TRENDING ARTISANS COVID-19 SECRET CONCIERGE APRIL 2020 AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION Shining a light on Zaha Hadid’s ME Dubai Grand DesignsJebel Ali Free Zone, Gate No 4 - Dubai, P.O.Box: 18022 | Tel: +971 4 808 50 90, Mob: +971 56 686 52 89 | Email: joe.thomas@aldanube.comIn this issue 3 April 2020 hoteliermiddleeast.com Features 38 Cover Story: Inside the Box We spoke to Stefan Viard ahead of the opening of one of the region's most highly anticipated properties 46 Artisans: Louis XIII Cellar master Baptiste Loiseau gives us an insight into the craftsmanship contained in each carafe of Louis XIII 52 GM Interview: James Berry The Radisson Hotel Group cluster GM talks about the growing popularity of clustering roles Regulars 6 Trending 14 Checking In 16 Talking Heads 20 Hot Topic 24 Market Update 56 How To Spend It 66 Secret Concierge THIS MONTH 24 Market Update: Ras Al Khaimah Jebel Jais Flight is the longest zipline in the world 46 Artisans: Louis XIII Baptiste Loiseau and the Louis XIII coopers The Word 4 hoteliermiddleeast.com April 2020 Published by and © 2020 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 (0)4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offi ces in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP Media Group CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve Deputy Managing Director Martin Chambers Group Editor Paul Cliff ord Editorial Editor Claudia de Brito Tel: +971 4 444 3692 email: claudia.debrito@itp.com Junior Writer Josh Corder Tel: +971 4 444 3358 email: josh.corder@itp.com Advertising Senior Sales Manager Emma Barnett Tel: +971 4 444 3253 email: emma.barnett@itp.com International Sales Manager Amanda Stewart Tel: +44 7908 117 333 email: amanda.stewart@itp.com ITP Live General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 444 3549 email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com Studio Asistant Designer Junemar Tulipas Photography Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Adel Rashid Staff Photographers Aasiya Jagadeesh, Fritz John Asuro, Ajith Narendra, Jessica Samson Cover Image: Adel Rashid Production & Distribution Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Basel Al Kassem Production Coordinator Mahendra Pawar Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles Circulation Distribution & Warehouse Manager Paveen Nair Circulation Executive Loreta Regencia Marketing Director of Awards and Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Events Manager Teri Dunstan ITP Group CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. We’ve got your back MEDIA There's no way to sugar- coat it. The hospitality industry is facing its biggest challenge in living memory. But we're here to support you. And just like you, we aim to come out the other side of this fighting. We're working every day to bring you the latest developments, industry data and analysis from the COVID-19 fallout across our digital platforms, along with response advice from trade bodies and industry leaders. In short, we will have all the information you need as we all try to weather these unchartered waters, and we'll continue to promote and champion the industry's successes, as always. It's times like this when we need to band together, and it's been heartening to see so many people sharing ideas, knowledge and skills during these tough weeks. Innovations such as Bench Events' virtual Hospitality Tomorrow conference (to be held on April 7) are just what we need. Chairman and founder of Bench Events, Jonathan Worsley said:"we need to come together to discuss the best strategies to plan how to capitalise on the recovery when it comes", and he's correct, it will come. Hopefully those who have lost their jobs, or even their businesses, will be able to pick up the pieces on the other side and can get back to doing what you do best - making this region a shining example of what the hospitality industry can achieve. Wishing you and your loved ones the best of health. Stay safe, Claudia de Brito, EditorNOMINATIONS & TABLE SALES ARE NOW OPEN AB LE B SSESALES SSSAS LELELEESES E ALALALALELE LE SAS MIMINONTI NONSAT &SS O NSNNNS W NS W ANOW WOWOWWOWW NOW NNSANSAT S TIOATIONSNONNNS S ONNNIOOMMINNOONNIOONIOAT NSINONSMNS & NSAT NO OWW R OWWOWOWW EANO NS SS W NS OW & W ON TT ANO OWOW AR NNOARAR W NONOW & AR O REAREAR NONO NSNNONONOMINM N SS NS S & NNSNANANANATNONAMMMINMMINOOM NAATMMOM TA WO &T NOO TATATTTTTTA OPOPWOOOOPWOWOOON &&&T OP NOP NNPEPEOPOPEOP NNN TAB OPOP N & TA WOPW OOO TAAB ELE OP ETAB OP AB E& SSSSSSESSSS ARRERERERERARREAARARAR EN EARRE TIOTIO T&&E A E SA ALELELELE TI AL SSS&&&&& AT SS ATAT S TITIONSNS SSSS RE SS TIOTIONATIINNONOMOMMMMMMNONOOMMMMOMOMOMMOMOMMMONONOMINMI ATNNAMIN ARAR MINMIOMOM AT AAAAAA EAA OM NMINOMINOMOMNOOMMINNANONOMINNAMINA A NA AAAAAA NANAMOMOMNONNNNNONNNNNNONONN EWW P ENRERE PWOO R OPOP S AT SALE SA IO SSS NS EAR ON PE ONNA S TIONANAATATNANA S PWOP SASASSS ESELE SSA A SE S&& A ELE S LELESESESE SA ES ESALES ESESES PE AAT S&S ATNAAT AA WWW REA M ATIOAANA A WOWOWO AAARA NA WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020 MEDIA PARTNERS Celebrating their 16th year, the Hotelier Middle East Awards recognise the best in hospitality www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/awards Sally Whittam Commercial Director Mob: ++971 56 104 0567 Email: sally.whittam@itp.com Emma Barnett Sales Manager Mob: +971 52 421 3586 Email: emma.barnett@itp.com Claudia de Brito Editor Tel: +971 4 444 3 692 Email: claudia.debrito@itp.com Teri Dunstan Events Manager Tel: +971 4 444 3227 Email: teri.dunstan@itp.com Anthony Chandran Tables Sales Executuve Tel: Tel: +971 4 444 3685 Email: anthony.chandran@itp.com Amanda Stewart International Sales Manager Mob: +44 7908 117 333 Email: amanda.stewart@itp.com #HotelierAwards SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES NOMINATION ENQUIRIESEVENT ENQUIRIESBOOKING ENQUIRIES GCChoteliermiddleeast.com April 2020 6 TRENDINGTrending 7 April 2020 hoteliermiddleeast.com Tourist arrivals could drop by 30% this year As travel restrictions are enforced across the globe, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said tourist arrivals could drop by between 20% and 30% this year compared to last. This fall would translate to a drop in international tourism receipts of between US$300 and $400 billion according to UNWTO. If this were to happen, it would translate to the tourism industry losing ve to seven years of economic progress. UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism is among the hardest hit of all economic sectors. However, tourism is also united in helping to address this immense health emergency – our first and utmost priority – while working together to mitigate the impact of the crisis, particularly on employment, and to support the wider recovery efforts through providing jobs and driving economic welfare worldwide.” UNWTO noted that in 2009, during the global economic crisis, international tourist arrivals dropped by just 4%, while in 2003 during the SARS outbreak, it dropped by 0.4%. At the end of last week, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) too updated its assessment of the situation, going as far to say travel & tourism could close as much as $2.1 trillion this year. WTTC added that there are currently 75 million jobs in the industry at risk. WTTC’s data suggested the Middle East could lose $65 billion and 1.8 million jobs this year in the industry. FORECASTTrending hoteliermiddleeast.com April 2020 8 Bench Events, the organisers behind the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), will organise a digital conference online at the start of April. The conference will be done over the internet and bring together hospitality leaders and professionals to discuss the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics on the agenda will cover: the economics of coronavirus, how to survive the greatest adversity of our time, the nine essential leadership behaviours needed in a crisis, the outlook to recovery, how to capitalise on the upturn when it comes and the new post-COVID reality. These discussions will be moderated by the presenter of HARDtalk and conference chair, Stephen Sackur and Anita Mendiratta, special advisor to secretary general, UNWTO. Speakers include Capital Economics founder and chairman Roger Bootle; Adversity Quotient creator Paul Stoltz; Kenya Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife cabinet secretary minister Najib Balala; U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow and many other industry professionals. Indian Hotels CEO Puneet Chhatwal said: “With COVID-19 sweeping across the globe, many companies in the hospitality industry are facing an unprecedented threat. As we will combat the pandemic much better united than divided, we all need to come together to share ideas. This meeting on the internet will set a great example of what we can do by thinking in a bold and imaginative way.” Activities usually found at a Bench Events conference will be present in this digital format, including speed networking via three-minute one-on-one video calls and virtual exhibition booths to chat with exhibitors. The virtual conference is able of having 100,000 audience members at once and is free of charge. It will take place on April 7 from 10 am to 4 pm BST. Bench Events chairman & founder Jonathan Worsley concluded: “Devastating is the word most governments are using to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on society and the economy. The sector that stands to suffer the most is travel and hospitality. Today, nothing is certain, except that our world will never be the same again. We need business leaders to come together to discuss the best strategies to cope with the immediate crisis and to plan how to capitalise on the recovery when it comes.” Gates Hospitality launches online learning Gates Hospitality is set to launch its own Hospitality Home Schooling programe that will see its expert staff share their knowledge via social media. With much of the Middle East housebound due to the coronavirus outbreak, Gates Hospitality CEO and founder Naim Maadad believes it's the perfect time for expertise sharing and knowledge swapping. He said: "While we all navigate our way through these challenging times, I encourage everyone to use their skills and pass on their knowledge so when we’re all back to normal, our teams come back inspired and more knowledgeable than ever before. Gates's top chef duo behind the ever-popular Folly restaurant, Nick Alvis and Scott Price, and Julien Pilard, the restaurateur responsible for Bistro Des Arts will be among the experts sharing their advice, but anyone with wisdom to impart is encouraged to take part. To get involved,email: hello@gateshospitaliy.com TRAINING CONFERENCES Bench Events to organise digital hospitality conferenceTrending 9 April 2020 hoteliermiddleeast.com The Ritz London sold for £800 million AQUISITONS The historic The Ritz London has been sold over the weekend for a price under the number stipulated by its billionaire twin owners. The 114-year old property sold for approximately £800 million, £200 million shy of what co-owner Sir Fredrick Barclay had originally asked. According to reports, the sale is thought to have been rushed amid the coronavirus situation, with the sale taking place the same day the hotel closed its doors for the rst time in history. The hotel was bought by an undisclosed buyer from the Middle East on March 27. The buyer said: "It is a privilege to become the owner of the iconic Ritz Hotel," in a statement from Macfarlanes who advised on the acquisition. However Sir Frederick Barclay has said that he had no knowledge of this sale, nor was he consulted on the matter. The billionaire brother went as far to say he would take legal action if the 1906 Mayfair property went for under £1 billion. “We are surprised and perturbed by the announcement the Ritz hotel has allegedly been sold. We have neither been consulted nor have we approved this sale,” a representative from Sir Frederick Barclay told the Financial Times. “As we outlined earlier this month, any potential purchaser would face signi cant litigation if this deal is not approved by all sides.” The representative for Barclay added: “Sadly we cannot get away from the fact that this deal, if it has occurred, appears to have been pushed through in the middle of the coronavirus crisis in the hope that it will be uncontested.” Situated in most of the most popular areas of London, the Piccadilly-located hotel is one of the most iconic in London and popular amongst celebrities and tourists alike.Next >