GM INTERVIEW: Ed Edwards

Ed Edwards takes on the recently rebranded Montgomerie.

HME.COM: What is your hotel background?

My background is predominantly golf and working with small hotels and this fits into where my specialty lies.

It would be strange for me to take over a 400 room hotel, so the accommodation was just an accomplishment for the golf course.

Now with the rebranding [The Address Montgomerie Dubai] we are looking to upgrade it and make it something special on its own.

HME.COM: Are you involved in the running of the course itself?

Not directly, the golf course is managed by Troon Golf, one of the foremost operators in the business and they continue to manage the golf course.

That stays the same, what we are hoping to achieve is an improvement in service standards and to offer a better all-round facility and experience to the customer.

HME.COM: What are some of things you have to get right?

Every golf club in the world has the same challenges, especially the busy ones, which we are.

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We are extremely busy and most of the clubs in Dubai are as well.

You have a finite amount of memberships you can sell to make sure you can guarantee the availability to your members, while still making sure your hotel guests and visitors have access to the golf course — it’s tee sheet management.

We have just closed our family and individual fee membership and we have started a waiting list to make sure our current members do have the availability.

We keep tee times reserved for our own hotel guests so whenever possible we try and offer them golf at our golf course, we also have our sister property Arabian Ranches and we do packages with both courses, we do stay and play packages and accommodation with dinner in 19 and spa options.

Anyone who books a package gets automatic availability.

HME.COM: How has golf been affected this year?

At the beginning of the year, due to the economic climate, there was definitely a dip in international rounds across all Dubai golf courses.

Since the summer, the booking trend for the end of the year and for the beginning of next year shows a significant increase in both international rounds and corporate play, as well as our memberships, which is why we closed new entrants as we sold significant memberships in the last few months — there seems to be a much more positive trend in the marketplace.

HME.COM: How has the The Address rebranding affected the property?

The Address branding is very specific as to what is expected.

The great thing with The Address branding is you get the whole corporate sales training team behind you and we have done some extensive training on the rebranding and what is expected.

We have to have wireless in the rooms and 24 hour checkout — the whole Address philosophy has to be learned by our associates.

From a hotel standpoint being with The Address brand you get the worldwide tent from the web coverage.

The support you get is phenomenal and that will be the biggest difference — the support structure you get within the new brand.

HME.COM: What do you feel are some of the challenges facing the golf sector in Dubai?

It’s unfortunate we can’t have a second tier golf course that could be more price sensitive, but because of the cost of water and the climate we are in, to operate a course here is very different to the UK and southern Spain — as a golf destination it has always been known as top end.

I don’t think Dubai will be attracting the mass market, I think it will be more of a niche golf destination where you get more of a quality product.

HME.COM: What is unique about The Address Montgomerie Dubai?

It’s very personalised because we only have 21 rooms.

We tend to know the guests by name, especially repeat guests where we have the history of what their preferences are and we know when they arrive the type of mineral water they like and the type of snack that will be presented in their room.

You can manage this in a 21-room hotel, which you might not be able to do in a far larger property.

It’s now about making sure we exceed our own and guests’ expectations by implementing the values of the brand and guest improvement as there are lots of ways we can gauge if we have been successful.

Our plan is to increase occupancy as we have joined The Address and the visibility of the property is far greater.

All The Address properties have different services, whether it’s a 1000 plus for a banquet or a four ball for golf and there is a lot of cross selling and support from each property.

HME.COM: How did you get into hotel management?

I did a business degree in North Carolina and majored in professional golf management.

I went the golf pro route then realised I wasn’t good enough — you then have the choice to teach or manage so I chose the management side.

I then joined Marriott hence the hotel background.

HME.COM: What is your major challenge in operating a boutique hotel on a world-class golf course?

We have our own hotel guests, visitors, tour operator guests, 20 people having a meeting, social members, gym users, 80 people in the restaurant — when you have such a wide variety of clients you have to make sure you cater to each one of their needs and that is the big challenge of any golf club.

You realise that your members expect a certain service and the person sat at the pool expects the same.

The rooms are part of the overall business, but there are so many different entities, whether you want a lighter meal in Bunkers or a gourmet meal at Nineteen.

Your aim is to ensure that with each customer you achieve their expectations and, hopefully, surpass them.

HME.COM: Have there been any recent changes in staff?

Simone-Louise Nabb was recently appointed Sous Chef at Nineteen.

She has moved from Australia, training and working in some of the most interesting positions, including being the first female and youngest Chef de Cuisine to work for the Disney Corporation on the Disney Cruise Liner.

Her new culinary concept for Nineteen is Australasian fusion and is sure to be a hit with members and guests.