Robert Jones, Coffee Planet. Robert Jones, Coffee Planet.

Coffee Planet has signed on to be the Platinum sponsor at the Hotelier Middle East Great GM Debate 2016.

Speaking to Hotelier Middle East, Coffee Planet managing director Robert Jones said: "Participating in first-class industry events, such as the Hotelier Middle East Great GM Debate, is very important to us at Coffee Planet. Not only do they allow us to interact with top hoteliers and industry leaders, but it they also a great platform to extol the benefits of locally roasted coffee and to communicate the ever-changing consumer trends."

Jones added that the company offers a "360-degree approach to coffee solutions for the foodservice industry", which includes five-star hotels, offices, restaurants, catering companies, airlines and others.

He says that many hotel and hospitality clients face competition, and must work effectively and efficiently to gain and retain guests. Jones noted: "Therefore, we believe differentiation is essential and coffee quality is one measure that guests will use when considering the overall standard of their hospitality experience, especially as consumers’ knowledge and appreciation for good quality coffee continues to evolve."

Jones cited the surge in large-scale events such as the Dubai Expo 2020 a factor in making it an "exciting time" to be active in the UAE hotel industry. 

Adopting local brands as a point of differentiation within hotels is a trend Jones is set to capitalise on. He said: "With hotels looking to diversify in order to help them standout against a highly populated landscape, the emphasis on hoteliers turning to local brands is paramount and we expect this to be a prominent topic.

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"Hotels are quickly becoming lifestyle destinations and to appeal to local residents and tourists alike, they need to offer a truly unique experience. From the moment a guest arrives, each consumer-facing touch point needs to standout and this includes the coffee."

To this end, towards the end of 2015, Coffee Planet invested in the expansion of its Dubai-based roastery, which included a new production line allowing the company to produce its own freshly roasted, Nespresso-compatible capsules.

"The new capsules range launched earlier this year and has been designed to offer hotels the chance to experience a consistent, efficient freshly roasted solution for in-room coffee," he added.

With many plans on the charts for Coffee Planet, Jones said the next step is to introduce new ethically sourced single origins, while focusing attention on the hospitality industry.

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