< PreviousThe Power 50 hoteliermiddleeast.com October 2020 40 With the opening of Taj Jumeirah at the end of 2019, the new year was shaping up to be a good one for Ranjit Phillipose. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had other ideas. The pandemic caused revenues at Taj to drop to just 5 percnt compared to the previous year, with the JLT hotel shut from April 1 to July 15, however the Business Bay hotel remained open. Led by Phillipose, it managed to downsize costs and by exploring new avenues for revenue it managed to recover to 50 percent percent of the previous year’s revenue. All departments went out of their way to save costs and ensured strict adherence to the plan. This resulted in 45 percent savings in cost achieved between April and August 2020 as compared to the previous year. The marketing team collaborated with key Emirati in uencers in Dubai, which resulted in immediate bookings of over 1000 rooms nights and contributed approximately AED780,000 in terms of revenue. Phillipose summed up his attitude and response to the crisis by saying: “There is an adapted Chinese proverb that I have found epitomises my team’s approach to handling the last seven months particularly. ‘When the storm comes, some people hunker down, and others build windmills.’ “We have experienced unprecedented and dif cult times, but the team stayed strong and persevered, adapting every step of the way.” Palazzo Versace Dubai’s managing director Monther Darwish, had a monumental task in front of him for 2020. Darwish’s mission was to maintain the ve-star hotel’s level of luxury, while keeping guests safe and driving results, all during a generation- altering pandemic. During the pandemic, Darwish steered operations towards the domestic and staycation market. Using an extensive marketing plan on social media with local press, in uencer marketing, radio and others, Palazzo managed to hit 90 percent occupancy rates while other hotels were struggling to hit 10 percent. At the peak of summer in August, as many as 2,700 people came through the hotel in a single month. Amid a hospitality job crisis, Darwish did not make any redundancies, or did he do any restructuring, instead he hired people. The coronavirus has taught Darwish and those at his hotel that there’s a lot of success in the staycation business, which he said he will continue to focus on moving into next year. He said: “The market consumption might not be at the same level as last year but we prepare our business for life after COVID-19. Palazzo Versace has been a market maker all this period of time and a strong example of how to bring the occupancy from 5 percent to 90 percent during pandemic.” Keeping staff morale positive in the face of the pandemic has been part of Richard Haddad’s remit, and with a pledge in place since March 2020 to have no layoffs and to keep a full team with a fair recovery plan, it’s safe to say he has achieved that. A range of online activities including cooking sessions, painting, dancing, and health and tness training has also kept Jannah staff occupied while celebrating their talents and successes outside of work. With the opening of Edge Creekside Hotel in October 2020, Haddad is looking to kick on post-pandemic and there are already plans to launch a second branch of Feta Restaurant at Dubai Creek in the near future, alongside three outlets of Asian restaurant concept Halo Halo by the end of 2020. “Considering the industry uncertainty, we are lucky to use this period to work on reviewing our product offering and upgrade it in preparation for the return of the travel industry to its previous performance,” said Haddad. “We consider that our simpli ed approach will help us take over some new management contracts in the next 12 months.” In the short-term, the target is on domestic travel, mainly for alternative accommodation and business, while ful lling demand for weekend getaway escapes in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. Ranjit Phillipose Area director – Middle East and GM, Taj Dubai, The Indian Hotels Company Limited Richard G. Haddad Chief executive of cer, Jannah Hotels & Resorts Monther Darwish Managing Director, Palazzo Versace Dubai 3032 31The Power 50 41 October 2020 hoteliermiddleeast.com Mohamed Soussan is the group general manager, Ayla Hotels & Resorts, comprising Ayla Civic Hotel, Ayla Badwadi Hotel and Ayla Grand Hotel, all located in Al Ain, UAE. In the past 12 months, all three Ayla Hotels managed to provide continuous service to clients, with the Ayla Civic notably being the only hotel in Al Ain to offer complimentary stays and meals to the nearby medical team. By the year end, Soussan plans to open the Ayla Ibri Hotel in Oman, falling under the three-star category and adding 75 keys to the portfolio. The cluster GM said: “No doubt, we are facing challenges, but every challenge forces us to apply a new strategy and to come up with a solution.” Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani and his company, DAMAC Properties, had a strong start to 2020, with an 80 percent year-on- year revenue growth in Q4 2019. It did however see a net loss of US$10 million, a rst for DAMAC in more than 10 years. Right now, the company, including its hospitality arm, is focusing more on selling inventory rather than launching more projects. It did however open the towering Paramount Hotel in the last 12 months, adding approximately 1,200 keys to its hospitality portfolio. With more than 40 years of experience, Byblos Hospitality CEO Jean Sammam is responsible for seven hotels and more than 1,00 keys. He has turned the group into one of the country’s leading names in the midmarket segment and is looking forward to opening a ve-star property in Dubai’s Al Mamzar in 2021. He says 2020’s pandemic has taught the group the need to adapt quickly and be ready for the unexpected. Jean Samman CEO, Byblos Hospitality Hussain Sajwani Chairman, DAMAC Hotels & Resorts 33 36 35 A relatively quiet year for Hyatt with the main movement being lifestyle brand Andaz in Dubai and Abu Dhabi cementing their place in the market, alongside the refurbishment of Park Hyatt in Dubai, complete with its own private beach. As ever Hyatt isn’t trying to compete with the world’s biggest hospitality groups, instead focusing on opening the right properties in the right markets. Srdjan Milekovic Senior vice president - operations, EAME, Hyatt Hotels 34 Mohamed Soussan Group general manager, Ayla Hotels & Resorts The Power 50 hoteliermiddleeast.com October 2020 42 One of the few female CEOs in the region’s hospitality business, Marloes Knippenberg has not let the COVID-19 crisis slow things down, with 20 projects in the pipeline and a growing team of happy staff. Speaking about the 2019-2020 roller coaster, Knippenberg told us: “In the past 12 months, we were able to establish a local Saudi team, opened our Europe of ce, opened the property in Jordan during COVID-19, a few days earlier than planned, started three new global initiatives supporting women, GenZ, sustainability and Innovation. We have also established our mixed-use offering which is getting some recognition.“ Keen to nurture her talent, Knippenberg has used the digitalisation of this year to introduce the Remote-ship programme. Receiving more than 100 applications, the scheme placed 10 international students in internships curated by Kerten. Five interns have already been given employment proposals upon graduation from their universities as Kerten Hospitality is gearing up for a number of key openings in the Middle East. Unlike others on the Power 50, Kerten Hospitality shifts attention away from the UAE hubs and more towards Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait, Georgia, Egypt and others. Each property falls under Kerten’s mixed-used concept, offering exibility for events and activations. Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Group is a powerhouse in Asia, and as the group approaches its 50th anniversary, regional chief operating of cer Middle East, Europe, India and Americas, Shangri-La Group, Oliver Bonke is looking to mimic that success over here. The group has more than half of its portfolio in China but is looking to debut in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia next year, as well as Bahrain. The Jeddah hotel is planned to open in 2021 and will be housed in a 65-storey development located on Jeddah Corniche Road facing the Red Sea, the development is a 236-room hotel and serviced residences project. Shangri-La Hotel, Bahrain will follow, with 250 hotel rooms, 150 one-to-three- bedroom suites, eight beach chalets and 21 waterfront villas. With properties in Mainland China, the Middle East and beyond with ve properties in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman. Under Bonke’s guidance, properties such as Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi and Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai, go toe- to-toe with the ve-star home-grown hotels in the Arab nation. “Ours is a story driven by an enduring passion for customer service that is genuine and heartfelt,” said Bonke. With hotels based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Airports, Premier Inn Hotels wasn’t one to dodge the impact of COVID-19. Still, even with its focus on corporate travellers, the brand managed to keep all ten of its hotels in the region open, a feat Premier Inn Hotels LLC, managing director Adam Nicholls is immensely proud of. Under his guidance, Premier Inn has launched its Sleep Campaign to position itself as the market leader in the sleep market. With Hypnos beds, plump pillows and black out curtains, Premier Inn has worked tirelessly on the quality of its beds and sleep experience. This will be enhanced with providing guests with Sleep Packs – containing herbal tea, ear plugs and access to curated Spotify Playlists from Premier Inn. Premier Inn Dubai Investments Park and Ibn Battuta Mall are looking to get a boost in 2021, both located nearby to the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Nicholls explained: “2020 has been challenging, however I’m proud of how my team faced the challenge and serviced our guests under such unusual conditions. “It was the right decision to keep our ten Premier Inn hotels in the Middle East open during the crisis and day by day business is improving.” Marloes Knippenberg Chief executive of cer, Kerten Hospitality Adam Nicholls Premier Inn Hotels LLC, managing director Oliver Bonke Regional chief operating of cer Middle East, Europe, India and Americas, Shangri-La Group 37 38 39The Power 50 43 October 2020 hoteliermiddleeast.com Hosni Abdel Hadi has experience spanning more than 30 years in the hospitality industry having worked with some of the leading global hospitality chains of the world. Currently CEO, he joined Carlton Group as GM of the fl agship Carlton Tower Hotel in 2001. Now approaching two decades of experience, Philippe Harb returns to our list running one of only a handful of Abu Dhabi-based hospitality companies. With categories including Elite Hotels, Boutique Hotels, Wellness Resorts and Suites, Harb, as COO, is currently responsible for properties including The Village – Abu Dhabi and Ain Al Faida in the UAE and Dhour Choueir Avenue and Suites – Dhour Choueir in Lebanon. Philippe Harb Chief operating offi cer, One To One Hotels and Resorts JS Anand Founder, LEVA Hotels Stepping in after Aly Shariff, Raj Rana was made the new Citymax Hotels CEO at the end of last year. Rana, who has over 30 years of international hospitality experience, was previously CEO of the Radisson Hotel Group for South Asia. Citymax Hotels are present in Dubai at Bur Dubai and Al Barsha as well as Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Aswan, Egypt. Raj Rana Citymax Hotels, CEO 40 “It’s not easy to build a brand from scratch for a hotelier without any support or funding resources from any corner, never mind building and managing fi ve hotels around the globe in less than two years,” LEVA Hotels Founder JS Anand told Hotelier Middle East. The group revealed in 2017 it aimed to have 2,000 hotel rooms by this year. Currently there are 1,142 rooms are in Dubai, 85 in Jordan and 90 in the Czech Republic. This year, the group added Carlton Al Barsha Hotel to its portfolio, adding 229 keys to its name. Hosni Abdel Hadi Chief executive offi cer & managing director, Carlton Hotels & Suites 42 43 41 Anand is the leading force behind LEVA, which manages the LEVA Hotel, Mazaya Centre in Dubai. In a short time, he has made a name for himself in the mid-scale and upscale sectors of the market, wasting no time in getting new deals in place. The group has plans to open properties across not only the Middle East, but also Africa, Europe and even America. This is all during the pandemic, which Anand said will take LEVA around six months to recover from. “We are also looking at getting into African markets with lodges in national parks and safaris, while also eyeing city hotels all over Africa, Europe, and penetrating in key US markets.” “We are focused on economic structure, fl exibility in existing building conversions. We are focusing largely for a three and a four-star upscale or mid-scale lifestyle, funky and trendy brand,” he added.The Power 50 hoteliermiddleeast.com October 2020 44 After almost a decade acting as general manager at the Address Downtown Dubai, Caroline-Jane Houston has left Emaar to join the Dorchester Collection as its GM. Famed for its international portfolio of luxurious hotels, including the fl agship in the UK, Dorchester Collection is entering the UAE with two properties, both of which Houston will oversee. Dorchester Collection has been Justin Kim fi rst appeared on Hotelier Middle East’s radar in March 2020, when putting together The Art of Hospitality cover story. Part of Campbell Gray Hotels, The Merchant House in Bahrain’s historic Manama district is full of contemporary art pieces, 196 pieces to be exact. Under his leadership, Kim has made the boutique hotel one of the region’s most infl uential design-focused properties, used as a springboard for numerous design debates and panels. It is currently the only fi ve-star boutique hotel in Bahrain. Kim explained: “COVID 19 has surely impacted the hospitality industry which is obviously refl ected from the booking pace. However, we are taking this opportunity to rebuild the trust of our audience by coming up with initiatives following strict hygiene protocol from the local communities.” Over the next 12 months, Kim intends to launch an online retail platform for the hotel’s F&B, spa and hotel amenity products. He added: “It’s been an interesting time of my professional career yet made me realise how important to focus on the wellbeing of my guests, employees, and myself. Our plan is to embrace all current challenges to enhance our living to be a great one.” Justin Kim General manager, The Merchant House, Bahrain Caroline-Jane Houston General manager, Dorchester Collection 45 44 With more than 20 years of hospitality experience, Arun Kumar is entrusted with overseeing four Al Khoory Hotels as its general manager hospitality. Al Khoory Hotels currently operates four in Dubai with a total of 650 keys. In the last 12 months Al Khoory has opened its 92-key Urban by Al Khoory property, with the 158- key Al Khoory Courtyard still in the pipeline. Arun Kumar General manager hospitality, Al Khoory Hotels 46 working in collaboration with Omniyat to open the Dorchester Collection Hotel and Residences in 2021 in addition to working with Omniyat to launch The One Residences on The Palm this year. The One Residences has already made headlines, selling one serviced penthouse for AED102 million in 2017 and another for AED74 million in 2019. The GM told us: “Time stands still for no-one, I, along with everyone within Dorchester Collection and Omniyat are committed to strengthening the hospitality community and integrate an unprecedented layer of excellence to the city”The Power 50 45 October 2020 hoteliermiddleeast.com Though Tommy Lai’s title of CEO hasn’t changed in the last 12 months, his list of responsibilities certainly has. In May this year, GHM president Hans R. Jenni stepped down, with Lai taking his place to handle day-to-day operations. GHM has six properties in the pipeline in Maldives, Mumbai, Sharjah and Hsinchu in Taiwan. Tommy Lai Chief executive offi cer, General Hotel Management (GHM) As the managing director of third-party hotel operator Aleph Hospitality, Bani Haddad is hoping that the disruption caused by COVID-19 will help owners realiser the importance of having an operator who is focused on their asset and who can make a difference when it comes to the management of expenses. He says the group is experiencing a huge rise in demand for its services as hotel investors are “fi nally understanding the benefi ts of having a third party operator to manage their asset”. From an operational perspective, Haddad took the time to implement a number of bespoke training programmes around well-being and mental health for employees in its hotels. He says: “We tend to underestimate the impact of stressful periods such as the one we are going through and it was important to provide all the support possible to our staff.” Going forward, Aleph Hospitality aims to reach 35 operating hotels by 2025, and is currently ahead of its target to reach this goal, says Haddad. “We are confi dent we will be able to double again our portfolio in 2021.” Bani Haddad Managing director, Aleph Hospitality 47 49 Senior Vice President and CEO MENA, Warwick Hotels, Jamal Serhan has been in our Power 50 list for a few years thanks to an ambitious pipeline. However, in 2020 it seems the group has kept quiet. It still has 25 hotels in the pipeline for 2025, spanning Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain and Lebanon. Once complete, these properties will add 2,500 keys to Warwick’s MENA portfolio. Jamal Serhan Senior vice president and CEO MENA, Warwick Hotels 48 A 30-year veteran of the hotel industry, Freddy Farid has been in post for almost two years. There are three properties in the pipeline, two in Morocco, as well as the refurbishment of 128 apartments in Two Seasons Hotel Dubai. Also planned is an organic rooftop garden at the property, providing food for the hotel’s restaurants. So far in 2020, COVID-19 has had an impact, but Two Seasons has used the time to improve its green credentials and become more environmentally sustainable, as well as using the challenging year as a learning curve for management and staff. Farid said: “These times will be challenging, but it will be imperative that we stand together as an industry and walk towards the future. “More than anything, this crisis highlights that we are all in this together. We will go through this period and see much brighter times in the future.” Freddy Farid Managing director, Two Seasons Hotels 50GM Interview hoteliermiddleeast.com October 2020 46 GM Interview hoteliermiddleast.com January 2020 46 Hotel Indigo’s Laura Eggleton on bringing the brand to the UAE. By Paul Clifford New kid in (Down) townGM Interview 47 October 2020 hoteliermiddleeast.com You might think opening a hotel while a pandemic lingers on, in an area of Dubai that has a lot of competition (with more on the way) would be enough to faze anyone. But Laura Eggleton is not worried. The hotelier is general manager of the new Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, which sits right at the point where the Creek and Canal merge into one another, where Business Bay turns into Downtown Dubai and a stone’s throw away from D3. For Eggleton, who was IHG’s rst female GM in the region when she moved to the Holiday Inn Muscat Al Seeb, her new property stands apart from its neighbours, thanks to a unique design, one-off F&B options and simply by being a Hotel Indigo – the rst one in the Middle East. Like many hoteliers, she got the bug at a young age. “I started as a Saturday girl in a hotel in the UK,” she said. “It was totally by accident. I was waiting with my friends at a bus stop to go into town and it was raining. There was a family hotel next to it so I said to my friends we should go in for some shelter and pretend we wanted jobs to pass the time. “We went in and the owner said he was looking for a waitress and asked if I could start the next night. When I got home I told my mum and she said I was too young, but I had committed to it so went along. It was only ve minutes away from my home so she walked me there and told me to deal with it. “When she came to pick me up she thought I’d have told them I couldn’t do it – but I loved it and wanted to go back. Since then I always wanted to work in a hotel and have done ever since, all the way through my studies up to now.” Joining IHG and working as GM at Holiday Inns in the UK, she moved to the Middle East around ve years ago. She picks the story up: “I was at a leadership conference when the course leader said they needed strong women in the Middle East. “I didn’t think much more of it but then I got a call offering some options and I ended up at the Holiday Inn in Muscat, becoming the rst female GM for IGH in the region. I had a great time there, I love Oman, I could be an ambassador. “I love the Hotel Indigo brand and was hoping a role here in Dubai would come up. I was biding my time but when I saw a press release go out I called up and asked if I could do it. It took a little while but here I am.” As the pre-opening GM, Eggleton has been in Dubai since March 2018, and has overcome a few troublesome hurdles to get to the point where the property is nally ready to open. “We’ve had some complications along the way but we’re ready to go and we’re the rst in the region, with some more “It’s a boutique brand that benefits from being part of IHG“ Views over the canalGM Interview hoteliermiddleeast.com October 2020 48 GM Interview 48 “The hotel’s story is based on the evolution of the Creek“ on the way. It’s great to have a boutique brand that bene ts from the infrastructure of a company like IHG. “We’ve had to make adjustments [due to the pandemic] along the way and we have IHG’s Clean Promise in place. In the back of house we’ve had to make some changes with desk areas and the like, but front of house we’ve not had to change things too much.” IHG and Eggleton will be happy about that, as the design of the hotel is what it hangs its hat on. Hotel Indigo’s motto is ‘serving the curious’ and each property is unique to its location. “Our story re ects the evolution of the Creek,” the GM adds. “There are quirky touchpoints and objects about the creek’s past present and future. This hotel is unique and couldn’t be picked up and put anywhere else. “The location is so close to D3 and we’re the closest design-led hotel to that area, so as that design scene expands we’re here to welcome them. “We’re targeting those who are looking to explore the area and Dubai and will have neighourhood hosts to help us show guests Dubai. We’re working with as many local businesses as we can. We’re serving Café Rider custom coffee, sourced from the farm in Burundi, roasted in Al Quoz and served in cups that we’ve had made in Al Quoz. If people like them they can go on a pottery course and make them themselves.” Locally-roasted coffee is far from the only F&B option in the hotel, however, with the Orange Peel pool bar focusing on Aperol and a cocktail bar, Off The Wall, taking inspiration from Dubai’s Satwa neighbourhood and serving drinks Bespoke art is on the wallsGM Interview 49 October 2020 hoteliermiddleeast.com created by a ‘cocktail professor’ from Amsterdam. Other options include a grab and go café and Open Sesame, serving Levant cuisine from breakfast to dinner. All things that go towards Eggleton’s belief the rst Hotel Indigo in the region will be a success. She nishes our chat by saying: “Our design is so special and unique that even though there’s healthy competition nearby, I’m sure Dubai will appreciate the design and the more relaxed informal service style. Hotel Indigo is the fastest growing boutique brand in the world. People have been in touch saying they’re excited for us to open. I’m con dent this is the right time for us.” Walls inspired by Dubai’s textile souk Contemporary style Next >