To ensure the high levels of service and discretion required by the hotel’s clientele, very particular staff training is required. For example, female guests require female butlers, and the waking habits of GCC guests during weekends, are among the first lessons taught.
Keeping in touch after a guest’s visit is also essential, and within the hotel’s third-party outlets, this is the responsibility of the restaurant manager, who coordinates with the hotel’s marketing team. Gharib explains that the restaurant manager will pick up the phone if a guest hasn’t been to the outlet in the past few weeks, and staff will always know the birthdays of regulars.
“One time a regular guest was in hospital and the restaurant manager and a couple of team members went along with flowers. We receive letters about these things, I think it’s very successful,” he explains.
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Gharib, who has been working at the property since 2009 — first as EAM F&B, then hotel manager, before taking on the GM role in January 2014 — speaks very highly of his team, humbly attributing his success to them.
“You should always surround yourself with great people,” he says.
“I’m not a great GM, but I have a great team. I’m a first-time GM who would expect a lot of challenges.”
With a successful first year under his belt — averaging 75.3% occupancy and maintaining rates — Gharib is most proud of achieving 97% colleague satisfaction, which he says is the highest percentage for FRHI Hotels & Resorts in the region and one of the highest worldwide.
Gharib’s modesty with regards to his own achievements within the hotel, extends to his outlook regarding the Dubai hospitality landscape, which has changed considerably since Raffles Dubai opened eight years ago.
The hotel’s comp set is increasing each year, with the emergence of ultra-luxury properties such as Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, which opened last November, Starwood’s St. Regis coming in early 2016, and Mandarin Oriental’s first Middle East property, to open in 2017.
“I think these are great additions to the landscape of the city, and it’s great Dubai has a Four Seasons now — I hope that we learn from them. I do hope they catch some of the things we do well too, so that overall Dubai as a destination benefits.”
Another FRHI Hotels & Resorts luxury property, the 280-key Swissotel, is set to open in 2017 in the Al Jadaf district of the city. Gharib admits the hotel is likely to attract the same clientele as its sister property, Raffles Dubai.
“I could make the answer short and say it’s a different market, but it’s not. Supply is growing, you lose some, and you gain some. Dubai is very active, vibrant and ever-changing. Demand is still growing, albeit not to the same degree. Every year for the last 10 years, people have put question marks on Dubai’s growth and it still grew. In the middle of the crisis it was the fastest market to recover.
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