HOTEL REPORT INNOVATIONS SMART &TECHNOLOGIES Rotana Group: How to ensure Efficiency and Results "We are constantly pushing for innovation" Leo Majid Sager Tom Brand Al Marri Lord CEO, Swisscom Director, Hotel Hotel Manager Hospitality Services Classification Department, Crowne Plaza Dubai Department of Tourism Festival City & Commerce Marketing Government of Dubai INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT No 3 / Middle East Edition 2010 - 2011 HOTEL REPORT INNOVATIONS SMART &TECHNOLOGIES preFAce CONTENT Every culture is different and special, but the HOTEL Middle East region is unique in that it is a REPORT INNOVATIONS melting pot… as well as being a wonderful SMART &TECHNOLOGIES blend of tradition and modernity. When we were preparing our SMARTreport Middle East Edition, we wanted to reflect this Rotana Group: uniqueness. To this end, we are pleased to How to ensure Efficiency and present a Special Dossier with the Rotana Results "We are constantly Hotel Group, one of the leading hospitality pushing for innovation" On cover: Samir Abi Frem,Corporate Vice President Information management companies in the region. The Leo Majid Sager Tom Brand Al Marri Lord CEO, Swisscom Director, Hotel Hotel Manager Technology Hospitality Services Classification Department, Crowne Plaza Dubai Department of Tourism Festival City & Commerce Marketing Government of Dubai group leverages its understanding of the INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT © photo: Rotana No 3 / Middle East Edition 2010 - 2011 culture and communities of the Middle East Group with its strong international experience and 2 Know your Score! Interview with Majid the expertise of an international executive Al Marri, Director, Hotel Classification team. We went to the heart of the Emirates Department, Department of Tourism & - Abu Dhabi - to interview Samir Abi Frem, Commerce Marketing, Government of Dubai Corporate VP of IT for the Rotana Group. We also spoke with Majid Sager Al Marri, 3 The “Hands-On Approach” – Our Key to Success – Interview with Samir Abi Frem, Masha POLSHINSKAYA director of the Department of Tourism and Senior Project Manager - Hospitality Wordwide Corporate Vice President Information Cleverdis Commerce in Dubai to find out about their Technology, Rotana Hotel Management Tel: +33 (0)4 42 77 46 00 improved hotel classification system. The Corporation Ltd [email protected] news will impact a number of regions in 11 Setting the Standard in Hotel Services – the Middle East, including Jordan, and Abu FCS Computer Systems UK Ltd Dhabi. 12 The Swiss(com) Touch – Interview with We've also gathered together a great deal of useful information for hoteliers and Leo Brand, CEO, Swisscom Hospitality suppliers on different complex issues that are currently at stake (Web and Revenue Services Optimisation Solutions, Digital Signage, Integrated Network Solutions, In-Room and 14 Digital Signage – Where Innovation is Green Technologies). the Differentiator – Interview with Steve McCullough, Vice President and General We hope this is only beginning of our Middle East adventures and we invite you to continue Manager, Symon Dacon to discuss the ideas started in the SMARTreport on our web portal www.cleverhotel.org 15 A Global Company with a Local We wish you happy reading and we certainly count on your support for many editions to Viewpoint… – Interview with Joe Rabah, come! Managing Director, Symon Dacon 16 Money Talks – How Deuromedia's infortainment systems optimise investments, keep costs down and offer new opportunites for ROI. March 10-12, 2011 EVENTS CALENDAR ExpoHoReCa 2011 18 High Tech & Design: VDA, the Italian way www.en.farexpo.ru/horeca – Interview with Alberto Vuan, Executive September 19-22, 2010 Chairman and Managing Director, VDA & Hotel Technology Middle East May 2-5, 2011 Marco Piva, Designer www.hoteltechnologyme.com Arabian Travel Market 20 The Philips mission to make a difference www.arabiantravelmarket.com in hospitality – Interview with Paul October 20-21, 2010 Peeters, CEO, Global BU Hospitality, th 4 Annual Middle East Hospitality Expansion May 17-19, 2011 Philips Congress The Hotel Show www.hotelexpansion.com 21 Responsible Business Applied – www.thehotelshow.com Interview with Tom Lord, Hotel Manager, Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City 23-24 January, 2011 (Tentative Dates) June, 2011 Inaugural HTNG Middle Eastern Members' Meeting Kingdom Hotel Expansion & Investment Summit 22 “Splendid” Results www.htng.org/events www.kingdomhotelexpansion.com 23 Evolving Distribution Channels, Interview with Keith Povah, VP of Sales International, eRevMax International 24 The Middle East: A Mixed Bag A CLEVERDIS Publication • 65 avenue Jules Cantini • Tour Méditerranée - 13298 Marseille - France • Tel : + 33 4 42 77 46 00• Fax : + 33 4 42 77 46 01 • E-mail : [email protected] • www.cleverdis.com • SARL capitalised at e 128,250 • VAT FR 95413604471 • RCS Marseille B 413 604 471 • Publisher: Gérard Lefebvre ([email protected]) • Publishing Director: Jean-Guy Bienfait ([email protected]) • Senior Project Manager - Hospitality Wordwide: Masha Polshinskaya ([email protected]) • Editor-in-Chief: Richard Barnes ([email protected]) • Associate Editor: Jooree Cho ([email protected]) • Art Director: Hélène Beunat ([email protected]) • Editorial Coordination & Design: Valentina Russo ([email protected]) • Sales Director: Bettina Badon ([email protected]) • With the participation of: Chaofeng Chen ([email protected]), Pia Dewenter ([email protected]), Anthony Faget ([email protected]), Carole Michonneau ([email protected]), Jean-François Pieri ([email protected]), Raphaël Pinot ([email protected]), Daniela Plastinina ([email protected]), Benjamin Ras ([email protected]), Marjorie Sanch ([email protected]), Valérie Sok ([email protected]) • Printing: Imprimerie Horizon, Aubagne, France © CLEVERDIS 2010 - Registration of Copyright August 2010 • ISSN pending. 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It will be based on a scoring hotel, but the city itself. Obviously, if we Government of Dubai system and we are also introducing now let the hotels do their own classification, Al-Marri heads up the department criteria for green hotels. they would put themselves on the highest responsible for hotel establishment licensing, standards. If there was a global standard, classification and implementation of hotel Why was there a need for changes? we would adapt ourselves to it, but for the standards and criteria in Dubai. Having been in the role for 10 years, he is well placed Dubai