Mark Lee, GM of Media One Hotel Dubai, believes that softening of employment laws has put pressure on employers.
Diversification of the hotel landscape has been a big topic in 2014. How will this trend materialise/ develop in 2015 and beyond?
In 2015 I still believe that all categories of hotels will continue to expand, the fact that there aren’t many ‘lifestyle’ properties at the moment in Dubai, would suggest that it is seen as a hot opportunity to capitalise on but the budget/mid-scale sector also presents good opportunities, especially with the Dubai government initiative of waiving municipality fee contributions for a specified period of time.
At Media One we target customers who are looking for a particular stay experience and we would never dilute the Media One brand in order to attract price-conscious customers who may not be comfortable within our surroundings. We are exceptionally well located with great facilities within a lively and diverse environment and it is critical that we stay true to the Media One spirit. We would always look to add value to a stay experience before cutting our price.
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How will the trend for independent hotels evolve in the Middle East in 2015 and beyond?
I would like to hope that the outlook for new independent hotels is a positive one and speaking from experience I can stay that it is extremely rewarding working for a unique independent property such as Media One. The success of Media One is down to many factors; having an exciting product that has been perfectly positioned within Dubai Media City, having a great team of people who live the brand and deliver on the experience but perhaps just as important is having an owner who just lets us get on and run the business in the spirit of the brand. The ability to make quick decisions and autonomy to be creative and innovative has certainly been a massive contributing factor to the success of Media One.
How do you see average rates, RevPAR and other key indicators in 2015 as more supply comes on to the market?
I don’t think that it is just additional room night inventory coming on to the market that will affect average rates and ultimately RevPAR, but many other factors that will make 2015 a very challenging one. Economical, political and social instability around the world will make 2015 a very challenging one.
What trends will we see in the serviced apartment sector?
I think that mixed use properties will continue to be a popular model for future openings. Hotel & service apartments. Service apartments & offices or a combination of all 3.
The trend for standalone-style restaurants in hotels was a big trend for 2013/2014. Will this continue to evolve, or are third-party managed outlets the future for hotels?
At Media One we have seen the successful addition of Q43 to the F&B line-up. As a third party managed venue we ensured that we chose very careful the operator and the concept prior to signing off on this project. Q43 has complete synergy with the Media One brand and through Solutions Leisure we have found an operator who is as passionate as we are about ensuring the guest is King.
Third-party offerings must always complement the existing offering and never compete directly with it. It is important that the choice of operator and concept are carefully thought through to ensure that the integrity of the hotel is retained and the venue is operated in keeping with the existing operational standards. I also believe that too many leased outlets is a bigger risk to the overall ambiance of a hotel and therefore recommend that there should always be more in-house than out sourced venues in the F&B portfolio
Interview continues on next page...
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