The Dharma
Success will also, of course, eventually be down to the team, of which around 35% have an Oberoi background. The hotel currently has 18 butlers, designed to act as a “concierge dedicated for your room” on a 24-hour basis.
“The strategy was to focus first on India,” says Bizid of the recruitment process. “We have a dedicated hotel school [the Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development in Delhi] and then our task was to bring a lot of experienced colleagues from India’s Oberoi properties.
We interviewed a lot of colleagues from different hotels around the world and we set certain criteria and we tried to move the maximum number of colleagues with Oberoi experience, Oberoi DNA, those who have lived and experienced and believed the company philosophy.
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“The second strategy was to recruit colleagues who speak the language of this part of the world. One of the main markets for us is the GCC. We had to bring in Arabic speaking colleagues.
For this we went to Egypt, Tunisia, North Africa. We believe also in the UAE and the young generation. So we have set internally a target to hire UAE nationals and to develop them in the hotel industry.
I think it is part of our CSR initiatives and beliefs and I can say we have hired few a local colleagues and they are fully integrated into the teams. We have 335 team members at the moment and the target is 500. The remaining colleagues have already been recruited and they are right now in India getting cross exposure and cross training,” he says.
Recognised number 13 out of the 100 Best companies to work for in India 2013, Oberoi offers a range of training programmes, including a three year Systematic Training and Education Programme for students aged 18-years and two-year postgraduate diplomas in Guest Service Management, Housekeeping Management and Kitchen Management.
It also has a range of short company manuals designed to keep the Oberoi culture, including the Oberoi Dharma, outlining the colleagues “fundamental code of conduct”. The company also focuses on staff empowerment, with employees given an allocation of AED 5000 per month to spend on guests — explaining the appearance of my gym kit and toiletries.
“How you spend it I don’t want to know, but spend it wisely to make that wow affect,” says Bizid.
“The Dharma book is a specific book written by the colleagues of the Oberoi on how we should behave towards our guests and how we should behave towards our owners and colleagues. Every colleague has a copy of this,” says Bizid. “That’s what keeps the strength of the Oberoi.
“The mission and vision for our property here again it is done by the colleagues,” he says, referring to the vision to be the “most award winning, luxury lifestyle city hotel in the MENA” and the mission to create the “finest experiences for guests” through personalized service.
“And that’s why the colleagues really believe in it and why they smile and why they stand up for you and they remember your name. It’s coming from them. We guide them; we are not imposing it to them. We need to involve all the colleagues to achieve success and excellence of service,” concludes Bizid.
F&B at The Oberoi
Ananta: Signature Indian restaurant on the lobby level featuring three contemporary tandoors, a grill, a roomali roti maker and a tawa for a range of sautéing styles in an open-kitchen setting. The restaurant focuses on North Indian delicacies, seats 45 and is open for dinner only.
Nine7One: Headed by chef Vishal Khuble, this restaurant offers food from nice countries, 24-hours, seven days a week at one destination. Breakfast and lunch features a buffet and a la carte menu for the main course, while dinner is a la carte only. There is a separate children’s menu too. Indoor and outdoor seating comprises 100 covers.
Umai: This pan Asian restaurant blends Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisine from speciality chefs, including a licensed Fugu chef to prepare Japan’s poisonous blowfish. Live tepanyaki, sushi, sashimi and noodle pulling stations allow a fully interactive dining experience at this 50-cover outlet.
Lobby Lounge: Again offering a 24-hour menu, this light airy lounge will also be the setting for The Oberoi Dubai’s Afternoon Tea and feature an evening pianist.
Lobby Bar: A small cigar bar, this outlet promises molecular cocktail techniques and a menu including Arabic mezze.
Still to come: Friday brunch in Nine7One, a shisha deck overlooking the pool and a roof-top bar on the 27th floor with views of Burj Khalifa.
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