The Hotelier Middle East Awards are fast approaching and we can’t wait.
Held at the world’s tallest hotel, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai on October 30, the awards will celebrate the best of the industry, but first it is time to unveil the shortlists. In total, 90 hoteliers across 18 individual awards categories have been shortlisted, along with five hotel teams for the coveted Team of the Year Award.
Here we unveil the finalists for the big one, the General Manager of the Year Award. Who do you think will be victorious?
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Jörg A. Hauri, general manager, Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi
ABOUT JÖRG
Having completed his apprenticeship at hotel school in Switzerland, Jörg A. Hauri gained hotel experience around the world. His career started in Switzerland, he then moved on to Asia where he spent 20 years working in food and beverage and later became a resident manager. He first came to the Middle East to take up a post with Sheraton in Egypt, where he spent several years before heading to the UAE. Hauri went on to work in two different hotels in Mauritius including the One & Only Sugar Beach Resort. He returned to Egypt in 2002 to take up a role with Mövenpick before travelling to Tunisia and Lebanon, and then Greece, where he worked as group General Manager for Maris Hotels in Crete just before he joined the Rotana family in October 2011 as the General Manager of the Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi. Hauri now leads a team of 1,000 and looks after 565 rooms and 11 outlets. He is also looking at managing a complex of three Rotana properties with a total of about 1,000 rooms in three years’ time.
WHY WAS HE NOMINATED?
Hauri’s leadership improved colleague and guest satisfaction survey scores across hotel to 93.04% from 88.39% and 89.8% from 88% respectively within one year. Last year’s improved results of the Beach Rotana’s colleagues’ satisfaction survey have proved that the leadership skills have seen better days with Hauri’.
Believing that a productive company is established by satisfied and happy colleagues, Hauri initiated a number of initiatives that exceeds corporate goals for profitability, efficiency and service quality thereby increasing the guest satisfaction survey in 2012 to 89.8% from 88% in 2011.
He completed major renovation projects across the hotel to ensure that the hotel stays in line with the new up and coming hotels such as gold leafing of the Grand Lobby dome, refurbishments to Prego’s, Trader Vic’s and Benihana. And, for the first time in history, the hotel exterior was completely washed. Energy conservation was a success reducing the consumption levels and operating costs. Reductions compared to previous year on electricity by 6.73%, water by 4.11% and chilled water by 35.02%.
The path of a leader is never an easy route and despite an increase in costs, Hauri took in feedback received from the hotel’s staff and moved their accommodation into the city out of a more remote area they were staying at previously. It required a great deal of effort in convincing key stakeholders of the hotel and a lot of time and attention to get the move organised considering the accommodation was for more than 500 team members. He achieved the goal, which led to a very high satisfaction rate and demonstrated to the team that to him, it’s not always about the numbers.
Jörg A. Hauri remains a role model to his team of almost a thousand members for contributing to the financial and overall success of the hotel despite the new hotels in the city and for his genuine concern towards them.
WHAT DID HIS TEAM SAY?
“Jörg is a veteran, a decisive and forward driven person with wisdom, leadership communication and tremendous problem solving skills. With over 37 years of experience in the industry, Jörg has ensured maintaining and further enhancing the great reputation of the Beach Rotana in Abu Dhabi and is constantly working on attaining the hotel’s objectives moving forward. He has achieved and continues to achieve excellent results with his absolute commitment to his profession, to the Beach Rotana and to Rotana.” Omer Z. Kaddouri executive vice president and chief operating officer.
WHAT DID THE GUESTS SAY?
“This is to appreciate the work and service of Mr. Jörg A. Hauri as general manager of Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi. I am a long staying guest with Beach Rotana for almost five years. Since I met Mr. Hauri, he impressed me with his attitude to show the guests his full attention and respect and hospitality of Rotana. With his smooth and persuasive manner, Mr. Hauri can master any inconvenient situation to the best. There was never ever a request from myself what was not fulfilled to my full satisfaction in a short time. I feel in Rotana as it is my own family.” Diehl Defence.
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