InterContinental Muscat’s Habib Aulad Thani was named Unsung Hero of The Year, which was the most fiercely contested category at this year's Hotelier Middle East Awards.
75-year old Thani, who has been with the IHG Group since 1981, works as a doorman at the Oman-based property. In the past 36 year, he was offered promotions several times but rejected them as he feels it’s his duty to greet the guests at the door.
His hospitality career journey has been featured in Oman Daily Observer, and was published in The Week last year as an inspiration to many locals to help them embrace this industry.
The super-elated Thani told Hotelier Middle East that the award means a lot to him and he is very happy to win the Unsung Hero of the Year title. His advice to young Omanis wishing to join the hotel industry is: “You need to work really hard, without stressing. It’s important to enjoy with you do while working hard,” he said.
This category saw more than 40 entries, all of extremely high calibre, making it very tough to get the shortlist down to six. The judges had a long debate about whom to award. For the second time after last year, the judges voted to mention two highly commended nominees this year.
Adel Mahdi Abbas from Crowne Plaza Bahrain and Radie El Hek from JW Marriott Hotel were highly commended by the judges for all their important and hard work.
Thani started as a coffee man. Over the last three decades of being a doorman, Uncle Habib, as many call him, has always wanted to be the ambassador of Omani culture at InterContinental Muscat.
Not just being the first point of contact for guests, Thani has long since been a champion of promoting the hospitality industry as a viable career path to young Omanis, and has also been responsible for taking new, young Omanis at the hotel under his wing to impress upon them the importance of the industry and their role in it.
Ronai managing director Gavin Dodd presented the award to Thani.
The nominees in this category were: Raj Kumar, painter, Media One Hotel; Rajamohan Ramachandran, senior carpenter, Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island; and Rizwan Marjan, talent resourcing and HR executive, Crowne Plaza Duqm.
The event was supported by a number of industry partners, including silver sponsor SNS Haute Couture Furniture, category sponsors SIAL Middle East, A. Ronai, Diversey, Jung, OSN for Business, Dimara International, supporting sponsor Pulsar Foodstuff, event sponsor Party Social, floral sponsor Forever Rose London, coffee sponsor Dallmayr Coffee, water sponsor Acqua Panna & S.Pellegrino, and beverage sponsor MMI.
The fairytale-themed 2017 Hotelier Awards took place on October 25, 2017 at the Ritz-Carlton Dubai and recognised the industry's finest professionals.
Advertisement
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
