Receptionist of the Year Tatiana Lomteva (centre) with first runner-up Christina Cynthia Lopez (right) and second runner-up Kathlene Marin (left).
Burj Al Arab guest services executive Tatiana Lomteva has been named Receptionist of the Year by the Dubai section of the AICR — the Amicale Internationale des Chefs de Reception et Sous Directeurs des Grand Hotels.
Lomteva beat off tough competition from five Dubai hotel receptionists during last week’s final, held at Media One Hotel on November 12, before being announced the winner at an awards ceremony held last night at the Burj Al Arab.
On collecting her award Lomteva said: “The competition was a great experience. It was very, very challenging and meeting my fellow contestants here tonight, I never thought I would be the one to win”.
The finalists included Ritz-Carlton Dubai club receptionist Christina Cynthia Lopez, who claimed the first runner-up prize; Grosvenor House front office assistant Kathlene Marin, named the second runner-up; Jumeirah Beach Hotel receptionist Julia Supranovich; Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort receptionist Amit Rawat; and Taj Palace Hotel Dubai receptionist / cashier Tenzing Bhuta.
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Representing the cream of the crop of Dubai’s receptionists, the six finalists — whittled down from 18 entrants from four- and five-star hotels in Dubai — were put through a rigorous interview and role play in front of a panel of five judges.
AICR Dubai president and judge Steven Mueller, who was recently appointed director of rooms at Media One Hotel, said the role plays were particularly challenging this year.
“We made it really tough for them this year, tougher than it is in the international final actually,” said Mueller.
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Jan 19, 2010 , United Arab Emirates
It is really good to see this job being finally appreciated and recognized. Front office has been methodically ignored in the past years and is by no means in the focus of attention of most current general managers in the middle east. Most of the region's GMs just take it for-granted that anyone...
Nov 20, 2009 , United Arab Emirates
It takes skill and diplomacy (in addition to training and support from team mates) to make every guest happy -- it's not an easy job by a long shot, so everyone who can excel in this role must be a very special person. Congratulations to all the participants and especially to the winners.