Since opening in 2011, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray has become one of Dubai’s most talked-about hotels. General manager Stephan Schupbach tells Louise Oakley why he will never stop striving to achieve the best at the property
A host of luxury hotels are set to open on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah in the coming months. Located on the east crescent, Sofitel The Palm is already in soft opening, Anantara Dubai The Palm is set to open on September 15 and Waldorf Astoria is targeting a Q1 launch.
For advice on what to expect from operating in this unique destination, they would be wise to turn their attention to the west side of the crescent and the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, managed by GM Stephan Schupbach for the past three years and now cemented in the minds of many as one of Dubai’s best luxury hotels.
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It hasn’t been an easy journey though, recalls Schupbach, who has worked tirelessly to establish not just his property, but the entire island, as a must-visit destination. Winning over the local market was the first, crucial hurdle.
“As you remember that was one of our biggest concerns, being based on the Palm as opposed to the main land,” says Schupbach, referring to Hotelier’s first visit back in January 2011 when the hotel was in soft-opening — following a rather short pre-opening after the last-minute appointment of Jumeirah as operator in July 2010.
“I think what has been very successful is that the local market has really taken the time to come to the Palm and actually feel like they’ve been away,” reflects Schupbach. “Within Dubai, they have found a sanctuary and I think that’s what we proved on the Palm. So I think of the footfall we have seen year to date [mid-June], we are running 94% occupancy and about a quarter is local business.
“Through the last three years what has been positive is we have been accepted within the market, we have established the brand of Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. sometimes you have to do a lot of investment in marketing, but we’ve found people are the investment — when people come here we look after them and they spread the word.”
Schupbach has made the effort to be “really generous” with guests, trying to avoid the “number crunching and greed” he fears Dubai is again trending towards.
“It’s always good to have a healthy balance of value for money and service proposition at all times, in the good and the bad; that really has worked out very, very well for us, that we positioned ourselves from a price perception and service level very well in the market.”
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