Shadi Refai has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years. During this time, he has faced a variety of challenges and changes. As the Hotel Manager at Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah, Shadi is known for his dedication to making sure guests have a great experience.
In this interview, Shadi Refai talks about his work experience and how he helped make Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah a top luxury hotel. He also shares his ideas for the future of the hospitality industry in Dubai, which is a very competitive market. Shadi discusses things like sustainability and using technology to make guests’ experiences better. His passion for hospitality and leadership skills really show through in the interview.
After working in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years, what made you decide to work in this field, and how has your job changed over time? As the Hotel Manager at Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah, what do you do, and how do you decide what’s most important?
I’ve always been interested in the hospitality industry. When I was young, I loved seeing how professionals handled many tasks while making customers happy with a smile.
I wanted a career where I could connect with people from different backgrounds, and the hospitality industry is perfect for that, and more.
Watching how much the hospitality industry has grown is amazing. At first, it was all about customers, making money, and providing good service. But now, companies and guests care about things like being eco-friendly, helping communities, and supporting employees’ careers. Training staff is really important now, and using social media and online shopping has changed how businesses work. Using technology has made things better and faster. Being creative and keeping up with new ideas is more helpful than ever.
My main job is to talk to guests every day and ask how they’re doing and if they’re happy with their stay. It’s also really important to check in with my team to make sure they’re okay because they’re the most important part of the company.
I also walk around the hotel regularly to make sure everything looks good and safe. I keep an eye on projects that are happening to make sure they’re on track and make things better for guests. I even test things like coffee and stay overnight to make sure everything is good for guests.
Planning and making sure the hotel is in a good spot, along with doing things to help the environment, are also part of my job.
In Dubai’s busy hotel industry, what special plans have you made to make sure Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah makes the most money, and how have you changed these plans based on what’s happening in the market lately?
Since we opened, Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah has focused on making sure guests have a great experience rather than just trying to fill up rooms. We set our prices to match the high quality of what we offer and the great service from our team.
We made our hotel known for its food by having lots of different restaurants and bars with special service for our best dishes. Our brunches are really popular and have made us a lot of money, showing that our food is one of the best in Dubai.
We’ve always focused on being eco-friendly and helping the community. For example, we don’t use plastic in our hotel, which makes guests who care about the environment happy and makes us look good. We also use social media a lot to talk to customers and influencers, which is really important for our business.
Hilton is a famous hotel brand all over the world. How does Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah stand out from other Hilton hotels and luxury hotels in Dubai?
Hilton is known for being really good in the hotel industry. At Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah, we work hard to make sure our guests are really happy and have everything they need. We make sure our hotel has all the newest technology so guests can use everything easily.
Our meeting rooms are special because they have the best technology. We focus on giving really good service and trying to guess what guests need even if they don’t say it. We also ask guests what they like so we can make their stay special and personal.
Our hotel is in a great spot with amazing views of the beach, Dubai Marina, and the JBR skyline. It’s easy for everyone to get around our hotel. We care about the environment and do things to help, which makes us different. We use different ways to tell people about our hotel to make sure the right people know about us. We want guests to have a special and different experience compared to other hotels in the city.
Can you tell us how you use information about the market to make decisions and plans for Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah?
Using information about the market helps us make smart decisions and plans for Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah. It makes us more competitive, helps us make more money, and makes guests happier. We use data about different customer groups to advertise to them better.
We also use data to decide how many staff we need, manage our supplies, and decide when to fix things. Feedback from guests helps us decide what new things to add to make them happier. We use data about what other hotels are doing to make sure we’re doing things right and staying competitive.
Can you tell us about times when feedback from guests has helped make Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah better?
Talking directly with guests and listening to what they say is really important at Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah. Their feedback helps us make things better based on what they want. We get feedback from guests in different ways like reviews, surveys, and comments.
For example, guests told us they wanted better internet on the beach, so we fixed that. We also made signs easier to understand and added new BBQ areas because guests asked for them. We changed the hours for the beach, spa, and kids club to fit better with what guests wanted. We also added more gym equipment and hired a full-time fitness instructor because guests said they wanted that too.
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