< Previoushoteliermiddleeast.com July 2021 20 Rise of the machines? Tariq Valani, senior VP IT, India, MEA and Turkey, says: “From a design perspective, guest-facing technology has always been the priority. This meant that offerings such as WiFi, interactive television, guest room telephones and other solutions were always given importance over the rest. Following the pandemic, there has been a shift to ensure that solutions put in place make our guests feel safe and have an “at home” experience. “While we move through this pandemic, it has been clear that the guest’s voice and needs have played a much bigger part in driving the technology strategy. Where guests were not interested to use certain technologies in the past, this has changed dramatically. “We are seeing a rise in comfort levels when it comes to online payments, using apps for various purposes like opening door locks, switching on lights, opening curtains and scanning of QR codes to access services.” Changing spaces How will people interact with the physical hotel space in the future? With automation being rolled out as quickly as possible in some new properties, designer Justin Wells, founder of Wells International, fears hospitality could be losing its tactile nature. He says: “The philosophy of my business is around the theatrics and pageantry of hospitality. I consider the Justin Wells Garage at W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island21 July 2021 hoteliermiddleeast.com Rise of the machines? used sight and sound instead. Typically hospitality designers focus on the tactile aspect, but we thought we could create a space where you could hear birds singing, smell bespoke room fragrances, and create your own experiences with taste, even. “The sounds are arti cial, but the way we captured those sounds in nature was natural and the audio has been beautifully done. It’s about innovation.” Thorsen believes hotel design is going back to its basics. She adds: “We’ve crafted a new niche whereby we can tell our owners we can create experiences that activate senses in an experiential way. Sure spaces are becoming simpler, but in its place, spaces have been going back to their roots, and that’s beautiful.” way spaces perform, their illumination, the movement and change of shapes under the guise of theatrics. And this is a trend being picked up by the global operators within the lifestyle brands.” Having led designs for the striking W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island in a previous role, his approach to design is self-evident. He adds: “Humans are very haptic, we love the feel and touch of things. We can see luxury by its plushness and its detail, and at times, you really just want to feel it. In a world where everything is hard and easy to clean, visually it feels like a lessened experience. I fear that diminishes the experience of the guest.” Hotels’ hesitance When it comes to owners and operators actually installing new pieces of technology, Wells says their is come resistance at the moment. He explains: “You look at it through two different pairs of eyes. One pair is the owner/operators, and the other is designers. For the owners and operators, technology is a cost and investment. “We’re not at the beginning of the pandemic but we’re certainly not at the end. Since we’re in the middle, owners and operators are really questioning what is needed. If an operator has 10,000 hotels and then has to tell each owner to invest in certain technologies, the magnitude of that investment is so much. It’s a dif cult conversion to have, so economically, hotels are being cautious with what they implement. Therefore, we’re only seeing what’s purposeful rather than what’s ashy. Some people want to take a leap, but others are watching things unfold.” Awakening the senses Diane Thorsen, design director at Gensler thinks that while touchless technology will mean the tactile experience decreases, it doesn’t mean guests can’t be immersed into experiences. She says: “We experience spaces using all of our senses. All of them are really key, touch is only one of ve. “That being said, Gensler was recently challenged to design something that Diane Thorsen The Gensler-designed Atari Hotel, coming to Las Vegas in 2022hoteliermiddleeast.com July 2021 22 Aafrin Shaikh Marketing & PR manager, The H Dubai Hotel Aafrin Shaikh has consistently seen year-on-year improvement across all measures of PR and marketing. She has introduced a video- rst strategy for The H Dubai Hotel including social media series #ItHappensAtH, which has encouraged increased engagement. Rafa García Aguado, VP marketing & communication Story Hospitality, said: “Aafrin focuses on high level marketing strategies that deliver impressive results with a reduced investment. First she follows a precise analysis of the information, then she settles the objective, then determines the adequate strategy to use for the speci c action and follows with a detailed action plan. Aafrin has done an amazing job during the past year.” With the industry facing its toughest year on record in 2020, marketing hotels correctly has been more important than ever. Here we bring you 50 hotel marketeers that have impressed over the past 12 monthsMarketing Power List 23 July 2021 hoteliermiddleeast.com Ahmad Kheir Director of digital & e-commerce, FIVE Hotels and Resorts Through the digital transformation of guest experiences, Ahmad Kheir has built brand awareness, attracted quality traf c, and converted visitors to guests through Angelo De Guzman Marketing and communication manager, Park Regis Dubai A results-focused, digital- rst marketer, Angelo de Guzman has a proven record in bridging marketing gaps and digital touchpoints on a global scale. By fusing the digital and of ine worlds with the intention of disrupting marketing norms, Kheir has seen FIVE’s website increase from a four- gure monthly revenue to seven- gures – and still continuing to grow. Aloki Baktra, CEO of FIVE Hospitality, spoke highly about his skills: “He is an energetic, forward-thinking individual with a keen sense of imminent digital trends; and his data-driven strategies have enabled FIVE to effectively gain maximum digital impact with a reasonably low- cost investment. He is at least ten steps ahead of our competition at all times and continues to lead by example.” bolstering commercial performance. He maximises revenue and optimises brand growth through omnichannel marketing strategies, social media campaigns, and structured corporate communications. Gillian Greer, regional director of revenue generation, Middle East, StayWell Holdings, said: “It is evident that Angelo is in his element the moment he begins devising marketing strategies and campaigns. Watching him in action as he spearheads projects and activations is alchemy, he transforms the ordinary to exceptional. He is a rare catalyst towards business progression with crosshairs aimed at success with limitless possibilities.” managed to generate an impressive year- on-year increase of 393 percent staycation room night in 2020 post-lockdown. Known for his hands-on approach, Jaber is revered by his team and colleagues for his ability to lead by example and involve every single person in his projects. Michael Borges, area director of sales & marketing, said: “Ahmad is an inspiring, incredibly creative and passionate professional, with sharp technical skills and exceptional marketing and communications skills, as well as invaluable media relations. I was impressed by all the projects he has successfully led so far.” Ahmad Jaber Director of marketing, digital & communications, IHG Cluster Dubai Festival City Through the creation of more than 10 new staycation products for InterContinental Hotels at Dubai Festival City, Ahmad Jaber Marketing Power List hoteliermiddleeast.com July 2021 24 Anna Luisa Asistio Assistant director of marketing & communications, Jannah Hotels & Resorts Anna Luisa Asistio has achieved a number of major accomplishments in her career so far including launching a new brand under the Jannah Hotel and Resorts group called Edge Creekside Hotel last year during the industry’s toughest ever period. Asistio played a key role across several aspects of the launch including naming the hotel, brand creation and the launch event organisation. Richard Haddad, chief executive of cer of Jannah Hotels & Resorts, has been impressed with her: “Hard working, dedicated, resilient, focused... Just a few qualities for a young spirited colleague. When she was offered the challenge to lead the department, she jumped in and Annie Turnell Director of marketing and communications, The Abu Dhabi EDITION even though she lacked the all-round experience, she took the challenge. In her past two years, she has been exposed to various projects, new tasks, and overall revamp of multiple brands.” With a role that involves leading both marcoms and culture and entertainment performance, Annie Turnell has focused on creating an atmosphere that represents and enhances the EDITION brand presence through network building, strategic partnerships, non-traditional selling and PR activations. The director of marketing and communications saw her skills tested during the pandemic, but she acted quickly to develop and launch a strategic reopening campaign which drove measurable success. Charles Sutherland, director of food and beverage, said: “Eminently measured and absolutely passionate in building out projects – her talent was nding a way to not simply tick a box but to add value, exceeding expectation along the way. Annie is without doubt an expert in her eld who possesses a deep understanding of the market. Having managed independent agencies as well as luxury hotel brands, these rich and varied professional experiences have enabled Edition to thrive in exceptionally challenging business conditions.”Marketing Power List 25 July 2021 hoteliermiddleeast.com Colette Sullivan Marketing and PR manager, Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis & Radisson Blu Deira Creek In just over three years in the industry, Colette Sullivan has risen quickly, showing her talent in launching a completely new brand and property in Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis during the onset of the pandemic and recently being appointed to lead the marketing for Radisson Blu Deira Creek and its 15 F&B outlets. Working with partners including Warner Bros, All Saints, That Dubai Girl and more while at Radisson RED, Sullivan been instrumental in building these collaborations to deliver high-end events and raise awareness of her property. A quali ed dance teacher who cites her passion for travel as one of the main drivers for her joining the hospitality industry, Sullivan has achieved plenty in a successful past 12 months. As well as overseeing a multi-channel launch campaign including radio, out-of- home, digital-out-of-home, programmatic, social media, print, and PR for Radisson RED, Sullivan created the UAE’s rst dog- led staycation offer, Pawsome Staycation. As a sign of the faith placed in Sullivan by senior management, and her expertise in launching Radisson RED in multiple countries, the Scot was selected to support the opening of Radisson RED Johannesburg as part of a task force team. Stephanie Aboujaoude, senior area director of marketing & communications Middle East, said: “In her work she exempli es dedication and ownership towards not only the hotels she works for but for the hotel brand overall. We are delighted to see Colette transition to Radisson Blu Deira Creek, where she will bring a creative approach. Her passion for the industry is illuminating and she is a lovely person to be around.” “Her passion for the industry is illuminating”Marketing Power List hoteliermiddleeast.com July 2021 26 Danelle Ruth Palang Director of marketing and communications, Dusit Thani Dubai Through launching a new night brunch and improving the brand positioning of Dusit Thani’s agship Thai restaurant Benjarong, Danelle Ruth Palang has helped it generate revenue well over Ester Kamal Marketing and communications manager, Sheraton Soma Bay Resort, Egypt Ester Kamal is a graduate of the Egyptian Hotel & Tourism faculty with more than 15 years’ experience across a wide range of hospitality disciplines: Front of ce, quality assurance, branding, marketing and budget since its refurbishment in November 2020. Even with reduced capacity, her strategic digital marketing campaign has allowed the hotel to exceed expectations. Jagbir Jasrotia, food and beverage manager, believes they couldn’t have done it without her. She said: “Danelle’s contribution in the success of our F&B outlets is second to none. Danelle has shown tremendous talent and creativity over the last few years where we have launched new concepts and renovated our restaurants. 2020 was extremely tough but Danelle managed to easily leave a mark and yet again prove, simply, how good she is at what she does.” public relations across various local and international brands. Boris Bornman, general manager, said: “As the of cial brand ambassador for the property, responsible for maintaining all brand requirements, Ester assisted the property to achieve a Deloitte’s Brand Audit rating of 100 percent in 2021. These results, during the Covid-19 crisis, is a testament to her skills and commitment. Marketing is all about understanding the soul of your organisation, your product and your clients and projecting this passion so that it awakens aspirations in them to be part of it. This de nes Ester as a marketeer.” she achieved with aplomb. From social media awareness to restaurant footfall, her campaigns have proved successful. Svetlana Ten, commercial director, said: “Elena worked tirelessly to build strong and impactful marketing campaigns contributing to the overall strategy of the hotel and supporting the top line revenue. She is a truly passionate individual, ready to lead additional projects and take initiative at any moment. In a vibrant and exciting resort like ours, work comes and goes so unexpectedly that it may be very challenging to keep up with the amount of tasks, nevertheless, Elena has never missed a deadline.” Elena Raznova Marketing & communications manager, Address Beach Resort With the Address Beach Resort not long launched when she came on board, Elena Raznova had to build awareness both locally and internationally – something Marketing Power List 27 July 2021 hoteliermiddleeast.com Holding full responsibility for all marketing and communication for eight restaurants and outlets as well as 493 rooms and suites, Feras Abdulaziz Sulaiman Alaskar has shown maturity and strength of character to not only lead The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh Palace safely through the Covid-19 pandemic, but has helped put it in a strong position going forward. Despite having to work alone during the pandemic, the assistant director of PR and marketing took it upon himself to effect positive change for the hotel. As well as writing all press releases and translating all collaterals and materials, he created an effective paid Facebook advertising campaign which generated huge website visits and worked on an Instagram strategy which resulted in 1m SAR worth of sales per month through collaborations with in uencers to promote products. The hotel was also turned into the setting of a top TV show which was costed at an estimated SAR4m, but Alaskar managed to negotiate for free through a barter deal. It’s through the sourcing and developing of new strategic partnership and advertising opportunities like this that has seen the hotel gain signi cant positive media recognition. Mussa Alhamama, assistant director of sales & marketing (acting director), said: “Throughout my time with Feras, he proved himself to be a hard-working, motivated, ambitious, charismatic, and reliable employee. His honesty, dependability, con dence, and excellent communication skills helped him become the division head within a few years, surpassing his goals impressively. Feras is skilled at working independently, while also proactive about contributing to the team and collaborating with colleagues.” “Feras is skilled at working independently“ Feras Abdulaziz Sulaiman Alaskar Assistant director of PR and marketing, The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh PalaceMarketing Power List hoteliermiddleeast.com July 2021 28 Ghada Abdel Khalek Cluster director of marketing communications, Cairo Marriott Hotel & Marriott Mena House The past year has seen Ghada Abdel Khalek and her team constantly innovating to nd new ways to position Cairo Marriott & Marriott Mena House during the pandemic. As well as partnering with the likes of the IHF World Men’s Handball Championship and Cairo International Film Festival, the hotel became a popular destination for Russian guests, with many in uencers coming to experience the property. Tarek Bekhiet, area director of marketing, digital & loyalty – KSA, Bahrain & Egypt said: “Ghada is a professional marketing leader with an exceptional leadership skills and ability to in uence and develop talents.” Ghaida Arabi Assistant marketing and communications manager, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Safety has been top of mind for most of us the past year, and Ghaida Arabi executed multiple campaigns to highlight Anantara Eastern Mangroves’ industry leading efforts to ensure the health of its guests. This helped to drive revenue during a dif cult time for the property. Mujahid Mansoor, area director of marketing, communications & PR – Anantara Abu Dhabi, said: “Ghaida has been a driver of positivity to our hotel and brand by focusing on the new normal, creating, testing and executing very targeted promotions and campaigns that have all been a huge success. One key example of Ghaida’s recent work was the successful festive & NYE party at Anantara Eastern Mangroves which drove the venues to be fully booked one to two weeks prior to the celebrations.”Marketing Power List 29 July 2021 hoteliermiddleeast.com Hadeel Bashir Assistant manager marketing communications, Hyatt Place Hotel Riyadh Hadeel Bashir has made a mark on her colleagues in just two short years, making a huge impact in terms of awareness and new leads through the campaigns focusing on indoor weddings, outdoor birthday arrangements, anniversaries, romantic stays, and rooftop ideas. Using her graphic design skills, the assistant manager marketing communications has also been able to improve Hyatt Place Hotel Riyadh’s social media. “Since Hadeel joined Hyatt Place Riyadh, we have seen positive changes to the hotel pro le,” said Moutasem Hraiz, head of sales and marketing department. “She has veri ed the hotel’s communication pages, updated all meta search, and made the social media pages more attractive. In addition she has excellent knowledge and practice of SEO and organic and paid campaigns.” Ionela Savescu Assistant director of PR and communications, Palazzo Versace Dubai The launch last year of Palazzo Versace Dubai’s e-commerce platform has seen millions of dirhams in revenue generated, with Ionela Savescu playing a key role. She has been pivotal in driving fully integrated communication strategies and activations in a challenging market. The Romanian national has also helped position the hotel’s upper management team members as industry leaders, pro ling them through press interviews and events and conferences. “Ionela has been an incredible asset for Palazzo Versace Dubai, always proving her value through outstanding results,” said hotel manager Mansour Memarian, who believes she has turned the property into the ultimate place to be seen.Next >