The building has been designed with an influence from European architecture, and is located in the city centre of Ajman.
“We have finished our contracting with 28-odd companies, so they have our rates live. I have forged partnerships all over, so Al Zorah Golf Club being my first partner, Voyage Partners being our second partner, which is renting a desk as well as supporting business throughout the year.”
Rijhwani continues: “We have partnered with sports clubs in the area — including the Ajman Sports Club, and Hamriya Sports Club — and we are working towards getting partnerships with the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and the Ajman Cricket Council.” When asked why this pro-active stance on sports, he counters: “The reason is that our competition includes beach hotels which command a higher price and sports teams are not able to stay there because of the fluctuating prices due to leisure demand. This is a segment in which we found a gap, so it’s a strategy to go into this segment.”
Leisure business will also play a role, and while the hotel is not directly on the beach, the owners have given the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ajman with access to a beach strip, and shuttles running to and from the hotel.
And working closely with Ajman Tourism is important, notes Sattanathan. For example, Rijhwani is set to attend World Travel Market in November to promote the property and destination. In other initiatives Sattanathan is keen about, he adds: “We have spoken to Ajman Tourism about potentially all the hotels getting together and having a shuttle from Dubai Airport to our respective hotels. Ras Al Khaimah does it, we don’t do it yet. For the DMCs that’s a big plus.”
The hotel also plays into the developer’s plans to create an entertainment destination in that area. On one side of the hotel, Sattanathan reveals, there will be an entertainment centre with a sports bar and a nightclub, and on the right to the hotel will be the emirate’s first McGettigan’s and Jones the Grocer. “Our developers want to make it an entertainment destination,” adds Sattanathan.
He continues: “We have a great product; we are very proud of the hardware we have, and we are among the best hotels in Ajman. The other USP we have is that we are the only upscale international branded city centre hotel in Ajman, the other upscale branded hotels are beach hotels on the Corniche. Good products and lovely beaches, but ours is as good. This is where we focus on our software, and we will make every moment matter. We’re going to focus on service delivery. We have a fantastic offering of food & drink options in the hotel.”
“We will ultimately be known for our service at the end of the day and the figures will automatically be in the green,” agrees Rijhwani.
Sattanathan adds: “When I joined Rezidor, one of the things that caught my attention is the 4D strategy. The first D is for ‘develop’ (a property). The second ‘D’ is delight (guests), third is for ‘drive’ (business), and finally, ‘deliver’ (results). All our actions should have some relation to these four Ds; if they don’t, let’s not waste our time doing them.”
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