No ordinary hotelier, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts (MPHR) general manager and regional manager Dubai Thomas Tapken has run more than 100 marathons. He reveals how he balances work and his personal life, especially during today’s challenging market

How long have you been working in the hotel industry?

I have been  working in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years, having started as a chef in Germany.  My career has taken me from Germany to Africa, Egypt to Spain, and Thailand to the Middle East.  After 10 years in Thailand, including seven running Amari Hotels & Resorts flagship hotel in Bangkok (Amari Watergate Hotel), my travels brought me to the Middle East more than seven years ago – first to Qatar then to the UAE where I introduced Mövenpick to the Dubai market with the rebranding of the former Holiday Inn Bur Dubai as Mövenpick Bur Dubai.   


For the last three years I have been driving the pre-opening of four new hotels in the city for Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, as regional general manager.

How long have you been in your current role?
My current position is regional general manager Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, in the pre-opening phase for four hotels in Dubai —  two on  Palm Jumeirah, one at Ibn Battuta and one in Deira.  I took over this role in 2006.  During this time I have undertaken several special assignments for MPHR with turnaround and revitalisation of hotels in Qatar and Kuwait as well as due diligence surveys in the Middle East, Africa and the UAE. 

What do you consider to be your greatest achievements in this post?
My greatest achievement will be highly visible in the opening of these four hotels!  Any general manager who has opened a hotel will know exactly what goes into all the ‘behind the scenes’ efforts culminating in a successful opening, regardless of who eventually runs the hotels!  It will be a great source of pride to me when the hotels actually open, and I will know exactly what it has taken to get to that point.

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What impact has your company had on the Middle East hospitality sector?
MPHR is well known throughout the Middle East as a reliable, consistent operator of four- and five-star properties in key locations.  With more than 90 hotels currently operating or under construction, the group is well on track to achieving its objective of 100 hotels by 2010 – many of these hotels are in the Middle East, bringing Swiss hospitality to the region.

What are your priorities and ambitions? 
My priority is to balance my work and personal life in these challenging times! Taking care of my family – which includes not only my immediate family but those in my ‘corporate family’ — is a high priority. As for ambitions:  eventually to run my own hospitality business – and to still be fit enough to cycle across Europe!

Who has been your inspiration in the industry?
Kurt Rufli, retired CEO of Amari Hotels & Resorts has been a great inspiration.