Marketing and PR Person of the Year
Deveekaa Nijhawan, Former Complex Public Relations and Communications Manager, Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre
How has winning a Hotelier Award impacted your career?
Wining the award has been a milestone in my professional career. I still cherish the moment I received the award. It made me feel like a celebrity as many people from the industry congratulated me and acknowledged my achievements. It gave me both national and international recognition and it imparted a strong re-affirmation that my career was moving in the right direction.
What advice would you give other hoteliers also hoping to win a Hotelier Award?
Have confidence in yourself and be passionate about what you do. Be your true self and open to criticism, but never let others pull you back. If you have confidence in yourself, others will do as well. You should set professional goals at the onset and define the trajectory for your career progression. Always aim high and constantly learn from others and your mistakes to improve your skills. Be aware of the industry trends, new technology developments, and competitive landscape. Don’t be afraid to think out of the box and of failures — they help you to grow by enhancing your knowledge.
Are you still at the same hotel?
A lot has changed for me in the last year, including being offered the role of director of public relations & communications by Minor Hotels at Niyama Private Islands in the Maldives. I took on the responsibilities of my new position in July. I am responsible for all PR, marketing, and digital communications activities for the resort.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
My goal is to be responsible for the PR and communication activities for an international brand at a global level. I would love to work with hotels on pre-openings, travel the world, meet colleagues and customers from different countries and embrace different cultures. From the onset I have been a globetrotter exemplified by having lived in India, Sri Lanka, the UK, KSA, Oman, the UAE, and now Maldives. Hopefully my career helps me in expanding this list even further.
Executive Chef of the Year
Stephen Wright, Former Executive chef, Marriott Marquis City Centre
How has winning a Hotelier middle east Award impacted your career?
To be recognised for this achievement and award was completely unexpected; I was more than happy just to be nominated. As such, I believe that the Hotelier Award gave recognition to not only myself, but to the outstanding job the entire culinary and hotel team were doing. Without their help, the award would not have been possible. I think it was a great achievement for what we did in the hotel. I was very pleased to accept it and get recognised, which in turn has brought a little bit of spotlight on myself which is never a bad thing.
What advice would you give other hoteliers hoping to win a Hotelier Award?
The best advice I can give is to focus on what matters the most: our staff and guests, the two most important things in any hotel. With staff and associates, motivate them to come to work, enjoy work, and ensure that have a clear path of their own progression then they will ensure that your guests get the best service and experience possible which in turn ensures a hotel’s success.
Are you still working at the same hotel?
I have moved on from the Marriott Marquis City Centre but I am still with the company. I recently joined our corporate office in Dubai as the director of culinary for Marriott Hotels in the Middle East and Africa.
How do you see your career progressing in the next five years; what are your goals?
In all honesty I have just started this new role and with the growth that Marriott is going through, especially in this region, it’s just a very exciting time to be with the company, so at this point in time l am solely focused on my current position.
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