In Hotelier Middle East’s exclusive roundtable with Rotana Hotels, area vice president Dubai and Northern Emirates Thomas Tapken and a panel of general managers from UAE properties reveal the opportunities and challenges of operating in the region and how they are working on various corporate strategies at their properties

Meet the experts

Thomas Tapken
Area vice president – Dubai and Northern Emirates, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation
Thomas Tapken has gained considerable international experience in hotel management from his 26 years in the industry, which include eight years as general manager with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. Following his various positions as general manager of hotels in UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Spain, Thailand and Kenya, Tapken’s last position was managing director at City Seasons Group in the UAE.

Story continues below
Advertisement

Jorg A Hauri
General manager, Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi
Jörg A. Hauri began his career in hospitality with formal education at a Swiss hotel school. He then went on to gain international experience, spanning much of Asia for almost 20 years. On joining Mövenpick in 2002, he then called Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon his home. Moving to Greece, he became the group general manager for Maris Hotels. Hauri has been with Beach Rotana since 2011.

Mark Deere
General manager, Yas Island Rotana and Centro Yas Island
Mark Deere was recently appointed general manager of Yas Island Rotana and Centro Yas Island. Using the competencies he acquired from the University of Surrey in England and 26 years of experience with some of the most prestigious hotel brands in the UK, Asia and the Middle East, Deere now drives growth for Rotana’s two-hotel complex on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, which attracts guests from around the world.

Chantel Moore
General manager, BurJuman Arjaan by Rotana
Chantel Moore has a wealth of expertise gained during more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality sector within Australia, UK, and the Middle East. Moore has been with the Rotana family since 2012 and is responsible for managing the four-star deluxe hotel apartments that is directly connected to the BurJuman mall and business towers.

Sherif Madkour
General manager, Al Maha Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi
Sherif Madkour began his career in the hospitality industry in Germany where he worked his way up as a front office shift leader to assistant room division manager in reputable hotels in Frankfurt. He joined Rotana Hotels in 2005 and in 2009, he was given the opportunity to lead the pre-opening team as general manager of Centro Barsha by Rotana, Dubai. He was then assigned general manager of Al Maha Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi in January 2013 where he is currently drawing on his expertise to lead the hotel’s upcoming multimillion renovation project planned for 2014.

Francisco Giles
General manager, Park Rotana Complex, Abu Dhabi
British national Francisco Giles holds hospitality degrees from hotel school Les Roches in Switzerland and Cornell University in the United States. He has more than 23 years of experience in the hotel industry spanning five continents in various roles with international chains such as Radisson Hotels and Marriott International and now oversees a multi-brand Rotana complex in Abu Dhabi.

Article continues on next page ...