文丨本刊记者  李雪松

 
Editor’s Note: Emaar Hospitality Group, based in Dubai, the hospitality and leisure business of Emaar Properties (one of the largest developers in the world), marks its tenth year in operation this year. In such a short span of time, it established a reputation as a home-grown Dubai hospitality group with a fast-growing regional and international footprint. Its average daily rates and occupancy levels are higher than industry average in Dubai’s tourism and hospitality sector. Now it plans to expand its footprint to other high-growth markets as well as gateway cities such as India and China, and other global gateway cities for the group. It aims at doubling its portfolio by 2020. The journalist of World Hotel magazine got an opportunity to interview its CEO - Mr. Olivier Harnisch who shared a lot with our readers including his knowledge and view on Dubai’s tourism and hospitality field and his experience in past years and the importance of technology in hotel industry, etc.
   
World Hotel: We know that you have abundant experience across four continents. Please share with us your view on Dubai’s tourism and hospitality sector. Is it different from other cities or countries in the world?
 
Olivier Harnisch: I’m excited to have joined Emaar Hospitality Group given the fact that over the last ten years since the Group’s inception, we have defined our credentials as a home-grown hospitality group with an expanding portfolio of hotel and serviced residences projects in the UAE and other international markets. The market in Dubai is robust and very dynamic with healthy occupancy rates. It has become an essential business hub and a top international tourist destination. Dubai’s tourism and hospitality sector is defined by its geographic location and its cosmopolitan population. The diversity of tastes, preferences and guest aspirations translates into a truly eclectic hospitality offering that appeals to all. There is something for everyone – and that makes Dubai such a vibrant, heartwarming destination. The high standards of safety, the warm local sense of hospitality and excellent service standards that characterize Dubai charms visitors, whether they are here on leisure or business.
 
World Hotel: For past ten years, how many hotels Emaar launched per year? Is it an accelerated pace in the development over this decade?
 
Olivier Harnisch: Today, Emaar Hospitality Group operates 11 hotels in Dubai across our three distinctive brands – the premium luxury Address Hotels + Resorts; upscale lifestyle Vida Hotels and Resorts; and the contemporary midscale Rove Hotels - with over 2,500 rooms in total. We also have 3 operational serviced residences in Dubai with nearly 1,500 apartments. We have a development pipeline of 29 hotel projects in the UAE and other international markets such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Turkey and Egypt.
 
In fact, just recently, we announced that Address Hotels + Resorts has been selected to manage a 1,490-key hotel in the Holy City of Makkah by Jabal Omar Development Company. Jabal Omar Address Makkah, scheduled to open in 2019, marks the first entry of Address Hotels + Resorts to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We also opened our fourth Rove property – Rove Trade Centre – a 270 room hotel, just one roundabout away from the Dubai World Trade Centre. This Rove opening followed our Rove Healthcare City opening at the end of February this year and our new Address property - Address Boulevard, a beautiful city resort – on March 1 – the day I officially joined Emaar Hospitality Group!
   
World Hotel: What is the RevPar for each brand?
 
Olivier Harnisch: The average RevPar for 2016 was AED 982. On average, RevPar figures for Address Hotels + Resorts properties ranged from AED 1,504 at Palace Downtown to AED 1,487 at Address Dubai Mall. Manzil Downtown recorded a RevPar of AED 662 and Vida Downtown at AED 721. 
 
World Hotel: On location choosing, what is your requirement or standard for hotel location?
 
Olivier Harnisch: We choose a location based on where we believe our unique brands fit into the local market. A number of factors influence this situation such as demographics, the robustness of the local hospitality market, and the competitiveness of the local economy.  
 
World Hotel: What is your marketing strategy in future?
 
Olivier Harnisch: We will continue to focus on expanding our presence in the hospitality sector in Dubai, complementing the Dubai Tourism Vision 2020 announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, namely to welcome over 20 million annual visitors by the turn of the decade. Also, as Dubai prepares to host the Expo 2020, strengthening the hospitality sector to welcome the 25 million visitors expected during the six-month period is an imperative.
 
We will also support the expansion plans of Emaar Properties as it focuses on creating integrated developments in Dubai and other markets, and consolidate our expertise in mixed use developments.
 
One of our priorities is to expand all our hotel brands to newer geographies through management agreements. As mentioned, today we have a growing geographic footprint with new management contracts in Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
 
We will also build on our leisure assets and Lifestyle Dining divisions. Further, we aim to strengthen our events and lifestyle business, with our properties offering spectacular venues for events – be it weddings, gala evenings, business conferences or product launches.
 
Most importantly, we are marking a digital transformation organisation-wide. For example, we have launched new native Apps, which set an industry-first, enhancing the digital lifestyle experiences of guests at Address Hotels + Resorts, Palace Downtown, Vida Hotels and Resorts, Manzil Downtown and Rove Hotels. The Apps of Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts, Palace Downtown and Manzil Downtown have gone live with the Rove Hotels App to go live shortly.
 
In another technology first, we have also introduced panoramic, 360 virtual tours of all our hotels in Dubai. The 360 virtual tours, captured in high-definition photographs, offer visitors the opportunity to experience the unique value propositions of each hotel, discover its myriad facets and make an informed decision – be it for booking hotel stays, restaurants or pampering oneself at spas. The 360 virtual tours cover properties Address Hotels + Resorts; Vida Hotels and Resorts; and Rove Hotels. Finally, we are working on a number of technology driven projects about that you will hear much more in the near future.  
   
World Hotel: And how to expand to gateway cities in India and China in future?
 
Olivier Harnisch: We have identified 58 focus markets for expansion in the GCC, Europe and Asia. China and India are among them. What makes these two countries so interesting is their sheer size coupled with impressive growth in the economy and the travel sector specifically. They are important source markets for our properties in Dubai, hence operating hotels in India and China will create valuable synergies.
World Hotel: In your eyes, what is the strength that makes Emaar stand out from other competitors?
 
Olivier Harnisch: Emaar has tremendous brand equity in the region – as the premier developer of integrated lifestyle communities. Emaar is known for its project quality and its commitment to delivery and customer service. These are the values that define Emaar Hospitality Group too. Our teams, across all brands, do a great job that is reflected our guests’ feedback and online reviews. This is an encouragement and motivation to become even better, focusing on each individual guest and providing outstanding experiences. This will be our focus going forward, combined with our strategy to create long-term value for all stakeholders, and expanding our footprint within and outside the UAE.
 
World Hotel: How to enhance guest experience? Do you have specific strategies to implement?
 
Olivier Harnisch: Across every aspect of our operation, we remain customer-centric. Our commitment to enhancing guest experience is highlighted across the customer journey – starting with the digital native Apps and 360 virtual tours that we have launched, which provide a ring-side view of our properties to help them make informed opinions.
 
Further, each of our brands has a specific guest-focused positioning. For example, Address Hotel + Resorts, our flagship brand has brought a fresh identity to the global hospitality and service sector by setting new benchmarks with its gracious hospitality and exceptional service standards. Positioning its messaging as ‘Where life happens’, Address Hotels + Resorts offers a more personal and engaging experience to guests in a premium lifestyle environment, enriching the lives of its guests with luxury, style and elegance.
 
Vida Hotels and Resorts is a refreshingly different upscale lifestyle hotel and residences brand for the new generation of business executives, entrepreneurs and leisure travellers. Vida, meaning ‘life’ in Spanish, embraces warmth, simplicity and creativity in design-led spaces. Positioned as a lively and vibrant hub where inspiring minds can create, connect and come alive, Vida hotels are a stimulating environment where style meets convenience and interactivity.
 
For the new generation traveller who recognises value, stays connected through technology and gravitates towards culturally-inspired surroundings, Rove Hotels also defines a new niche in Dubai’s vibrant hospitality sector. Rove Hotels are reliable, modern, fuss-free and super-efficient for the young and young at heart who lead fast-paced urban lives. Efficiency and technology are the watchwords at Rove Hotels which will resonate to the young and tech-savvy visitors.
   
World Hotel: Please talk about your membership rewards for your guests.
 
Olivier Harnisch: Our membership programme is called U By Emaar which is open for individuals over 18 years from anywhere in the world. The idea is that Members are rewarded with Upoints, the currency of U By Emaar when they stay, dine or enjoy any entertainment experience offered by our parent company’s diverse businesses. Signing up is simple and means that members can start to earn Upoints at participating venues on hotel stays, dining out or entertainment experiences instantly.
 
World Hotel: On hotel investment, operation and management, what is/are the most important element(s) for doing a good hotel or brand?
 
Olivier Harnisch: There are several elements that come together to ensure there is synergy between investment, operation and management of hospitality properties. At Emaar Hospitality Group, we look at many areas for effectiveness – for example, the pursuit of growth has led us to organise the operational part of our business better. We don’t believe in complex internal structures, rather view simplicity and pragmatism as vital elements in doing things quickly and effectively. Excellence is our benchmark for everything we do. Providing guest-centric experiences is essentially why we exist. In many sectors, the customer experience surrounding a company’s goods and services has become an important source of differentiation. For the hospitality industry, this puts a premium on deploying frontline employees with the right autonomy, motivation and tools to delight customers. A third element is technology: digital technology is changing every aspect of the hotel industry including how we interact with guests and the services we offer, while available data can provide valuable new insights into customer-habit and trends.
 
World Hotel: In your eyes, what kind of hotel can be called a good hotel? Can you take one or two examples to explain it?
 
Olivier Harnisch: Of course, there are many things contributing to excellence. Let me just say that a good hotel is not good enough in today’s world. And simply being good is not what we are pursuing at Emaar Hospitality Group. We are looking for excellence, delight, and the “wow” factor. Ultimately, this is in the eye of the beholder. Every guest is different, has their own expectations and preferences. The excellent hotel is the one that recognises and exceeds these.
 
One thing I always look for in our associates is the sparkle in the eye. When it is present, I know that they will make our guests happy.
 
World Hotel: For over 30 years in this industry, please share with us some of your feelings towards this industry.
 
Olivier Harnisch: I joined the industry on October 1, 1986, as waiter at the Hotel Negresco in Nice, France. I have never regretted my decision to become a hotelier for even one day. The hotel industry is fabulous. It is international, brings people together and changes continuously. Today we are blessed with tremendous opportunities, which force us to reinvent ourselves. For example, the sharing economy, the changing distribution landscape and the new web based technologies allow us to become better hoteliers by knowing the guest better, and making experiences smoother and seamless. Our ambition as Emaar Hospitality Group is to be world-class in combining the possibilities of technology and human warmth.