Pelling's St Regis pre-opening diary, Oct 2011

It’s the final countdown at St. Regis Saadiyat Island, which opens in just one month’s time says general manager John Pelling.

Is it really October already? Time just flies when you’re opening a hotel!
One month to go and it’s nonstop action now. Most of the team are moving into the hotel and checking the rooms and suites, they check in at reception, are roomed and greeted in their room by a St. Regis Butler; the aim to make these necessary room checks a ‘lifelike’ training exercise.

Most of our alarm clocks go off at around 2am and that’s the time to catch the managers moving from one room to another, we need to be sleeping in two rooms each per night to get through them all — what I’d give to be opening a tiny boutique property now!

The quality is really good, snagging and de-snagging was successfully completed and everyone has been happy with the quality of workmanship and the finishes in general.

Other training is also well underway, it’s great to see so many young people joining us full of enthusiasm for the hotel and the job they are here to do.

The staff accommodation has proved a big hit, the tennis courts, swimming pool and gym are all getting lots of use. All over the hotel you see tremendous activity, much of the training is on the job.

If it’s a live restaurant setting, we limit the number of ‘diners’ and dictate a little what they eat and drink, so as the kitchen and the restaurant teams are fully tested.

There is also a fair bit of classroom style training ongoing, of course there is a full day orientation, but my personal favorites are the grooming sessions where people get to apply makeup and mess around a little, and also the more serious cultural training.

We hired people to assist us with this as it’s so important that newcomers to the region understand and respect where they are now living. It was great to see the team fully engaged with these sessions, I hope this is a good sign for the future.

OS&E and FF&E deliveries have been a logistic challenge. Many items are being delivered towards month end and this causes a few nerves but so far so good. I mentioned previously that our 3000m2 ballroom would not be handed over until the end of October so this meant a temporary receiving area needed to be constructed in the car park, air conditioned, carpeted and fitted out with fork lift trucks, trolleys, computers etc.

Many staff have assisted in unpacking and distributing various items, it’s not their job but nobody seems to mind and are willing to help when the need arises — the makings of a great team!

We are in the final stages of planning a kickoff event for staff, the centre piece of which will be a fashion show of uniforms. No shortage of volunteers to be models, another good sign, and I’m sure it will be great fun.

Well, must go now, we’ve got a hotel to open!