Hilton Garden Inn cluster general manager Mark Allaf believes Dubai is not necessarily shifting business away from the existing upscale hotels, but really creating opportunities for new travellers to take advantage of more affordable rates.
He added: “We want to adjust to their busy life and we want to make their stay very easy. We will move a lot of the complications out of the way for them, to allow them to do what they need to do best, and that’s to enjoy their stay, get to work with no hassles. Even as a family you want to get on with your trip and do what you came here to do.”
Being people focused is a standout feature of the Hilton Garden Inn brand that Allaf believes will ensure the hotel gains trust in the region. Its personalised loyalty programme is central to this philosophy. “As part of our Hilton Honors loyalty programme, when you make your reservation, as a Hilton Honors member, we have less questions to ask, because as a loyal guest to us, we know what type of bed you want, whether you require smoking or non-smoking rooms, we save this information, in doing so, we ask less in the book stages because we already know you.” Allaf explains the system in place which creates a guest profile, and continually updates itself with new information every time a guest stays with the brand. “We know if you want a high floor, low floor, near an elevator, and we’ll even track your anniversaries and birthdays for you, so when you arrive for a special occasion we can surprise you.”
Being a people focused brand, including employee satisfaction, is key to succeeding in Dubai, according to Allaf.
“When we moved our attention to the mid-market we had a lot of talent already with the company. We had many young people who wanted to advance, to move up the ladder and progress with their careers. This was the golden opportunity to move people around and feed the industry with the eager young generation.”
“Another thing that we do in every country we operate is create opportunities for the local community. It’s important for people to gain employment with great companies. What we predominantly focus on is millennials, because we believe they are now contributing the biggest percentage of the work force globally.” He continues: “We find that millennials, anywhere around the world, they want to work, they want to make professional progress, and
develop career opportunities, and at Hilton we create those opportunities for them.” He adds: “We are also creating opportunities for females, for women to be great success stories and to become a part of great companies.”
Being people focused extends to the programmes in place to incentivise and retain team members. “We aim to keep everyone in the work force very engaged. Identifying opportunities for them to grow and advance and be a part of
a great future at the company is something we focus on.” He added. “We looked within the company and found a lot of great opportunities for our young team members to move up and to take on new roles in this region.” He ends: “This is the biggest investment you will make in hospitality. You’re investing in your people on a daily basis, you want them to stay with you for the long-term, so they too can grow the business and sustain their own success.”
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