The Hilton Luxor

THE HILTON LUXOR

HOTEL

ARRIVAL DATE : JUNE 1st 2008

DEPARTURE DATE : JUNE 4th 2008

ROOM NUMBER : 371 – 326 – 259 - 011

GENERAL APPEARANCE:

QUALITY: (Outstanding),, , ,  (Poor) HOTEL ENTRANCE CLEAN 5 4  2 1 LOBBY CLEAN 5 4 3  1 ROOM CLEAN 5 4 3 2  CORRIDORS CLEAN 5 4 3  1 STAFF FRIENDLY 5 4 3  1 SMILING 5 4 3  1 GREETING BY NAME 5 4 3 2  FELT WELCOME 5 4 3  1

Rooms Division

Reservations

Front Office

Housekeeping RESERVATION :

A – MYSTERY GUEST SHOPPER : MR. SAM SAKER

THE ROOM RESERVATION WAS DONE BY A PHONE CALL TO THE HOTEL PUBLISHED TEL. NUMBER: 095 374933 AT 3:45PM, ON 19 /05 / 2008

1-TELEPHONE OPERATOR :

NUMBER OF RINGS : five (STANDARD : 3 RINGS)

ANSWERING : (Outstanding), , , ,  (Poor) CLEAR ANSWER 5  3 2 1 FRIENDLY GREETING 5  3 2 1 PROMPT CONNECTION 5  3 2 1

DATA AND FINDINGS :  Mohamed the Operator answered the phone with no greetings (“how can I help you”)  When I requested reservations, he transferred me to the Front Office, which was also answered with no greetings “Front Desk”.  I was placed on hold for a few minutes then was transferred to reservations.

2-RESERVATIONS DEPARTMENT : QUALITY: (Outstanding), , , ,  (Poor) TELEPHONE ANSWER 5 4 3 2 1 RESERVATION 5 4 3  1 SCI NUMBER 5 4 3 2 1 SMOKING/NON SMOKING 5 4 3 2  KING/TWIN 5 4 3 2  VISA ASSISTANCE AND CHARGE 5 4  2 1 RATE OFFERED : $ 1ST RATE : $ 100 single BB all inclusive 2ND RATE : $ 105 single (corporate rate) 3RD RATE : CONFIRMED RATE : $ 60 BB all inclusive

*CALLED NEAREST TRAVEL AGENCY AND REQUEST SAME BOOKING? NAME : Creative Travel RATE : LE 180 HB all inclusive

DATA AND FINDINGS :

 The reservation phone was answered after three rings.  After requesting the three nights reservation from the female who answered the phone (Ms. Abeer), she had placed me on hold for a few minutes while she was chatting in Arabic with a group of people next to her.  She requested my family name and single or double.  She never inquired whether I will need a smoking or non smoking room, nor a king or a twin or a double double room.  There was no inquiry about my transportation method, nor was Airport transportation offered.  I requested a confirmation via fax at which time Ms. Abeer requested an Amex no. for the reservation guarantee.  No other special requests were offered e.g. location or the room, view….. ect.  When I requested the corporate rate arrangements, Ms. Abeer never asked for the company name, address, phone number,….ect.  I never received the confirmation fax for my reservation.  Two days later I called the hotel to cancel my reservation. The gentleman who answered the phone took my name and arrival date indicating that he would be canceling the reservation and that there are no cancellation numbers. RESERVATION :

THE ROOM RESERVATION WAS DONE BY A PHONE CALL TO THE HOTEL PUBLISHED TEL. NUMBER: 095 374933 AT 12:00PM, ON 29 /05 / 2008

1-TELEPHONE OPERATOR :

NUMBER OF RINGS : seven (STANDARD : 3 RINGS)

ANSWERING : (Outstanding), , , ,  (Poor) CLEAR ANSWER 5 4  2 1 FRIENDLY GREETING 5 4 3  1 PROMPT CONNECTION 5  3 2 1

DATA AND FINDINGS :  The female operator who answered the phone, was nice, however seemed to be rushed. I requested reservation and the call was transferred without any DATA AND FINDINGS from the operator (e.g. thank you for calling – one moment please – a greeting….ect.).

2-RESERVATIONS DEPARTMENT : QUALITY: (Outstanding), , , ,  (Poor) TELEPHONE ANSWER 5  3 2 1 RESERVATION 5 4 3  1 FREQUENT FLYER 5 4 3 2  SMOKING/NON SMOKING 5 4 3 2  KING/TWIN 5  3 2 1 VISA ASSISTANCE AND CHARGE 5   2 1 RATE OFFERED : $ CONFIRMED RATE : $ 60 BB all inclusive

DATA AND FINDINGS :

 “Abeer” answered the phone, who recognized my name and checked back the record and reinstated my reservation for the new arrival dates (June 1st to June 4th).  I gave Abeer a fax number in Cairo for the confirmation, which I never received. AIRPORT ARRIVAL :

DATE : 01 /06 / 2008 TIME : 2:30 PM

AIRPORT ASSISTANCE : (Outstanding),, , , (Poor) ON TIME 5 4 3 2 1 Not APPEARANCE 5 4 3 2 1 available GREETING 5 4 3 2 1

CAR HOTEL : TAXI :

Not CAR - CLEANLINESS 5 4 3 2 1 available

DATA AND FINDINGS :

 At 1:00PM, June 1st, I called the hotel from Cairo before my departure and requested transportation from the Operator who answered “hello?”. Without any DATA AND FINDINGS, he transferred me to the Front Desk..  “Moataz” answered the phone at the Front Desk and I had a hard time communicating with him in English, as I tried to inquire about the hotel pick up arrangements from the Airport. He placed me on hold, then I was transferred to the bell desk.  “Mohamed” the bell-captain, answered the phone and indicated that they would send me a taxi for a $15.00 charge. When I inquired about the hotel shuttle bus, he informed me that it was only for down-town trips. I requested to talk to the Front Office Manager.  A Mr. Nader, who introduced himself as the Front Office Manager, offered to send transportation to the Airport at the same rate of $15.00 “Amex” transportation.  When I insisted that the hotel should arrange for transportation like every other 5-star resort in Egypt, Mr. Nader indicated that this was a company policy and that I should write a letter complaining to the corporate office about this transportation issue.  After extended excuses of Mr. Nader, he finally offered to charge me a LE 20. He indicated that his was the best he could do, and by doing so, he was providing me with a special favor.  Upon arrival at the Luxor Airport, a taxi driver was waiting at the exit door with a Hilton sign with my name on it. ARRIVAL:

ARRIVAL AT HOTEL : (Outstanding),, , , (Poor)

TIME : 3:40 PM DOORMAN : AVAILABLE : Y/N OPEN DOOR : Y/N Security available

GREETING 5 4 3 2 

LUGGAGE : BELLMAN FRIENDLY 5 4 3  1

LUGGAGE TAGS (GREY PRINT) : YES / NO

DATA AND FINDINGS:

 Since there was no door-man or bell-man at the entrance, I had to carry my own luggage into the lobby without any assistance. CHECKING -IN:

QUALITY : (Outstanding),, , , (Poor) 1. GSA APPEARANCE 5 4  2 1 SMILING 5 4 3  1 GREETING 5 4 3  1 2. RESERVATION READY 5  3 2 1 ROOM READY 5  3 2 1

DATA AND FINDINGS: WELCOME TO HOTEL : YES / NO WELCOME DRINK : YES / NO, SPECIFY : HOT/COLD TOWEL : YES / NO ADDRESSING BY NAME : YES / NO PASSPORT PROCEDURES : EFFICIENT : YES/ NO REGISTRATION CARD PRE ARRANGED : YES / NO ROOM PRE ALLOCATED : YES / NO HILTON CLUB : YES / NO SMOKING / NON SMOKING ROOM : YES / NO

VIP AMENITIES : CLUB FLOOR : YES / NO

OTHER DATA AND FINDINGS:

 As I approached the Front Desk counter, two desk clerks were talking to each other (Magdy and Moataz), at which time I had to attract their attention, indicating that I do have a reservation.  There was no greeting / welcome note from neither of them, just “can I help you?”. The general attitude was very laid back and cold, as “Magdy” pulled out a registration card for me to fill out and sign. He handed me a key for room no. 259.  There was no request for credit card imprint.  No direction to the room was given.  No description of the facilities or outlets operating hours.  “Magdy” called the bell-man “Mohamed” to assist me with my luggage.

GUIDED TO ROOM : YES / NO

DATA AND FINDINGS :

 As “Mohamed” the bell-man walked me to the room, he asked me how the weather was in Cairo, indicating that he is travelling to Cairo the following week to stay at the Nile Hilton for free and that he gets 50% discount on food and beverage ?  As we approached the room, Mohamed opened the door and placed my luggage on the luggage rack and asked me if I needed anything else. He stood there waiting for his tips and after tipping him, he walked away.  No lights were turned on, no facility description, no instructions whatsoever were given by Mohamed.

ROOM:

ROOM # 259 : TYPE : KING / TWIN SMOKING/NON SMOKING

CHECKED ON THE FOLLOWING :

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY : YES / NO ROOM TELEPHONE CABLE : 4 M LENGTH : NO LAUNDRY HOLDER : YES / NO LAUNDRY BAG : YES / NO

GUEST ROOM STATIONARY : BROCHURE : YES /NO POST CARD : YES / NO FAX PAPER WITH DISCLAIMER : YES / NO GUEST COMMENT CARD : YES /NO

AMENITIES : READY UPON CHECK IN : YES / NO DELIVERED AFTER CHECK IN : YES : TIME : / NO DESCRIBE AMENITIES :  2 little plastic bottles of shampoo, 2 little plastic bottles of bath foam  2 bars of soap  2 glasses (water), one plastic tray

CLUB AMENITY CARD USED : YES/NO BATHROBE : YES/NO

CLOSET : COAT HANGERS : 9 plastic coat hangers – very cheap NO. GENTS HANGERS : none LADIES HANGERS : none

DATA AND FINDINGS: Housekeeping related matters :  Poor vacuuming  All frames (photos and mirrors) are dusty  Bed sheets have holes and stains  Bed board is dusty – dirt was found under both beds  Dusty mini-bar counter  Cigarette ashes and bread crumbs were found under the bedside table  Female hair-clip on the floor by the closet  Hair was found in between bed sheets and between pillows  Bedside table top stained from the lamp base  Phone and handset are dirty  Lamp shade frame was very dusty  The second bed sheets were torn and stitched  Spider-webs on the wall (in the corner) above the mini-bar  Blood stains and dirt on the mattress box side  Black-out drapes are dirty, stained and missing hooks  Mini-bar fridge was dirty and stained on the inside  TV top dusty

Engineering related matters :  Wooden base throughout the walls need painting  Entrance door frame scratched and stained (needs painting)  Dirty ceiling tiles (closet area)  Counter top and frame around the mini-bar needs varnishing  Luggage rack frame poorly maintained (repair and varnish)  Drape rods are dirty / dusty and have spider-webs  Balcony hand-rails need varnishing or painting

BATHROOM :

TOWELS : NO. BATH TOWELS : 2 NO. HAND TOWELS : 2 NO. FACE TOWELS : none NO. BATH MATS : 1 BATHROBE : none

DATA AND FINDINGS :

 Vanity lights are extremely dirty  Towel hangers are loose  Sealant around the bathtub needed  Hair on the floor under the sink, behind the door and on the toilette flush  Garbage can was full of dirty tissues and miscellaneous garbage items  Shower curtain was stained on the bottom and dirty  Bathroom door (on the inside) needs painting  Sink drainage was poor  Shower knob (on the faucet) was leaking and splashes when shower turned on  Bathtub stopper was broken

2nd day remarks (June 2nd) :

 Female hair clip by the closet was still there  Hair in the bathroom on the floor was till there  Garbage can under the dresser was never emptied  Bed sheets and pillow cases were never changed  Dusty areas were still dirty  Housekeeping staff member opened the door (9:30AM) without knocking “I was undressed”  At 11:30AM, housekeeping staff members were arguing loudly outside in the hallway  At 11:45 AM, I called the Front Desk to complain about 1) the TV was black and white 2) sink drainage 3) shower knob splash a front desk clerk by the name of “Alaa” answered the phone and did not seem to understand what I was talking about (language barrier). He ended up handing the phone to another desk clerk by the name of “Magdy” who seemed to understand and supposedly noted my complaint. He promised that he would have an Engineer up to my room within 15-20 minutes. I waited for a whole hour and when no one showed up, I had to leave. ROOM:

CLUB ROOM # 011 : room changed June 2nd at 7:00PM TYPE : KING / TWIN SMOKING/NON SMOKING :

CHECKED ON THE FOLLOWING :

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY : YES / NO ROOM TELEPHONE CABLE : 4 M LENGTH : NO LAUNDRY HOLDER : YES / NO LAUNDRY BAG : YES / NO

GUEST ROOM STATIONARY : BROCHURE : YES /NO POST CARD : YES / NO FAX PAPER WITH DISCLAIMER : YES / NO NO GUEST COMMENT CARD

AMENITIES : READY UPON CHECK IN : YES / NO DELIVERED AFTER CHECK IN : YES : TIME : / NO DESCRIBE AMENITIES :  3 shampoo, 3 hand soap (small size), both half empty  3 bath foam, 1 shoe mat, one shower cap  2 glasses (water), one plastic tray (small)

CLUB AMENITY CARD USED : YES/NO BATHROBE : YES/NO

CLOSET : COAT HANGERS : 9 plastic hangers – very cheap NO. GENTS HANGERS : none LADIES HANGERS : none

BATHROOM :

TOWELS : NO. BATH TOWELS : 2 NO. HAND TOWELS : none NO. FACE TOWELS : 2 NO. BATH MATS : 1 BATHROBE : none

DATA AND FINDINGS :

 loose and dirty ceiling tiles above the closet area  poor vacuuming  bed sheets had holes and stains  AC vent is extremely dirty  dresser chair (black bamboo) needs painting  balcony walls and ceiling are dirty (corners were extremely dirty)  balcony bamboo chairs are torn and need varnishing  ceiling above the bed and seating area stained  tea kettle is out of order  all furniture needs varnishing

BATHROOM :

 long female hair on the floor by the bathtub  vanity lights fixtures were very dirty  bathtub sealant needed  shampoo and bath foam bottles were half empty  shower knob was also leaking and splashes when turning on the shower

THEFT INCIDENT :

On June 3rd, I left a $10 bill under the luggage rack on the floor, before the room was cleaned. Upon my return in the evening, the $10 Dollar bill was gone! The room attendant who was in charge of my section and cleaned my room was by the name “Amal”.

SECOND DAY DATA AND FINDINGS : (June 3rd)

 hair was still on the bathroom floor  the room was never vacuumed  dusty areas were never cleaned ROOM SERVICE :

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST : TIME ORDERED : 1:20AM on June 2nd ordered for 8:00AM for June 2nd (door knob) TIME DELIVERED : 7:30AM June 2nd SILVERTRAY : YES / NO FLOWERVASE : YES / NO THERMO : YES / NO QUALITY(Outstanding),, , , (Poor) TASTE COFFEE 5 4  2 1 CROISSANT 5 4  2 1 ORDERTAKER FRIENDLY WELCOME 5 4 3 2  ADDRESSING BY NAME 5 4 3 2 1 REPEATING ORDER 5 4 3 2 1 WAITER APPEARANCE 5 4  2 1

DATA AND FINDINGS :

 requested fruit yogurt, received a plain yogurt  no spoon  dry croissant  very strong coffee  when I mentioned to the waiter that he was 30 minutes early, and that he had waken me up he smiled and never made any comment.  I placed the tray outside the door at 9:00AM, it was never picked up till 10:00PM

ROOM SERVICE, ALL DAY DINING: ORDERED Luxor Hamburger (June 1st at 5:20PM)

QUALITY: (Outstanding),, , , (Poor) STANDARD RECIPE 5 4 3 2  TASTE 5 4 3 2  PRESENTATION 5 4 3 2 

DATA AND FINDINGS :

 Upon calling room service at 5:20 PM the phone rang 6 times before the order-taker answered (Ramadan).  Upon requesting the hamburger sandwich from “Ramadan”, he never asked me how I would like it (well done, medium…)  He did not ask for what I would I would like to drink or what I would like to have for desert (up-selling skills are poor)  The waiter arrived with my order at 5:55 PM, he had no name tag and a bad under-arm odor / bad smell.  No greeting, no smile  The waiter’s uniform was too big on him (not fitted) and the vest was torn from the back.  The hamburger had cheese, eggs and onions, which I had not ordered  No salt and pepper shakers  A bottle of water accompanied the order which I had never requested  Hamburger was too thick and raw on the inside  Very poor presentation on a large plastic tray  Buns were burned on the inside  Coleslaw was tasteless  The eggs were too greasy and soggy  Taking the first bite from the hamburger, the meat tasted bad, smelled and was not edible  All I ate from the dish was the French fries and the tomatoes  I placed the tray outside the door at 6:05 PM and it was never picked up until I went to bed at 1:30AM SUN SET TERRACE:

NAME OF RESTAURANT : TIME : 10:45PM

QUALITY: (Outstanding),, , , (Poor) ENTRANCE CLEAN 5 4  2 1 HOST STAND MANNED 5  3 2 1 FRIEDLY WELCOME 5 4  2 1 SMILING HOSTESS 5 4 3  1 SEATED 5 4 3  1 SMOKING/NON SMOKING 5 4 3 2  TABLE SET UP COMPLETE 5 4 3 2 1 MENUS CLEAN Not available (Buffet) SPECIALITY OFFERED 5 4 3 2 1 APPERITIF OFFERED 5 4  coffee BUFFET EXPLAINED 5 4 3 2  SERVER SMILING 5 4 3  1 SPECIAL PROMOTIONS OFF 5 4 3 2  ORDER TAKEN PROF 5 4 3  1 ITEMS NOT AVAILABLE 5 4 3 2 1 SERVICE FLOW PROFFESINAL 5 4  2 1 FOOD PRES ATTRACTIVE 5 4 3  1 FOOD TASTING 5 4 3  1 FOOD HOT 5 4 3  1 BEV. SERVICE ATTENTIVE 5  3 2 1 ASHTRAY CLEANED 5  3 2 1 TEMP. COMFORTABLE 5  3 2 1 ENTERTAINMENT LIVE MUSIC Not available TAPED MUSIC 5 4 3  1 SOUND ACCEPTABLE 5  3 2 1 CHINA/GLASSW ARE CLEAN AND IN GOOD CONTITION 5  3 2 1 COFF/TEA AS PER STANDARD 5  3 2 1 CHECK PRESENTED SPEEDY 5  3 2 1 CHECK CORRECT 5  Not printed

DATA AND FINDINGS:  The bar counter had several “shishas” (display) and I had to find an empty spot (high chair) in between to sit.  Although there were several groups of guests at the terrace, there were no waiters around. After about 10 minutes, a waiter (from the inside area) walked pass me without acknowledging that I was waiting for service.  On his way back, I called him and requested service. His name was “Mohamed” (mentioned on his name tag like many others around with just “Mohamed” on it)  He approached me with a very plain expression on his face, as I requested the “snack” menu.  Few minutes later another waiter came “Khalil” with the menu. When I inquired about the “Scottish Smoked Salmon” and how it was served (description), he called “Mohamed” since he did not know the answer.  When “Mohamed” started describing the sandwich with half turkey and half salmon, I realized that he was describing another item on the menu “Smoked Salturk Sandwich”.  After correcting him, and placed the order, they both started walking away. I had to call him back to request a cola drink (no up-selling !! and no interest in the guest’s needs)  No one was tending to the groups’ needs sitting outside for rounds of drinks, in fact, there was hardly any service or waiter around the terrace area !!  The food was delivered 20 minutes later by “Khalil”. I asked for extra toast since there were only a few pieces (7 quarters were not enough). The dish had only 5 capers and 5 onion rings on top of the smoked salmon.  The dish presentation was acceptable  The ashtray was never replaced for the duration of one hour.  No check was presented to me until I left at 12:15 AM – no waiters were around to request a check!! The check was sent to me at the “Rababa” restaurant upon my request. PALMS RESTAURANT: (Buffet & A La Carte)

NAME OF RESTAURANT : Palms – Dinner TIME : 9:00PM Thursday, June 1st

DATA AND FINDINGS:

Dinner June 1st  “Omar”, the restaurant manager seated us.  “Yasser”, the waiter, asked for my drink within 3 minutes of seating.  “Yasser” stood near my table and was arguing with another waiter or busboy by the name of “Safwat”. They seemed to be in a serious dispute.  The onion soup was tasteless.  Carved meat was too dry.  The beef stripleon was very rubbery.  Vegetable stew was very dry.  The lamb (mushroom) was very tasteless, fatty and greasy.  The hot items were not replenished properly.  The salad bar was very poorly displayed.  Turkish coffee was too watery and not to order. After complaining several times, the waiter “Mohamed” was very nasty, as he smashed the cup on the table and said “I’ll bring you another one”. 10 minutes later he brought the coffee, which was to sweet  No one smiles at all.  Although dinner was supposed to be served till 11:00PM, at 10:00PM the waiters were changing the tables for breakfast setup.

Breakfast : June 3rd at 9:15AM   

Breakfast : June 4th at 9:30AM  No host to seat us  We (two) sat at the table with four covers (extras never removed)  Name tags were dirty, stained and worn-out  The bacon had no name tag (beef – pork?)  Saggy scrambled eggs  I requested “omelet” from “Hassan” the cook twice  Glass window by our table was dirty and had finger prints. The bottom of the bronze frame) had coffee stains and paint drops (white)  All wooden décor needs varnishing (specially the bottom section near the floor)  No coffee or tea servicing – I had to call the waiter for it. No refills  Ceiling AC grills are dirty, dusty and need painting  All brass frames (above the juice and fruit bar) are dirty and need polishing as well as the glass fillings which are very dirty  Juice machines have no name tag  Ashtrays were never emptied / replaced  Table cloth (white) is stained  Dirty plates were not picked up for 45 minutes Dinner June 2nd  At 10:25 PM, I walked into the restaurant and found that the buffet was removed (dinner is served till 11:00PM)  “Mohamed” the host (in a white coat) indicated to me that they had to remove the buffet earlier since it was too quite and not enough guests around  “Mohamed” refused to serve me dinner with the excuse that the staff is already setting the tables for breakfast  I had to go to the “Sunset Lounge” terrace for a snack BELLA VISTA RESTAURANT: (Italian A La Carte)

MEAL : LUNCH TIME : 3:20PM Friday, June 2nd

DATA AND FINDINGS:

 No host or attendants at the restaurant entrance and the menu stand was moved from the front of the restaurant to the inside entrance (no menu attached)  As I stood in front of the entrance wondering for service / assistance, a cook behind the open kitchen counter shouted out “come back at seven”  as I was trying to explain that the lobby board indicated that the lunch was served at the “Bella Vista” between 12:00 – 4:00PM, another cook showed up and grabbed the “Shadouf” menu and pointed to a few Italian items for me to select from  I had to order directly from the cook the pasta dish with the smoked salmon “Tagliatello”  I seated myself and waited for approximately 15 minutes until a waiter by the name of “Mohamed” showed up to take my order  I requested a diet coke and he said they only have regular coke  At that time three young Indian ladies entered the dining area and seated themselves  As “Mohamed” approached them, they requested three soft drinks. He took their order, gave them the menu and walked away  Few minutes later another waiter showed up “Awadallah” and the three young ladies complained that they were annoyed by the flies and after a short discussion with him they walked away  10 minutes later, “Mohamed” showed up with my drink and not knowing that I understood Arabic he yelled at “Awadallah” : “where are the bitches that were here?”  “Awadallah” and “Mohamed “ started a chatting conversation about the management, I gathered that the core of the gossip was revolving around a manager by the name of “Omar” and a person by the name of “Emad” ?  I had to ask “Mohamed” for my meal, at which time he left and came back few minutes later with my pasta dish  The dish was warm (not hot), it seem that it was forgotten at the kitchen for some time  The bread was served without butter (hard)  “Mohamed” never removed the three extra covers from my table  the ashtray, which contained a few cigarette buds was never replaced  while I was eating, “Awadallah” was yelling from the back of the restaurant (service station), calling someone across the pool named “Shaaban”. After several times of yelling, “Shaaban” came to the dining area and started arguing and fighting with “Awadallah” about who is going to do what. It seemed that “Awadallah” was seeking “Shaaban’s” assistance in organizing and cleaning glasses and flatware  depressage on my table was never removed for approximately 45 minutes  the chairs and tables in the dining room were dirty, specially at the bottom part (need varnishing)  most of the chairs and tables did not have the protection metal base  another fight and argument took place between “Awadallah” and another waiter by the name of “Mohamed” who was preparing for a felucca dinner on Nile. He came to the “Bella Vista” and started collecting water glasses off the tables’ covers, and after a long loud argument, he ended up taking the glasses to the boat  during my one and a half hour presence at the restaurant, no one bothered to ask me if I need something else to drink, a salad, desert…..ect. (no up-selling efforts)  I requested the check, which I received after 15 minutes AL SHADOUF RESTAURANT: (Pool Side & Bar)

NAME OF RESTAURANT : TIME : 4:00 PM, June 3rd

QUALITY: (Outstanding),, , , (Poor) ENTRANCE CLEAN 5 4 3  1 HOST STAND MANNED 5 4 3 2  FRIEDLY WELCOME 5 4 3 2  SMILING HOSTESS 5 4 3 2  SEATED 5 4 3 2  SMOKING/NON SMOKING 5 4 3 2  TABLE SET UP COMPLETE 5 4 3  1 MENUS CLEAN 5 4 3  1 SPECIALITY OFFERED 5 4 3 2  APPERITIF OFFERED 5  3 2 1 BUFFET EXPLAINED Not available SERVER SMILING Not available SPECIAL PROMOTIONS OFF 5 4 3 2  ORDER TAKEN PROF 5 4  2 1 ITEMS NOT AVAILABLE 5  3 2 1 SERVICE FLOW PROFFESINAL 5 4  2 1 FOOD PRES ATTRACTIVE 5 4 3 2  FOOD TASTING 5 4 3  1 FOOD HOT 5  3 2 1 BEV. SERVICE ATTENTIVE 5 4  2 1 ASHTRAY CLEANED 5  3 2 1 TEMP. COMFORTABLE (outdoor) ENTERTAINMENT LIVE MUSIC Not available TAPED MUSIC Not available SOUND ACCEPTABLE Not available CHINA/GLASSW ARE CLEAN AND IN GOOD CONDITION 5 4 3  1 COFF/TEA AS PER STANDARD 5 4 3 2  CHECK PRESENTED SPEEDY 5 4 3  1 CHECK CORRECT  4 3 2 1

DATA AND FINDINGS:

Lunch on June 3rd at 4:00PM  the waiter “El Azab” approached as I sat, with a menu  “Are you Egyptian ?” he asked and I replied “does it make a difference?”. He replied “you look like an Egyptian”. He was not warm or hospitable  the menu was old, dirty and torn (at the center)  the extra three covers were not removed  table tents (ice cream) and ice cream menus were knocked off along with the “stand”  the table cloth was stained  “Al Azab” came back with my drink and with a very cold deep voice he asked “what you like?”  I ordered the “cacik” (yogurt soup- cold) and a club sandwich  He did not ask me what I would like to drink with my meal (no up-selling efforts)  The roof top over the cook’s counter was color-faded and dirty (clean – paint)  The chair and table legs need painting at the bottom  I waited 25 minutes for my sandwich  “Alaa” the waiter came at 4:30PM with my sandwich and I asked him where “Al Azab” was. He replied “he is playing chess” (staff tournament in the ball room?)  the presentation of the club sandwich was not very attractive  Waiters were cursing each other loudly by the pool bar “son of a …….” (Mohamed and El Azab)  I requested birel, diet coke, Turkish coffee and “Al Azab” said that we have none of this and said “the coffee will get cold by the time I bring it from the kitchen”  Ashtray was never emptied or replaced  The soup was tasteless, the bread was dry and no butter was served  I had to ask for “ketchup”

Dinner June 4th at 4:00PM  “Al Azab” the waiter brought the menu and I requested the lentil soup and Thai salad  I requested diet coke from “Azab” and he said “we are out of diet coke”. When I insisted, he disappeared for a few minutes and returned with the diet coke.  There were no salt and pepper shakers, and upon requesting them from “Azab” he said that he was sorry that they were collected earlier for washing and they are not back yet.  The soup was fine and the Thai salad was extremely salty. I requested to see the supervisor and “Mohamed Abdul Rehim” came to my table, tasted the salad and apologized for it being so salty and 10 minutes later he brought another one with the soy sauce on the side  Ashtrays were never replaced throughout my meal period (one hour)  The other three covers were never removed  When I requested a toothpick he said he would have to go get it from the store room. Few minutes later he returned with the tooth pick RABABA CLUB, LOUNG & BAR:

NAME OF SERVER: Hani TIME : 12:45AM on June 2nd

QUALITY: (Outstanding),, , , (Poor) ENTRANCE CLEAN 5 4 3  1 HOST STAND MANNED no FRIEDLY WELCOME no SMILING HOSTESS no SEATED no SMOKING/NON SMOKING no TABLE SET UP COMPLETE no MENUS CLEAN 5 4 3 2  SPECIALITY OFFERED 5 4 3 2  APPERITIF OFFERED 5 4 3 2 

SERVER SMILING 5 4 3  1 SPECIAL PROMOTIONS OFF 5 4 3 2  ORDER TAKEN PROF 5 4 3  1 ITEMS NOT AVAILABLE 5 4  2 1 SERVICE FLOW PROFFESINAL 5  3 2 1 BEV. SERVICE ATTENTIVE 5  3 2 1 ASHTRAY CLEANED 5  3 2 1 TEMP. COMFORTABLE 5 4  2 1 ENTERTAINMENT LIVE MUSIC 5  3 2 1 TAPED MUSIC 5 4  2 1 SOUND ACCEPTABLE 5 4 3  1 CHINA/GLASSW ARE CLEAN AND IN GOOD CONTITION 5 4  2 1 COFF/TEA AS PER STANDARD Not available CHECK PRESENTED SPEEDY 5 4  2 1 CHECK CORRECT 5  3 2 1

DATA AND FINDINGS:

 “Hani” the bartender was very attentive, he greeted me and served my drink promptly  he checked with me if I wanted another drink  although the lounge was fairly busy, the floor waiter was standing by the cashier’s desk talking most of the time  I left at 1:30AM

HEALTH CLUB:

OPENING HOURS :

QUALITY: (Outstanding),, , , (Poor) RECEPTION CLEAN 5 4 3 2  DESK MANNED 5 4 3 2  no FRIENDLY WELCOME 5 4 3 2 N/A TOWEL OFFERED N/A CHARGE FOR TOWEL TOWEL GOOD CONDITION 5 4 3  1 GYMNASIUM CLEAN 5 4 3 2  MACHINES FUNCTIONING 5 4  2 1 ADVISE AVAILABLE 5 4 3 2  SAUNA CLEAN 5 4 3 2 N/A SAUNA TEMPERATURE 5 4 3 2 N/A STEAM BATH CLEAN 5 4 3 2 N/A STEAM BATH TEMPERATURE 5 4 3 2 N/A SHOWERS 5 4 3  1 POOL CLEAN 5 4 3 2 N/A SUN LOUNGERS OFFERED 5 4 3 2 N/A F&B SERVICE AVAILABLE 5 4 3 2 N/A

DATA AND FINDINGS : (photos)

SPECIAL ASSIGNEMENTS :

A. THEFT INCIDENT :

B. At 7:45 PM I spilt some sand from the ashtray next to the 2nd floor elevator door. At 1:30AM, the sand was still there.

TICKET CONFIRMATION :  On June 2nd at 12:30 PM we went to the Front Desk for my airline ticket confirmation  “Magdy” sent me to the bell stand, where I waited by the counter for approximately 10 minutes, there were no attendants  while waiting, the phone rang five separate times and no one showed up to answer  a security officer showed up at the bell stand counter and while he was picking up some paper from the counter he asked me to wait for a few minutes until the bell-man arrives  five minutes later, “Ahmed” the bell man arrived and indicated that he will send my ticket with a colleague for confirmation. He seemed to be upset about something, did not greet me or smile and his conversation was very cold with a short attitude

ROOM CHANGE REQUEST :

 at 6:30PM on June 2nd, I went to the Front Desk to request a room change. “Medhat” the Front Desk clerk was very pleasant and hospitable. He indicated that he would give me a Hilton Clubroom. As he pulled up the key for the room no. 007, he requested from his colleague “Alaa” to show me the room, stating that it has a nice Nile view  on the way, “Alaa” had a hard time communicating with me (in English). Upon arriving at the room, I found out that the room had a garden view since it was on the ground floor and the bushes and trees were too high, obstructing the Nile view  as “Alaa” was struggling with the language barrier, and since I was not happy with the view, he picked up the phone and called “Medhat” at the Front Desk and handed me the receiver. As I explained to “Medhat” that I would prefer an upper-floor room, “Medhat” stated that the only other Nile view room on the first floor was room no. 011  I went up and waited by the 011 room while “Alaa” went up to the Front Desk to bring the key, at which time he called the bell-man “Mohamed” to assist me with moving from 259 to 011

LOST AND FOUND

 Upon my return to Cairo, on June 6th, at 9:40 AM, I called the hotel requesting the “lost and found” department. The operator (female) transferred me Housekeeping. A young man by the name of “Ahmed” answered the phone  I started to explain to “Ahmed” (in English) that I left behind a pajama and robe in the bathroom of room 011  “Ahmed” did not understand what I was talking about and all he said was “clean your room?” He started talking to someone else next to him and handed the phone to another person “Alaa” who also did not understand what I was talking about. “Alaa” placed the receiver down and a few minutes later a Housekeeping supervisor by the name of “Mohamed” came on line and he understood that I was looking for my pajama and robe. He placed me on hold again and a few minutes later he came back on line to let me know that he found them. At that time, he transferred me to the Front Desk to arrange for sending my package to Cairo  “Magdy” at the Front Desk answered the phone and after explaining the incident to him, he placed me on hold for a few minutes and came back on the line to advise me that my robe and pajama will be sent to the Nile Hilton “Luxor Accounting Department” room no. 10 to the attention of Mr. Shaaban Hassanein and Mr. Mohamed Said. “Magdy” promised to call me on my mobile as soon as the package is sent  at 3:00PM I had to call the Front Desk back. I was transferred to a gentleman by the name of “Tarek” who indicated that my package would arrive in Cairo the following day after 3:00PM. He advised me to call the Nile Hilton “Luxor Accounting Department” the following day  on June 8th, I called the Cairo local information number (140) to get the phone number of the Nile Hilton and I was given the following numbers : 3486967 - 5764827 – 5752203 – 5777699. None of these numbers seemed to work and I ended up calling a friend to get the Ramses Hilton number through which I was able to obtain the Nile Hilton number 5780444.  Upon calling the Luxor Accounting Department, the young lady answering the phone had no idea what I was talking about and put me on hold. When she got back to me, she informed me that nothing has arrived as yet  I called every day thereafter until I reached Mr. Shaaban on June 13th at 10:30 AM, who, after placing me on hold for a few minutes, indicated that the package arrived at his office and that I can pick it up between 9:00AM and 5:00PM.  The following day, I picked up my package.

DATA AND FINDINGS :

______SPECIAL SERVICES: A- CALLED RECEPTION AT 7:30 AM ON JUNE 3RD AND REQUESTD A FULL SHAVING KIT, WITH AFTER SHAVE. DATA AND FINDINGS: 

B- CALLED RECEPTION TO CHANGE US $ 40.00 TO LOCAL CURRENCY : DATA AND FINDINGS:  

C- ASK AT 8.30PM TO SEE THE GENERAL MANAGER : DATA AND FINDINGS: * * *

D- Drop Money in Room DATA AND FINDINGS:

E- Drop sand / Ashtray in public areas DATA AND FINDINGS:   F- Wake-up Call – June 2nd (2:00AM) DATA AND FINDINGS:  Requested wake-up call at 7:15AM, which I never received

G- Shops & Services DATA AND FINDINGS :  PUBLIC AREAS:

RESTROOMS

Lobby Public Rest Room (men’s) : June 1st at 10:30PM - urine basins are filthy and stained - lights were burned out - ceiling tiles are broken - sink lights are burned - no coat hangers behind the doors - wooden doors (toilets) need varnishing - AC vent above sink is broken (falling apart) - Ceiling lights cover is falling

Rest Room by Rababa Lounge (ground floor) : June 3rd at 12:`15AM - Light fixtures above the sink are dirty and cracked - Few of the toilet doors have broken coat hangers - Ceiling tiles above the toilets (by and in between posts) are wrongly cut so one can see through to the AC and pipes (drop ceiling) - Plastic light cover (ceiling) between toilets are so dirty and full of dead flies - Several damaged ceiling tiles - AC shaft over the urine basins are off track and almost falling - No cleaning schedule / check point - The towel box (right sinks) is out of tissue - The entrance door (inside) is very dirty and not maintained - the bottom is the worst (varnishing and painting) – photos -

LOBBY

POOL-SIDE BAR : AT 12:00AM

 Faucet is leaking water  hygiene – coolers and fridges are not closed tightly  bottles and cups (glasses) are left on counter  olive dishes left out and ashtrays dirty  cashier table left untidy and dirty (trash on the floor)  column above macros machine has exposed electrical box  micros left uncovered in open air  bar floors are too dirty, wet and electricity left uncovered

POOL AREA : JUNE 3 RD AT 3:15PM  no towel counter attendant. I waited with Mr. Malcolm Gale (in house guest in room 068) for over 10 minutes until “Mohamed” showed up and gave us a towel and a chair.  The pool area was fairly busy, however, I did not see any waiters walking around to offer drinks or serve food, snacks…ect.  Ashtray was never replaced  No service whatsoever

June 3 rd



HALLWAYS

LANDSCAPE



OTHERS

GUEST INTERVIEWS

 June 1st at 7:45PM, Guest in room 158, Mr. Martin Louis – checked in on Sunday, May 28th for 7 nights with the following DATA AND FINDINGS : - mini-bar had melted chocolate - checked into wrong room (double double versus king bed) - food variety is poor (vegetarians) - poor entertainment - average service quality (not to the expected Hilton standards) - room has a bad smell / odor - staff is not pleasant

 June 3rd, guest in room 068, Mr. Malcolm Gale – checked in on May 31st - the room service tray was left over day - used …………. Box - old food was found in fridge and although he complained, no one took care of it - staff is not friendly - ordered a drink at the pool bar and waited for ever - lamp shades are dirty - floors are dirty - had to change rooms

EMPLOYEES INTERVIEWS

 Interviewed “Alaa Mohamed” – waiter at El Shadouf Restaurant with the following comments: - he commented that Mahmoud Abdul Rehim and assistant head waiter, was a dictator, a bad supervisor. He treats the associates badly and uses fowl language - Alaa has a 6th months contract with low salary. The 6th month contract is done on purpose in order to enable the management to lay off staff at the beginning of the summer - The General Manager does not use the “open door policy” - He is scared to complain about any problem / grievance (supervisor will punish) - We never receive any structured training - The management does not give us any incentive programs or motivation - The only competition we have among the servers is the tip collection competition program - Knowing the city, I would rather like to work at the Sheraton because there is more team- work environment, loyalty and better staff relations. They also have better training and a better working system. Also the pay there is better because the service charge is a lot higher there. - We never had an employee survey in this place. No body tries to know what our problems or opinions are - We have to work here because the unemployment rate in Luxor is too high. If I get another job offer, I will definitely leave. - Schedules are changed suddenly without any notice - They punish us here by sending us to the Airline catering section, which cuts us off of any additional income

 Interviewed “Omar” – Restaurant Manager, who had the following comments: June 3rd, from 11:30 PM till 2:00 AM - I met “Omar” at the Rababa Club and started complaining to him about the problems I had been having with the F&B department. - “Omar” indicated to me that he has just been transferred from the Alexandria location to Luxor and he has been in Luxor for less than 2 months. He stated that all the problems I have just mentioned to him are very similar to the notes he has been gathering in his diary - he indicated that one of the very serious problems they are having with staffing is the low salary structure - he mentioned that a mystery shopper was done recently by the Hilton (within the past 6 months) and they ended up firing 3 waiters, who were stealing and pocketing orders’ money - he also indicated that he wouldn’t read the “RICHI” Mystery Shopper report, after finding out the contents. The reason for that is that he wouldn’t want to be turned off and discouraged from the numerous operation problems at the Hilton Luxor, he was worried that he might lose his enthusiastic approach / attitude he arrived with from Alexandria - he sees that the major problem with the staff relates to their attitude, slow pace and the English language - “Omar” indicated that the manager prior to him, a Mr. “Mourad” did not make any efforts or achieve any successes during his services at the Luxor Hilton Hotel. - He stated that he always asks himself, why any one would accept to work in this place and he found that the only answer for that is that the Hilton Luxor is the only Hotel in the Luxor city that allows people to have a second job. Almost 50% of the F&B staff are working a second job elsewhere. - “Omar” indicated that the way they punish servers is by sending them to the Airline catering section - the General Manager here is very kind and he tries hard, but he has got no help, he has no department heads around and the Regional Office does not give him any support - the manpower problem in Luxor is a major issue, specially that the competition offers better salaries and working conditions - I believe that the management of this hotel over the years has dropped the ball and taken this place down to a level that I consider a challenge for us today - When Mr. “Mourad” was transferred to the Alexandria location, he attached our operation there and criticized every single detail and I was surprised to realize that he is the one who had much more severe problems here. - They have just hired a new F&B Manager, who is a lot younger than me (29 years old), German, and who has got no experience with the Hilton Hotel system at all. I will try to work with him to do our best to fix up all the obvious operation problems. We can only hope for the best

Interview with Mr. Thomas Fischer – new F&B Manager June 4th at 11:00AM at the Palms Restaurant - As I was almost finished with my breakfast, I was approached by Mr. “Omar” the restaurant manager, who introduced Mr. Thomas Fischer, the new F&B Manager. - I invited them to sit down with me, at which time Mr. Fischer stated to me that Mr. Omar has told him about all the problems which I have experienced during my stay there - He said that he has just started four day ago and he intends to change and correct. He also stated that he has worked with the “Kimpinski Group” in Germany and his was his first job outside Germany - He gave me his name and phone number at the hotel and asked me to call him the next time I plan to visit their hotel. I thanked him and he walked away - Few minutes later “Omar” came back to my table to tell me that he has heard form the General Manager about the Housekeeping problems and the hair in the sheets. He also stated that “Mr. Nader” at the Front Desk confirmed the fact the “Alaa” the front desk clerk does not speak any English

Interview with Mr. Nader Madkour – Assistant Front Office Manager June 4th at 1:00PM

- Upon returning the Gymnasium key to the Front Desk, the Front Desk clerk “Magdy” told me that I have a message from “Mr. Nader” the Assistant Front Office Manager, who would like to talk to me. - I waited in the lobby for a few minutes until he came out and we sat at one of the lobby lounges. Mr. Madkour had the most peculiar attitude and tone of voice as he started talking to me about all the favors he and his staff have done for me, starting with the taxi charge from the Airport to the hotel at a “discounted” rate of LE 20, then moving me to a “Club Room” - Mr. Madkour proceeded by telling me a story about a British bartender from Yorkshire (UK) whom he had encountered few weeks ago. The bartender supposedly had several complaints and grievances during his stay and requested a full refund for his accommodation. Mr. Madkour said that he refused to give this guest any privileges or refunds, at which time the guest threatened to write to the Corporate Office. Mr. Madkour’s response to him was as follows : “even if the Corporate Office gives you a refund and believes all your complaints, I will never allow you in this hotel ever again!” - Very calmly and very patiently, I asked Mr. Madkour as to why he is telling me this interesting story ? His response was that he just wanted to share with me in case I wanted any favors or discounts from him ! - I held back and asked him very patiently “and what type of favor would I want to ask of you?”. He immediately responded “I am aware that you have a very late flight today, and obviously you will need to have a late check-out”. When I said it was true that I had a late flight, he said “do you want to pay for the late check out?”. I responded “whatever your policy is, what is your policy?”. He responded that their policy was to charge LE 50.00, “however”, he said, “I have decided just now, just this minute, not to charge you for the late check out”. I asked him if this is a favor from him and he replied “no, I am only a wicked man”??!! - I said to him very calmly, thank you very much Mr. Wicked man, I appreciate your hospitality. I shook hands with him and left. Interview with Hotel Employee (Management team member - did not wish to mention his name) with the following comments :

- I have been with the company for over 12 years and for many years I have seen the ups and downs of this Hotel due to poor management - The prior General Manager did not care about the operation and did not make an effort - The existing GM is too old for the job, his background and experience is as a Financial Controller with the Company although he spent a few years as a Resident Manager at the Nile Hilton, which was more of a PR position. He is a good man, but has no operation experience. - In addition, he does not have a proper management team with him since he took over. He has no Front Office Manager, only an Assistant, who just got promoted three days ago and since the prior Font Office Manager “Moaataz” left, almost a year and a half ago, that department had no leadership or supervision. Providing that there is no Resident Manager position scheduled for this Hotel, the Executive Housekeeper “Mohamed Tayar”, who left the Company, after years of investment and went to a competitor hotel due to the lack of management and the poor salary scales. - We also lost the Executive Chef “Ali Ismail” to another competitor for the same reasons. Not to mention, Mr. “Hamed Bekheit”, who was in charge of the Laundry and Housekeeping who has done a good job and also left the Company for the same reasons. - Mr. “Mootaz”, the ex-Front Office Manager also left the Company, because he was not promoted to the promised Rooms Division position - The Hilton has lost a lot of other good people / performers, such as Mr. “Ahmed Anis”, Rooms Division, who was responsible for installing the “Hilstar” system. The Chief Engineer “Bahaa Nasif” also left to “Sofitel Hotels” a year and a half ago for the same reasons - The Regional Office has never given the proper attention to our Hotel in Luxor, the Management turn-over is pathetic and one of the very main reasons why the hotel is where it is now. The inconsistency and lack of stability as a result of the management turn-over are the reasons for the hotel’s present down-fall. If you were to compare the present organization chart of this hotel with the one five years ago, you will see what this hotel has gone through - The existing team cannot handle the upcoming market challenges (Mr. Hegazy the General Manager, Nader the new Assistant Front Office Manager, the new Assistant Executive Housekeeper, the new Laundry Manager, the new Chef and the new 29-year-old German F&B Manager and Mr. Elia Hafez, the Assistant Controller, who pretty much runs the operation when the General Manager is out) - As to Mr. “Ibrahim Saad”, the Personnel Manager, and Mr. “Hassan Ismail”, the Purchasing Manager, nothing makes a difference to them anymore, they have been there for too long - The only two good people at the Front Desk are “Abeer” the reservation supervisor and “Gihan”, the Front Desk Manager. Other than that, the Front Desk is very weak. The F&B department has a new Restaurant Manager “Omar” and young “rocky” who has had no exposure with the Hilton operations. He has only work was with a five stars hotel in Germany and this is his first experience abroad and with a Resort. Mr. “Mourad Iskander”, who had just recently been transferred to the Alexandria Hotel (supposedly promoted), did not make any difference either during his service at this hotel. - Mr. “Ahmed Hozain”, the prior F&B Manager is now the General Manager at “Novotel Dahab”, along with the Executive Chef, “Ali Ismail”, who is also with “Accor” now - The Executive Housekeeper, “Mr. Mohamed Tayar”, is also with “Accor” Hotels after five years with the Company, he left in 1997 - Needless to say, the management turn-over, over the past two years, has exceeded 100% and now you ask me why this hotel is going down the drain ? Hilton Hotels now a days does not rely on performance for evaluations, but rather on a 3-hour assessment “a snap shot”. It is not a fair judgement for one’s career. Not to mention the investment in these people over the years. How much did it cost the Hilton and the Owners ? - As to the “REGIONAL SALES OFFICE” that is another serious delemma. The team that markets all the hotels in Egypt consists of “Mrs. Azza Serry”, three old team members and everyone after that are new young “rockys”, who have no prior experience and ability to market and sell over 15 hotels nationwide. Over and above that, the Luxor Hotel is the last attended to, when it comes to sales and marketing, it is always at the bottom of the list. One might think that under the circumstances, it should have a concentrated effort when it comes to sales and marketing, but the sad truth is, it has been neglected, ignored and left aside with very little attention. Luxor is a special destination and definitely needs special attention. It is not like Hurghada and Sharm, which are technically self-selling destinations. - As to the Hotel staff, in general, we have experienced over 60% turn-over in the past year and a half. Yet, the Regional Human Resources has not visited our Hotel since 1996 and it was only a five-hour visit then. The Hotel has no training department or any training or cross training plans or efforts. No motivation or incentive programs at all. - No one here is enthused or motivated or interested to be creative or innovative. Don’t you see how dull it is here compared to the other hotels ? There are no efforts whatsoever for in-house marketing or up-selling strategies / skills. - Unfortunately, the General Manager has no say. The Hilton system / structure are very centralized. Any decisions must be first approved by Corporate, including promotion ideas. Yet, we hardly see anybody from the Regional Office visiting or making an effort to assist our desperate conditions. Everything is based on bureaucracy ! - The poor operation is responsible for the down-fall of the physical conditions.

Interview with the General Manager “Mr. A. Hegazy” who had the following comments :

- I am handicapped, I do not have management staff. All I have now are assistants who are newly appointed. The Hilton Hotels in Egypt are suffering from lack of management manpower. The Hilton in Egypt expanded too fast without being prepared for the necessary manpower. They technically have to go to head-hunters now to get General Managers and Executive Committee members. - The assessment systems / program, which is now mandatory, is totally unfair. How can you judge one’s performance and evaluate them on a couple of hours session (multiple choice questions and problem solving in mathematics). The performance evaluation of one’s activities over the years should be the measurement tool. This assessment system is totally unfair. It is a “snap-shot” of one’s skills. It is a very deceiving system. As a result, many good people are not promoted, get frustrated, and leave to seek appreciation elsewhere. - It is always good to have new blood and newcomers, but it must be based on their qualification and not on passing a “GEMAT-TEST”. - We do not have any support from our Regional Office, they are too busy opening new hotels and signing new contracts. - The Hilton Luxor management contract is currently being re-negotiated with the owners and we are putting together a remodeling plan, which will take place thereafter. - The salaries with Hilton are too low, compared to the competition, their excuse for that is the medical and life insurance offered “compensation package”. This is maybe attractive to a manager with a family, but good-single-professionals are looking for good income, so as a result, we are loosing good people and yet cannot hire form outside. - The Regional staff hardly visits our property. The Regional Engineer, when he visits us (for example), he would only check on the major equipment and leave. He does not spend any time with the department or offer any training. The same goes for all other departments. - I believe that the Hilton Hotels in Egypt should slow down on the expansion activities and focus on the existing properties “back to basics”. - The sales and marketing, at the Cairo office, does not market us properly, we are at the bottom of the list, when is comes to marketing us. I have been fighting, since I came here, to have our own sales team, but I gave up. No one is listening to me. Our location is too far from down- town, we need a special sales and marketing effort. - The new F&B Manager is too young. We got him through a head-hunter. We have no one in Egypt that is qualified or who would want to be in Luxor for the salary offered ? - If this was my own hotel, I would : 1) have my own sales and marketing team, who would be focused on our location only (out of Cairo) – 2) I would change the salary structure / package structure to attract qualified management locally – 3) complete the refurbishment of the hotel - The owners have not yet spent money on re-modeling, due to too many “change of guards” (twice at our Regional Office and twice at the Owner’s office) within the past two years. - Our new Swiss Regional Director (Mr. Hurzac), is an old colleague. He used to work with me in the Gulf area. He was an F&B Manager, while I was a controller. Now, he is my boss?! You would think that we would be talking the same language. - Everything you have told me about your bad experience during your stay with us is in fact on the “RICHI” Guest Report, which was conducted a few months ago. It is a very detailed report. It cost our Hotel almost 3,000 Pounds Sterling plus accommodation. I am sitting here sweating after hearing all your complaints. Please allow me to do something for you. I would like to give you a complimentary night. - I need help, I cannot do everything alone, “one hand cannot clap”. I am very embarrassed from your experience here. I am running this operation with a low-qualification team. In addition, the locals here are very slow and laid-back.

IT WAS VERY OBVIOUS THAT MR. AHMED HEGAZY IS A VERY FRUSTRATED MAN.

CHECK OUT :

TIME : / GSA FRIENDLY : WELCOME BY NAME : SMILING : TRIAL BILL TO CHECK : YES / NO BILL CORRECT :

SPLIT BILL INTO ROOMS AND ALL EXTRAS : TIME OF CHECK OUT : MIN PLEASANT FARE WELL : OFFERED LUGGAGE HANDLING : OFFERED AIRPORT TRANSFER : WHISHING PLEASANT TRIP : BELLMAN FRIENLDY : FAST LUGGAGE HANDLING :