Noticing the exceptional - Viability Management Consultants

guy wilkinson
comment & opinion
Noticing the
exceptional
Guy Wilkinson has his eye on
those recognizing the good work
of others
T
here’s a lot of very good work going on in this region, much more
than perhaps people realise.
For example, under the
leadership of GM Peter Mansourian, the
Grand Millennium Dubai has recently
been awarded four top awards in global
and regional ceremonies: Dubai’s Leading Luxury City Hotel 2013 at the World
Travel Awards, as well as top honours at the
MENA Travel Awards 2013 with Platinum
for Best Price Value Hotel, Gold for Best
Fine Dining (for its Toshi restaurant) and
Silver for Best Spa (for its Jasmine Spa).
The hotel veers between the number one
and two slots for guest satisfaction among
all Millennium hotels worldwide, having
at one point stayed in the top spot for nine
consecutive months.
Over in the East Coast town of Fujairah,
the Noor Arjaan was voted the ‘Best Serviced Apartment’ in the UAE at the World
Luxury Hotel Awards in 2013, while its GM
Ahmet Ender also won the ‘Hotel Achiever
of the Year 2012 Award’, putting him in
pole position among all of Rotana’s GMs.
The hotel scored 94% in Rotana’s guest
satisfaction survey and no less than 98% in
the employee satisfaction survey.
SECRETS OF SUCCESS
Both the veteran hoteliers behind these
successes put great store — and evidently
gain great satisfaction — in teaching their
staff the traditional values of teamwork and
putting the guest first.
Mansourian says: “I am delighted at the
performance of all the team members, from
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the kitchen, house-keeping, front office,
sales and marketing, security and stewarding through to operations and management. This is what makes us stand out
from the competition.
“Every person who walks through the
door here is a VIP for me. We have guests
who have come back 50 times, even 98
times! I stand in the lobby and know if it’s a
new person, a new face in the hotel and that
makes me happy.
“As GMs, how many times do we go into
the kitchen and talk to the poor guy who’s
washing the dishes? How often does anyone go and say ‘Hi, how are you? You’re doing a good job’? It is one of my strengths to
go around and talk to these people. You see
the front of house, but everything comes
from the back of house, the restaurants, the
housekeeping, everything — so these people, they should be recognised.”
Ender, who like Mansourian lives in his
hotel, sees his job as that of mentor and role
model. “Training is a must, for any level of
colleagues. I don’t believe in eight hours or
nine hours, I believe our work in the hospitality business lasts 24 hours a day.
“I have to be an example. When I walk
into the lobby, I have to put my jacket on,
my attire must be perfect. My hair has to be
properly combed, my tie, everything has to
be matching. Once (the staff) see me, it will
become automatic for them and they will do
the same in everything — they way I talk to
the customers, they will talk the same.
“As soon as guests step into the hotel,
they must be happy, because they are the
managers. Even my receptionists should
be able to go out of the reception and welcome the guest. I would be very happy — I
would not penalise them — if I see them
GM Ahmet Ender won
the ‘Hotel Achiever of
the Year 2012 Award’, putting
him in pole position among
all Rotana’s GMs. The hotel
scored 94% in Rotana’s guest
satisfaction survey and no less
than 98% in the employee
satisfaction survey”
offer the guest a cup of coffee and spend a
few minutes with them.”
Both Ender and Mansourian have been
associated with the UAE for many years.
Member of a Turkish hotelier dynasty, the
now Canadian national Ender first came in
1978 to open the Sheraton Dubai. He spent
15 years with Abu Dhabi National Hotels as
catering manager, at the end of which the
company was serving 90,000 meals a day
in 68 locations, including Sheikh Zayed’s
palaces. “He was a great leader. They say
he was the father of the nation and it’s true
– there’s no better word.”
New Zealander Mansourian’s first UAE
post some 30 years ago was F&B manager
at the Al Ain Hilton, after which he managed the Taj Palace Hotel in Dubai and
returned again four years ago to manage
the Grand Millennium. “For me, each day
I come to work brings something different
— and I love it.”
About the Author:
Guy Wilkinson is a director of Viability, a
hospitality and property consulting firm in Dubai.
For more information, email: [email protected]
Rotana president Selim El Zyr and COO Omer Kaddouri present Ahment Ender with his Hotel Achiever award.
Hotelier Middle Ea st | October 2013 | Volume 12 Issue 10