XVA Art Hotel general manager Moses Barnabas triumphs as GM of the Year (independent hotel) at 2017 Hotelier Express Awards
XVA Art Hotel general manager Moses Barnabas presided over the heritage hotel's renovation, deploying creativity and technology in equal measure to triumph with the 2017 Hotelier Express General Manager of the Year (Independent Hotel) Award.
While spearheading a renovation at the more than a century-old independent property, Moses championed the use of cloud technology for the hotel's operational departments to communicate and function on a single platform.
Bespoke guest services, such as welcome tea and welcome letters, turndown messages and amenities, were introduced. Innovative guest service offerings, such as yoga retreats, yoga brunches and calligraphy classes, were initiated, to emphasise the importance of guest interaction and engagement. Barnabas adopted a personal interest in the learning and development of his team members, conducting cross-training opportunities and exposure to trade shows and exhibitions.
Speaking about uncovering unexpected spaces during the hotel's renovation, Barnabas said:"One of the most memorable moments was being able to create space on our terrace, space which was not existing before, which we now use to offer yoga for our guests. It's nice to see that people are actually using it."
As for his fondness for leadership guru John Maxwell's quote, 'A leader with no following is only taking a walk', Barnabas added:"Leadership is all about infuencing people.A general manager is only as good as his team. It's about understanding the team and where we want to go. We set the goals together."
For the remainder of 2017, Barnabas said he, together with his team, is focused on preparing for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Excellence Award. He is also spearheading for the hotel to begin in-house farming and is intent on promoting XVA Art's key messages of Emirati culture and heritage.
The General Manager of the Year (Independent Hotel) award was sponsored by DMK MENA FZE and presented by DMK marketing manager Daniel Deliano. The Highly Commended nominee for the category was Al Khoory Executive Hotel's Mahesh Mansharamani. Also nominated were Hirosh Asuhar of Comfort Inn Hotel, Dubai and Prashant Sharma of Muscat Oasis Residences.
The inaugural Hotelier Express Awards was held at the Grosvenor House Dubai on February 22. 2017 and was supported by Platinum Sponsor, Caffe di Artisan; Gold Sponsor, Oldenburger; Silver Sponsor A. Ronai; Category Sponsors SIAL Middle East, Sealed Air Diversey Care, Aramtec, Viking Gulf, Prologic, Dallmayr, Hoist Group and Beverage Sponsor MMI.
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