what’s in season and also affordable, then arrange the menus accordingly. Interestingly, more and more suppliers are now beginning to bring the local products directly to you, to the restaurant for you to see, which helps. It also shows how fierce competition is becoming.

Yoann Le Chatton: Yes, I agree that many chefs are unaware of what is actually out at the markets here and whether that’s down to lack of passion, lack of time, I don’t know. But I believe it’s also an impact of today’s culture.

Even within the younger generation nowadays, many children would not know what a salmon or a monkfish looked like in its whole form.

Manca: I remember meeting children who didn’t know what a sea bream looked like, because they’d not eaten it before, or they had never been to a market before in their whole life! So it’s becoming ever more important for chefs to stay on top of their game and know what’s about so that they and people in the food industry alike can educate the children about food.

Robertson: Absolutely. Another deterring factor here for children is that because most things are prepared in such an immaculate way, you can literally have everything delivered to you already cut, cleaned and ready for cooking. You can even have your onions prechopped at the supermarket!

Yet, curiously, cooking is the new rock ‘n’ roll! You can’t move on TV without stumbling over yet another ‘celebrity’ chef.

People are reading about food and watching food programmes but not, it seems, actually engaging with it themselves...

Haltenhof: I recently got half a cow from Australia brought in our kitchen so that I could go through all the different cuts with my chefs and ensure they really understood each cut for what it was, what it could do, how to cook it and how it should taste. By knowing your product properly, that’s when you can cook authentically.

Vespero: What I find is funny in Dubai, is that everyone seems to be fighting for the same slice of the market when it comes to beef. They all want the tenderloin, etc. When really it’s the secondary cuts that hold the best flavours, so why aren’t chefs using them? And, even with fish, it always seems to be the same species of fish that everyone is going for, like salmon, tuna, sea bream, sea bass, etc. Really, as chefs we should be striving to use other types of fish, that aren’t as prime in the market to make things more sustainable. We had a demo last week, where a meat company came in with a range of cuts. And, the wonderful thing was, they didn’t bring any prime cuts with them, it was all offcuts, all the little muscles around the rump, the chuck, and the belly. We were all totally wowed! Who needs a striploin when

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

61

PRO CHEF

“If a chef always strives to be 100% perfect, then you can never be 100% sustainable.”

Chef Cedric d’Ambrosio

you can have that? They were so tasty and, of course, not as expensive, which in turn makes your restaurant more accessible to everyone.

So, if all of you start using secondary cuts, will your menu prices be coming down?

Robertson: Well, how many people around this table are in charge of the selling prices?

Manca: We are. However, we still need to remain competitive and also provide customers with value for money. I’m sure many chefs would agree in saying that they’d like to lower prices to make restaurants more accessible to everyone, but unfortunately, if you’re not located in prime locations such as JBR Beach, then you have to retain a certain price level to remain profitable as a business. d’Ambrosio: Looking at sustainability within a kitchen again, I remember when I worked in Monaco and the head chef requested that I make salad dressing with truffle. And, with 100g of black truffle for the dressing, I would sometimes have to make this multiple times per day if the chef wasn’t 100% happy with it

and he’d simply throw the other in the garbage.

From this experience, I learned that if a chef always strives to be 100% perfect, then you can never be 100% sustainable.

Robertson: Perfection means something different to everyone. Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten was in Hong Kong in restaurants that would be shut down in minutes if they were operating here. But, at the end of the day the authenticity was there and the flavour was there!

Our thanks to Executive Chef Antonello Manca from Dusit Thani Dubai for hosting the round table and the staff at Benjarong for hospitality and support.

If you would like to join a future round table, please get in touch: hospitality@ cpimediagroup.com

Our Know-how, your Success Our high-performance cooking solutions come with efficiency and style: The versatile new Convotherm 4 combi steamers and the thought through Garland induction island suites consume lower energy, support an effective workflow and offer a brilliant design. The perfect solution for your kitchen.

More information: daniel.alam@manitowoc.com | rakesh.tiwari@manitowoc.com | www.manitowocfoodservice.com

PRO CHEF

64

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

PRO CHEF

Vong, two, three!

Finally food lovers in Dubai are about to get their major celebrity fix of the year. After a long time wondering why global celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten would have chosen Doha over Dubai as his entry point into the region with Market by Jean-Georges at the W Hotel, the new Four Seasons will be home to the latest Vong concept, headed up locally

by Chef Colin Clague, ex The Ivy, Zuma and Qbara. On a whirlwind trip into town, Nicola Monteath managed to get an exclusive interview with the Alsatian chef.

F

resh off a plane from Japan, Chef Vongerichten was eager to bring us up to speed with the development of his restaurant, packed with labourers working to get the restaurant up-and-running. He swiftly walked around from one corner to another, introducing us to his design team, while showing us the tiles and paint colour he has already picked out.

He’s a typical charming French man, with a contagious smile, thick accent, effortless style and a real passion for food.

In the business for 40 years, this savvy businessman and restaurateur is amazingly down to earth. He has over 25 restaurants all over the world, including renowned names like Jean Georges, Spice Market and ABC Kitchen in cities like New York, Las Vegas, Bora Bora and Paris, some with 3- and 4-Michelin-stars.

His typical day is made up of meetings, lunches with his brother and business partner, Phil Suarez, a bite at the restaurant or with his wife, Marja, who is also a celebrity chef, cookbook author and TV personality, and daughter, Chloe, before some much needed sleep. Jean-Georges also has two older children, Louise and Cedric, who are both in the culinary field as well. What continues to drive him so hard?

We’re very excited about you finally opening up shop here. Please explain the concept.

It’s going to be two restaurant concepts in one: a business lunch and fine-dining dinner venue on one side and, on the other casual side, we will offer the best of what we have in New York.

We are working on the menu now and it will be ready shortly, but the casual side will have a wood-fired pizza oven. I want to show the people who come here for dinner that they get 100% of me. I want them to get that from the plates, glass, and silverware they touch, or seats they sit on. It all has my personality in it, as I want to give the full experience to people. We

will be serving shisha as well, as I think it is part of the culture here. When I came here and saw the way people dine and go out, I thought it was very classy. The shisha will be a unique experience too though - there’s nothing simple about it, and it will be Jean-Georges style. You know, it’s easy to write a menu, but a restaurant is much more than that! This one will be an experience, and I’m excited about it.

So what brought you finally to Dubai?

I was approached by my global partner about two years ago, who told me he had bought space at the Four Seasons complex. I asked him to show me the plan, we soon signed a lease and I’ve been involved ever since. I was approached several times before this, but it’s important to find the right location as well. I like this area a lot because it’s very residential. I want to work with the locals as well, to bring my food to the community.

Speaking of appealing to the community, will you be making a few tweaks to the menu to appeal to the local palate?

Yes, I’m changing the menu a little bit for the market. I’m working on a platter which will have hummous and baba ganoush, but with different flavours. I feel people like the sharing concept here. Apart from this, we also have a lot of other sharing dishes like pizza and truffle fontina.

Local sourcing?

The casual side will have all seasonal ingredients.

We’ve been in contact with an organic farm close to Abu Dhabi, so we will work with them.

It all sounds very exciting, and is definitely a result of hard work paying off. How did you break into the industry?

It was a mistake! I didn’t dream about being a chef as a child. My parents had a coal company, which was four-generations old. I was the oldest boy and was supposed to take over the family

business, so was sent to an engineering school when I was 15. I hated it though and didn’t want to learn the craft. I got thrown out after six months because of bad attendance and being so repulsed by it. My father was obviously very upset and I didn’t know what to do with myself.

What happened next?

Well, for my 16th birthday, we went to the 3-star Auberge de l’Ill. Back in the 1970s people only went out on occasions and we were a large family of 12, so it was a big deal. I was absolutely stunned with the way the waiters moved and the food was amazing - I didn’t know you could make a living out of food! My father saw that and, when the chef came over, he joked and said, “My son is good for nothing, maybe he can help you wash dishes or peel vegetables?” The chef said they were actually looking for an apprentice, so I started after a week and have loved every minute of it for 40 years.

Did you go to culinary school?

I actually got an apprentice scholarship. I worked at the restaurant for four days, and then went to school for two days. I ended up being the best apprentice in school. It’s funny, I went from being the worst guy in school, to the best apprentice. I found my passion at 16!

And after your apprenticeship?

I went to the South of France to work at L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges with Paul Bocuse. The experience was amazing then, after eight years of being in France, I went to Asia and worked for a month in Hong Kong, a month in Singapore and six months in Japan. Going there changed my life!

How? Well, when I went to Bangkok I was 23. I was like Christopher Columbus coming into a new continent. I remember when the plane door opened, I knew I was somewhere else. The

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

65

PRO CHEF

aroma resembled a paradise of spices. Thailand has one of the best aromas of the world and it was a total revelation. Asian cuisine changed my life. It’s who I am today!

What specifically did you learn from your experience there?

I remember seeing ginger, chillies, lemongrass and I didn’t know what a lot of these ingredients were. When I discovered it, I started blending them with French cuisine. I like that the first bite of any Asian dish is as exciting as the last! I would never put a dish on the menu if it wasn’t.

A lot of food, after two or three bites, becomes boring. Most of the food in the world is like this, because a lot of chefs don’t eat their own food they taste a little, but that’s it. I never put a dish on the table before eating it from A-Z. I test the acidity, spices, seasoning. A lot of chefs do pretty plates and are very creative in terms of looks, but you can’t put a dish on a menu if you don’t eat it.

You just have to.

You’re a French chef, based in US, who serves a combination of French and Asian cuisine.

Do you still manage to retain your French quality?

In New York, everyone grew up with Chinese food, just like how in the UK everyone did with Indian food. So everyone was used to the flavours already. I love New York for its diversity. You can have excellent, authentic food from various cultures. Back in 1986, when I started blending cuisines, people went crazy – it was a new thing. I think over the years my ‘Frenchness’ has gone down. The dishes were

66

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

60% French about 20 years ago, but now it’s gone down to about 30%.

Over the years, you’ve worked at Michelin star restaurants and your restaurants have received a number. How important is Michelin to you?

A Michelin star is something I grew up with.

First at the restaurant I was an apprentice at – which had 3 - and then at Paul Bocuse’s restaurant. I worked at 3-star Michelin restaurants before going to Asia and, when the stars finally came to New York, I said wow I’d like to get one – I did! It’s a nice ego boost, but it’s very tough to get it as well. They look for consistency more than anything else, but I’m very disciplined. It’s important to be consistent with your food, because sometimes people come back and expect that same dish.

We pre-measure everything to make sure it’s always consistent.

You have written numerous cookbooks and appeared on TV shows as well. What’s next?

I’ve done five cookbooks and I’m working on an ABC kitchen cookbook. It’s all about local produce and will be released in September. We are also opening another organic, vegetarian restaurant in New York shortly.

What is the best advice you would give upcoming chefs?

My advice to young chefs would be to look for adventure. We don’t invent new food groups anymore. You have chicken, game, turkey, there’s no new birds coming in. It’s the same with meat

and seafood. So the role of a chef should be to take the best chicken and make it new with their own flavours and combinations. Technique is as important, as it’s a modernistic way of living. But on normal days, people want to eat things like a delicious roasted chicken, or stew or curry. Take these and bring something new to the table.

It’s also important for chefs to keep learning and exploring. Today, a lot of cooks don’t travel because everything is available on the Internet.

I had to buy books and travel to find out where black pepper came from – I went to Cochin, to a black pepper plantation where I saw women buying pepper. There was no Internet back then, but it made me learn. I think for a young cook today, it’s so much easier to learn things, but you miss that great adventure.

What do you think of the food scene in Dubai?

It’s just different food from everyone else over here. It’s exciting to have food from different chefs here and the dining scene here is so dynamic and unbelievable. You have Middle Eastern, Turkish, Asian and places like Zuma and La Petite Maison are consistent throughout and I like it.

Globally, what food trends are exciting you?

The farm to table movement continues to excite me. I like to know where food comes from. I love New York for its diversity. You can have excellent, authentic food from various cultures.

Food photography by Francesco Tonelli

PRO CHEF

Chef in the house!

Now a year old, ChefXChange is an on-line marketplace for food lovers to search, discover and book a private chef all around the world – now launched in Dubai. on-line or from a mobile phone. It connects chefs to people looking for an exclusive culinary experience, in the city of their choice, at any price point and in the comfort of their homes or desired venues. We went for the experience.

68

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

PRO CHEF

W

hen we heard about ChefXChange, we were excited to get involved with the project and discover how it works in practice. In discussions with Martie Daems, CityLead Dubai - Marketing and Business Development, we decided we would co-ordinate with a number of Dubaibased food bloggers and watch the experience in their villa or apartment as one of the guests.

The first to volunteer was Samantha Wood, restaurant critic, food writer as well as enthusiastic and award-winning food blogger as FooDiva. With her parents and sister in town for a while and with her half-Cypriot heritage, her choice of Chef Ilias Kokoroskos, Head Chef of Dubai’s leading Greek restaurant Elia in the Majestic Hotel was a natural choice. With eight guests - some with dietary requirements - and a domestic kitchen to work in, Chef Ilias came up with a six course

dinner that was a modern interpretation of dishes associated with Easter in Greece.

How it works, explains Daems, is that “chefs are not restricted by the menu offering, pricing or reservations of a restaurant.

Instead, they are able to express their own brand and identity through menus, pictures and pricing of their choice. The chef takes charge of the purchase of groceries, cooking, service and clean up of the kitchen when he is done.”

We asked Chef Ilias how easy the process of using ChefXChange was? “I think it depends how good you are with laptops or PCs,” he replied. “In general not too difficult and communication with the host Samantha was good. However, I’d like to see some options where the chef and the host can check things like kitchen equipment, crockery, cutlery, service style, storage space and so on.”

“If I did not have to dine out so often because of FooDiva, I would use the service regularly, especially as the price per guest is very reasonable”

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

69

PRO CHEF

restaurant food into a private home? “The challenge is that you are not cooking in your kitchen and, as a chef, if you want to be creative you for sure will find difficulties! Even if you go in another restaurant to cook, it will be challenging. In your own kitchen, you can find your knife without even looking at it…”

According to Daemes, some of these issues are already being addressed since the service is still really only in launch stage. “Generally after the first time of hosting, the host will know what they want to change and therefore need to ask for when they book a chef next time,” she explains. “The beauty of the concept is that everyone who hires a chef, can decide how they want their evening to go. It is not a restaurant experience but a restaurant quality dinner in the comfort of your own home and that is exactly what it should be comfortable!”

She expects that as chefs get more experience that they will start to offer extensions to the meal to guests. “So, for example, following comments, Chef Ilias now might want to suggest serving nibbles until all of the guests have arrived and people move to the table, especially if this is customary to Greek cuisine.”

As the ‘customer’, Samantha Wood thought that “the site is pretty user-friendly, with the only point for enhancement being that the user should be able to ‘accept’ to continue the discussion from the ChefXChange e-mail and not have to click through to the Web site as well.” And the choice of meal? “As this was a sponsored dinner, the menu was set by Chef Ilias which I was anyhow happy with. I simply stipulated certain dietary requirements from my guests. I thought he was very adept at tailoring the menu whilst still retaining Greek flavours.”

In a similar fashion to Chef Ilias, Wood felt that “although we had an on-line discussion about cooking utensils so he could determine what he had to supplement, some questions regarding crockery and cutlery would have been beneficial to ensure we had sufficient quantities. However, the whole evening was very simple and hassle-free, making entertaining at home super easy! If I did not have to dine out so often because of FooDiva, I would use the service regularly, especially as the price per guest is very reasonable. I think the ChefXChange concept is a much-needed and long overdue one for Dubai. We all had a wonderful evening over exquisite food and good banter!”

PRO CHEF

Another taste The annual Taste New Zealand competition culminated at the start of April as ten ďŹ nalists gathered for a cookoff and the winner announced at the Conrad a couple of days later.

A

s usual, professional chefs from across the UAE were invited to submit a creative recipe, using at least one New Zealand ingredient, along with a picture of their dish. After receiving the highest number of entries in the history of the competition, the Taste New Zealand 2015 judging panel selected ten finalists to compete in the final cook-off at ICCA. The finalists with their chosen dishes were: * Rahil Rathod, Radisson Blu Dubai Deira Creek - Seared Silver Fern lamb rack * Adil Shaikh, The Address Montgomerie Trio of lamb * Sudath Rodrigo, Radisson Blu Dubai Deira Creek - Oreo and manuka honey cake * Prasad Sadvikar, Emirates Flight Catering Pavlova with Kiwi custard * Vishal Khulbe, The Oberoi, Dubai - Cod with baby spinach, braised mussels, winter peas and salmon roe * Sivabalan Krishnan, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai - Assiette of New Zealand lamb * Mohd Rene Johari, The Rib Room at Jumeirah Emirates Towers - Taste of the Fern * Regiemar Damasco, Atlantis The Palm Chicken New Zealand in three ways * Johannes Hansen, JW Marriot Marquis Dubai - Taste of Aotearoa * Chloe St Cyr, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort - Lamb in the garden According to Haylon Smith, New Zealand

72

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

PRO CHEF

Trade Commissioner to the UAE, “We’re thrilled with the calibre of the finalists and no doubt this talented group of chefs will highlight the fantastic quality and taste of New Zealand product with each dish they create and reinforce the position New Zealand holds as a premium supplier of produce into the UAE.�

The ten finalists selected a professional chef partner to assist them at the final cook-off - a new addition to the format of the competition this year. The competition requires the participating chefs to prepare a set of five canapĂŠs selecting ingredients from a pantry full of New Zealand products.

To ensure a transparent and fair judging process, the identity of the creator of each dish was unknown to the distinguished judging panel which included Reif Othman, Executive Chef at Zuma; Robin Padgett, Emirates Senior Vice President of Aircraft Catering; Colin Clague, ex-Executive Chef at Q’bara Dubai; and Bruce Woolner, Operations Manager, Commercial and Development Manager and Product Development Manager at Chef Middle East.

The aim of the competition, which celebrates New Zealand’s food and beverage produce, encourages professional chefs to get creative, while showcasing the variety and quality of New Zealand food produce available in the UAE. The prize for the winner - Apprentice Chef Chloe St Syr - is a return trip to New Zealand.

Basic New Zealand pantry ingredients ̽ %HHI DQG ODPE FKLOOHG 2FHDQ %HHI JUDVV IHG JUDLQ ͤQLVKHG WHQGHUORLQ

Ě˝ %HHI DQG ODPE FKLOOHG 3UHPLHU 6HOHFWLRQ 5HVHUYH EHHI WHQGHUORLQ &KLOOHG 6LOHUH )UHQFK UDFNV

̽ &KLFNHQ 5DQJLWLNHL FRUQ IHG IUHH UDQJH VNLQOHVV EUHDVW ͤOOHW 5DQJLWLNHL FRUQ IHG IUHH UDQJH VNLQ RQ OHJ ͤOOHW

Ě˝ *UHHQ OLSSHG PXVVHOV DQG FODPV FRRNHG DQG IUR]HQ

̽ .LQJ 6DOPRQ FKLOOHG ͤOOHW ̽ 9HQLVRQ DQG JUDVV IHG ZDJ\X ̽ $QFKRU GDLU\ SURGXFWV FRRNLQJ FUHDP ZKLSSLQJ FUHDP XQVDOWHG EXWWHU FUHDP FKHHVH FKHGGDU FKHHVH PLON PR]]DUHOOD FKHHVH IHWD FKHHVH

Ě˝ ,FH FUHDP SXUH YDQLOOD FKRFRODWH IXGJH EURZQLH VWUDZEHUU\ FRRNLHV FUHDP KRNH\ SRNH\ ZKLWH FKRFRODWH UDVSEHUU\ DIIRJDWWR VDOWHG FDUDPHO PDSOH V\UXS ZDOQXW OHPRQ VRUEHW PDQJR VRUEHW EHUU\ IXVLRQ VRUEHW

Ě˝ &KHHVH ZLQGVRU EOXH FUHDP\ KDYDUWL

Ě˝ .LZLIUXLW JUHHQ

Ě˝ 0DQXND KRQH\ Ě˝ 6WRFNV DQG VDXFHV YHDO VWRFN

Ě˝ 6ZHHW DQG VDYRXU\ VDXFHV WRPDWR ROLYH VSUHDG WRPDWR MDODSHQR VSUHDG SLQHDSSOH DQG FRFRQXW IUXLW VLON FDUDPHO FODVVLF FUÂŞPH

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

73

PRO CHEF

In the kitchen

Marta Yanci is both a chef and the owner/founder of Marta’s Kitchen - a boutique Dubai catering company - and Marta’s Workshop - a culinary atelier restaurant open only for lunch.

She is also a TV chef, starring in her own cooking show for two seasons running on Canal Cocina, Spain’s leading food TV channel, plus she has published her first cookbook. But what’s in her fridge?

74

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

Born in San Sebastián, Spain in 1980, Marta Yanci started her career in Law but shifted to the culinary world shortly after moving to Dubai. Marta’s Kitchen is the realisation of her dream - she may be a lawyer by education but she’s a cook by passion. With a vast heritage of gourmet food tradition from her parents, who were avid customers of Spain’s best restaurants, she and her husband shared a passion for food, which translated into spending all their student savings to travel Europe in search of the best restaurants. While many friends considered it a waste of time and money, this passion fuelled their shared dream to one day open a food business in the distant future.

Things changed when they moved to the UAE. After some years in the country and many compliments on her home cooking, Marta started to plan a catering business and created the first set of canape-based and buffet style setups, based on the family’s recipes, the lessons learned at Europe’s best restaurants and a considerable collection of food literature.

After testing the grounds with friends and family, plus in 2011 winning Dubai’s Best Amateur Cook competition of the Studio One show of Dubai One TV, she and her husband decided to open a small business to offer superior catering services tailored to the tastes of a wide variety of customers: from real home made food to the most avant garde innovative gastronomy available on some of the world’s best restaurants. Two years later, she was hired by Spain’s Canal Cocina food channel to produce a dedicated cooking TV show. Season 1, entitled ‘Recipes for Under 5 euros’, adapted Chef Marta’s creations adapted to constrained budgets. A second series followed.

She’s now using Marta’s Kitchen and Marta’s Workshop to develop initiatives to use cooking and the culinary arts as a channel to bring people together and learn about food. She’s also an advocate of women’s health issues and a regular contributor to local food magazines and on-line portals.

Above all, she is driven by a supreme passion for food instead of money, because her business does not prioritise profit but rather ‘bon appetit’!

PRO CHEF

“She is driven by a supreme passion for food instead of money, because her business does not prioritise proďŹ t but rather ‘bon appetit’!â€?

What’s in my fridge... ̽ &DUURWV ̽ 2UDQJHV ̽ &KHUU\ WRPDWRHV ̽ &HOHU\ ̽ %OXHEHUULHV ̽ 0XVVHOV ̽ 6HD EDVV ̽ )UHH UDQJH HJJV OHIW 7KDW̾V WKH KHDOWK\ SDUW

I have... Ě˝ 0LVR SDVWH Ě˝ .LNNRPDQ ZDVDEL VDXFH Ě˝ 2ULJLQDO 7DEDVFR Ě˝ *UHHQ 7DEDVFR Ě˝ &DSULFH GH 'LHX[ FKHHVH Ě˝ &KRFRODWH PRXVVH

I also have‌ ̽ &RWH '̾RU FKRFRODWH DW WKH PRPHQW ZLWK KD]HOQXWV EXW DQ\ ZLOO GR , DP DGGLFWHG WR WKLV FKRFRODWH VLQFH P\ WLPHV LQ %UXVVHOV DV D VWXGHQW

Shopping tips: ̽ , OLNH VKRSSLQJ LQ &DUUHIRXU DV L IHHO WKH ͤVK DQG PHDW HVSHFLDOO\ DUH IUHVKHU WKDQ LQ RWKHU SODFHV ̽ , DOVR ORYH YLVLWLQJ WKH )DUPHU̾V 0DUNHW DW (PLUDWHV 7RZHUV RQ D )ULGD\ IRU IUHVK YHJHWDEOHV

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

75

PRO CHEF

Morning glory ravioli INGREDIENTS ̽ J DOO SXUSRVH IORXU ̽ J EUHDG IORXU ̽ PO ZDWHU ̽ J PRUQLQJ JORU\ ̽ JDUOLF FORYHV ̽ 7KDL FKLOOLHV ̽ ROLYH RLO ̽ PO YHJHWDULDQ R\VWHU VDXFH ̽ PO VR\ VDXFH ̽ PO YHJHWDEOH VWRFN ̽ J EURZQ VXJDU METHOD )RU WKH SDVWD PL[ IORXUV DQG ZDWHU E\ KDQG NQHDGLQJ WR PDNH D VPRRWK GRXJK :UDS DQG VWRUH LQ WKH IULGJH )RU WKH ͤOOLQJ KHDW D URQGHDX DQG FRRN WKH FKRSSHG JDUOLF DQG FKRSSHG 7KDL FKLOOL LQ WKH ROLYH RLO :KHQ VWDUWLQJ WR JHW EURZQ DGG WKH PRUQLQJ JORU\ OHDYHV DQG FRRN TXLFNO\ XQWLO VRIW DQG WHQGHU 4XLFNO\ SRXU LQWR D KRWHO SDQ RYHU LFH WR FRRO TXLFNO\ &KRS ͤQHO\ UHPRYH DQ\ H[FHVV ZDWHU DQG VWRUH LQ D SLSLQJ EDJ

Thai flavouring With the new season well under way, Chef Eneko Atxa from Aziamendi restaurant, Iniala Beach House in Thailand - a luxury ten suite private residence situated amongst the idyllic location of Phuket and the Andaman Sea - has prepared exclusive recipes with a celebratory Thai touch.

76

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

%ULQJ VDXFHV VWRFN DQG VXJDU XS WR D ERLO $GG UHVRXUFH WR WKLFNHQ VWUDLQ DQG UHVHUYH 5ROO RXW WKH SDVWD GRXJK XQWLO WKH JOXWHQ KDV EHHQ GHYHORSHG DQG WKHQ UROO XQWLO YHU\ WKLQ &XW LQWR FP FLUFOHV 3ODFH D VPDOO DPRXQW RI ͤOOLQJ LQ WKH FHQWUH RI WKH GRXJK DQG PDNH WKH IRUP RI D UDYLROL VHDOLQJ ZLWK ZDWHU %RLO WKUHH SLHFHV RI UDYLROL LQ VDOWHG ZDWHU IRU WKUHH PLQXWHV 6WUDLQ DQG SODFH RQ WRS RI D EUXVK RI VDXFH RQ D UHFWDQJOH SODWH *DUQLVK ZLWK JDUOLF FKLSV 7KDL FKLOOL DQG IORZHUV

PRO CHEF

Avocado pit INGREDIENTS ̽ J DYRFDGR ̽ PO OHPRQ MXLFH ̽ PO 7DEDVFR ̽ VDOW DQG SHSSHU ̽ FKLOOL SRZGHU ̽ FRFRD EXWWHU ̽ EURZQ FRORXULQJ ̽ \HOORZ GRN NHP QHHGOH IORZHU

METHOD 0L[ ͤUVW ͤYH LQJUHGLHQWV LQ D EOHQGHU XQWLO VPRRWK DQG VHDVRQ WR WDVWH 3DVV WKURXJK D ͤQH FKLQRLV DQG SODFH LQWR PROGV LQ WKH VKDSH RI DQ DYRFDGR SLW )UHH]H 0HOW WKH FRFRD EXWWHU DQG PL[ ZLWK EURZQ FRORXULQJ :KHQ DW URRP WHPSHUDWXUH GLS WKH IUR]HQ DYRFDGR SXUHH WR FRDW DQG OHW FRRO 'HIURVW LQ WKH FKLOOHU DQG SODWH ZLWK DYRFDGR VNLQ VKDYHG DYRFDGR DQG \HOORZ GRN NHP

Egg flan with Thai flavours (Serves 6) INGREDIENTS ̽ J SHFDQV ̽ PO ZDWHU ̽ J VXJDU ̽ J FRFRD EXWWHU ̽ J RUDQJH FRORXULQJ ̽ J SXPSNLQ ̽ PO PLON ̽ PO FUHDP ̽ YDQLOOD EHDQ

̽ J GDUN EURZQ VXJDU ̽ J VXJDU ̽ PO PLON ̽ HJJ \RONV ̽ PO SXPSNLQ FUHDP ̽ J [DQWKDP JXP ̽ J VXJDU ̽ J JOXFRVH ̽ PO FUHDP ̽ J EXWWHU

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ͤQH FKLQRLV RYHU LFH 6WLU FRQVWDQWO\ ZKLOH FRROLQJ :KHQ FROG PL[ LQ SXPSNLQ FUHDP DQG [DQWKDP JXP DQG ͤOO WKH 'XRVLO + HJJ PROGV )UHH]H XQPROG DQG VWRUH LQ WKH IUHH]HU 2QH DW D WLPH SRNH ZLWK D VNHZHU DQG FDUHIXOO\ GLS LQWR WKH FRFRD EXWWHU VSLQQLQJ WKUHH WLPHV &DUDPHOLVH WKH VXJDU DQG JOXFRVH WRJHWKHU XQWLO UHDFKLQJ D EORQGH FDUDPHO $GG WKH KRW FUHDP DQG ERLO ZLWKRXW VWRSSLQJ WR VWLU &RRN XQWLO & .HHS URRP WHPSHUDWXUH DQG VWRUH LQ D VTXHH]H ERWWOH

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

77

PRO CHEF

Warm baby pea veloutĂŠ, garden colours, perilla leaf and squash flower (Serves 6) INGREDIENTS Ě˝ J VKHOOHG SHDV Ě˝ VPDOO VKDOORW FKRSSHG Ě˝ WEVS H[WUD YLUJLQ ROLYH RLO Ě˝ FO ZDWHU Ě˝ J IOHXU GH VHO Ě˝ EDE\ FDUURWV Ě˝ PLJQRQV FKHUU\ WRPDWRHV Ě˝ VOLFH \HOORZ VTXDVK Ě˝ PLQL FRXUJHWWHV Ě˝ SLQN UDGLVKHV Ě˝ SHHOHG EDE\ IDYD EHDQV Ě˝ SXUSOH FDXOLIORZHU Ě˝ PLQL WXUQLSV Ě˝ PLQL EHHWURRWV Ě˝ WEVS H[WUD YLUJLQ ROLYH RLO Ě˝ SLQFK IOHXU GH VHO Ě˝ DPDUDQWK SHULOOD OHDYHV Ě˝ GULHG VTXDVK IORZHUV Ě˝ PLPRVD IORZHUV YHUEHQD IORZHUV YHUEHQD OHDYHV EDVLO VSULJV

A Monaco medley Chef Paolo Sari at Elsa restaurant in Monte-Carlo Beach in Monaco has made special recipes to accompany the season. In his sun-drenched restaurant, he insists on 100% organic for everything that comes into the kitchen. A healthy mind in a healthy body guides his daily culinary practice, starting with the careful selection of products, vegetables, fruits and herbs provided by farmers from neighbouring villages such as Saint-Jeannet, which Chef Sari visits daily.

78

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

METHOD )RU WKH EDE\ SHD YHORXW JHQWO\ VDXW WKH FKRSSHG VKDOORW LQ WKH ROLYH RLO $GG WKH SHDV IROORZHG VKRUWO\ E\ WKH ZDWHU DQG VDOW %ULQJ WR D ERLO WKHQ UHGXFH WKH KHDW DQG FRRN IRU WHQ PLQXWHV %OHQG DQG NHHS ZDUP :DVK WKH YHJHWDEOHV SHHO WKH FDUURWV DQG ͤQHO\ VOLFH WKH VTXDVK 6OLFH WKH FRXUJHWWH LQWR IRXU OHQJWKZLVH 6OLFH WKH WXUQLSV UDGLVKHV DQG EHHWURRW %ODQFK WKH YHJHWDEOHV LQ ERLOLQJ ZDWHU IRU D PLQXWH WKHQ VDXW ZLWK VRPH H[WUD YLUJLQ ROLYH RLO VDOW DQG SHSSHU IRU D PLQXWH /DGOH WKH YHORXW LQWR D VKDOORZ SODWH SODFLQJ WKH YHJHWDEOHV DFFRUGLQJ WR TXDOLW\ DQG FRORXU &RPSOHWH ZLWK WKH OHDYHV DQG IORZHUV

PRO CHEF

Soufflé Elsa with Sicily almonds, in all simplicity (Serves 4) INGREDIENTS ̽ PO PLON ̽ J VZHHW DOPRQGV ͤQHO\ FKRSSHG ̽ ZKROH HJJ ̽ HJJ \RON ̽ J FRUQ VWDUFK ̽ J IORXU ̽ GURSV ELWWHU DOPRQG H[WUDFW ̽ J HJJ ZKLWH ̽ J VXJDU ̽ J FRUQ VWDUFK METHOD )RU WKH EDVH LQ D ERZO PL[ WRJHWKHU WKH IORXU FRUQ VWDUFK DOPRQG SRZGHU HJJ DQG HJJ \RON %ULQJ WKH PLON WR D ERLO ZLWK WKH DOPRQG H[WUDFW WKHQ JUDGXDOO\ SRXU WKH PLON LQWR D ERZO ZLWK WKH RWKHU LQJUHGLHQWV VWLUULQJ FRQWLQXRXVO\ 3ODFH WKLV RQ WKH VWRYH FRRNLQJ DW PRGHUDWH KHDW IRU WHQ PLQXWHV 5HPRYH IURP WKH VWRYH DQG DOORZ WR FRRO %HDW WKH HJJ ZKLWHV XQWLO ͤUP ZLWK VXJDU DQG FRUQ VWDUFK WKHQ LQFRUSRUDWH WKH HJJ ZKLWHV WR WKH ͤUVW PL[WXUH GHOLFDWHO\ IROGLQJ ZLWK D VSDWXOD XVLQJ DQ XS DQG GRZQ PRYHPHQW *UHDVH IRXU VRXIIO« PROGV ZLWK EXWWHU DQG FRDW ZLWK VXJDU 3RXU WKH PL[WXUH LQWR WKH PRXOGV DQG VPRRWK WKH WRS &RRN LQ D SUHKHDWHG RYHU DW & IRU PLQXWHV ZLWKRXW RSHQLQJ WKH RYHQ GRRU &RYHU ZLWK SRZGHUHG FRFRD DQG LFLQJ VXJDU DQG VHUYH LPPHGLDWHO\

Filet of raw San Remo red shrimp, mini fennel, bergamot and herbes de Provence fragrance (Serves 4) INGREDIENTS ̽ 6DQ 5HPR UHG VKULPS ̽ GURSV RI EHUJDPRW ROLYH RLO ̽ GURS H[WUD YLUJLQ ROLYH RLO ̽ ]HVW RI OLPH ̽ VDOW DQG SHSSHU ̽ PLQL IHQQHOV ̽ ERUDJH IORZHUV ̽ VNLQOHVV JUDSHIUXLW VHJPHQWV ̽ J FDYLDU METHOD 6KHOO WKH VKULPSV UHPRYLQJ ͤUVW WKH KHDGV WKHQ YHU\ GHOLFDWHO\ WKH VKHOO VR DV QRW WR EUHDN WKHP &XW HDFK VKULPS LQ WZR OHQJWKZLVH SODFLQJ EHWZHHQ WZR VKHHWV RI FHOORSKDQH ZUDS DQG GHOLFDWHO\ VSUHDG 3ODFH WKH VKULPS RYHU WKH SODWHV XVLQJ \RXU ͤQJHUV WR HQWLUHO\ FRYHU WKH ERWWRP RI WKH SODWH $UUDQJH RQ D SODWH ZLWK VDOW SHSSHU EHUJDPRW RLO ROLYH RLO DQG OLPH ]HVW 6HW DVLGH WKH \RXQJ IHQQHO JUHHQ WRSV :DVK IHQQHO DQG WKLQO\ VOLFH OHQJWKZLVH 3ODFH WKH VOLFHV LQ FKLOOHG ZDWHU WR NHHS WKHP FUXQFK\ &XW HDFK JUDSHIUXLW VHJPHQW LQWR WKUHH DQG SODFH RQ WRS RI WKH VKULPS $GG WKH IHQQHO VOLFHV DQG ERUDJH IORZHUV WKHQ WRS ZLWK WKH FDYLDU DQG IHQQHO WRSV

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

79

PRO CHEF

Sleeping with Godzilla G

ranted official residency and made tourism ambassador of the Shinjuku district in central Tokyo, Godzilla has made a move into the hospitality industry, staring as the main attraction at the themed Hotel Gracery, which opened last month (April).

Located in central Kabukicho, guests are now able to sleep under a skylight, looking up at the 12 metre high, 80 tonne model of the monster’s head that roars and breathes smoke.

While the hotel offers regular rooms for $125 per night, those keen to see Godzilla

80

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

up close can opt for themed rooms, that boast views of the statue, an in-room Godzilla model, over-bed giant claws, movie posters, memorabilia and more, for between $334 to $417 a night. Guests are also able to get close up on the outside viewing deck.

Originally made as a movie in 1958 to highlight atrocities caused during the nuclear bombings of World War II on two Japanese cities, Godzilla has since gone on to appear in 28 more by the Toho Co, Ltd Cinema Company, which has revealed it is set to release another in 2016.

A great mustard is all about the right balance.

Unlike other mustards, we’ve had 200 years to perfect our recipes.

SMS “COLMAN’S” to +971-56-3902833 to receive your free Colman’s gift*

ufs.com

*This campaign is for UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and KSA markets only.

ISSUE 35

MAY 2015

WWW.HOSPITALITYBUSINESSME.COM ISSUE 35 MAY 2015

Double the key count, double the opportunity HOTELS TO COME

MANAGING RISK

CUSTOMER DRIVEN STRATEGY