What the new Fairmont The Palm Dubai has to offer
Ahead of the launch on September 1, Louise Oakley visits Fairmont The Palm, Dubai to discover the hotel’s highlights and get a taste for its culinary showpieces
I’m starting to feel a little spoilt; I’ve lost count of the number luxury hotels I’ve encountered since moving to Dubai four years ago, and now, as a Palm Jumeirah resident, I get a taste of the holiday lifestyle the emirate has become so famous for every day.
Quite simply, the hotel product available in Dubai is some of the best in the world - the top global architects and interior designers have offices here, and international brands are constantly out to top each other in the luxury stakes.
So, when I’m privileged enough to visit these top-tier hotels during pre-opening, it’s not actually the bricks and mortar I’m that interested in.
Rather, it’s the vision of the general manager to dare to be different, set superior service standards, train hundreds of people who may never have been to Dubai before - not to mention never themselves benefit from a luxury experience - and co-coordinate the mammoth task of getting the hotel ready on time.
At Fairmont The Palm, Dubai - where I was the first journalist to enter, on April 5 - this vision belongs to GM Martin Van Kan, new to Dubai and Fairmont, although with extensive experience of the luxury segment elsewhere in the region.
And the pressure was on; not only was I looking for Van Kan to impress from a business perspective, but also from that of a consumer. I have a vested interest in this hotel you see; it’s a five-minute walk from my apartment, and in a city where walking is rare, that’s rather special.
Plus, Van Kan is eager for the hotel to fit into the residential community on Palm Jumeriah and offer something for us Palm dwellers to do without leaving our peaceful island, so I am precisely an, albeit less wealthy, member of the neighbourhood the property is so keen to attract.
Five months out and the hotel structure is 99% complete, with 1500 workers now turning their attention to the interiors and landscaping, and Building Completion Certificates due at the end of May.
I am told everything is on track, and Van Kan is remarkably calm and cool as we begin our tour. Firstly, while the product isn’t my primary concern, it has to be said that the lofty lobby is impressive. The entire hotel is designed to offer an “authentically local appeal”, a core Fairmont standard.
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At the Palm property, the story inspiring this is that of a Bedouin arriving at his final destination — the water after the desert. So as the guest enters the lobby, “it’s a continuation of their Bedouin journey”, says Van Kan, referencing the sandy colours of the lobby, the striking greenery that will be added and in the distance, the ocean visible through a large window at the far end of the lobby behind a reception desk.
“The journey begins at the moment of arrival in the lobby, as guests experience unfettered views of the Arabian Gulf through a ceiling high window,” says Van Kan of the DSA Architects International creation.
“This progression continues with an indoor garden and waterfall in the all-day dining restaurant symbolising earth and water, while a Baccarat crystal arrangement in the pan-China restaurant creates a sense of whimsy and reflects the light, alongside transparent decorative bamboo stalks. This cohesion extends to the guestroom suite product, with extended balcony space overlooking the sea and natural skyline,” he explains.
Creating a sensory experience is also important, continues Van Kan, as he talks at length about the scents of oud, frankincense and bukhoor that he envisages will be wafting through the lobby, reminiscent of the Bedouin journey.
The feeling he hopes to convey upon arrival is one that is comfortable and uncluttered, the reception desk far away and concierge hidden behind drapery to avoid that traditional hotel welcome — something that will evoke the sense of a continued journey for the guest and a warm, homely feel for the local market.
This residential market is of vital importance to the success of the hotel, with Van Kan relying heavily on its varied restaurant portfolio to draw in the punters time and again.
Chinese and Brazilian are two of the cuisines on offer, but it is the GM’s vision for the showmanship in each restaurant that is so appealing, as well as many of the outlets’ capabilities to take on different guises in daytime and evening.
He has also deliberately avoided taking on third-party operators, the aim instead to bring in their own “authentically local people, dishes and tastes”.
“That’s why we’ve chosen to stay away from signature restaurant names,” says Van Kan. Bringing in international names raises prices for your local community, whereas home-grown restaurant concepts can be more accessible, he explains.
“I honestly believe if we do it home grown — you put a lot more pride in it. Even people living on the Palm are conscious of what they’re spending,” adds Van Kan.
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“Based on the location of the hotel and our positioning in the ‘neighbourhood’, we see ourselves complementing the existing offering on the Palm Jumeirah,” he asserts. “What sets us apart is our superlative line up of restaurant offerings, a novel portfolio that really plays tribute to expertise in product knowledge and delivery, alongside authentic touches throughout and interaction.
“There are several ways in which Fairmont The Palm, Dubai can truly become a firm fixture in the community and in The Palm ‘neighbourhood’,” he continues. “Proximity is key given its location on the Golden Mile and Palm villas, as well as compelling and engaging restaurant and entertainment offerings that will cater to residents. The hotel will also launch a Friday brunch that will extend over several of the restaurants and the outdoor areas.
“We also benefit from a cross marketing opportunity with our well- established sister properties in the UAE — Fairmont Dubai and Fairmont Bab Al Bahr — and given their award-winning F&B offerings, will certainly attract local residents to experience our offerings.
Lastly, our meeting space lends itself towards social bespoke events and gatherings, including neighbourhood block parties with arranged transportation for residents to truly enjoy the hotel, a vibrant children’s activity centre including sports lessons, organised games, arts and crafts and play areas that are fully supervised by trained staff members,” he adds.
Outside of Dubai, the core markets for Fairmont The Palm will be CIS (former Soviet Republics), Europe, Russia and the GCC, says Van Kan, with the dynamic meetings space also opening up a “great opportunity for companies to start looking again at incentive travel into the city”.
With the concepts and facilities at the hotel fixed and every sensory detail cemented in Van Kan’s mind, his task now is to find the staff to deliver this vision. “It’s about hiring staff that aren’t shy, that love what they’re doing,” he says.
Recruitment is done online initially, and by its very nature, this means applications from Generation Y are coming thick and fast. The challenge this poses is ensuring that Fairmont’s HR policies will match this youthful workforce.
“We recruit online and tell people to fill in our Fairmont survey online. We’re telling people to go online so targeting a certain generation. We need to find out how our Generation Y colleagues like to be interacted with. Do they like our handbook? Is the language suitable?” he questions.
In total, 750 colleagues will be recruited ahead of the September 1 opening. And on that date, it’s not just going to be a handful of rooms that enter the market, but the full inventory of rooms, food and beverage and leisure amenities.
“Because the hotel is so delayed, to open it piecemeal I don’t think would be the right thing to do — plus, the hotel will be ready,” he says.
With Dubai beach hotels again reporting high occupancies in 2012, the opportunities for Fairmont on the Palm are golden.
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Hotel Highlights
Owner
• IFA Hotels and Resorts
381 rooms and suites comprise:
• 288 guest rooms (110 with queen beds; 178 with king beds)
• 21 suites
• 59 Fairmont Gold Rooms
• 11 Fairmont Gold Suites
• 2 Presidential Suites
Fairmont Heritage Place
Fairmont The Palm, Dubai features 10 apartments that are part of the Fairmont Heritage Place fractional ownership programme. Each of the 10 one- and two-bed apartments is sold, each having 13 ‘fractions’ or owners.
Fairmont Gold
Fairmont’s hotel within a hotel concept is available to 78 rooms. The Fairmont Gold Lounge on the ninth floor offers seating for 160 people in total, ‘with enough space to run on full double occupancy,” says Van Kan.
Privileges include:
• Private express check-in and check-out
• Access to the luxurious lounge which offers several F&B services throughout the day
• Dedicated Fairmont Gold Concierge team
• 24-hour on-call butler service
• Complimentary high-speed internet access
Willow Stream Spa
This 1,600m² spa features:
• 13 treatment rooms, including four unique suites
• Separate men’s and women’s hammans, featuring the famous hammam kesse (exfoliation) treatment in a private heated room
• Four experience showers
• Aroma steam and sauna facilities
• Inhalation room with low temperature steam for those suffering from high blood pressure and for pregnant women
• Ice fountains
• Dedicated male and female salons and nail spas
Recreation
The hotel offers a health club, pool complex, private beach, children’s activity centre and watersports.
Conference and Event Services
3500m² of function space — including a ballroom that accommodates up to 700 guests, and an outdoor space overlooking the Arabian Gulf.
Food and beverage
Seven outlets that will be critical in establishing Fairmont The Palm, Dubai’s place in the hearts and minds of the Palm community:
• International brasserie
• Brazilian steakhouse
• Signature Chinese restaurant
• Chinese wine and cocktail bar
• A cigar and malt lounge
• The lobby bar and coffee lounge
• Pool bar and grill
Executive Committee Shape
So far, GM Martin Van Kan has appointed the following seasoned hoteliers to help drive the pre-opening:
• Frederic Ballone — Director of operations
• John Cordeaux — Executive chef
• Nicole Lui — Director of sales & marketing
• Andrea Fennessy — Director of human resources
• Ian Taylor — Director of rooms