SPOTLIGHT – INDUSTRY JOB [02.09.16]: GENERAL MANAGER, FAIRMONT MINA AL FAJER

Job of the Week for this 2nd week of February 2016 is General Manager of the 5* Fairmont Mina Al Fajer resort in Fujairah.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts describe the property as: “Located on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates with sweeping views of the Gulf known for its natural beauty set against the backdrop of the historic Hajar Mountains.  The hotel consists of 88 rooms and residences, along with a marina and beach club.”

Job description

General Manager

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a global hotel brand offering and experiences in places of . Be an ambassador for the brand and your hotel as General Manager, where your leadership, strong interpersonal skills and strategic vision will drive solid operating results, an engaged team and memorable guest experiences.

Hotel Overview:
Located on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates with sweeping views of the Gulf known for its natural beauty set against the backdrop of the historic Hajar Mountains. The hotel consists of 88 rooms and residences, along with a marina and beach club.

Summary of Responsibilities:
Reporting to the Regional VP , responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following:

• Consistently offer professional, friendly and engaging service
• Responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the hotel
• Oversee the operations functions of the hotel, including but not limited to Food and Beverage and Rooms Division
• Lead and support all departments in the achievement of their financial and operational targets through establishment of a positive culture, clear expectations and policy and procedural implementation
• Direct the preparation, presentation and subsequent achievement of the hotel’s annual Operating Budget, Marketing & Sales Plan and Capital Budget
• Actively involved in various industry and community initiatives
• Act as spokesperson for the hotel and an ambassador for the Fairmont Brand
• Ensure that monthly financial outlooks for all departments are on time, on target and accurate
• Ensure full compliance to hotel operating controls
• Actively involved in the recruitment process of senior leadership positions within the hotel
• Follow department policies, procedures and service standards
• Follow all safety policies
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Previous experience in a senior leadership role, within a similar hotel brand required
• Extensive hotel operations experience required
• Demonstrated knowledge of budget planning and financial controls required
• Computer literate in Microsoft Windows applications required
• University/College degree in a related discipline required
• Strong interpersonal and problem solving abilities
• Highly responsible & reliable
• Ability to work well under pressure in a fast paced environment
• Ability to work cohesively as part of a team
• Ability to focus attention on guest needs, remaining calm and courteous at all times

Visa Requirements: Please note that you must be eligible to live and work in Dubai. We will assist successful applicants with the visa process and provide flights and accommodation.

APPLY ON COMPANY WEBSITE

SAUDI ARABIA: EMERGING TOURISM & HOSPITALITY HUB

Not only will Saudi Arabia be home to the world’s largest hotel, but there are other major developments happening on the ground which are set to see the country become a hub for tourism and hospitality, to rival world-leading destinations including London, New York, Paris and Dubai.

Saudi was the 19^th most visited country in the world and saw over 16 million tourists in 2014, in the most part due to religious tourism. The Saudi government has announced plans to double this figure by 2030 with expansions at Jeddah airport, where the majority of pilgrims arrive, and a new railway linking the major cities of Makkah and Madinah, home to the holy mosques.

The King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) project is also said to be a major driver for tourist growth. Fahd Al Rasheed, Group CEO of KAEC recently said in an interview with Arabian Business [http://ow.ly/XcDEA]: “My forecast for 2016 is that Saudi Arabia will enter the leisure and tourism sector in a significant way to capture its potential.”

“…KAEC is a 181 million square metre privately developed city on the Red Sea, 90 kilometres north of Jeddah, with the goal of housing 2 million people when it is completed. KAEC is currently planning to attract more than 1 million tourists to the city by 2020 (3.5 million by 2025), by developing 36 new tourism and leisure projects, including world class water parks, zoos, amusement parks, exhibition centres, a world class golf course, equestrian trails, recreation clubs, and ten new hotels and resorts.”

An interesting point also made in this article that Saudi Arabia is home to the “majestic” Red Sea, “one of the most beautiful natural resources in the world”; “with an unparalleled marine environment”. On this subject, Fahd Al Rasheed added: “We will leverage this asset in a very ecofriendly manner to protect it for future generations and create many attractions that allow visitors to experience its many wonders.”

Saudi is leading the Middle East and Africa with regards to the number of hotel rooms currently under construction (34,415 rooms in 72 hotels as of November 2015), as international hotel chains enter Saudi for the first time (e.g. Jumeriah Group;  Swiss International) or further into Saudi (Hilton Worldwide; Accor) in anticipation of the increased number of tourists forecast. We are looking forward to the future of our event, The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia, which is growing with the market. If you have any comments on the future of tourism and hospitality in Saudi Arabia please let us know what you think.

SPOTLIGHT – INDUSTRY JOB [02.02.16]: AUSTRALIAN SPECIALTY CHEF – ANANTARA THE PALM, DUBAI

Our Job of the Week for this first week in February 2016 is the new role of “Australian Specialty Chef” advertised by Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas for the Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort.

Anantara successfully introduced Australian fine-dining to Dubai at Bushman’s restaurant at its Palm resort. This is a restaurant very much on my hit-list, especially after reading a glowing review of its ‘Saturday lazy lunch’ brunch from Time Out Dubai.

The resort is now looking for a new chef to add to what Time Out describes as its “gourmet Australiana” offering including emu and kangaroo, and “intelligent service” with predominately Australian senior staff.

If you are from the land down under or have a background in Australian cuisine this job is for you:

Job description

Members of the Kitchen Department are responsible for ensuring that all visitors to the hotel are delighted by the quality, creativity and variety of our food and beverage offerings in every area of the hotel, and that F&B is regarded as a strong point of differentiation for the hotel in its local market.

As a Specialty Chef you will be completely responsible for directing, training, supervising, planning, and coordinating all areas within the culinary department; including any projects requested by the Resident Manager, F&B Manager, or Executive Chef. You should be comfortable in leading and managing the kitchen team, and will provide support and training on an ongoing basis. It will be your responsibility to ensure only the highest quality of food & beverage for our guests through meticulous consistency, taste and presentation of all dishes. Additionally you will monitor the food inventory on a monthly basis, maintaining proper control of orders and purchases, and ensuring that all deliveries are received and handled efficiently and in line with hotel standards. You will review the food cost analysis on a daily basis to ensure that it is in line with the budget, with the goal of securing profit margins while maintaining the Corporate image of the Company at all times. You will also oversee the cleanliness and hygiene of all kitchen spaces and procedures.

Desired Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree, or any related Culinary degree.
• Minimum of 2 years of industry and culinary management experience.
• Previous experience with controlling food and labor costs, demonstration cooking, menu development, pricing, and training of culinary team members.
• Eye for detail to achieve operational excellence
• Passion for leadership and teamwork
• Excellent guest service skills

Apply on company website

INDIA NEEDS 100K NEW HOTEL ROOMS TO MEET DEMAND

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) predict India has potential to become the world’s number one tourist destination with demand growing at 10.1% per annum, while the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) forecast that the supply of 200,000 hotel rooms in India reported in 2015 needs to increase by 50% to reach a total of over 300,000 rooms to meet demand.

The Indian hospitality industry currently employs more than 17 million direct workers, and the tourism and hospitality sector’s direct contribution to GDP totalled US $ 44.2 billion in 2015. International developers have their sights set on India, with recent investments including, for example, US $ 40 million by Goldman Sachs, New York in India-based Vatika Hotels.

We recently launched The Food and Hotel Show New Delhi 2016 and the inaugural event will take place this November. The demand was clear for a high-profile international networking and educational event as well as purchasing opportunity – connecting global suppliers with Indian hoteliers. We will be announcing more about the new event in the coming months.

 

SPOTLIGHT – INDUSTRY JOB [25.01.16]: CHEF DE CUISINE, BURJ AL ARAB

The Jumeirah Group’s newly advertised role of Chef de Cuisine – North Deck – Burj Al Arab is our highlight job of the week.

JOB DESCRIPTION: An exciting role has arisen at Burj Al Arab for a highly motivated and hardworking individual. Reporting to the Head Chef, the main purpose of this role is to ensure that the kitchen runs smoothly, efficiently and cost effectively.

Your main duties will include:

• Ensuring that the kitchen operation runs smoothly and effectively.

• Developing menus and “specials” which meet the needs of the target market and are in line with the operating concept for the restaurant.

• Developing menus and set standard recipes (as per SOPs) which allow the restaurants to run at an acceptable food cost, thereby satisfying guest needs and expectations.

• Ensuring that operating and kitchen equipment is maintained to a good standard with minimum breakage.

• Liaising with the Stewarding Manager in order to ensure high standards of cleanliness are maintained in all areas of the kitchen, such as machinery, small Kitchen equipment, floors and fridges.

• Being responsible for the audit requirements for HACCP and Dubai Municipality as needed.

• Assisting in the building of an efficient team of colleagues by taking an active interest in their welfare, safety, training and development.

• Identifying Market needs and trends in terms of food for both hotel guests and local market, and Monitors and analyses the menus and products of competitive restaurants.

• Being able to plan and implement effective food promotions in co-ordination with the Chefs office.

In order to be considered for this role, you will have gained a Hotel restaurant degree certificate and minimum 1-2 years experience at Michelin * Restaurants within 5* star hotel and have exposure to multi-national cuisine.

This is a very “hands on” and demanding position so it is paramount that you work well in a team but are also able to set standards and lead by example at all times.  You must be comfortable working under pressure and be passionate about producing cuisine of the highest possible standards.

It is also essential that you have good command of the English language (spoken and written) and you should be proficient in Microsoft Office applications.

This position offers a highly competitive salary and package which includes; your own single room accommodation/live out allowance, free transport to and from your place of work, uniform, laundry services, meals during working hours, annual flight ticket allowance, medical coverage, life and accident insurance, retail and leisure discounts, 50% discount off Jumeirah F&B Outlets and reduced hotel rates.

APPLY ON COMPANY WEBSITE

INDIA’S WILDLIFE TO CAPTURE TOURISTS WITH JUNGLE BOOK (2016) RELEASE

India’s wildlife, particularly its fabled tiger parks, are forecast to contribute to a significant increase in tourists in 2016 on the back of the release of a new, 3D CGI-live-action remake of Rudyard Kipling’s classic the “Jungle Book”, a story famously set in India. Almost 50 years since Disney’s cartoon adaptation, the Jungle Book (2016) stars the likes of Bill Murray as Baloo (the sloth bear); Scarlett Johannsen as Kaa (the Indian Python) and Idris Elba as Shere Khan (the royal Bengal tiger).

India’s rich and diverse wildlife is preserved in over 120 national parks, over 500 wildlife sanctuaries and 18 bio-reserves. International tourist figures are growing rapidly with the launch of the new e-Tourist Visa making it easier than ever to travel to the country, and the rise of new destinations attracting tourists beyond the obvious Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Agra (Uttar Pradesh), home of the Taj Mahal. Emerging destinations include Goa; Jaipur, “The Pink City”; and Thekkady, India’s largest wildlife sanctuary, named the “world’s top emerging destination” in 2015 by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

There are already a number of established “Jungle Book” tours in Madhya Pradesh, for example, where the stories are set. Here they call the tiger ‘sher’ and the bear ‘bhalu’, which formed the names of two of Kipling’s main protagonists in his novels – Shere Khan and Baloo respectively. Here’s more on India’s famous national parks, wildlife reserves and the new 2016 Jungle Book movie:

The Guardian’s guide to India’s tiger reserves
Tour My India Blog’s Top 50 National Park and Wildlife Sanctuaries in India 
The Jungle Book 2016 Official Teaser Trailer

Queue new event on the scene – The Food & Hotel Show New Delhi 2016 – set to take place 3-5^th November at the Pragati Maidan in India’s capital city. Hoteliers in India looking for the latest international products and brands will find what they need at this event. More information will be posted on the blog in due course!

THE LARGEST HOTEL IN THE WORLD TO OPEN IN 2017

The first thought I had when reading this headline was that a new hotel must be under development in Las Vegas. Vegas has historically dominated lists of the largest hotels in the world with its massive complexes featuring major casinos, nightclubs and theme park-style attractions. According to STR (via CNN) the top 5 largest hotels in the world (according to the number of rooms) are:

1. MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas (with 6,198 rooms)
2. First World Hotel, Malaysia (with 6,118 rooms)
3. Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas (with 4,400 rooms)
4. Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas (with 4,332 rooms)
5. The Venetian, Las Vegas (with 4,049 rooms)

In 2017, with a whopping 10,000 rooms, the largest hotel in the world will open in…Saudi Arabia.

A very different hotel to those which reside in Las Vegas, the US $ 3.5 billion Abraj Kudai will be based in Mecca close to the site of the largest mosque in the world – The Masjid al-Haram. Currently under construction, the major development will comprise of 12 towers; 10 of which will house 4-star accommodation, while 2 will provide luxury 5-star rooms. Also set to have 70 restaurants, a convention centre and five rooftop helipads, the new hotel is designed to cater for Muslims on annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

 

 

 

HOTELIERS: DON’T FORGET TO TARGET RESIDENTS

Our previous blog post on ‘Saturday beach brunch’ on the Palm Jumeirah got us thinking about how hotels and restaurants in Dubai target UAE residents. Despite the fact that we work in the hospitality industry and research its developments, we were not aware of some of the great brunch deals taking place on days other than Friday – or that they included pool & beach access – which members of our team regularly pay for individually. Our opinion is that hoteliers are missing a trick here, and that in many cases – more can be done to cross-sell, or target in other ways the increasing number of UAE residents looking for ways to fill their leisure and entertainment time.

There can be too much of a focus on tourists, fair for some destinations in the world that have fewer residents or less domestic tourism such as the Maldives, Phuket or St. Barths. But in Dubai – where approximately 95% of the population are expats – many of whom have a higher disposable income than their tourist counterparts paying income tax – there is a significant market here for hoteliers to keep up occupancy rates with resident discounts and other special offers.

There are more and more hotels on the market and this, and the rising prominence of apartment and Airbnb options means a lot of competition, yet prices for a night’s stay or to use a hotels leisure facilities is still high.

I was pleasantly surprised recently when my first trip to Aquaventure waterpark at the Atlantis included a UAE resident’s discount, but I cannot say where else I have enjoyed this perk. It is surprising – and I wonder how long before more hoteliers start recognising the different needs of different guests.

Many hotel chains including Jumeriah, Hilton and others have UAE Residents Offers for hotel stays, which is excellent when looking for a weekend staycation. However, more targeted options with pool & beach packages, restaurant deals, etc would secure more loyalty with locals in the long-term to maintain regular customers that will keep hotels busy.

SATURDAY BRUNCHES: DUBAI’S HIDDEN GEM?

Did you know that the average rate for beach / pool access for a day at some of the best hotels and beach clubs on Dubai’s Palm Jumeriah on a Saturday is currently 300 AED  – YET – the average cost for brunch at the same places (with pool / beach access included) is 350 AED or less…?!

I had to learn this the hard way last weekend. A group of friends coming to holiday in Dubai asked me to book the best ‘Saturday beach brunch’. With Friday brunch a calendar staple, brunch on Saturday was new to me. After spending 300 AED on a chilled afternoon at the beach / pool at Fairmont the Palm the previous Saturday with a friend, I booked myself and the holidaymakers in to try a 350 AED Saturday brunch at Sofitel the Palm. For 50 AED more we had access to the hotel’s excellent leisure facilities plus all we could eat and drink at one of its restaurants – literally having a taste of everything on the set menu. Fairmont also has a Saturday brunch option, starting from 288 AED. If I had known this – I would certainly have taken them up on the offer – and felt like I’d had more value for money.

Sofitel’s Saturday brunch was great value and a different take on the Friday brunch – it was quiet, chilled out, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to do a beach / pool day at one of Dubai’s fabulous hotel resorts. Saturday brunch is definitely something I’ll do with friends and family coming to stay in future – Sofitel, Fairmont or Waldorf Astoria will be a touch of luxury for my parents – while more lively options like Nasimi Beach and Eden Beach Club would be great to experience with friends.

My research has not extended further than the Palm for ‘Saturday beach brunch’ package options as of yet – but I will keep the blog posted with other reviews and tips for spending your leisure time over the weekend when living here in the UAE. If you have any additional Saturday brunch options you would like to share, please do so in the comments below.