“It is all about curating customer experiences," says MD, Raffles The Palm Dubai

Congratulations, Aaron on your appointment as Managing Director at Raffles The Palm Dubai! How does it feel to take on this new profile at one of Dubai’s most iconic hospitality brands?

Thank you. I undertook this journey with a lot of pride and honour because I was associated with the brand before in a professional capacity for close to four years - Kaupp was General Manager of Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris, where his strategic initiatives resulted in significant accolades for the brand. I think Dubai, as a dynamic Emirate renowned for its hospitality, and Raffles, as a premium hospitality brand, have so much to offer. It’s been an incredible journey since I joined, and I have embraced it wholeheartedly.

With your extensive experience abroad in global hospitality hubs like Paris and London, how do you think Dubai compares? Europe and North America have essentially set the bar in terms of industry trends. Does Dubai have a lot of catching up to do?

I’ve always admired Dubai for its vision and the ability of its leaders to implement it. Coming to the comparison with European markets, they are divided by distance but very similar in terms of what both markets hope to achieve, with the exception that, in this part of the world, the pace is decidedly quicker in terms of achieving targets. It’s all about reading the signals and visualising what hospitality 2.0 looks like and then understanding what needs to be altered.

Yes, Europe and the US showed the way for hospitality as a business concept, but Dubai and the UAE are aspirational, and it did not take them long to pick up on global trends and, in many ways, beat the best in their game.

Dubai has managed to take the best that European hospitality stands to offer, elevate it, and make it even more sophisticated. More than 20 years ago, people would visit the best hotels in order to experience the best that technology and lifestyle had to offer. Today, wealth is not the privilege of the few; its reach is far greater, and a lot more have access to luxury lifestyles at work and at home.

Today, therefore, hotels need to keep their service portfolio fresh and unique by providing that emotional service and promoting a guest-centric approach. Many of the guests at the Raffles have access to the same service options the hotel offers in their homes. They have housekeepers and a butler, and an executive chef who possibly knows that a certain Mr Smith eats his eggs every morning at 7.27am sharp, cooked for 4 1/2 minutes. At Raffles, it is our business to be aware of these very special pieces of information so that the guest experience at Raffles becomes otherworldly while also being discreet. For what sets brands like Raffles apart is not just possessing this excellent information database, but having the experience and awareness to know what to do with it.

All this conversion of customer information into curated service offerings boils down to loyalty, essentially the toughest but most rewarding prize reserved by the consumer. Managing hotels and loyal customers is akin to being a music conductor. You need to know the highs and lows, be aware of cadence and tonality, and the peculiarities of each musician that’s part of the orchestra, gauge the mood of the audience and deliver a performance that takes their breath away.

Raffles offers an amazing bouquet of options for its valued patrons. How do you seek to raise the bar?

I’m happy to embark on the journey at Raffles in a time and space that is vibrant and filled with opportunities for growth. Raffles was among the first in the world to introduce a butler service, but in today’s day and age, with services at our fingertips thanks to smartphones and technology, it’s all about curating customer experiences.

Packing and unpacking clothes, and room service are all expected, but being aware of food choices, or serving up the beverage at just the right temperature – are all standout gestures that inspire client loyalty. And that’s what the Raffles experience is all about, the ability to meet client expectation and raise the bar every time. And a lot of this is primarily achieved because of its people. I am proud to say that at Raffles The Palm Dubai, we have colleagues who are the envy of every hospitality brand in town.

What are the main challenges you perceive as you take on your job responsibilities in the UAE, and how do you hope to meet and overcome them?

I see challenges as opportunity, and the opportunity here is to constantly learn new things. One challenge, which is also an opportunity, is recruitment. For the biggest brands, the ability, or lack thereof, to recruit the right people is often a stumbling block to progress. However, it’s not just about finding the right resources and people, it’s also about motivating and retaining them. What inspires me is seeing Raffles as a brand that has awoken to the immense possibilities that lie ahead, with each and every staff member having the ability to contribute to this aim.

These are exciting times both for the industry and for Raffles.