Hotel News ME - December 2014

THE PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE FOR THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY DECEMBER 2014 | WWW.HOTELNEWSME.COM

Family Fortunes

How to grab your hotel’s fair share of a global family travel market worth a whopping US$140 billion

INVESTMENT HOTSPOTS

Middle East and Indian Ocean top the list

CAPITAL GAINS

Abu Dhabi hotel market picks up

AJMAN’S AMBITIONS

Emirate’s GMs reveal business strategies

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HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

EDITOR'S LETTER CASHING IN ON THE FAMILY TRAVEL BOOM

WHY HOTELS THAT GET THEIR OFFERING SPOT ON WILL REAP A STRONG RETURN ON INVESTMENT

O

ur December issue ends the year on a high note, looking at ways the region’s hotels and resorts can cash in on one of the fastest-growing global leisure markets; family travel.

This month’s cover story, ‘Family fortunes’, not only reiterates how leisure travel is fast outpacing business travel, but stresses how family holidays are driving this growth, already worth more than 12.5% of the US$1.07 trillion world tourism market.

Some of the Gulf region’s most highprofile destinations, primarily the UAE, have made clear its aggressive targets for attracting more families to their shores.

High-profile infrastructure developments, from theme parks to mega malls and dedicated entertainment islands support these ambitious strategies.

But as governments forge ahead with big picture projects with families in mind, the region’s hotel industry must take a hard look at its own offering to ensure it can cater to current and new source markets, meeting a wide range of cultural expectations.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and of late, Ajman, all offer high-quality resorts with a comprehensive range of kids’ facilities, which cater well to affluent families. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company hits the spot with its globally renowned The Ritz Kids programme, while other hotel operators such as

Jumeirah and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) give kids the five-star treatment, providing a range of services from tailored menus to in-room amenities.

The industry also needs to start rolling out more affordable accommodation too – a priority already outlined by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

And with GCC families in mind, which represents 68% of all Gulf travel, hotels need more inter-connecting rooms, say travel agents and tour operators. The growth in this lucrative market is also driving business for spacious serviced apartments.

This has led Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East and Africa (MEA) to launch a new dedicated family-friendly brand, Millennium Executive Apartments, with the first property set to open in Muscat early next year. The concept is pitched as a 'home away from home' with more planned for other city centres.

All this is food for thought as the industry gets set to enter 2015, when family travel will continue its growth trajectory and provide even more opportunities for the region’s savviest hotel groups.

GEMMA GREENWOOD Consulting Editor

THE FAMILY IS HERE; ARE YOU READY?

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DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

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CONTENTS

hot topics 08 | NEWS ROUND UP A SUMMARY OF REGIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS 22 | THE PANEL AS LUXURY HOTEL SUPPLY INCREASES HOTEL MANAGERS IN AJMAN DISCUSS HOW TO SAFEGUARD BUSINESS 52 | MEET THE EXPERTS HOSPITALITY SPECIALIST VIEWS 50 | TAKE 10 THE BEST SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES FOR HOTELIERS

features 30 | FAMILY FORTUNES TRAVEL, HOSPITALITY AND CHILDCARE PROFESSIONALS DISCUSS THE CRUCIAL STEPS TO GET THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE TRAVEL MARKET

30 08

42 | HOT SPOTS HOT SPOTS FOR HOTEL INVESTORS

50 page 42

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DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

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CONTENTS

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38 | ABU DHABI REPORT AN OVERVIEW OF ABU DHABI’S NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND GOALS

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HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

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REGIONAL NEWS

NEWS

WHO SAID THAT?

“THIS YEAR WE ARE LOOKING INTO EXPANDING OUR FOCUS TO INCLUDE LUCRATIVE MARKETS SUCH AS AUSTRALIA, INDIA AND LATIN AMERICA" HOLGER SCHROTH, GENERAL

Halal and MICE tourism on Abu Dhabi’s agenda Abu Dhabi hopes to carve a niche for females at mainline attractions.”

The UAE capital’s competitive in the Halal and MICE tourism secTCA Abu Dhabi is already work- room rates, with the average currenttors in a bid to meet its ambitious ing with One-To-One The Village; ly hovering at AED 409 (US$112), hotel guest targets going forward. the Ayla Hotel in Al Ain, and in the was a major contributing factor to “Our 2015 programme, aimed at city, the Hala Arjaan by Rotana and the emirate winning more conferhelping to deliver out 3.5 million Cristal Hotel, all of which are all now ence bids, said Al Dhaheri. hotel guest target for the year, con- listed on the website www.halalbook“Accommodation pricing is a key tains a healthy mix of leisure and ing com in a bid to test the water for deciding factor in securing MICE MICE promotions as well as spe- Halal tourism. business and we are making considcific initiatives to service the golf and Key industry stakeholders includ- erable headway in this area,” he said. burgeoning Recent wins inHalal travel clude the 14th Intersectors,” renational Conference "WE SEE SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL IN THE vealed Abu on Greenhouse Gas HALAL TRAVEL SEGMENT AS WE CAN MEET Dhabi TourTechnology (2018) SPECIFIC MUSLIM DEMANDS" ism & Culand the World Road ture AuthorCongress (2019), he ity (TCA noted.

Abu Dhabi) acting executive director ing hotels, attractions and inbound Al Dhaheri was speaking as TCA tourism, Sultan Al Dhaheri. tour operators are also being encour- Abu Dhabi released its latest ho“We see significant potential in aged to package together Halal and tel performance data for January the Halal travel segment as we can post-Haj and post-Umrah breaks. to September end, which revealed meet specific Muslim demands on a TCA Abu Dhabi also remains 2,498,672 guests checked into the number of fronts – Halal F&B and committed to attracting more MICE emirate’s accommodation during the family and gender-specific products. business as a means of reaching its period. It means Abu Dhabi is well We also have a number of alcohol- hotel guest targets of 4.9 million by on track to meet its 3.1 million guest free hotels and segmented sessions 2020 and 7.9 million by 2030. target for 2014, said Al Dhaheri.

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HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

MANAGER, EMIRATES PALACE

GO FIGURE

20 MILLION

ANNUAL VISITOR NUMBERS EXPECTED AT YAS MALL

5th

DUBAI'S RANKING ON 'MOST VISITED CITIES LIST' IN THE 2014 MASTERCARD GLOBAL DESTINATION CITIES INDEX

$1.16 bn ABU DHABI'S HOTEL REVENUES FROM JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER END, 2014

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DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

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REGIONAL NEWS

GERALD LAWLESS, PRESIDENT & CEO, JUMEIRAH

Expansion plans for Jumeirah Beach Hotel will soon be given the go ahead. They will include a 350-room luxury resort and private beach, to be completed in 2018.

GO FIGURE

4,000

"We expect very soon to be able to submit detailed plans to the municipality"

WHO SAID THAT?

"THE NUMBER OF GUESTS SEEKING FINESSE AND FUNCTIONALITY AT REASONABLE RATES

THE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL HOTEL ROOMS COMING ONLINE IN OMAN BETWEEN 2015 AND 2016, ACCORDING TO AN ARABIAN HOTEL INVESTMENT CONFERENCE REPORT

WILL INCREASE. THEY WILL OPT FOR MODERN AND STYLISH

100

HOTELS OVER LUXURIOUS ONES” OMER KADDOURI, PRESIDENT & CEO, ROTANA

THE NUMBER OF ROOMS AT THE CRISTAL ERBIL HOTEL, IRAQ, WHICH IS DUE TO OPEN IN 2016

OMAN'S ADR

7.6% THE ADR INCREASE AT OMAN'S HOTELS IN THE YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 2014 (COMPARED TOTHE SAME PERIOD IN 2013) TO US$200 (SOURCE: STR)

Oman Air encourages hotels to join stopover scheme Oman Air encouraged the sultanate's hotels to take part in its new stopover programme, which offers its passengers affordable room rates.

“If hotels could invest in five rooms per night in our stopover hotels scheme, it would make a big difference,” said the carrier's chief operating officer, Abdulrahman al-Busaidy.

Studio M taps into Gen Y needs Millennials are a more influential in the Middle East than in any other region globally, a report by Viacom has revealed.

Around the world, Generation Y’s average of the total population is 34%, compared to 48% in the Middle East.

It’s a market Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East and Africa (MEA) is tapping into with its new hotel brand, Studio M. Specifically targeting Millennials, the concept will be debuted in Riydah, Saudi Arabia, where almost two-thirds of the population is aged 29 and under – a market demanding value-for-money accommodation with enhanced technology capabilities, according to Millennium & Copthorne Hotels 10

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

MEA president and CEO, Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi.

“In Riyadh, budget hotels account for just 10% of existing supply and only 1,000 rooms in the pipeline, compared to 7,000 for the upscale to luxury segments,” he said. “We therefore see tremendous potential for a contemporary budget brand.”

Millennials in the region had become very “tech savvy”, underscoring the importance of hotels providing “a range of technology that adheres to the wants and needs of this market”, he added.

Riyadh’s 145-key Studio M will open in Q2, 2015, offering “tech-driven functionality”.

Locations for addition Studio M properties have been identified in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Al Khobar and Jeddah.

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REGIONAL NEWS - SPOTLIGHT ON QATAR

WHO SAID THAT?

“QATAR'S HOTEL BUSINESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN BEEN GOVERNMENT LED; NOW THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MARKET THE DESTINATION TO THE LEISURE SECTOR” CHIHEB BENMAHMOUD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT – HEAD OF HOTEL & HOSPITALITY MEA, JONES LANG LASALLE (JLL)

GO FIGURE

10,964 THE NUMBER OF HOTEL ROOMS UNDER CONTRACT FOR QATAR AS OF SEPTEMBER 2014 (SOURCE: STR GLOBAL)

50% THE STAKE QATAR'S KATARA HOSPITALITY HAS TAKEN IN ICONIC LONDON HOTEL, THE SAVOY, IN A JV WITH FAIRMONT RAFFLES HOTELS

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Hotel openings pick up in Qatar November marked a month of several prolific hotel announcements for Qatar, which is ramping up its inventory well ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Gulf state’s investment wheels were also turning at a fast pace, with several high-profile international hotel announcements made.

Qatar’s Katara Hospitality led the way, revealing plans to acquire a 50% stake in London’s iconic property, The Savoy Hotel.

In a joint-venture with the property’s operator, Fairmont Raffles Hotels, Katara purchased the this prime piece of real estate on the banks of the River Thames, from Lloyds Banking Group for an undisclosed sum.

Meanwhile, an emerging Dohabased hospitality development firm, Al Rayyan Hospitality (ARH), unveiled several “world-class resorts” at last month’s World Travel Market (WTM) in London.

In Qatar, the new Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara will soon

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

open as an “idyllic 32-acre holiday retreat” with Maldives style over-water villas and featuring the first wellness centre in a Middle East resort.

ARH is also developing the region’s largest beach resort – the 362room waterfront Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas, located on 257 acres of prime coastline in southwest Qatar; as well as the Al Messila Resort & VIP Spa, comprising a five-star 120-room hotel, 30 luxury villas and what it claims will be “the largest and most luxurious spa in Qatar”.

To date, ARH has already developed the eight Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels and recently restored the Adria Boutique Hotel, in South Kensington, London.

Meanwhile, Spanish hotel group, Meliá Hotels International, has revealed plans to operate its first property in Qatar.

Melia Doha, the firm’s third hotel in the Gulf, will open in January 2015, after a management agreement was signed with developer Tamni-

yat Qatar Real Estate Investment.

Housed in the 41-floor Bin Samikh Tower, located in Doha’s prestigious West Bay district, the five-star property will feature 280 rooms and 37 suites, a wide range of F&B outlets, separate spas for men and women, pools, and a gym.

“The Arabian Gulf is a natural focus for the expansion of luxury hotel brands, and Qatar, a growing influence in the world, will be an exceptional location for business and for our positioning as a leading hotel management company,” explained Meliá Hotels International CEO and vice chairman Gabriel Escarrer.

The Spanish company already manages Meliá Dubai, with a second property set to open in the emirate in 2016.

Kempinski Hotels and Resorts will open its second hotel in Qatar this month – The Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl, Doha (pictured).

The 281-room resort is group’s seventh property in the Gulf region.

DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

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WORLD NEWS

No reviews, no bookings Nearly half of travel bookers (49%) won’t book a stay at a hotel and 31% of diners will avoid eating at a restaurant if customer reviews of both are not available.

Those were the startling figures on booking behaviour revealed by global rating and reviews provider, Feefo.

Three-quarters of people now expect to be able to leave a review and more than 80% of holiday shoppers say they are influenced by customer reviews, according to Matt Eames, the sales and marketing director at the firm, which offers feedback services to some of the world’s top brands.

"In the past, you had people leaving reviews that had a polar view; they were either delighted or really angry and they left them

Carl Michel, Executive Chairman, Generator Hostels, talks about the potential of the 'poshtel' market in the UK in the latest WTM Global Trends Report 2014, compiled by Euromonitor International.

"It [the poshtel concept] highlights the desire to have a more differentiated offering – it’s not about being the absolute cheapest anymore," he says.

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HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

GO FIGURE

WHO SAID THAT? “A MID-MARKET HOTEL IN SINGAPORE ACHIEVES $50 PER NIGHT; A MIDMARKET HOTEL IN THE MALDIVES WILL ACHIEVE DOUBLE OR MORE; THESE WILL BE THE MOST EXPENSIVE THREE-STAR RESORTS IN THE WORLD” SCOTT HETHERINGTON, CEO, JONES LANG LASALLE'S HOTELS & HOSPITALITY DIVISION, ASIA

£60 mn

"The term ‘poshtel’ identifies the lifestyle hostels that have sprung up, as distinct from the more basic hostels"

THE AMOUNT BEING SECURED BY ROCCO FORTE TO DOUBLE THE SIZE OF ITS BUSINESS BY 2020

$1bn THE AMOUNT IN US DOLLARS THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP (IHG) IS LOOKING TO SECURE FOR THE SALE OF THE INTERCONTINENTAL HONG KONG

by letter, phone or email,” said Eames, speaking at last month’s World Travel Market. “Now it's so easy that people expect it."

Eames also stressed the importance of having a two-way conversation with customers who in general, are happy to come back to a business that responds to reviews and deals with issues.

He was speaking alongside panellists from media agency Mindshare and video production firm Devil Boy, both of whom advised travel and hospitality firms to think about Generation Y and how they book travel and consume media.

Take-home tips included integrating the use of video into your content marketing strategy, across all disciplines.

ASIA PACIFIC

180bn THE ANTICIPATED VALUE IN US DOLLARS OF ONLINE TRAVEL SALES IN ASIA PACIFIC BY 2018, DOUBLING FROM $90BN IN 2013

Online travel sales boom strongest in Asia Pacific Global online travel sales amounted to $590 billion in 2013, 27% of total travel sales, according to the recent WTM Global Trends Report 2014.

Asia Pacific is expected to drive global growth, with its online travel sales set to double from S$90 billion in 2013 to $180 billion in 2018.

Mobile bookings are expected to reach 35% of worldwide online travel bookings by 2018, the report said.

EXPERT VIEW

"MID- LEVEL MANAGEMENT CANDIDATES, IN PARTICULAR, FIND IT HARD TO TRAVEL TO INTERVIEWS DURING NORMAL WORKING HOURS."

Recruitment, get on with it!

Piers Burton, executive director at boutique executive search firm Eagles Spearing Consulting, explains how a few considerations could greatly enhance the productivity of the recruitment process.

I

t is fairly standard in the game of recruitment for a client to contact a search firm with an urgent requirement. Urgency is the state in which we operate. One of their managers may have resigned or been relocated, or perhaps they may have chosen to strengthen their team with the creation of a new management position. I will quickly gather as much pertinent information as the client can provide, brief my team as to the level of experience required by any identified candidates and the remuneration on offer, and start the search as quickly as possible.

So far, so good, but from hereon a number of problems start to kick-in which, if managed more efficiently, could seriously enhance the productivity of the recruitment process by companies across the GCC, resulting in a considerably enhanced talent pool. To be fair, many companies are really well prepared and the process runs pretty smoothly, but with many others the problems that commonly arise include: Job Descriptions - very often I find that these fundamental documents are ‘being reviewed’ and can’t be made available until have been signed off. Whilst I am always able to share a general scope of the duties and responsibilities that the role will entail, serious candidates tend to be much more motivated by an opportunity if the job description is available and the context of the position in the company clearly mapped out.

Delays - having presented candidates for possible interview there is often a two or three week gap in feedback from the client. During this time my team works to keep those candidates positive and engaged

in the process, but delays often hint of a dysfunctional culture and inevitably some (usually the more serious ones) will lose interest and move on to other opportunities.

Interview Scheduling – mid-level management candidates, in particular, find it hard to travel to interviews during normal working hours. However, many HR departments seem determined that this is when interviews must be scheduled, thus causing further delays whist the candidate finds a way to make herself available or allowing the process to grind to a halt altogether due to programming difficulties.

Remuneration bearing in mind that the best candidates tend to be the ones who are settled in good roles in a good companies, the motive to move often stems from what remuneration is on offer elsewhere.

We all appreciate that money isn’t everything, but it is definitely the main factor with which to attract the level of talent a company is looking for. Whilst I always work hard to represent an opportunity from a career development perspective, it is very difficult to generate real interest in a candidate to move if the money isn’t compelling. All too often, when the preferred candidate has been selected and an offer letter prepared, the remuneration isn’t persuasive enough and creates negativity with a candidate who has been courted through the interview process and led to expect just reward for the role that he or she is being selected for.

As a consultant working with a portfolio of 20 plus companies at any time I am well placed to advise some of them to “Get on with it”!

The delays, which arise in what are usually urgent assignments, clearly reduce the chances of many companies to secure the best candidates available, which is surely detrimental to their future performance?

DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

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BUDGET HOTELS

RUSSEL SHARPE, COO OF CITYMAX HOTELS.

Project pipeline Russel Sharpe, COO of Citymax Hotels discusses winning the best budget hotel award and of things yet to come with the chain's progressive pipeline plans

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HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

BUDGET HOTELS

C

ongratulations on winning the best budget hotel award at the Tatweej Academy for Excellence Awards, to which factors would you credit the success of receiving this award?

Thank you, I believe that one of the reasons we won this award is that our offering is very transparent and that appeals to voters.

Citymax Hotels is honest, no-frills accommodation, at affordable prices. Winning a renowned award like this is an endorsement of quality from the voters. 2014 has been a year of recognition for Citymax Hotels as, in addition to the Tatweej Award, we also won Best Price Value Hotel at the MENA Travel Awards and Middle East’s Leading Budget Hotel Brand at the World Travel Awards.

rently 50% of our business originates from Eastern Europe and South Asia, which we expect to continue. In the future, I believe that Citymax Hotels will receive travelers from all over the globe.

You recently announced plans to open three new properties within the region by 2017, why is now the right time to expand the portfolio?

Historically, the UAE as a destination has been synonymous with luxury. More than 50% of the existing 85,000 hotel rooms in Dubai are in the upscale segment. Only seven international budget hotel brands are currently present in Dubai, representing less than 15% of the accommodation segment.

In other parts of the world that number

Citymax represents a budget brand, what potential is there for this type of property in the region and how will your upcoming properties cater to pent-up demand?

As a tourist destination, Dubai’s vision is to double the number of visitors from now until 2020. To meet this target, Dubai will have to start catering to guests on a tighter budget. Clearly, among 10 million additional visitors, the majority will not have the wallet to stay in upscale hotels.

Now, with mid-market hotel development high on the agenda for both government and private sectors alike, there is very real development frenzy. Within the last year, Dubai has received 151 applications for three and four-star hotels with a total of 25,000 rooms.

"WITH MID-MARKET HOTEL DEVELOPMENT HIGH ON THE AGENDA FOR BOTH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTORS ALIKE, THERE IS VERY REAL DEVELOPMENT FRENZY AND CITYMAX HOTELS WELCOMES THE COMPETITION" How many hotels do you currently operate in the UAE and how are they performing?

We currently operate three Citymax Hotels located in Al Barsha, Bur Dubai and Sharjah. All hotels have enjoyed consistently high occupancy rates in 2014 with an average of 90% plus occupancy.

What are the key factors driving demand and occupancies at your properties and what are your source markets for business?

Guests choose Citymax Hotels because we offer quality hospitality at affordable prices.

What distinguishes Citymax from other three-star hotels is the variety and high quality of the in-house restaurants and bars. We offer additional services, which one would generally only get in a high-end hotel such as 24-hour room service, full concierge services, full buffet breakfast, complimentary tea and coffee in your room, complimentary beach and shopping centre shuttles, full gym facility and swimming pool access.

The fact that we are able to provide these above three-star-level services at very affordable prices without compensating on quality, places Citymax Hotels in a different bracket to your standard midmarket hotel.

Over the past couple of years, we have seen a steady flow of tourists from South Asia, the Far East, the GCC and Eastern Europe. Cur-

would be about 33%. Consequently, additional rooms are much needed in the threestar category, which is why Citymax Hotels is expanding its portfolio within the UAE. What are the details of the new properties?

The three new properties are planned in Al Barsha, Business Bay, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. All are in varying stages of construction and scheduled for completion by 2017. This will bring the total inventory to around 2,000 rooms, within the next 3 years, with further properties close to the finalisation of lease agreement in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. The locations have been chosen with existing, future tourists and business travellers’ preferences in mind.

What happens from 2017 onwards in terms of your ongoing expansion strategy?

Our expansion plans are in line with our business objectives and not just in response to Expo 2020 Dubai. We plan to open new hotels based on market demand and dynamics.

What areas of the UAE and the region will be your target going forward and why?

We are looking towards Abu Dhabi and Fujairah within the Emirates and also the GCC. These could be a mix of own and operate and the Manchise model.

This expansion is a necessity due to the 2020 vision and the ever-increasing number of tourists. Citymax Hotels welcomes the competition. Our business model is well established and has proven successful with consistently high room-occupancy rates.

Which factors would you say are driving demand for more budget and mid-scale hotels across the UAE?

The 2020 vision, Expo 2020 Dubai and the increased presence of budget airlines such as Flydubai and Air Arabia, as well as the opening of Dubai World Central airport are all factors.

How has Expo 2020 Dubai impacted your business development strategy?

In order to succeed as a mid-market hotel brand leading up to, and after, 2020, I believe that you need to differentiate yourself in order to attract sustained local patronage in addition to overseas guests.

Citymax guests spend less on room rates, which allows them the choice of spending more on dining. We have succeeded in carving a niche in the dining-out market in Dubai for our restaurants and bars to exist as independent brands. They have become household names in the local community.

This is one of the secrets to our success.

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FACE TO FACE

A SENSE OF PLACE

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FACE TO FACE

Kiaran MacDonald, managing director at The Savoy, explains how the iconic London hotel is piquing the interest of the next generation of Middle East travellers

E

very summer London’s prestigious Knightsbridge and Park Lane hotels are packed to the rafters with affluent GCC guests.

These luxury properties, which crucially are within walking distance of some of the city’s shopping hotspots, from Harrods and Harvey Nichols on Brompton Road, to a plethora of high street names and top-end brands lining Oxford and Bond Streets, have become a home-away-from-home for many families from the region.

But times are changing with a wave of both established and brand new iconic properties commanding other sought-after locations in the UK capital generating curiosity amongst the GCC travel set.

The Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London – the UK’s first elevated property spanning several levels of what is to date, Western Europe’s tallest building – has certainly put London’s vibrant South Bank area on the radar as an alternative to Mayfair.

But giving this new landmark a run for its money is one of the UK capital’s oldest and most iconic luxury properties, The Savoy.

Established in 1889, the hotel, located between the River Thames and The Strand, recently underwent a £220 million (US$352 million) overhaul.

It reopened its doors in October 2010 after extensive structural upgrades and a re-

furbishment true to its Edwardian and Art Deco roots, which have served to further enhance the hotel’s 'sense of glamour', for which it has always been renowned, according to The Savoy managing director Kiaran MacDonald.

“When you walk into The Savoy, you know you have arrived,” he says. “The Savoy is a destination in its own right and that sense of glamour and arrival is unique; there are not many hotels that can attest to that.”

He says the property offers a “unique experience” that transcends all guest age groups and nationality, with the hotel’s restaurants and bars playing an integral role in this awe-inspiring impact.

“We have always been known for our breadth of F&B offering and since our reopening we have further elevated the experiences we offer,” he says. “You go to these places because so much is happening.”

The Savoy’s F&B offering includes Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill, launched in May 2013; Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill and the British institution, Simpson’s-InThe-Strand. Guests can also take afternoon tea in the Thames Foyer, then move to the American Bar for a 1920s cocktail, or enjoy champagne and cabaret in the theatrical Beaufort Bar. “There is only one Savoy,” says MacDonald. “We are not traditional in an old-

fashioned sense, but a rejuvenated icon that appeals to multiple generations.

“We are a classic period building with lots of modernity that speaks to a younger clientele.”

Location, location, location

But when it comes to The Savoy’s top selling point, it has to be its location, on the bank of the River Thames, says MacDonald.

“No other hotel offers such spectacular views from its suites,” he argues. “As soon as guests look out of their window, they get a sense of place; it’s a spectacular living breathing view. The view from the suites at The Shard (Shangri-La) are arguably more panoramic but they offer a binocular view.”

He acknowledges the Middle East market is not particularly au fait with The Savoy’s location, but says the tide is slowly turning.

“We have found there are clients [from the Middle East] who now want to be away from the madding crowd (Knightsbridge and Park Lane),” MacDonald reveals.

“The younger generation is branching out and wants to discover its own holiday destination, and I think the area where The Savoy is located offers far more than some other parts of London.”

He notes the property’s close proximity to the new improved Covent Garden as a “real revelation”.

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FACE TO FACE

“The area has gone through a real metamorphosis and now many luxury brands and signature bars and restaurants have stationed themselves there,” he explains.

“We are also in the epicentre of cultural London with ‘Theatreland’ and many galleries.”

MacDonald believes the next-generation of Middle East travellers will be more interested in this aspect of The Savoy’s location, thanks to projects such as Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island, which will introduce the region’s youth to a world-class arts scene.

orous' restaurants and bars have tremendous appeal to Middle East travellers.

MacDonald also highlights The Savoy’s suite offering (73 in total) served by a team of 28 butlers, its airport transfer service, river excursions, private access to galleries, plus its 12 Arabic-speaking staff members who work in roles ranging from front office to butler, as additional draw cards.

There are also plans afoot to invest in further property enhancements, he reveals.

“We have an exciting vision for doing something on the roof of The Savoy given its position overlooking the river and boasting panoramic views of London; nowhere else can offer that,” he says. “We are also looking at our suites and how we can position them with point of distinction.”

Improvements under consideration include adding kitchen facilities to give guests “independence”, which would suit visitors from the Gulf who tend to stay in London for a long period over the summer months.

MacDonald says in-room iPads are also on the list of must-adds, because tablet devices are “almost an expectation” and it would be a “nice amenity to have in the room”.

Luxury of the future

THE SAVOY WAS OVERHAULED BEFORE REOPENING IN 2010.

“Historically we have always had a small percentage of business from the Middle East, compared to hotels in some other parts of London,” he continues.

“Since reopening we have seen a significant increase in business, with many families coming over and experimenting with hotels in other areas of London, although our numbers are still insignificant compared to those at properties in Hyde Park etc. The good news is that with new luxury hotels opening in other parts of the city, there is greater awareness of what these areas have to offer.”

Points of difference

Of course, The Savoy’s reputation, impeccable service and its aforementioned 'glam20

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

With The Savoy pinning its hopes on the young high-net-worth Gulf travellers for a new source of business, MacDonald is mindful that like any hotel, he must consider what tomorrow’s luxury guest will demand from their hotel experience.

“My view is that luxury will always have a place in our world and our existence, but peoples’ appreciation of luxury will continue to gravitate towards authenticity,” he says.

“It’s also about making sure we provide guests with the experience they want rather than what we impose on them.”

MacDonald says The Savoy is already altering its arrival experience where, rather than line up, check in and be escorted to their rooms for an orientation, guests are allowed to decide what they would like to do.

“Most guests arriving at hotel want space; they want to go to their room and unwind and relax before they do anything else,” he says.

“Others, particularly at The Savoy, want to stop in the lobby and take it all in.

“But whatever, the guest preference, our service needs to be measured, thoughtful, relevant and above all, intuitive.”

DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

21

THE PANEL

AJMAN

AMBITIONS

Hotels News ME asked hotel managers in Ajman what steps should be taken to safeguard business as the supply of luxury hotels in the emirate increases

The analysts

FERGHAL PURCELL, GENERAL MANAGER, THE AJMAN PALACE HOTEL, MANAGED BY HMH – HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS

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HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

HENNY SCHAEFFER, GENERAL MANAGER, FAIRMONT HOTEL AJMAN, DUE TO OPEN IN 2015

IFTIKHAR HAMDANI, CLUSTER GENERAL MANAGER, RAMADA HOTEL AND SUITES AJMAN AND RAMADA BEACH HOTEL AJMAN

MICHELE FRIGNANI, GENERAL MANAGER, AJMAN SARAY, A LUXURY COLLECTION RESORT, AJMAN (STARWOOD)

THE PANEL

"RAMADA AJMAN AND RAMADA BEACH HOTEL AJMAN ARE THE LEADING HOTELS IN TERMS OF OCCUPANCY IN THE NORTHERN EMIRATES."

S

ome of Ajman’s leading hoteliers recently gathered at Coral Beach Resort Sharjah to discuss some of the most pertinent issues affecting the emirate’s hospitality industry.

Hosted by Jean-Pierre Simon, regional general manager, Northern Emirates, Coral Hotels & Resorts at the property’s Casa Samak seafood restaurant, the general managers focused on strategies for generating more demand for their properties, from working more closely with the Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD), to tapping into current and potential feeder markets. Here’s what they had say: DOLOMIA_AD.pdf 1 to 24/11/2014 14:43

How are your hotels in Ajman currently performing and what factors are driving demand?

Hamdani: Ramada Ajman and Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman are the leading hotels in terms of occupancy in the northern emirates. Ramada Ajman has been leading for three consecutive years. Our year-to-date occupancy is 90%, ARR is AED 276 and RevPAR is AED 251. We are very consistent in our occupancy even during the summer season as we offer great value for money. We offer huge inventory in the northern emirates; Ramada Ajman has 388 keys while Ramada Beach Ajman has 107 keys. But the

increase in room numbers in Ajman has not impacted our occupancy – in fact we plan to add more rooms to Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman next year.

Frignani: We have a healthy occupancy mix, although our ADR could certainly be better. The ATDD is promoting the destination to certain key feeder markets, which is a help, plus the influx of tourists to the UAE, combined with Ajman Saray’s status as the first beachside Luxury Collection Resort in the Middle East, gives us an advantage, since we can associate ourselves with already well-established icons such as Grosvenor House, Al Maha Desert Resort and Sheraton Kuwait.

Purcell: Our performance has been in line with expectations; Q3 was strong, on par with the performance of the destination and our competitive set. Ajman is a ‘venue guaranteed’, offering global connectivity, superb infrastructure, world-class business and leisure facilities, a wide range of accommodation and dining options, great weather, unmatched hospitality, and a safe environment.

Schaeffer: This is not applicable to us; Fairmont Hotel Ajman is due to open next year.

What challenges do your properties face as more hotels open their doors in Ajman?

Hamdani: Ramada Ajman has entered into many new markets to offset the decline in CIS market business; we compensated with German and Turkish business, plus the corporate and sports segments, and to date, this strategy is working well. Occupancy at both hotels has been 100% for the last quarter of 2014, and 2015 is very promising.

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THE PANEL

Frignani: We are trying to view the increase in room supply positively; as other international chains make their footprint in Ajman, it will boost the destination’s profile.

Purcell: Ajman is currently one of the most challenging destinations for operators in the luxury segment, because supply has increased considerably. But the fact so many of the world's leading brands are present in Ajman will only strengthen it as a sought after destination.

Schaeffer: When we open next year, the real challenge will be not to delve into a rate war, as this will not only undermine the performance of Ajman’s hotels, but the reputation of Ajman itself. Now is the time to work together to promote Ajman as a viable alternative to the other emirates.

What steps are you taking to generate repeat business from current source markets?

Hamdani: Our guest review ratings are better than those for other hotels in Ajman and we are consistent in our operation, which give us an edge over competitors in our neighbouring emirates. We are well established in our existing markets and our partners are very happy, which is our main strength.

Frignani: Ajman has positioned itself as a must-see destination in the UAE and Ajman Saray truly celebrates the emirate’s beauty and culture through its spectacular design and impeccable service. We are now very well known by the travel trade and consumers and we do our level best create and share indigenous experiences with our guests to make their stay memorable and entice them to come back again.

Purcell: Our primary objective is to grow our business in existing and emerging markets and we have put in place a lot of tactical promotions to this effect. What is incredible is the amount of repeat business we have achieved by introducing a very competitive guest relations initiative; we do not wait for the guests to leave, but rather touch base with them before they arrive.

Schaeffer: Not applicable.

What new source markets should hotels in Ajman be tapping into and why?

Hamdani: Ajman beach hotels were heavily dependent on the CIS market and are suffering given its decline. To tackle this issue, we are focusing on Eastern Europe, particularly, 24

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Poland and Bosnia. Until now, the GCC market has been ignored due to high occupancies, but now we are focusing on Oman. In October, 50% of all GCC guests were Omanis. India and China are also markets we will target in 2015. The local market is good for weekend business and has contributed 15% of our total occupancy year to date.

Frignani: We have a healthy mix of nationalities staying at Ajman Saray, but we are developing new markets such as the UK, Italy, China and the Americas. We take part in trade shows, road shows and joint fam trips to tap into new source markets.

Purcell: There is sufficient business out there across the different segments to sustain existing and upcoming hotels, but we will have to work very hard for it as we are competing with top destinations. As feeder markets, the GCC, CIS, UK, Germany as well as other Western countries, plus India and China hold strong potential for us and we will be tapping into these further. We are taking part in road show and trade shows and have also created strategic promotions such as festive packages for families.

Schaeffer: Incentive travel and MICE groups are a potential market for the Fairmont Ajman, which will offer 2,000 square metres of meeting space and a team that can customise group programmes and creative team-building activities.

How will initiatives to overhaul the hotel classification system help hotels better market their properties?

Hamdani: This has really given us a competitive advantage as most of the hotels in Ajman used to claim four-star status prior to classification and now after classification, only Ramada Ajman and Ramada Beach Ajman are classified in this category. We are therefore the only four-star hotels in Ajman at this moment. The classification system also provides a clear picture of which guests booked online.

Frignani: The updated classification system will be a value-add for hotels, emphasising their quality, reputation and reliability.

Purcell: We fully support any decisions from the local authorities to uplift the Ajman’s image and standardise and regulate products and services; it will only help to build a stronger international reputation for Ajman.

THE PANEL

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THE PANEL

"THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF ARAB LIVING HAS BEEN WELL PRESERVED HERE." Schaeffer: A more stringent classification system is a welcome initiative that will not only ensure five-star standards are in place, but are applied consistently by properties in this category on a daily basis. As a new entrant to the Ajman market this industry regulation sits well with us, particularly as the Fairmont brand is synonymous with good service.

How can hotels work more closely together and with the ATDD to stimulate demand?

Hamdani: We are working as one team under the umbrella of the ATDD, participating in promotional initiatives together.

ATDD is flexible and as a new entity, most of the time it listens to hospitality industry advice on which markets to target.

Frignani: Joint ventures such as fams and roadshows are necessary to stimulate demand and we recently participated alongside ATDD at World Travel Market in London.

We will also join the authority at EIBTM in Barcelona.

Purcell: We have been working very closely with ATDD to generate awareness about Ajman and our property by attending taking part in fams, roadshows and leading global trade events.

Schaeffer: The ATDD is actively promoting Ajman and it is our responsibility as hoteliers to also assist in its mandate by highlighting what makes our properties unique and complementary to Ajman. As part of a global network under the FRHI Hotels & Resorts banner (which houses the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel brands), we also have an opportunity to use our networks and programmes to not only to garner greater awareness about Fairmont Ajman, but also about what the destination – the UAE’s best kept secret – has to offer.

What current and upcoming infrastructure enhancements will help lure more hotel guests to Ajman?

Hamdani: Infrastructure in Ajman is improving day by day. Our malls offer great value for money; our beaches are amazing for leisure travellers; and we are very close 26

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

to Sharjah and Dubai international airports.

Frignani: In addition to initiatives focused on international markets, the ATDD is also looking to stage events that will appeal to people from the neighbouring emirates and other GCC countries. Ajman’s plans to build an AED 2.1 billion international airport, with its first flight due to launch in 2018, will also play a major role in bringing more people to Ajman.

Purcell: Ajman has a lot to offer in terms of tourist attractions and corporate facilities.

It is home to many historical sites, lovely white sandy beaches, an enchanting museum, exotic souks and the largest dhowbuilding yard in the world. The traditional way of Arab living has been well preserved here, providing a pleasant blend of the old and new. Similarly, its proximity to Sharjah and Dubai and its excellent port and harbour facilities place it in the top league

for business. Plans for the new airport plus attractions such as the golf course at Al Zohra will greatly boost tourism to Ajman, positioning it as a sought-after destination in the years ahead.

Schaeffer: Ajman already offers a number of historical and cultural attractions that preserve time-honoured traditions, which combined with new developments such as the Al Zorah project and the multibillion-dirham airport, will put Ajman on the visitor map. Fairmont Ajman also plans to attract the ‘staycation’ market from neighbouring emirates, while European guests will be lured by our seven restaurants and lounges and a resplendent ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows affording panoramic views – perfect for weddings and bespoke programmes catering to the incentive and corporate teambuilding markets.

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27

WHAT SETS US APART

The man up top

Aged 15, begins working at his uncle’s hotel in Lucerne, Switzerland

Sophia Soltani talks to Swiss born, Andreas Mattmüller chief operating officer, Middle East & Asia for Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, about the highs and lows of a 45 year-long career and to which factors he credits his success Could you summarise your background?

My career began at the age of 15 when I started working as an intern at my uncle’s hotel in Switzerland. From the beginning I knew that working in the hospitality industry was what I wanted to do. Since then, my career has included working for prestigious hotels in 15 countries, across five continents.

Prior to joining Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, I was Operations Director Asia & Europe for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group based in Hong Kong. Properties such as the Mandarin Oriental Singapore, Le Méridien Beach Resort Phuket in Thailand, Le Méridien Hotel Kuwait, the Hong Kong Hotel and the Regal Méridien Airport Hotel, Hong Kong fell under my remit during my career.

I am very passionate about my job and about building our brand. Creating strong relationships with our owners and business partners, as well as being part of the growth and expansion of our hotel company are elements I really enjoy.

You had your first taste of working within the hospitality sector at the age of fifteen, 28

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

within your Uncle’s hotel in Switzerland, how would you say this experience influenced your long, and successful career into senior management roles?

During that first experience I worked as an intern across all departments, and was fortunate to obtain practical knowledge and an all-round understanding of the business. It sparked my passion for the hospitality industry and made me appreciate the importance of having experience in many departments. As an hotelier, it is important to learn every aspect of the industry in order to be a successful leader.

Every job throughout my career has given me the opportunity to learn. Being exposed to many countries, cultures, leadership styles and ways of conducting business have truly helped me progress in my current role with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

What would you consider to be your greatest achievements within the history of your career and why?

I was fortunate to progress relatively fast during my career. At 25, I was leading a large food and beverage department

Receives his degree in hotel management from Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne

comprising of 14 restaurants and bars with 650 employees. My first responsibility as a GM at 31, was an important achievement for me, but probably the biggest achievement, has been with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, with a mission to build the brand here in the Middle East. Back then our portfolio in the Middle East included our existing hotels in Egypt, where our regional office was based, and four hotels in Jordan.

Our mission was to expand the brand regionally and ultimately in Asia – and it is rewarding to see us deliver on those objectives. Today, we manage 30 hotels in the Middle East with further key projects under development.

Having recently signed an agreement with El Housein Limited for the upcoming Mövenpick hotel in Downtown, at present, what would you say are your top priorities and major ambitions for this project due to open in 2017? How do you plan on making this venture a success?

For this important project, it will be essential to position the hotel correctly in the market place, and hire great people in order to achieve great results, with ultimately a good return on the investment. In addition, we need to ensure that our values and brand promise is embedded within all new properties, including the one in Downtown Dubai.

Last year we identified ‘Natural Enjoyment’ as the brand promise and key differentiator of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, which is about delivering a personalised,

WHAT SETS US APART

Aged 31, assigned GM at Le Meridien Hotel Kuwait

Operations director, Asia & Europe for Mandarin Oriental

Joins Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts as senior VP Middle East

relaxed and uncomplicated experience that makes guests happy.

very open with each other and he is the person that inspires me the most.

What factors would you credit the success of your career to, and why?

How would your employees describe you?

You need to have a passion for what you are doing. If you wake up in the morning and you don’t feel like going to work, then you are in the wrong job! I wake every day ready to enjoy what I am doing! One particular thing I can credit my success to, is that of a positive mind-set.

There will always be challenges, but if you are positive you can pro-actively look for a solution, review the options, decide on a course of action and move forward. It is part of my character to always look for new possibilities.

In a previous 360-degree review, some of the comments included “he is very demanding, but very fair…and he has a good heart.” I don’t give up easily, and I can be pushy at times, but I also extend positive feedback and give recognition.

COO, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Middle East and Asia

ANDREAS MATTMÜLLER CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, MIDDLE EAST & ASIA FOR MOVENPICK HOTELS & RESORTS, GOT HIS START IN HOSPITALITY AS AN INTERN AT THE AGE OF 15.

In your opinion, what would you suggest are your strongest points as a chief operating officer and why?

It’s all about leadership, having the right strategy and being decisive. A plan is only as good as its implementation, so monitoring the results and adapting to change is very important.

Who has been your biggest inspiration within the hospitality industry and why?

Jean Gabriel Peres, who is our president and CEO, is someone with whom I have shared an amazing relationship with over 18 years. We used to work together in Asia many years ago, and then he joined Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts first, which is how I ended up in the company. We can be DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

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COVER STORY

Travel, hospitality and childcare professionals tell Gemma Greenwood what crucial steps the region’s hotels should be taking to get their fair share of the lucrative global family travel market PHOTOGRAPHY BY: OLGA KUSHYK

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"THE REGION IS CURRENTLY UNDERTAKING HUGE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, PROVIDING THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD FROM SCRATCH FACILITIES THAT CATER TO THE BOOMING FAMILY MARKET"

COVER STORY

he global family travel sector was valued at $140 billion in 2013, accounting for more than 12.5% of the US$1.07 trillion total tourism market, according to Thomson Reuters.

That figure is set to rise to more than $180 billion by 2018, with an annual average growth rate of 4.79% to 2020, outpacing general tourism growth of 3.8% annually.

It’s a trend that has not gone unnoticed by industry thought leaders, with Reed Exhibitions announcing the family travel theme for the 2015 edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which takes place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre (DICEC) from May 4-7.

The show’s programme of events will be designed to educate delegates on ways to target and cater to family travellers from all four corners of the globe.

ATM’s exhibition manager, Nadege Noblet, says the time is right to get the industry thinking about lucrative growth markets such as family travel.

“The region is currently undertaking huge infrastructure investment, providing the perfect opportunity to build from scratch facilities that cater to the booming family market,” she says.

“The Middle East is already home to an enviable selection of family-friendly resorts, but with more than 108,000 rooms under contract pipelined for some of the region’s top destinations (according to STR Global’s latest data), there is a real chance to set world-class standards in the family travel arena.”

The region’s hospitality industry is already well attuned to the tastes and demands of the GCC family market, but Noblet warns steps must be taken to ensure the hotel and attraction offering continues to expand as this market mushrooms.

“The growth of the inter-regional family travel will remain robust through to 2020 and beyond,” she says. “The Economist Intelligence Unit estimates the GCC population will soar to 53.5 million by 2020 and 24% of that figure, or 12.84 million, will be aged under 15 years old.

“This presents a huge opportunity for the region’s travel and tourism industry to put in place infrastructure with sufficient wow factor to ensure Gulf families not only holiday locally, but keep coming back for more.”

The Dubai Capital of Islamic Economy initiative has identified the UAE as a top source market for family travel, with spending power estimated at more than $10 billion.

Additional research data from technology and payments business, Visa, shows Saudi Arabians are the world’s biggest spenders when holidaying overseas, racking up a per capita average of $6,666 per trip. In contrast, UK-based shopping platform ‘Give As You Live’ reveals the average British family of four spends $5,800 on their annual holiday.

“This presents a challenge for government bodies, hotels and tourism service providers to create a wide spectrum of family-focused offerings that balance budget sensitivities with cultural expectations,” Noblet adds.

Emerging source markets for family leisure business such as the booming BRIC nations – Brazil, Russia, India and China – must also be taken seriously, she notes.

“The UNWTO predicts travellers from BRIC countries will represent 75% of all international tourism arrivals by 2030,” she stresses.

“With the region’s major carriers all wellconnected to these countries, the number of BRIC families travelling to the region is set to rocket and the industry must be ready for them with products and services that meet their expectations.”

THE BIG PICTURE

The UAE, Oman and Qatar have all made clear their strategy to lure the family travel market to varying degrees, while in Saudi Arabia, providing a compelling offering for the burgeoning family ‘staycation’ sector is high on the priority list.

Dubai has perhaps set out the most ambi DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

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COVER STORY

tious strategy for family arrivals to ensure it hits its target of 20 million visitors annually by 2020.

At last month’s World Travel Market (WTM) in London, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) pitched the emirate as one of the world’s “leading family destinations”, unveiling a host of upcoming family-focused developments.

Dubai Parks and Resorts promoted its new theme park development, due to open in 2016, featuring Motiongate Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai and LEGOLAND Dubai, while a raft of recently opened and upcoming hotels and resorts, across the three- to five-star categories, as well as new attractions such as Dubai Tram and Jumeirah Corniche, were showcased.

WTM saw Abu Dhabi reiterate its Yas Island entertainment offering, as well as family-focused resorts on Saadiyat and Sir Bani Yas islands. The latter will soon be home to a “more affordable” four-star property, according to developer, the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC). Meanwhile, the emirate has revealed plans to target the regional and global Halal tourism market, providing packages for Muslim travellers, with a strong focus on families requiring ‘Halal accommodation’.

The UAE’s smallest emirate, Ajman, is also ramping up its status as a family destination, offering a quiet beach hideaway with value-for-money resorts, good connectivity to airports in Dubai, Sharjah and soon, its very own Ajman hub, plus attractions under development such as Al Zorah resort and a “city within a city were families can spend the entire day and enjoy entertainment for all ages – adults, teenagers and kids”, according to Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) director general Faisal Ahmed Al Nuaimi.

AVOIDING STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE

Home to glitzy resorts, mega malls, and a increasing number of big budget leisure attractions, there is no doubt heavily promoted Gulf destinations such as Dubai project an impressive image globally, appealing to a family audience seeking an exotic break.

The Jumeirah strip and The Palm Jumeirah are both lined with big brand resorts, 32

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

which appeal to families from key source markets, including the UK, Germany and Russia year-round, but Kate Dicker, a senior consultant at UK-based professional childcare training and consultancy business, Worldwide Kids Company, points out that looks can be deceiving.

“So often in the Middle East we see style over substance,” she says. “Many hotels and resorts invest heavily in the visual impact of the kids clubs, in terms of hardware and design, without investing in the most crucial areas of staff qualifications, training and interesting and innovative activity programmes (the software).

“Many hotels and resorts I have visited proudly show me a highly-designed area, with pools and playgrounds as well as banks of computer games and screens and feel they provide a wonderful service, when in fact the staff are untrained and unqualified, trying to run a programme of activities written by a manager who lacks childcare expertise. This leads to out of control children displaying highly challenging behaviour and even in some cases, a dangerously unsafe service.”

Dicker also notes that while headline attractions such as theme parks are a draw card, they tend to attract “once-in-a-lifetime visits”, not repeated year after year.

The most successful holiday destina-

tions, therefore, are those where family resorts are the main attraction, offering a “wide range of top quality childcare services for all ages”.

In this respect, successful “must-visit” resorts include Dubai’s Jebel Ali Resort and Sani Resort in Halkidiki, Greece, Dicker believes.

AGE MATTERS

Properties must also cater to all age ranges, from toddlers to teens, Dicker continues.

She says one in three families that travel for leisure have a child under school age and are most likely to stay in resorts that allow them to have time out for themselves, as long as childcare staff are qualified to international standards.

“Families with babies and toddlers also expect a professionally run crèche service,” she adds.

Worldwide Kids Company runs hotel kids clubs catering to all ages with two clubs dedicated to babies and toddlers – aged four to 23 months and two to three years. The crèches are run on ration of one staff member to every three babies.

Dicker says clubs for kids aged four to seven and eight to 12 should offer completely different activity schedules and focus on “innovative play ideas” because “children can watch TV or play on

DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

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COVER STORY

CATERING TO CHILDREN WITH SAFE, WELL THOUGHT OUT ACTIVITY PROGRAMMES CAN HELP TO ATTRACT THE LUCRATIVE FAMILY MARKET.

a screen while they are at home, or in a hotel room”.

“Another crucial age group often overlooked by hotels and resorts is teenagers who they tend to hang out in unsuitable areas or hog the business centre,” she says.

“Great quality, cool activities should be organised for this age group and ideally a hang out zone created especially to meet their needs.”

Once your hotel has quality childcare services and facilities are in place, marketing them is “vital”, Dicker adds, but she warns hoteliers to make sure their product is “sound” before embarking on a pricey advertising campaign.

Coming back to basics, room configuration, size and the ability to interconnect them, are key considerations, Scully stresses.

“At our Leading Family Hotels (a group of four properties in Austria), we even offer purpose-built annexes within the room for the young children, giving parents privacy, but in the knowledge their children are safe,” he says.

These properties also offer a crèche for the babies and toddlers with nurses and fully trained carers; mini water parks; plus a theatre for kids’ productions.

“All these facilities make us quite unique and add substantial value to the property through RevPAR,” Scully adds.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

SEASONALITY AND PRICING

One of the region’s family resort masterminds, Mike Scully, who developed and managed two of Dubai’s leading luxury family resorts, the Westin and Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, over a 15-year period to 2008, says the key to operating a successful family hotel is quite simply “providing facilities and entertainment for all members of the family; so spa for the mum, sport and WIFI for the dad, evening dining options and entertainment for the parents and a full safe programme for the kids”.

Scully, who is now managing director of First and Foremost Hospitality, a provider of family and resort hotel concepts, which he launched in 2008, also agrees with Dicker that “taking care of the young kids” and providing stimulating kids club programmes is imperative, suggesting more hotels should go the extra mile and also cater to special interest groups.

Facilities aside, one of the biggest challenges facing the region’s hotels is sustaining family business year-round, given constraints including school holidays and the searing summer heat, which puts off some families travelling to the Gulf in July and August.

In addition, some source markets, including the UK, are now fining parents for taking children out of school for a holiday during term time; another factor hoteliers and tour operators must consider.

“But opportunities exist to go for nontraditional markets with different holiday periods and more leniency when it comes to taking kids out of school during term time,” says Scully.

“Catering to families with young kids aged six and under also fills the gap outside the traditional holiday period and generates extremely high return on investment.”

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HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

Offering all-inclusive packages that are paid upfront before the holiday is another hot tip Scully offers.

TRADE PARTNER PRAISE

Travel agents and tour operators selling family travel say the UAE stacks up well against some of the world’s top-selling

Trend watch

By Kate Dicker, senior consultant, Worldwide Kids Company • Families from Russia do not like to leave their children aged under four in hotel kids clubs.

They like technology to be available for their children to use, but also appreciate opportunities for kids to take part in team sports and cultural activities.

• UK and European families are generally happy to leave their children in suitable crèche and kids club services from four months upwards (and are willing to pay for these services), as long as they feel comfortable standards match the quality of those at home. They value staff qualifications over flash facilities.

• European guests are usually interested in educational and sports orientated programmes.

• Gulf region families usually travel with a nanny or maid who does not necessarily have the training or qualifications required to properly control children in their care. It is therefore vital hotels and resorts provide safe and suitable play spaces where children and their maids are both welcome.

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COVER STORY

family destinations including European favourites Spain, Germany, France, the UK, Ireland and Greece; the US; Thailand; the Caribbean; and more recently, Japan.

“Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah offer excellent five-star family resort options on the beach or in the desert with good kids clubs and recreational facilities,” argues Gillian McLoran, a gold travel counsellor with global homeworking agent network, Travel Counsellors.

“Many have good value half-board or all-inclusive packages, which make the proposition very attractive to families for an extended stay. Hotel room standards are high, the service is very good and so too is the choice of food and beverage.”

Another key selling point is that the UAE is considered safe for family travel, she adds.

Areas for improvement, she says, include introducing off-peak tactical offers such as complimentary half-board or allinclusive meals for kids and room upgrades.

“Hotels also need to design more family rooms and today’s clients expect a bed for each family member; sofa beds are not desirable.”

Even at the very top end of the market, GCC destinations rank among the top global holiday hotspots preferred by affluent families, according to experienced travel professional, Debbie Duncan-Studart, general manager at luxury tour operator, Abercrombie & Kent, UAE. “UAE hotels in Abercrombie & Kent’s portfolio continue to draw families to the region and even the most luxurious properties are very savvy when it comes to catering to younger guests,” she says.

"DUBAI, ABU DHABI AND RAS AL KHAIMAH HOTELS FROM ABERCROMBIE & KENT’S PORTFOLIO CONTINUE TO DRAW FAMILIES TO THE REGION"

SPECIALLY DEVISED PLAY AREAS AND AGE-APPROPRIATE SPACES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS ARE A NECESSARY PART OF ANY FAMILY FRIENDLY PROPERTY.

“The Burj Al Arab caters to children with its ‘spoilt rotten service’ and this includes everything from a sweet train delivering goodies to rooms, to bespoke bed, bath and beach attire and personalised infant and child menus.”

In-suite PlayStations, 21-inch iMacs and 24-carat gold iPads also keep the kids happy, she notes.

Duncan-Studart says Middle East hotels offer value for money packages for families given the quality of product. She suggests offering a programme of family-focused activities and events to attract more business during low seasons such as the summer and during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

Getting it right GCC Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East and Africa (MEA) has launched its ‘Have a Nice Weekend’ package for stays at its 17 hotels across the region, offering value adds targeting the family market, from room rate, F&B and spa discounts to early check-in and late check-out and free WIFI. Millennium is also poised to debut its dedicated family-friendly brand, Millennium Executive Apartments, with the first property set to open in Muscat early next year.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai has completed its refurbishment project, unveiling a new wing with 146 additional guest rooms and suites, most of which are interconnecting.

“There are also some properties that still don’t have enough inter-connecting rooms; it’s a big problem on Dubai’s Jumeirah strip,” she adds.

It’s the top reason The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, has added a new wing with 146 spacious rooms and suites that can be joined together, says the property’s general manager Raul Salcido.

“Whether or not rooms can be connected is the most frequently asked question when families book accommodation,” he says.

“With our additional rooms, we are the only resort able to confirm interconnecting rooms at time of reservation.”

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COUNTRY FOCUS

CAPITAL

GAINS

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Abu Dhabi is well on its way to reaching its long-term guest arrivals targets, driven by billions of dollars worth of infrastructure enhancements that include quadrupling hotel inventory to more than 80,000 rooms by 2030, says Gemma Greenwood

COUNTRY FOCUS

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

Abu Dhabi is in the midst of bolstering its tourism infrastructure with a major new airport terminal on the way and much-anticipated attractions under construction.

ABU DHABI CITY

Abu Dhabi International Airport: Abu Dhabi Airports Company’s (ADAC’s) Midfield Terminal Complex (MTC) will take the airport’s annual passenger capacity to 30 million. Set to be operational at 7am on July 17, 2017, MTC will cover 700,000 square metres.

Saadiyat Island: Infrastructure worth $28 billion will be completed by 2018 on Saadiyat in a bid to attract 1.8 million visitors to the island annually. Three districts are under construction: Saadiyat Cultural District, which will soon be home to three world-class museums – Louvre Abu Dhabi (2015), Zayed National Museum (2016) and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (2017) – plus a new Performing Arts Centre and a leisure, dining and entertainment hub, The District; Saadiyat Beach District, with five-star beach resorts and Saadiyat Marina District, the island’s commercial centre.

Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal: Set to open in 2016, this semi-permanent cruise terminal at Mina Zayed port has been hailed the “next big Arabian Gulf cruise tourism landmark” by Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), which has already invested AED 12 million ($3.2 million) in road and security improvements around the site.

Knowledge Economic City (KEC): is a $6.9 billion project dubbed the “new economic gateway to Madinah”. It is a 4.8-million-square-metre city, just five kilometres from the holy mosque, spanning commercial, residential and educational projects, as well as a mixed-use 20-floor hospitality tower housing a hotel, serviced apartments, office space and multi-purpose conference facilities.

Al Maryah Island: Phase one of this 114-hectare mixeduse development with premium office space, luxury cor-

porate hotels, residential neighbourhoods, premium dining and shopping outlets and parks is already completed and includes the Central Business District (CBD) known as Sowwah Square, the five-star Rosewood Abu Dhabi and The Galleria at Sowwah Square – a brand new luxury shopping and dining precinct. The Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island is currently under construction.

New souk: A new market is being developed by the Municipality in the Khor Al Maqta area on the shores of Abu Dhabi island Creek.

AL AIN (EASTERN REGION)

Al Ain International Airport: ADAC is refurbishing the passenger terminal and VVIP lounge, upgrading existing cargo and emergency services facilities, and improving landside security.

AL GHARBIA (WESTERN REGION)

Sir Bani Yas Island Airport: ADAC is investing in an “ambitious expansion project” to redevelop this airport, transforming the seaplane and boat terminals into stateof-the-art facilities, in line with international standards. The overhaul will make it possible for charter aircraft to land on the island, which is one of the emirate’s top up-andcoming leisure destinations. Plans are also afoot to provide facilities for cruise ships to dock on the island.

New TDIC hotel on Sir Bani Yas: Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) plans to develop a three- or four-star property on Sir Bani Yas Island, joining the five-star offering by Thai hotel chain Anantara. The new property is designed to make the island “accessible to a wider audience”, according to TDIC executive director Ahmed Al Fahim.

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COUNTRY FOCUS

MARKET ANALYSIS

Abu Dhabi is developing a number of cultural attractions as well as a huge new airport terminal.

HOTEL PIPELINE UPDATE Current number of hotels and hotel apartments: 156 Target number of hotel and hotel apartment rooms: 80,000 hotel rooms by 2030. The number of hotel properties targeted has not been specified.

(Source: TCA Abu Dhabi) Number of hotel rooms: 22,100 Pipelined hotel rooms (under contract as of September 2014): 8,242 (Source: STR Global)

HOTEL PERFORMANCE DATA (Jan-Sept 2014) Guest numbers: 2,498,672 - up 26% year-on-year (y-o-y) Guest nights: 7,502,924 guest nights, up 21% (y-o-y) Hotel occupancy: Up 7% y-o-y to 73% for the period Hotel revenues: AED 4,268 billion ($1.16 billion), up 15% y-o-y Room revenues: AED 2,170,548,482 ($591 million), up 16% y-o-y F&B income: AED 1,626,203,483 ($ 442.6 million), up 12% y-o-y (Source: TCA Abu Dhabi)

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The rampant growth in hotel inventory witnessed in Abu Dhabi over the past few years slowed to a more sustainable pace in 2014. And as demand caught up with supply, a change that was encouraged by more competitive pricing, market performance also picked up.

In fact STR Global figures for January to September reveal that although supply growth remains quite high year-to-date (YTD) at 10.8%, demand is outpacing this, up 22.6% YTD and, in a promising position for final year figures “every month this year has seen double-digit growth”.

Abu Dhabi’s average room rate currently stands at AED 409 (US$112), according to HE Jasem Al Darmaki, acting director general at Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).

“This represents excellent value for money particularly when viewed against the superior level of services and facilities offered by our hotels and resorts compared to some other destinations,” he says.

The emirate’s 156 hotels and hotel apartments reported their “best nine months yet” in terms of guest arrivals, guest nights, occupancy and revenue, he notes, quoting from recently released TCA Abu Dhabi statistics.

They reveal that from January to September end, 2,498,672 guests checked into Abu Dhabi’s accommodation – a 26% year-on-year increase. The arrivals delivered 7,502,924 guest nights, up 21% on the same period last year with hotel occupancy rising 7% to 73% and hotel revenues climbing to AED 4,268 billion ($1.16 billion), representing 15% growth.

“This is a very encouraging performance particularly when viewed in the context of there being eight more hotels than this time last year and over 2,000 more rooms. It leaves us extremely well placed to achieve our annual guest target of 3.1 million this year,” says Al Darmaki.

“There has, unfortunately, been a slowdown in length of stay, which fell by 4% compared to last year to 2.56 nights and we have our eyes firmly focused on addressing this issue through a number of mechanisms.”

These include promoting Abu Dhabi’s three main regions – the city, Al Ain and Al Gharbia – and developing a Halal Tourism strategy, he notes.

COUNTRY FOCUS

LEISURE MATTERS

Harmen De Jong, partner in research and development consultancy, Knight Frank, says Abu Dhabi’s hotel managers have been focusing on new market segments to drive up occupancy levels, including leisure groups and wholesale.

This has been facilitated by Etihad Airways’ “aggressive expansion plans”,

generating business from a wider network of source markets globally.

“While groups and wholesale drive down ADRs, leisure guests tend to spend more than corporate guests on other categories such as F&B (on a per occupied room basis) due to a higher double occupancy factor,” he notes.

“In a mature tourism destination we would expect an increase in the average length of stay, but what we have found is that hotels are collaborating to provide packages to guests to experience more than just one destination; for instance, city hotels are joining hands with desert and island resorts to deliver a more varied itinerary to the guest.

“This may have contributed to a lower average length of stay for Abu Dhabi as this metric is measured on a per hotel basis and is not based on the average length of time a tourist actually spends in Abu Dhabi.”

De Jong believes there are more opportunities for hotels to collaborate and to further leverage big events taking place on

Yas Island. Major sporting and social events taking place in November and December, namely the F1, Volvo Ocean Race, plus all the UAE National Day celebrations, make for good Q4 hotel market prospects, which will be further buoyed by the opening on November 1 of Yas Mall.

Expected to attract 20 million visitors annually, the mall not only adds a key attraction to the island but “also opens the door for strategic partnerships, which we can use to enhance guest experiences”, explains Andrew Humphries, regional vice president and general manager at Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi.

He highlights a “continuous pipeline of major events” as one of the key factor’s contributing to Abu Dhabi’s “robust” 2014 hotel industry, while the “shift to more competitive rates” has made the emirate “more accessible option for a wider range of people”.

It also encourages room category upgrades and increased spa and F&B spend, he adds.

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HOT SPOTS

HOT PROPERTY

Hotels are fast becoming real estate hot property, with analysts expecting the market to see transactions in excess of US$50 billion for 2014. Sarah McCay takes a closer look at what destinations are showing the most promise

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HOT SPOTS

In December 2013, JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group sold the Jumeirah Dhevanafushi to Singapore-based CDL Hospitality Trusts for $59.6 million.

A

s the global property sector rebounds, it is little surprise the appetite for hotel investment has also picked up.

Deals are being made at a pace unseen in recent years, with transactions expected to keep rising throughout 2014 and into 2015.

According to Jones Lang LaSalle’s (JLL) ‘Hotel Investment Outlook, Global 2014’ report, 2013 saw a 35% increase in hotel transaction volumes and 2014, characterised by continuing investor confidence and a market once again flush with capital, is expected to see hotel transactions rise by up to 10%, to around US$50 billion by year-end.

According to JLL, the Americas region will drive the boost in liquidity; Europe’s outlook will remain positive; and Asia Pacific is likely to see some softening following its second

highest year on record, given less product is available on the market.

An increasing supply pipeline is expected across the board. Globally, the pace of openings did decline, but has picked up in 2014. While this creates opportunities for many investors, there’s now more risk that certain markets’ trading performance will be kept at bay as newly added hotels get absorbed. In some markets, investors will build if the opportunity to acquire existing hotels remains limited.

Another wildcard is the exit strategy for private equity firms’ investments.

Global investment trends will see secondary cities return to favour, while the budget and mid-market sectors are also expected to attract significant interest from ambitious investors.

LONDON CALLING 2013 was a resurgent year for the hotel investment market in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), with transaction volume up 17% to $13.2 billion.

The UK and France accounted for more than half of the deals in EMEA in 2013.

The UK was the most liquid market, taking a 36% share of investment volume at $4.7 billion. There were three key global investors underwriting the UK market: the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Starwood Capital and KSL Capital Partners, as well as Mount Kellett through its refinancing of Jurys Inns.

London is expected to remain the most attractive hotel investment destination in Europe, according to a new survey of senior hospitality industry figures by Deloitte.

More than half (51%) of respondents ranked the UK’s capital ahead of Paris (33%), followed by Barcelona (30%) and Amsterdam (23%). However, views appeared mixed on value, with 52% considering London to be overvalued while 45% cited it as fairly valued.

In 2015 European hotel transaction activity will be dominated by international investors, but underpinned by North America (58%), China (53%) and the Middle East (52%), according to Deloitte.

Against the backdrop of a stagnant European economy, upscale hotels (33%) are the preferred product segment. However, midscale (25%) and budget (22%) are also attracting interest.

Nick van Marken, global head of hospitality at Deloitte, says: “There is significant appetite for hotels in Europe and the UK in particular. In recent months, US

eagles spearing C ONS UL TIN G

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HOT SPOTS

Indian Ocean locations, such as the Jumeirah Dhevanafushi and Banyan Tree Seychelles (pictured) are commanding high prices in the current market.

OPPOSITE: Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, executive vice president, head of Hotels & Hospitality, Middle East & Africa, JLL BELOW: Scott Hetherington, CEO of JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality operations across Asia.

private equity buyers have taken advantage of low interest rates and a strong uptick in sentiment.”

MIDDLE EAST GROWTH In the Middle East and Africa, investors continue to build rather than acquire existing hotels and the region largely remains an exporter of capital at present.

It has also proved a spearhead for the asset-light model being adopted by many international hotel operations.

“International operators, even before the shift to the asset-light model, have always operated through Management Agreements in the Middle East. It could be even argued that the separation between the ownership and the management contributed positively to the rapid development of the sector,” comments Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, executive vice president, head of Hotels & Hospitality, Middle East & Africa, JLL. The pipeline continues, thanks to regional investors. According to STR Global’s latest Construction Pipeline Report, there are 151,579 hotel rooms planned or under construction in the Middle East and Africa.

Dubai is the first Middle East destination to host a World Expo, which in 2020, will attract up to 25 million international visitors during the six-month event. It will see the emirate spend more than $8 billion on new infrastructure including hotels, offices and retail space.

However, analysts are concerned about long-term disparity between supply and demand. According to the Dubai Department 44

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, there are currently more than 82,000 hotel and hotel apartments in Dubai, which would need to double by 2020 to meet the yearly demand of 20 million visitors. The emirate is already going through another major cycle – with more than 60 new hotel projects under construction.

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, religious tourism, along with a strong domestic tourism base, is underpinning a current pipeline of around 30,000 hotel rooms.

Elsewhere, Abu Dhabi also has ambitious expansion plans while Doha is gearing up to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with hotel development underway.

JLL’s Ben Mahmoud believes hotel investment in the region will continue to prove an attractive acquisition, although he urges would-be owners to be aware of what such an asset acquisition entails.

“Hotel investment has attracted a high level of interest globally, in line with the new and robust appetite of investors – institutional and otherwise – for real estate. Unlike offices, retail or multi-family residential properties, hotel investment requires a specific strategy and a more complex asset management. New hotel investors are advised to seek proper advice and make sure they are mapping their entry in hotel investment in a proper manner,” he says.

INDIAN OCEAN Boasting tropical islands and five-star luxury resorts with a $1,000 a night price tag; hotels in the Indian Ocean are demanding high prices right now.

The Maldives, with its 2,000 islands, offers some of the most luxurious hotel brands in the world, and has also provided some of the biggest hotel deals of late.

In December 2013, JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group sold the Jumeirah Dhevanafushi, one of the Maldives’ most luxurious resorts, to Singapore-based CDL Hospitality Trusts for $59.6 million. In January 2014, JLL advised on the sale of the $70 million Six Senses Laamu resort to Leisure Frontiers Limited, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Hotel Properties Limited.

Transaction volumes in 2013 were further boosted by the arrival of major institutional investors. Scott Hetherington, CEO of JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality operations across Asia, says, “it’s a lucrative market when you

HOT SPOTS

compare it to what you might be paying in the UK”.

“All of the international brands would like a presence in the Maldives and no doubt many already have their luxury brand there, but there is a huge opportunity in the midsector too, driven by demand from across Asia and the Middle East where the middle classes are booming.

“These will be the most expensive three-

star resorts in the world. A mid-market hotel in Singapore achieves $50 per night; a midmarket hotel in the Maldives will achieve double or more.”

Another hot Indian Ocean market is Sri Lanka. Now enjoying political stability, the country is witnessing hotel expansion from domestic and regional brands, with Bangkokbased Minor Hotel Group having launched two Avani hotels and preparing to debut its luxury Anantara brand in Q3, 2015.

According to JLL’s Hotel Destinations Indian Ocean report published in August 2014, Sheraton, Hyatt and Mövenpick have all announced hotel projects in the capital, Colombo, while other big hotel firms with their sights set on the country include Shangri-La and Marriott.

For investors looking for luxury at a lower entry price, JLL recommends Mauritius. Last year, Mauritius welcomed nearly one million arrivals, yet the country only offers 12,000 hotel rooms.

Recent hotel sales have included the

Mövenpick Resort and Spa Mauritius, which completed with a price of $40 million.

New stock preparing to enter the market includes Royal Palm Mauritius, Holiday Inn Mauritius Airport, The Westin Mauritius and Mövenpick Mauritius.

The Seychelles is also attempting to expand its tourism offering. In 2013, international visitor arrivals to Seychelles increased 10.7% year-on-year to reach 230,000.

Recent hotel deals have included a 70% sale of the Banyan Tree Seychelles, which included 60 villas, for $25 million.

New market entries will include the Avani Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa and the Shangri-La Resort & Spa. In the Seychelles, 50% of its land area is protected nature reserve. This focus on nature preservation is a consideration for hotel investors Indian Ocean wide.

In the Maldives The Four Seasons spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on marine scientists to protect the local coral and sealife habitats.

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CHAIN FOCUS

ROTANA Hotel News ME profiles the hotel chain’s 2014 achievements, its future goals, plus it planned Middle East pipeline

OMER KADDOURI PRESIDENT AND CEO, ROTANA

Group overview

R

otana currently manages more than 100 properties in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe, across five main brands: Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Centro Hotels by Rotana, Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts by Rotana, Arjaan Hotel Apartments by Rotana and The Residences

by Rotana.

Upcoming Middle East properties 12 new properties will open before the end of 2015:

• Burgu Arjaan by Rotana, Istanbul, Maltepe, Turkey, (Q2, 2015): 222 hotel apartments; • Tango Arjaan by Rotana, Istanbul, Maltepe, Turkey, (Q2, 2015): 188 hotel apartments; • City Centre Rotana, Doha, Qatar, (Q2, 2015): 287 rooms and suites plus 94 serviced apartments; • Centro Doha, Qatar, (Q2, 2015): 229 rooms; • Capital Centre Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi, (Q2, 2015): 259 studio rooms and suites. This will be Rotana’s fourteenth property to open in the emirate of Abu Dhabi; • Rosh Rayhaan by Rotana, Saudi Arabia, (Q2, 2015): 236 rooms and suites; • Capital Centre Rotana, Abu Dhabi, (Q3, 2015): 315 rooms; • Amman Rotana, Jordan (Q3, 2015): 412 rooms and suites.

• Boulevard Arjaan by Rotana, Amman, Jordan, (Q4, 2014): 391 suites; • Sedra Residences by Rotana, Qatar, (Q4, 2014): 250 rooms and suites; • ART Rotana, Bahrain, (Q4, 2014): 311 rooms and suites; • Banader Rotana, Bahrain, (Q2, 2015): 251 rooms, plus apartments;

New properties • Salalah Rotana Resort: with 400 rooms and suites positioned around lagoons leading to the Indian Ocean.

• Hili Rayhaan by Rotana, Al Ain: offering 254 rooms and suites, an alcohol-free environment and access to Hili Mall.

CURRENT MIDDLE EAST PROPERTIES

50 HOTELS; 12,607 ROOMS; 19 CITIES

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NEW MARKETS AND BRANDS In 2015 Rotana will debut in Turkey and Jordan, both of which are considered high growth markets for the hospitality specialist. The firm also recently launched The Residences by Rotana brand. These properties are furnished and unfurnished, non-serviced branded residential buildings, designed according to Rotana specifications and standards. Created with long-stay guests in mind, these apartments offer limited services such as a concierge, property maintenance, a gym and some have swimming pools. The first fully furnished property to open under this new brand is Sedra Residences by Rotana, part of The Pearl project in Doha.

OMER KADDOURI, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ROTANA, ON: THE HOTEL GROUP’S KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND MILESTONES IN 2014: We opened two new hotels at the beginning of the year: our second Al Ain property, Hili Rayhaan by Rotana, in February 2014, and the 400-key Salalah Rotana Resort in March. We also won 12 awards at the Annual World Travel Awards, which was testament to the hard work and determination of every Rotana colleague. We were once again voted the ‘Middle East’s Leading Ho-

CHAIN FOCUS

tel Brand’ and won several accolades in both business and leisure categories. More recently we received the Best Loyalty Programme award for the Rotana Rewards Programme, and the Best Budget Hotel Chain in the Middle East for Centro Hotels by Rotana at the Business Traveller Middle East Awards.

CHALLENGES FACING THE HOTEL GROUP: Of course, the political and economic situations in countries such as Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon are major challenges, but we are optimistic for our business and will continue to pursue aggressive sales and marketing strategies.

OBJECTIVES FOR 2015: One of our key goals is to expand our global presence in new destinations such as Amman and Turkey. Sustainability also remains a top priority and in 2015, our ‘Rotana Earth’ programme will focus on two key areas: 1. Stakeholder engagement: A Rotana stakeholder engagement plan will be activated so we listen to and build relationships

with our partners. We will aim to respond to their concerns in a mutually-beneficial manner and forge better links with the societies in which we operate, ultimately resulting in improved business planning and performance and a reduced impact on the Earth’s resources.

2. Responsible procurement: Rotana aims to develop a responsible procurement code whereby we meet our needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that optimises product life-cycle value. Cutting long term procurement costs, averting sustainability risks, reducing operating costs and building a marketable image of Rotana’s brand, while benefiting society and suppliers and minimising harm to the environment, is the goal.

HOW TECHNOLOGY IS DICTATING THE WAY ROTANA RUNS ITS BUSINESS AND LIAISES WITH CUSTOMERS: The investment in smart systems and technology is helping our colleagues perform more efficiently, while simultaneously allowing us to mine information to enhance

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CHAIN FOCUS

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our operations even further – the end result will be a better experience for our guests.

Technology plays a huge role in boosting performance and ensuring we are a competitive and preferred brand in the markets in which we operate. Rotana is embracing the smart technology service model even further with the introduction of online check-in facilities and several other tablet-delivered services.

Today’s travellers are constantly connected but they have time constraints. They want information instantly and they value services that save time. We have introduced a number of ways that allow our guests to use smart devices to speed up the decision-making and booking process as well as cutting down on administrative tasks related to registration and payments – thus enhancing their overall experience.

For instance, guests at several Rotana properties can now check-in online via rotana.com and the Rotana Mobile App. They can then arrive at the hotel and simply collect their room key from a priority check-in desk, exclusively reserved for online checkins. The facility will be rolled out across all Rotana hotels by early 2015. The company also plans to enhance the service for Rotana Reward Members, allowing them to pick their room number and preferred floor.

TABLET TECHNOLOGY: Rotana has evaluated ways to improve guest satisfaction through the use of tablet technology. Initiatives include Tablet Check-In, where guests can agree to all reservation details, terms and conditions with an electronic signature; Tablet Check-Out to view their bill and check-out directly from anywhere in the hotel; Electronic Guest Surveys; and E-menus (which include additional information on dishes selected and recommended accompaniments). The services have been given an enthusiastic nod

by Rotana guests – 85% of guests surveyed said the tablet provided a better check-in experience compared to a typical paper registration check-in.

TECHNOLOGY FOR F&B: Rotana has introduced an online Restaurants and Table Management System that centralises guest profiles, allows social media integration, email and SMS reservation confirmations, and integrates with popular restaurant booking sites.

GLOBAL HOTEL MARKET TRENDS – BUDGET HOTELS: The number of guests seeking finesse and functionality at reasonable rates will increase. They will opt for modern and stylish hotels over luxurious ones. This new guest demographic will dominate business and domestic leisure travel in years to come while luxury hotels will depend on the wealthy clientele that are immune to the economic volatility.

GLOBAL HOTEL MARKET TRENDS – SOCIAL MEDIA: More than 1.5 million people are connected via the internet today and online consumer-to-consumer communications will dictate guest choices and tastes.

GLOBAL HOTEL MARKET TRENDS – TODAY’S GENERATION: The Millennial or Generation Y is looking for speed and accessibility. It’s a generation on the go. Technology is a major focus and we at Rotana are working on many advanced technology platforms across the board to meet these expectations.

THE ART OF “EATERTAINMENT”: Food & Beverage concepts that appeal to the five senses will develop region wide.

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We at Hills Hospitality provide the consultancy service helping our customers to implement food safety management systems in their premises ensuring they are complying with the international and legal standards of Food safety.

HACCP: a food safety management system designed to control hazards at point critical to food safety; it mainly identifies, evaluates and controls hazards which cause a significant threat to food safety.

ISO22000: is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization related with Food safety. It specifies the requirements for a food safety management system.

As an approved centre by HABC (the Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance), we conduct Food safety training courses providing recognized internationally certificates attested by Dubai Municipality. Below are the list of training courses: 1- Basic Food Hygiene 2- Food Safety level 3 3- Food Safety level 4 4- HACCP level 2 5- HACCP level 3 6- PIC level 2 and level 3

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HOSPITALITY & SERVICES JLT

T: +971 (0) 4 325 3130 F: +971 (0) 4 325 3136 M: + 971 (0) 55 503 2366 P.O. Box 73688, Saba Tower 1, Office 706, JLT. Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.hills-hospitality.com

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TAKE 10: SOCIAL MEDIA

Get social

MARTIN KUBLER, CEO OF ICONSULTHOTELS, A BOUTIQUE CONSULTANCY FIRM FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR, REVEALS THE TOP 10 SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES HOTELIERS SHOULD BE UTILISING

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anaging social media for a busy hotel or restaurant is not an easy task.

There are updates to post, conversations and mentions to listen to, competitors to keep track of, questions to answer, blogs to keep updated, complaints to deal with, and a whole lot more.

Often, demanding day-to-day operations leave precious little time for other matters, so it’s a good idea to make the most of technology, apps, and other Inter50

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net platforms to make our social media life a little more streamlined and easier to handle.

I’m still puzzled when I come across industry colleagues who aren’t using social media regularly to manage both their personal and professional lives.

But often, it comes down to them not knowing which social media resources to use and how to use them, particularly with new channels and apps popping up every day.

Taking time out to learn the function of each new media can also be time consuming, which is why Iconsulthotels helps hotels, restaurants and other busy hospitality companies help identify the top social media channels worth using.

The following 10 social media resources have been thoroughly tried and tested by Iconsulthotels experts and are frequently used when working with our portfolio of clients. This list is a quick reference guide for hospitality professionals.

TAKE 10: SOCIAL MEDIA

"IT’S CLUNKY, IT EATS SMARTPHONE MEMORY FOR BREAKFAST, BUT IT’S STILL THE BEST WAY TO KEEP UP WITH MULTIPLE FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGES ON THE GO."

1. Google Alerts: Google Alerts is basic, but fast and very useful. Go to www. google.com/alerts and create “Alerts” (i.e. saved Google searches for just about anything you like). Google Alerts will notify you every time your search term is mentioned online and you can set the notification frequency to daily or weekly.

It helps you keep track of your competitors and is also the fastest way to get notified of new TripAdvisor reviews (it’s faster than TripAdvisor’s own notification service).

2. Facebook Pages Manager: It’s clunky, it eats smartphone memory for breakfast, but it’s still the best way to keep up with multiple Facebook business pages on the go. It lets you post updates (with pictures), reply to comments, delete and schedule posts, and even promote posts. It also gives you access to a slimmed down version of your pages’ analytics.

3. Foursquare for Business: Foursquare for Business allows you to administer all of your Foursquare venues on your smartphone. It doesn’t support push notifications, but it does let you post updates (with pictures) and special offers and share them via Twitter and Facebook. It’s also a quick way to see new comments users have posted for your Foursquare venues.

4. Iconosquare (www.iconosquare.com): Connect your Instagram account to Iconosquare and you’ll be able to easily view all your Instagram content, analyse interactions, reply to comments other Instagram users have left on your pictures, search for hashtags and users, and email Instagram pictures to any email address for reposting to your own Instagram account (“regraming”).

5. Plume or Echofon: Two of the best Twitter smartphone clients currently available, Plume (Android) and Echofon (iPhone) make administering your Twitter account(s) on the go a lot easier and are also great tools for live tweeting events, thanks to their support for tablet devices.

6. Hootsuite: Hootsuite is a powerful social media dashboard that lets you share updates across multiple social media platforms, gives you access to powerful analytics and allows scheduling posts for future dates. It also comes with its own link shortening function, offering you analytics for every link you post in your updates.

7. Social Mention (www.socialmention. com): An interesting and often overlooked service that’s completely free, Social Mention is essentially a social media search engine.

It also offers basic sentiment analysis tools and lets you export search results to Excel. It isn’t quite there yet, often

producing some questionable results, but if it does work and you take time to set up and fine-tune your search terms, it can help you identify social sparks (social media users who talk a lot about your brands, properties, outlets). It can also give you an indication of the platforms where social media conversations about your brand happen.

8. Yonoo (www.yonoo.com): Yonoo is a handy and completely free browser add-on that lets you monitor and update your social media platforms directly from your web browser. Yonoo also exists as a desktop client and iPhone app, however, the browser add-on is superior to both. You can minimise Yonoo in your browser and still receive visible notifications every time something important happens on your social media. Yonoo supports a large number of services and handles multiple accounts with ease. It also lets you post updates and reply.

9. Zamzar: A guest sends you a video in a strange format that refuses to play on your computer or cannot be uploaded to Facebook, Twitter, etc, or you’re on the road and need to convert tiff picture into a jpeg or a PDF into a Word document. Zamzar (www.zamzar.com) is an extremely powerful online file conversion tool.

10. Dropbox (www.dropbox. com): Dropbox keeps your online world in sync and is faster and more reliable than comparable services, including Google Drive. It ensures all your online content is accessible from all devices, no matter wherever you are.

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EXPERT VIEW

"DETERMINING WHO YOUR MAIN COMPETITORS ARE AND ASSESSING THEIR OWN QUALITIES IS A CRUCIAL FIRST STEP."

The reality of hotel benchmarking Being honest about the qualities – and shortcomings – of your property is vital to a successful benchmarking regime, says Mariano Faz, head of asset management at TFG Asset Management

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dentifying a hotel’s competitive set and subsequently positioning and marketing the property correctly, is one of the most biggest challenges facing hotel owners and their operating partners today.

Determining who your main competitors are and assessing their own qualities is a crucial first step in the process.

The most obvious route to achieving this is by looking at the star-rating classification of your property versus those in the same vicinity; i.e. – define your competitors by a regimenting rating system, rather than market dynamics.

The second approach is to identify your competitors by analysing the respective amenities you and they have on offer.

A full-service hotel should be assessed against other like-for-like properties. However, finding two near-identical competing hotels can prove a difficult task.

For example, one property may offer guests a large array of F&B outlets while another may house extensive recreational facilities.

From a hotel asset manager's perspective a thorough analysis of the competitive landscape can often prove complex. Additional considerations arise, including brand recognition and a hotel's pricing strategy.

Brand loyalty is a major influencing factor too, while brand perception plays a role in determining pricing strategies.

International chains offer benefits including powerful Central Reservation Systems (CRS) and their brand recognition is high – for better or worse.

If your hotel operates under an international brand, the first level of analysis should include branded competitors operating in the same vicinity. Otherwise, non-chain hotels with a stronger reputation in the local market should only be considered in the final analysis.

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MARIANO FAZ, HEAD OF ASSET MANAGEMENT AT TFG ASSET MANAGEMENT.

Market positioning is also a crucial consideration. Often, hotel operators are forced to compete with higher star-rated hotels due to market dynamics. For example, during low-season periods, five-star hotel operators may discount prices to fill their available rooms, entering into direct competition – albeit briefly – with four-star hotels by virtue of price. For the purpose of this analysis, the hotel asset manager should disregard these scenarios.

However, if a direct competitor is underselling their product, should they be included in the competitive analysis? The answer is yes.

Often hotel operators will focus on better-performing properties, but to ensure a clearer picture of the marketplace, all direct competitors should be considered.

Identifying poor-performing hotels without market data can prove challenging, however factors like online reputation or even comments left on review websites will aid the analysis.

Taking a realistic view of these factors is vitally important to developing a clear picture of the competitive landscape. However, differences of opinion and perspective between the hotel owner and operator are likely unavoidable.

It is the hotel asset manager’s job to provide a clear and realistic analysis of the operating environ-

ment to reduce the potential for conflict between the owner and operator. While reaching a level of consensus among the main stakeholders is important, it is vital that any benchmarking regime takes into account both the qualities and the shortcomings of the property under assessment.

ABOUT THE FIRST GROUP AND TFG ASSET MANAGEMENT THE FIRST GROUP (WWW.THEFIRSTGROUP.COM) IS A BRITISH-OWNED GLOBAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY BASED IN DUBAI, WITH AN EXCLUSIVE FOCUS ON CREATING INNOVATIVE, ICONIC HOTEL PROJECTS. THE FIRST GROUP ASSET MANAGEMENT (TFG ASSET MANAGEMENT - WWW.TFGASSETMANAGEMENT.COM) ASSISTS WITH EVERY ASPECT OF A COMPLETED DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE PROPERTY INVESTORS GET MAXIMUM RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

ABOUT MARIANO FAZ MARIANO IS HEAD OF ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR TFG ASSET MANAGEMENT. HE HAS MORE THAN 12 YEARS OF EXPERTISE IN GLOBAL HOSPITALITY AND REAL ESTATE MARKETS AND HAS HELD A NUMBER OF HIGH-LEVEL POSITIONS IN HOTEL OPERATIONS, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, HOTEL MANAGEMENT AND HOTEL ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR HOTEL OWNERS.

EXPERT VIEW

"THE PRESSURE TO HIRE 'JUST ABOUT ANYONE' IS VERY REAL IN OUR INDUSTRY."

HR? A role in customer service?

The workforce we hire in this region are cut out for delivering top notch customer service to our guests, so where do we go wrong? Stephen Wilson, managing director of Wilson Hospitality Executive Search explains all

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he reality of the hospitality industry is that a hotel will receive their star rating based on the services and facilities available in a hotel. A five-star hotel is not an indication of the level of service or lack thereof that a guest could expect to receive.

As a result, there are two points I would like to make, firstly, is that it is the guests that are the sole judge of customer service in a hotel.

Guests assess service by comparing the service they receive (perceptions) with the service they desire (expectations).

It is apparent that the only thing that will separate your hotel from providing good customer service is your team members, your star grading will count for nothing as you try and balance the perceptions with the expectations of guests.

Recruitment As indicated in one of my previous columns, there is a war on talent and it has become increasingly difficult to find customer service orientated team members with the right look and feel to deliver guest expectations.

The implications for customer service are sobering. Rather than leave positions unfilled or pay what are considered to be exorbitant wages, many HR professionals in the region, recruit people who are woefully ill equipped to deliver excellent customer service to guests in the hotel industry. The pressure to hire 'just about anyone' is very real in our industry.

Focusing the selection and recruitment process on identify personalities that will provide quality customer service to guests has become vitally important in the current climate.

Job Descriptions If you had to ask a group of hospitality pro-

fessionals, 'Who is responsible for customer service?,' I really expect everyone from the GM to the newest housekeeper attendant to raise their hands.

While customer service needs to be part of everyone's job description, it is important to define what each person's role looks like from the perspective of level and job title. Human Resources need to ensure a new team member signs their job description at the same time they sign their contract. In a culture of service excellence, team members at all levels of the organisation must understand their roles and responsibilities, all too often we see poorly written job descriptions that don’t provide team members with any sort of guidance.

Departmental Training and SOP’s Departmental training and SOP’s are possibly the two key elements in customer service missing in many departments. As indicated earlier, we have nationalities with customer service DNA running through their veins, but if we don’t have SOP’s that define a service standard and regular departmental training based on these standards, cracks will appear. It is the responsibility of the Human Resources department to ensure and monitor that departmental training happens within the hotel, new team members receiving departmental training on all aspects of the outlet or department, before working on the floor and there is a designated departmental trainer in the department.

your guests in the hotel industry, and that your people are the key to success, then Human Resources will need to ensure and reinforce that management conduct regular performance reviews and that the management system evaluates team members against predetermined key performance indicators and competencies, are compensated accordingly to ensure you retain the top performers who deliver.

Management Development While every manager wants to believe that they are ideal leaders, this is often not the case.

A bad manager behavior will cause their team member undue strife, resulting in continuous turnover issues and significant losses to the organisation, not to mention consistency of customer service in the hotel. It is the responsibility of the human resources department to ensure that they continually provide management with training to equip them with soft skills to manage a team.

Human Resources are responsible for creating an environment conducive for great customer service and should be seen as a continual process and not a once off when there are customer service issues in the hotel.

The only solution: Dedicate resources, time and money for training and reinforcement.

Performance Management If you insist that the company depends upon people to deliver customer service to DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

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EXPERT VIEW

Security, a safe investment Julie Olsson Blou of INHOCO, International Hospitality Consultancy Group explores the ways in which security within a hotel can convert into paying customers

"SAFETY IS A KEY INFLUENCER IN DECIDING TRAVEL PLANS, FOR BOTH LEISURE AND CORPORATE TRAVELLERS."

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s a hotel you face big investments to secure the safety of your employees and guests. Wouldn’t it be great if these investments could be turned into additional brand value and sales?

Safety is a key influencer in deciding travel plans, for both leisure and corporate travellers. Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) recently asked European Corporate Travellers about their main concerns when travelling. In this study “Safety & Security” came out as the main concern, for 76% of travellers. You may have seen this trend in the increase of security questions in the RFPs from Corporate Travel Managers.

Even though UAE comes out in top 10 out of 139 countries in the world safety index (www.numbeo.com) future guests are still concerned about the security. On TripAdvisor you will find more than 1.500 forums and questions related specifically to ‘Safety in Dubai’.

Dubai hotels invest heavily in Safety & Security equipment, procedures and education. So what can a hotel do, to ease the minds of safety conscious guests, confirming that their hotel is a good and safe choice?

Major hotel chains incorporate their safety efforts into their brand and communication. For example CarlsonRezidor has a comprehensive internal Safety & Security program embedded into their brand image.

Paul Moxness, VP Safety & Security, CarlsonRezidor describes: “CarlsonRezidor has a recognized focus and reputation for safety & security thanks to our reknowned TRICS* formula, and our internal global security operations centre that monitors whether events can impact our operations and the safety. We also have a security self-assessment program that we make universally available to all properties that carry one of our brands regardless of whether their affiliation is through a management or franchise agreement.”

Similarly, Bill Marriott, Chairman of Marriott International, highlights their security programs in his communication: ”The safety and well being of our guests and associates is always our number one concern.

For example, every property has an emergency response plan. While there is some overlap, each hotel's plan is unique and different. Hotels in hurricane zones will have an emergency response that differs from a hotel in an earthquake zone.” Details are also published in their yearly report, e.g. 2014 sustainability report described: 54

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“Every September Marriott recognizes Global Safety & Security Awareness month. We provide resources and activities to help associates remember that we all have a role to play in creating a safe and secure environment at our workplace and in our homes”.

As a tool to help communicate Safety levels to a broad audience, a Swedish company called Safehotels Alliance AB, has established the Global Hotel Security Standard. Hans Kanold, CEO explains “The purpose of the standard it to make it easier to award and recognize hotels investing in, operating and maintaining a level of safety and security, which in turn is recognized by hotel guests, hotel room buyers, the travel management industry, hotel owners and operators. Safehotels has been certifying hotels adhering the standard since 2001. Hotels use it to clearly communicate their strong focus on Safety & Security. We also see a high interests from Corporates in getting their preferred hotels certified, supporting the companies efforts in meeting their Duty of Care obligations and manage the safety of their employees when travelling.”

With the increased focus from Corporates on ‘Duty of Care’ and Employee Travel Safety, hotels with visible Safety efforts are more attractive partners. Paul Moxness, CarlsonRezidor, highlights how they cooperate with external players to verify and continuously improve their Safety & Security effort: “It is important for us to work to improve the safety and security for the hotel industry which is why we partner with organizations like OSAC, where we are founding members of the hotel security working group and companies like Safehotels Alliance so we have external benchmarks and verification that our safety and security programs achieve their objectives.”

For your hotel, are you leveraging your security investments yet?

Surely you don’t want to miss your fair share of the growing number of safety conscious travellers?

Julie Olsson Blou works for INHOCO, International Hospitality Consultancy Group. With more than 200 combined years of hospitality experience they cover the complete spectrum of Hospitality needs from brand creation and acquisition to asset management and operational support.

REVIEW

PRESTIGIOUS NETWORKING This year's edition of Projets Prestige EMEA will take place on the 8th and 9th December at the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort bringing together hospitality suppliers and buyers

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airing together suppliers of highend, new-to-the-market product and collections with potential buyers for over 100 confirmed projects across the large scale residential and hospitality sectors, Projets Prestige will this year come together on the 8th and 9th of December at the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort with 60 suppliers of the four and five star hotel segment and 60 key-buyers due to attend. Event Director, Yumna Chabrol has extensive experience arranging these kind of events having successfully developed developing Equip Hotel in Paris, Chabrol, is convinced that organised business meetings are a credible alternative to the more established trade fair route in bringing new suppliers and products into a maturing region.

PARTICIPANTS AT THE 2013 PROJETS PRESTIGE IN THE MEYDAN HOTEL, DUBAI.

SAY CHEESE! “Cheese isn’t dead, it just smells a little stronger!” According to Xavier Thuret, international ambassador for French cheeses

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ith more than 80 years of dedicated experience with all dairy produce including cheese products and nutrition, with additional high industrial expertise, whom better to host Xavier Thuret than the Lactalis Group. Thuret, a renowned cheese expert and winner of the prestigious ‘Meilleur Ouvrier de France’ attended La Cave in the Conrad Hotel, Dubai, bringing together an evening of training, and intense cheese tasting. On offer to guests were an extensive portfolio of cheeses including goats cheeses, washed rind, soft cheeses, pressed cheese, blue cheese and surface ripened cheeses, with Thuret readily on hand to explain the differences and individual characteristics of each dairy product. In attendance at the event were chefs, F&B directors, retailers, bloggers and distributors.

ONE OF THE CHEESE TABLES AT LA CAVE, CONRAD.

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NEWS

What’s going on in the kitchen?

FLEXICOMBI SOFTWARE UPDATES FREE OF CHARGE

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sing the MKN FlexiCombi chefs are now kept up to date, with immediate effect as users of the new MKN combisteamer can download their software updates directly and on their own from the MKN homepage. Just one click and the current software versions of FlexiCombi MagicPilot and FlexiCombi Classic are available. The software updates are all free of charge for the user and therefore ensure that the user is always using the most recent, up-to-date software in the kitchen. geoning population and expanding domestic market. Simon Blazeby, Director, Reed Sunaidi Exhibitions discusses the 7 things about Saudi Arabia’s F&B industry that every foreign investor should know.

1. Saudi Arabia is the single-largest food market in the Gulf, accounting for more than 60% of the region’s total food consumption.

2. Foodex, which take place under the patronage of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Agriculture, is the largest food and beverage exhibition in the Kingdom.

FOODEX SAUDI

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audi Arabia is the single-largest food market in the Gulf, accounting for more than 60% of the region’s total food consumption, so while Saudi Arabia is the region’s largest food producer, representing 74.1% of total production in the GCC, it also imports more than $14.2bn worth of food and beverage products each year to meet its consumption demands. Affecting all areas of the F&B sector, analysts expect imports will increase further to feed Saudi Arabia’s bur-

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3. While Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of dairy products, cereals, meat, fish and vegetables in the region, it only produces about half of its requirements locally.

4. Knowledge of the market, physical commercial presence and legal support is essential for foreign companies who want to invest in Saudi Arabia’s F&B market.

5. Meat consumption and halal industries are expected to grow.

6. Fast food and food processing fastest growing segments in the food industry supply chain in Saudi Arabia.

7. Palates are changing. Young demographic is becoming increasingly health conscious.

NEWS

5 MINUTES WITH… Who: Marc Hijazi What: CEO of Sparrow International Where: Sial 2014

SALMONTINI LE RESTO OPENS ITS DOORS IN LONDON

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he well established award-winning brand Salmontini recently launched its first branch outside of the Middle East in Belgravia London. Heading up the kitchen is Catalanborn chef Esteve Prats Grau, latterly of the Tom Aikens Group.

Salmontini Le Resto’s light and varied menu is spearheaded by a variety of cold and hot salmon specialties, light salads, fresh Mediterranean fish and meats, including the restaurant’s perennially popular Entrecôte 'St Germain des Prés'. These are accompanied by an extensive array of sushi and sashimi, with a selection of the dishes designed to be shared between whole tables.

Q: How would you say you have made your mark on the F&B offering?

A: By concentrating exclusively on coffee and gelato with their respective ingredients and equipment.

Having established these, I developed turn-key solutions and training for HORECA professionals.

Q: Talk to us about your collaborations with Sparrow International.

A: Our exclusive European suppliers fully support us to deliver quality products and gain a loyal customer base in the GCC. Our top-notch brands have now a solid quality reputation in the Gulf.

Q: In your own words, how has the industry changed since you first arrived in 1997?

A: I arrived in 1997 to fill a gap in the F&B industry, responding to an emerging market with the best combination of ingredients and machinery, both have progressively developed, now Sparrow International brings essential components of success in GCC.

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EVENTS

RUSTIC ITALIA Hotel News ME take’s a look at how the recent Italian Cuisine World Summit brought authentic, rustic Italian flavours to the hotels in Dubai

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his November Dubai witnessed the sixth annual Italian Cuisine World Summit for the second year running in the Emirate. The summit, which is usually held in Hong Kong, came back to the UAE due to the immense success of the previous year.

The lifestyle event, which is deemed one of the most influential Italian food occurrences, saw 40 guest chefs, including those holding Michelin stars, come from Italy to participate in creating authentic, rustic Italian menus, throughout the summit, in participating restaurants.

With many of the Italian restaurants being located inside hotels, this year ICWS took the initiative of partnering with a number of them. Rosario Scarpato, ICWS director, explains: “Italian cuisine is very popular in Dubai and apparently there are more than 200 restaurants with Italian names, many of them being in five-star hotels, so this has been a great infrastructure for the ICWS 2014, we have managed to complete our goal of bringing true, old Italian cooking into the modern kitchens of these five star plus hotels.”

To name a few, Don Alfonso 1890 in the Shangri-La hotel saw two-starredMichelin chef Alfonso Iaccarino make an appearance over several evenings, hosting a five course meal to guests.

Le Meridien Dubai had one-Michelinstarred chef Daniele Repetti visit Casa Mia and chef Graziano Prest who has one star, visited Rosso at Amwaj Rotana Hotel. Additionally, Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers hosted a onetime-only exclusive seven-starred dinner at the hotels signature restaurant, Vivaldi by Alfredo Russo as part of the 2014 Italian Cuisine World Summit, the first of its kind ever to be held and this unique event was cleverly put together in tribute of the seven Emirates of the UAE. 58

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TWO-STARRED MICHELIN CHEF CLAUDIO SADLER AND CLAUDIO MELIS AT THE OPENING GALA OF ICWS AT RIXOS THE PALM. ONE-STAR MICHELIN CHEF, GRAZIANO PREST MADE A GUEST APPEARANCE AT ROSSO, AMWAJ ROTANA HOTEL. CHEF ALFONSO IACCARINO MINGLING WITH GUESTS AT DON ALFONSO 1890, SHANGRI-LA HOTEL DUBAI.

F&B INTERVIEW

King of the high tea Chef Roland Eitzinger, executive pastry chef at Raffles Dubai speaks to Hotel News ME about celebrating three years of success hosting the high tea experience and the upcoming festive inspired specialities

CHEF ROLAND EITZINGER, EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF AT RAFFLES DUBAI.

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hef Roland Eitzinger, executive pastry chef at Raffles Dubai is a complete pastry expert with more than fifteen years’ experience within the pastry kitchen. Eitzinger is an endlessly creative character, charged with inspiring his team to be constantly on the look out for new trends, the latest flavour combinations and the most modern techniques to keep wowing the guests at Raffles Dubai. This challenge is nowhere more apparent than in ‘The Collection – Afternoon Tea’, which was Dubai’s first fashion afternoon tea, recently celebrating three years of success.

You have more than 15 years’ experience working at a variety of top-class hotels; how does working at Raffles Dubai differ?

Raffles Hotels bring more than 125 years of history, hospitality and quality, since the first hotel opened its doors in Singapore back in 1887. Each Raffles property offers an oasis of calm and charm with a compelling mix of cultures and styles. At Raffles Dubai, our oasis merges traditional Middle Eastern culture, ancient Egyptian history and refined Asian characteristics. All of these impressions serve as a great source of inspiration that allows me to freely create in the pastry kitchen.

How have you made your mark on the hotel’s F&B offering?

In 2011, I first launched Raffles’ popular Fashion Afternoon Tea together with my

pastry team. By observing the fashion shows worldwide, my pastry team and I re-created fashionable collections in incredible shapes and flavours promising a delightful runway show of the seasons latest creations.

What would you say are some of the more unique elements about the afternoon tea experience?

The stiletto shoe is one of the main focuses at our Fashion Afternoon Tea. Whichever season we’re designing for, we always make sure to include the stiletto with a new flavour and exciting design. Guests are pleasantly surprised when they realise the entire shoe is edible, serving as a heavenly chocolate treat.

The high tea experience is historically British; how is Dubai fully onboard and embracing this concept?

The high-tea crowd in Dubai has embraced the concept exceptionally well, which is why our Fashion Afternoon Tea has made great strides year on year. Dubai’s culinary scene offers a selection of alluring and out-of-the-box dining concepts catering to a well-rounded audience with a taste for the extra-ordinary which is why niches like a fashion inspired afternoon tea is met with great enthusiasm.

What are the main factors you believe have contributed to the success of the afternoon tea concept at Raffles?

In Dubai, there is a vast fashion audience

ranging from traditional trends to eclectic styles. Observing these fashion movements in the city and internationally allows us to relate to our customers – we speak their language.

Aside from this, being the first and only hotel in Dubai to offer a fashion oriented afternoon tea sets us aside from the rest.

You source organic chocolate from South America; what other unique ingredients or products do you use?

I like to get resourceful when creating a new collection which is why I make it a point to experiment with unique ingredients from all over the world. I’ve used everything from Spanish saffron, French candied rose petals, Bolivian wild grown chocolate and the latest chocolate invention called ‘blond’ chocolate, which is a caramelised white chocolate from France.

What is next on your agenda for the high tea experience at Raffles?

Throughout the month of December, our afternoon tea takes on a Christmassy feel with The Festive Collection serving an array of delectable savouries and sweets with holiday inspired fashion pieces. Moving forward, we’ll be dazzling guests’ taste buds with the launch of The Spring/Summer Collection early next year as well as limited edition collections for special occasions, for example Valentines.

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F&B FEATURE

SOURCING IN THE SAND

The Gulf region is not famed for its food production, but with a growing number of foodstuffs available locally, the F&B industry’s sizeable imports could soon see a decline, says Lucy Taylor

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ver the past decade the international F&B industry has undergone something of a revolution.

The mantra ‘think global, act local’, has been applied to many fields, from marketing to banking to hospitality – and its impact on food and beverage has been substantial.

Outlets and vendors, in various forms, are embracing the commercial and ecological benefits of local product sourcing.

However, for some countries, turning this idea into a reality is significantly harder than for others.

In the Gulf region, locally produced foodstuffs have traditionally been limited; in the UAE more than 80% of food and beverage products are imported.

This is done at great expense, both in financial and ecological terms; but the scene is steadily changing, thanks to a determined and forward-thinking generation of farmers, suppliers and chefs.

Gabriele Kurz, executive wellbeing chef with Jumeirah Group’s Talise Wellness, explains: “When I first came to the region in 2007, I insisted on a garden for my restaurant where I could grow certain ingredients; 60

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I wanted to pick them just before preparing dishes, to ensure the best quality.

“After that, I started searching for suppliers who offered organic ingredients and local ingredients. Finding locally sourced products was difficult at first, but this has developed over the years.”

This evolution is backed up by newcomer to the region, Gilles Arzur; executive chef at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, which opened last month. "[My team] works with many imported product lines, yet it is important to incorporate as many local elements as possible – to reduce the carbon footprint and add that ‘extra touch’ you only get when sourcing locally,” he explains.

And it’s not only hotels that are throwing their weight behind this drive for more quality local produce. The UAE’s HORECA scene in its entirety is showing increasing interest in buying local.

One of the pioneering figures behind this move has been Yael Mejia, food consultant at ethical restaurant brand, Baker & Spice.

“When I came to Dubai to set up Baker & Spice, as 2008 was drawing to a close, one

of my first tasks was sourcing local and regional fresh produce,” says Mejia.

“This is one of the guiding principles of our kitchen and I had no intention of changing course. I knew there was farming here – I just had to find it and connect, it took a year of investigations, travelling in the desert, begging – but we ended up working with three farms. They started delivering fantastic produce to our kitchens, mainly vegetables. The ‘field to fork’ concept had landed in Dubai.”

Today that concept is a major selling point in several popular outlets.

Local farms, primarily in Abu Dhabi, have grown and garnered government support, bolstering the field further and chefs such as Hanna Dib, the executive sous chef for The Address Dubai Mall's Na3Na3 outlet, says nowadays the list of produce available is “pretty impressive”.

“You can get everything from dairy products to nuts, honey, a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, as well meat and local sustainable fish from the market.”

Kurz adds: “Depending on the season, there are beautiful citrus fruits, mangoes,

F&B FEATURE

GABRIELE KURZ, EXECUTIVE WELLBEING CHEF WITH JUMEIRAH GROUP’S TALISE WELLNESS.

"FINDING LOCALLY SOURCED PRODUCTS WAS DIFFICULT AT FIRST, BUT THIS HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS." bananas, papayas, melons, even strawberries – and of course a variety of dates.

“There are also many herbs, aromatic leaves such as rocket, mint, rosemary, basil, Thai basil, lemon grass and curry leaves.

Also, plenty of vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, beets, eggplants, tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers and spinach.”

Turn up the volume This broad product base is excellent news for local sourcing fans; however the sector is not without its stumbling blocks. One of them is, quite simply, production vol-

ume. The local hospitality sector is huge and growing – with a ravenous appetite, as Dib points out: “The farms and distribution companies are still developing and trying to meet demand for new product varieties.

This market will expand, but it’s a question of time.”

That may be true, but with so many years of international importing behind them, how easy will it be for properties to switch their allegiance to local suppliers?

Mejia asserts that “it is still difficult to source from local and regional suppliers; you have to understand the geography, cli-

mate and agriculture to make sense of what is around you.”

“Not many HORECA operations have the intelligence to do this,” she continues.

“Or the will, or the resources. It is, in our opinion, a missed opportunity.”

Indeed, it’s strange that so many outlets and hotels are missing the chance to source from local producers – because the benefits are manifold, as Dib is quick to point out that: “imported vegetables and fruits may look good, but they are usually not ripe on delivery and not that tasty. Often the produce has been picked too early, to meet import deadlines and financial demands.”

Arzur chips in with another angle: “With local producers, I know the source. I can have a direct impact on the distribution and get to interact with that person to improve the products via feedback. International distributors may not have this capacity to interact immediately, on the ground.

Farm to fork promise This appreciation and celebration of freshness and the ‘farm to fork’ ideal has logistical benefits as well.

Nils Al Accad is the founder of Organic Foods and Cafe – a retailer and café brand selling international organic goods, alongside locally grown fruits and vegetables.

“With local producers, you don’t need to stock the items or worry about them spoiling,” he points out. “This is very important, because for an outlet you simply cannot stock everything. If we say we work responsibly and ethically, we need to demonstrate daily that these are not empty words,” she says. “Plus we think our food tastes better

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F&B FEATURE

"I KNEW THERE WAS FARMING HERE – I JUST HAD TO FIND IT AND CONNECT, IT TOOK A YEAR OF INVESTIGATIONS TRAVELLING IN THE DESERT, BEGGING." because of the way we shop – and since we are in the business of making food, taste matters, every time. The quality of our ingredients makes all the difference.”

Menu matters Clearly the benefits of local sourcing are manifold; and, as demonstrated, there are a wide variety of products available from producers in the GCC region. Why, then, is it not more widely practiced?

“We have to be a lot more flexible with menus and there might be limitations in volumes that require quick changes,” concedes Kurz. “A printed standardised menu that has to last for six months is not recommended for a locally sourced menu.”

Then there is the issue of quality. Local producers and suppliers may have been plying their trade on a small scale for years, but when it comes to producing foodstuffs of industry quantity and quality, there are seri62

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

ous standards to be adhered to.

"The standard of food products here varies immensely,” admits Arzur. “I have confirmed several trustworthy sources to offer consistent products here, as have other chefs – and we exchange our experiences. However consistency, level of quality and quantities required remains a challenge, especially considering the climate in the region and the infrastructure in place.”

But according to Kurz, the sector is improving. “I have seen the local organic offering grow here over the years and this really is a great development; it’s happened much faster than elsewhere,” she says.

Dib feels strongly about the practice of local sourcing and understanding provenance – not only to ensure high standards and great flavours in the kitchen, but also in terms of consumer wellbeing: "I am anti GMO (Genetically Modified foods), hormones and all chemical additives. I encour-

F&B FEATURE

age people to buy their meat from their local butcher’s, and shop at the vegetable, fruit and fish markets in Deira.”

Kurz is similarly upbeat about the potential to integrate more locally sourced foodstuffs into the F&B industry: “The quality and taste of locally sourced ingredients are becoming more recognised in the community and within the luxury sector of the industry, which is a very positive trend.”

But Mejia believes this budding sector’s future is still very much up in the air.

“At the moment everybody talks up their environmental credentials and they are mostly empty words,” she says.

“I just hope all this hot air will cease. Not everybody on earth is interested in where their food comes from, and that’s fine. But the ones who are should dig deeper and go beyond the flim flam and PR nonsense, and drill down to the facts.”

And if even half of the region’s F&B professionals are prepared to ask those questions, and find local producers – the UAE and the Gulf has a very real chance of upping its status as a serious dining destination.

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DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS ME

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DESIGN

Eclectic designs How pioneering Asian cuisine is combining eclectic design with the art of modernism and traditionalism to fuse together the first China Grill in the Middle East

F

EBON HEATH’S WORD ART ON THE CEILING CREATED AROUND THE MARCO POLO INSPIRED THEME. THE EXQUISITE LIGHTING

BY ELLIE GRIESEN OF STUDIO EG LOOKING DOWN ONTO THE DUCK AND NOODLE BAR DEVELOPED AND INSTALLED BY TSSC. INTERIOR SHOT OF THE BAR.

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rom the streets of New York, comes the Dubai version of the world renowned China Grill, bringing with it its own traits and characteristics.

A welcome addition to the portfolio of restaurants in The Westin Dubai, China Grill incorporates eclectic design, with interior themes related to the Asian inspired descent of its name. Jeffrey Chodorow, China Grill founder and creator explains: “When you have existing restaurants already, you have to make changes décor wise, as the China Grill that has pioneered Asian inspired cuisine for over 25 years in New York city, Mexico and Miami is not traditionally Chinese, but undoubtedly bears its influence within the dark finishes and opulent fabrics. It is also not traditionally a grill. We have incorporated both of these elements within the menu, and also within the design to completely reshape and generate a fusion concept and feel.”

The overall design of China Grill was led by Jonathan Mangham of TGP Consulting, with contributions from Ellie Griesen of Studio EG heading up the lighting design. The construction was executed by SEF UAE Interiors and the unique kitchen setting of the Duck and Noodle bar, was developed and installed by TSSC. Talking in depth about the design, Mangham explains that the China Grill design was “Inspired by 1920’s Hollywood ‘damn the expense’ extravaganzas, but with finishes that appeal to the modern mindset, creating ‘set-like’ drama in the space.

All of the furniture was designed and made by our fit-out company SEF Interiors.

"Music was also a very important part of the design, and to set the scene correctly we got the sound system from a company called Void Acoustics, which was then installed by a company called Real Events here in Dubai, and one of the most unique elements about China Grill, is that of Ebon Heath’s word art, which is implemented onto the ceiling on the first floor and was created around the Marco Polo inspired theme," he says.

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

DESIGN

"WHEN YOU HAVE EXISTING RESTAURANTS ALREADY, YOU HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES DÉCOR WISE.

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F&B PRODUCTS

PRODUCT PLACEMENT Hotel News ME takes a look at some of the hottest F&B products on the market

La Marzocco Strada

San Marco 100

San Marco Instant

Designed for baristas, the Marzocco hosts mechanical paddle technology allowing progressive control of water control and pressure with dedicated coffee boilers for each brew-group.

The San Marco 100 has a dual temperature control system used as a thermosiphonic circulation system with a pre-infuser and double heater exchange.

The instant version of the San Marco, comes with a micro-switch a continuous grinding function electronic dose adjustment and with a hopper capacity of 1.2KG.

boncafeme.ae info.bme@boncafeme.ae

boncafeme.ae info.bme@boncafeme.ae

boncafeme.ae info.bme@boncafeme.ae

Bartech C32

VISION

The C32 automatic mini bar has infrared micro VISION can blast freeze up to -40°C and reach up switches and magnetic sensors, with the capacity to +40°C humidity with ultrasonic humidification, of 32 product positions available with a big bottle storage, chocolate crystallization and holding, thaw balcony. and storage. bartech.com info@my-bar-tech.com

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coldline.it info@coldline.it

Smart & Master Counters This range of counters ensures an internal volume with high storage capacity. Drawers are interchangeable and designed to adapt to any space requirements. coldline.it info@coldline.it

Just Bagels

Hartley Ranch

Vegware

Just Bagels Manufacturing, Inc create traditional bagels with no added oil, fat, cholesterol, or preservatives with no artificial colours or flavours.

A true cattle yield, Hartley’s premium Angus beef is verified by DNA testing with no artificial growth hormones or antibiotics, an exceptionally flavored premium angus beef the traditional way.

Environmentally friendly food packaging, including cutlery, coffee cups and takeaway boxes, products are made from renewable, sustainably sourced and where possible recycled eco-materials.

horecatrade.com mail@horecatrade.ae

hartleyranch.com sales@hartleyranch.com

horecatrade.com mail@horecatrade.ae

HOTEL NEWS ME DECEMBER 2014

F&B PRODUCTS

Trittico

Colombus

BABBI

Trittico Executive offers a complete solution for pastry making, chocolate and gelato whilst combining the unique synergy of ancient experience and craftsmanship in less than 1 sqm.

Gourmet Columbus is 100% pure Arabica coffee, a balanced flavor with a citrusy aroma, which comes from Columbian Arabica coffee beans, which are then slowly roasted.

Variegates with BABBI wafers offers a unique wafer texture combined with the smooth cream flavour creating an unforgettable and delicious experience

sparrow-international.com info@sparrow-international.com

sparrow-international.com info@sparrow-international.com

sparrow-international.com info@sparrow-international.com

Classe 11

Craft Bowls

Optik

Simple, fast and intuitive technology for the espresso, the Classe 11 by Rancillio Group was revealed at SIAL 2014 for the first time.

Craft bowls embodies the beauty of lustrous glazes applied by hand, and celebrates chance effects and reactions, which occur naturally in the kiln.

The curves and lines on Optik square plates move across the piece, creating highlights and shadows, accentuating the form and inviting the user to explore it's tactile surface.

steelite.com mea@steelite.com

steelite.com mea@steelite.com

sparrow-international.com info@sparrow-international.com

Stage

Kalamata olives

VHK

Stage is a range of wooden serving pieces, designed to provide the perfect platform for the operator to play with the theatre and presentation to the table

The essential Greek Kalamata olive is deep purple in colour, and extremely robust in form, with a fruity taste, can be used as tapas, or bar snack

This stainless steel, 0.9L energy saving, cordless hotel safety kettle features a concealed element, auto-switch off indicator light, and a 360째 antitheft base

steelite.com mea@steelite.com

pulsarfoodstuff.com info@pulsarfoodstuff.com

www.northmace.com sales@northmace.com

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ADVERTORIAL

The latest addition to the Lipton family Lipton introduces its newly launched, freshly brewed Iced Tea to the Middle East

T

he food service division of Unilever, Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) recently introduced to the market its newset beverage, Lipton freshly Brewed Iced Tea. The new beverage comes as a chilled version to the usual warm beverages Lipton provide, and the delicious new iced tea is a combination of real orange and black Pekoe tea. The flavoursome combination owes its distinctive taste to the roots of its Argentinan leaf, delivering the best results for cold tea applications.

As consumers increasingly look for healthier menu options, iced tea has now become one of the fastest growing, non-alcoholic beverage choices and is also now considered to be a global favourite. Following the success of the iced tea in the United States, UFS is delighted to introduce this new, fresh iced-tea concept for the first time in the Middle-East. The UAE is the only market outside of the United States where this new product is being distributed. Given the rise in demand of iced tea within this region combined with the favourable weather conditions it only makes sense that iced-tea should be available within the F&B market all year round.

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Vivek Rathore, operations head, barista Coffee at Mall of Emirates explains that “Lipton Fresh Brewed Iced Tea has enhanced barista’s line up, and the tea being freshly brewed makes it more appealing and flavourful. The guests have really enjoyed having them, where they can add flavour of their choice to it.”

Lipton Freshly Brewed Iced Tea offers an unsweetened, homemade iced tea taste that is brewed using an iced tea brewing machine, and once brewed, the iced tea canFreshly retain brewed its crisp,lock-up naturalfor placement only flavour for up to 8 hours without compromising on the quality and taste leaving your guest feeling relaxed and satisfied from this familiar, homemade taste.

For the launch of Lipton Fresh Brewed Iced Tea, Unilever Food Solutions UAE has partnered with Eurocoffee LLC who is the sole distributor of this product in the country. Eurocoffee LLC will be distributing Wilbur Curtis iced tea brewers, Lipton Fresh Brewed Iced Tea pouches as well as relevant iced tea merchandize to the food service industry. For more information: send your requests to info@eurocoffee.ae

iced tea

ONLY AVAILABLE AT +971 4 380 7899 | www.eurocoffee.ae | info@eurocoffee.aeDECEMBER 2014

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SUPPLIER FOCUS – WATER

STRAIGHT FROM Showcasing the best and brightest hospitality products from quality suppliers around the globe

Ferrarelle

Blue Keldl

S. Pellegrino

Ferarelle is a naturally carbonated water from Italy.

Blue Keld natural Mineral water flows from a spring

Sparkling water, S.Pellegrino springs from a source

The water source lies in Riardo close to Naples in

situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds. The pure

located on the right side of the Brembana Valley in

the volcanic area near the Roccamonfina volcano,

waters from the spring take many years to naturally

San Pellegrino Terme, in the province of Bergamo.

rainwater flows through the extinct volcano and

filter through the chalk and limestone before they

The course of infiltration lasts about 30 years and

encounters different minerals so the water emerges

arrive at the Blue Keld Spring.

is where the water acquires its unique organoleptic

from the ground pure and sparkling.

orbisfoods.com foods@orbisfoods.com

characteristics.

esf-uae.com info@esf-uae.com

horecatrade.com mail@horecatrade.ae Natia

Fonte De Medici

Natia mineral water is the accompanying still version

Gize Still

Fonte De Medici comes from a source in Tuscany

of Fererelle, and comes from the same source as

Gize’s source is found within the eastern reaches of

between the green hills of Valdichiana , Italy where

Ferrarrelle. Natia water flows underground away from

Canada in Nova Scotia, geological formations that

the water flows through an underground stream

sources of pollution, and the minerals collected along

permeated with veins of gold, ensures that the water

emphasising the geological location characterises the

the journey include silica and potassium.

is filtered from the gold and sealed in stone, which

water from the rich and pure soil.

esf-uae.com info@esf-uae.com

preserves the glaciers purity.

acquafontedemedici.it info@acquafontedemedici.it

gize.com info@gize.com Acqua Panna Acqua Panna is a still, natural spring water. The Tuscan Acqua Panna has its sources located at about 900m above sea level. Before springing in Scarperia, Florence. The water passes through the site aquifer for about 10-15 years. horecatrade.com mail@horecatrade.ae

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SUPPLIER FOCUS – WATER

M THE SOURCE Badoit Badoit natural mineral water emerges naturally sparkling at its source in St Galmier, France.

Introduced in 1778 at King Louis XVI's tables, Badoit has been recognised ever since for its exceptional taste and delicate bubbles. badoit.com armada@armadadistribution.ae Evian Bottled at the source since 1826, Evian comes from the Cachat Spring located on the Southern shore of Lake Geneva, in the town of Evian-les-Bains, taking 15 years to filter through mineral rich glacial sands in the pristine French Alps. evian.com armada@armadadistribution.ae Goccia Goccia di Carnia flows from the Fleons Spring at 1370 meters above sea level at a constant temperature of 6°C all year round in the heart of Alpi Carniche, North-East of Italy, the source is sheltered by extensive larch forests protecting its balance and purity. gruppodenadai.com commercial@gruppodenadai.com

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RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

The million Dirham ambition The International Centre for Culinary Arts Dubai (ICCA) has launched the first of its kind, a one million Dirham continuing Education award, which is an annual 100% scholarship programme for 30 young industry chefs

T

he ICCA Dubai, recently revealed plans to train and certify talented and deserving, but financially underprivileged, young chefs across the UAE hospitality sector.

The scholarship initiative will be executed in strategic partnership with the Emirates Culinary Guild, World Chefs (World Association of Chefs Societies) and City & Guilds London. The programme selection panel consists of Chef Andy Cuthbert, chairman ECG and Young Chefs development team for WACS, Chef Uwe Micheel, president of ECG, Chef Alan Pedge, vice president ECG Abu Dhabi and Sunjeh Raja, director and CEO, ICCA Dubai will all select candidates based on a set criterion.

All candidates will be put through the intensive ICCA Dubai – International Chef Training Programme, a City & Guilds London, accredited IVQ

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level 2 qualification, along with other industry skills over the course of a 52 week, one-day a week programme.

Prominent chefs and industry experts will regularly conduct training sessions, imparting skills and knowledge aligned to industry needs.

The graduates of the programme will be eligible for WACS-certified professional cook, under the World Chefs global certification scheme.

Sunjeh Raja, Director and CEO of ICCA presented the initiative saying, “the ICCA Dubai AED 1 Million Culinary Scholarship Award is the culmination of a vision we have had since we first opened our doors, 10 years ago. It is a vision that could only be achieved with complete support from the industry and our strategic partners. This programme will completely change the lives of 30 underprivileged chefs a

BELOW YOUNG CHEFS SHOW THEIR STUFF AT THE SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT.

year, while simultaneously boosting the industry with fresh, skilled resources and thereby helping take things to the next level.”

He added that, “with Dubai Expo 2020 rapidly approaching, the UAE tourism and hospitality sector will experience massive growth, and we need to show these visitors that our offering is world-class, this is where training is paramount to make the difference.

There is also a strong need to build a legacy beyond Dubai Expo 2020 and to provide opportunities post-event to help sustain the industry. Training programmes should be aligned to the opportunities and economic needs of the future – this is a smart approach to education, one that ties back to the Government’s wider vision of developing a knowledge-based economy. At ICCA Dubai, we are making that a reality.”

RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

The big clean!

Hilton Worldwide participates in a land, sea and beach cleanup

M

ore than 100 volunteers from Hilton Worldwide took to the coast of Ras Al Khaimah for the ultimate sea and beach clean up, as the region’s hotels and corporate offices geared up for a mass cleanup effort, Christian Grage, vice president of operations, Arabian Peninsula, Hilton Worldwide, remarked: “Global week of service is a fantastic opportunity for us to join together to make a real differ-

ence in our local communities, and this year, we hope to make a big splash in the Arabian Peninsula! To see local residents and our team members actively take part in our efforts is inspiring, as we seek to empower visitors to travel with purpose – our global commitment

to provide shared value to our business, the environment, and communities around the world.”

With the support of Hilton Worldwide team members, more than 100kg was collected from 2 km of seabed during the two hour underwater effort.

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EVENTS

THANK YOU!

Hotel News ME celebrated its official launch with a fabulous evening at Don Alfonso 1830, in Shangri-La Hotel DubaiSheraton Dubai Creek hotel and Towers

T

o celebrate the phenomenally positive and overwhelming response following the successful launch of Hotel News Middle East, we took a night off, and decided to celebrate in style with over 50 guests, to take the time to thank those who made the inaugural issue possible. To further top off the highs from the first issue, Hotel News ME celebrated with a delectable, hearty three course meal at the world famous Shangri-La hotel, Dubai, dining in none other than two star Michelin chef Alfonso Iaccarino’s very own, Don Alfonso 1890. Long may it continue to be successful throughout 2015!

TOP: EVE & MARIANO FROM THE FIRST GROUP. MIDDLE: FROM LEFT, SAHIL FROM DON ALFONSO, DIARMUID, BNC PUBLISHING, GALAL, TCL AND HASSAN FROM INTERCOIL INTERNATIONAL ALL CELEBRATING THE EVENING. BELOW: FROM LEFT, JOHN FROM LIMELINE PREMIUM BEVERAGES, ANDREW, AON, AND JAMIE FROM MEAT AND LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA .

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HOTEL NEWS ME NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

EVENTS

DIALOGUE WITH THE MASTERS Hotel News ME catches up with Lavazza after hosting a training afternoon in conjunction with the Italian Cuisine World Summit 2014

A

s one of the main partners for this year’s Italian Cuisine World Summit, Lavazza hosted an event in their Dubai based showroom profiling some of its word-class Italian coffee. The event consisted of an open dialogue regarding the extensive variety of serving coffee on offer to the F&B industry. Presenting to the floor was Francesco Viarizzo, the out of Italy training center manager, showcasing the techniques needed to create signature beverages through the use of the machines, Viarizzo mentions “it is so important to highlight the ways in which the different types of coffee can be served and created to emphasise the importance of texture, flavour and essence.”

Present at the event were five of the Michelinstarred guest chefs participating in the Italian Cuisine World Summit across Dubai, Roberto Franzin, Antonella Ricci, Vincenzo Candiano, Vinod Sookar and Riccardo Di Giacinto.

THE CHEFS FROM THE ICWS ENJOYING THE TASTE SAMPLES

THE GRAND UNVEILING As Sealed Air, Diversey Care unveils the launch of new products, Hotel News ME hears about the finer details

S

ealed Air Diversey Care recently held a facilities management product launch at the Grand Hyatt Dubai to uncover a range of new innovative products. The launch was presented by Axel Schmitz, manager global application building care, Diversey Switzerland Services GmbH who revealed the latest products to be the TASKI Swingo XP-R & XP-M, which comes as the new generation of TASKI swingo XP machines designed deliver the comfort of stand-on cleaning with unmatched visibility around the machine itself. Additionally, the battery operated scrubber driers were also revealed at the launch and these perform with unsurpassed agility offering the maneuverability of a much smaller machine and unbeatable cleaning performance.

TASKI Intellidose comes from the leading expert in superior, sustainable performance and is a chemical dilution system for TASKI scrubber driers.

AXEL SCHMITZ, MANAGER GLOBAL APPLICATION BUILDING CARE, DIVERSEY SWITZERLAND SERVICES GMBH WITH SOMER GUNDOGU, VICE PRESIDENT, MENEA, SEALED AIR

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THIS IS HOW WE DO IT

COMBINING LUXURY WITH ECOTOURISM

Whitepod Hotel

W

ith the increased amount of pressure on hotels across the globe to reduce their carbon footprint, organisations are exploring new and lucrative ways to minimise the impact on the environment. In the heart of the Swiss Alps, just east of lake Geneva, high above the town of Villars, sit the fifteen geodesic domes of the Whitepod Hotel.

A pod is a geodesic structure anchored on a wooden platform, which is naturally isolated from the cold and the snow. All pods come equipped with wood-burning stoves, organic luxury bedding and fully serviced bathrooms. To further add to the distinctive, eco-friendly feel of the overall pod experience, each one is individually designed and decorated. Each pod comes with a large bay window and its own private deck, offering stunning views of the Swiss Alps. Isolated from all urban pollution along the mountain region, the Whitepod Hotel lends itself perfectly to such a concept, while the pods blend magnificently into nature with white exteriors in the winter. To further limit the impact on nature, the wooden platforms upon which the pods rest, can be dismantled at any point.

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TOP: PRISTINE VIEW OF LAKE GENEVA AND THE SWISS ALPS FROM THE BAY WINDOW INSIDE OF THE POD. LEFT: EXTERIOR VIEW OF ONE OF THE PODS. BELOW: INSIDE ONE OF THE PODS, WITH THE ORGANIC LUXURY BEDDING.

ALL IN A DAYS WORK

BRYCE WINNING

DIRECTOR OF HOUSEKEEPING, HABTOOR GRAND BEACH RESORT & SPA, DUBAI

Clean ambitions Airing the dirty laundry while still getting the inside viewpoint from a hospitality professional

What was your first role in the industry?

My first role within the industry began when my career started as a room attendant with the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney Australia.

What made you go into hospitality?

From a very young age I was always interested in joining the service industry. An attractive factor about the hospitality business, has always been the opportunity to work in different countries, see different cultures and meet new people. It is an industry that will always be around and the demand for service is rapidly changing.

Why did you choose your current position?

I chose to work in my current position after spending seven years in various different positions within the housekeeping sector at the Four Seasons, Sydney. I decided to climb up the ladder, which brings me to where I am now, it is always a pleasure to share my knowledge and it is something I really enjoy doing.

What do you like about your job?

The great thing about my job is that each day

is different, and brings new challenges. These scenarios help me learn, and teach me to quickly adapt to situations and solve issues on the spot. Technologically, it is possible to learn new things each day, as the market is changing the ways in which we do things regarding new machines, products, and programmes.

Tell us about your average day.

No matter how much we plan and prepare, each day is different and brings about it’s own challenges. With guests that book online, it is possible for them to book their trip last minute, so the overnight occupancy capacity can pick up or go down, and the work needs to be done regardless of these changing factors.

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LAST WORD

The final say Andreas Mattmüller chief operating officer, Middle East & Asia for Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, shares his views on a career outside of the hospitality industry “If I were not a hospitality professional I would still be in the tourism industry, perhaps in the airline or promoting a destination. So indeed, not too far from the hospitality industry, they say the apple never falls too far from the tree!”

Room with a view In light of the festive period, this month a snowy chateau Hotel in Canada gets our seal of approval for best ‘room with a view’ The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is completely surrounded by soaring mountain peaks and the majestic Victoria Glacier alongside the glistening emerald lake. The iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel is located in Canada, Alberta’s Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is recognised globally for progressive environmental stewardship and responsible tourism. Originally built as a base for outdoor enthusiasts and alpinists over 100 years ago, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is a year-round luxury mountain resort offering guided mountain tours and world-class skiing in the winter.

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ROOM WITH A VIEW: THE VIEW FROM FAIRMONT CHATEAU LAKE LOUISE WITH THE TRANQUIL ALBERTA’S BANFF NATIONAL PARK AND VICTORIA GLACIER IN THE BACKGROUND.

Sambonet Paderno InduStrIe a leadIng grouP whIch name IS SynonymouS wIth excellence In the kItchen equIPment and tabletoP furnIShIng Sector.

Sambonet Paderno Industrie S.p.A. is a leading international manufacturer of top quality design items for tabletop and kitchen. Thanks to its knowhow, the Group plays a key role in the hospitality sector. Its portfolio ranges from flatware to holloware, as well as porcelain and glassware, including also a wide choice for buffet systems and catering equipments. www.corporate.sambonet.com www.1765gemini.com Tel. 00971 4 3884773 martin@1765gemini.com info@1765gemini.com

DECEMBER 2014 HOTEL NEWS MES.P.A. 79 Š SAMBONET PADERNO INDUSTRIE

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