Inside Emirates’ new '7-star’ hospitality centre in Dubai with secret plane training 25,000 crew

Dubai: Emirates has unveiled a brand-new $8 million hospitality centre in Dubai, where the airline's signature ‘7-star’ service is taught, practised and perfected, complete with a hidden training plane.

Gulf News was among the first to step inside the Emirates Centre of Hospitality Excellence, where the glamour of fine dining meets aviation training.

As part of a select group of UAE and international media, we were invited to step into the shoes of Emirates cabin crew and learn the art of setting a table with premium cutlery and crockery from the airline’s premium cabins, and plating a gourmet dessert while donning an Emirates apron.

Designed to train 25,000 cabin crew in elegant fine dining service to personalised customer care, the centre is located within the Emirates Crew Training Centre complex in Al Garhoud.

The establishment of the culinary hub offering Michelin-inspired training in fine dining, guest engagement and table service, builds on Emirates’ 2020 collaboration with Switzerland’s Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, one of the world’s leading hospitality schools.

The centre now embodies the airline’s elevated hospitality strategy, inspiring cabin crew to deliver its four pillars in the sky: excellence, attentiveness, innovation and passion.

Taking hospitality to new heights, the Emirates Centre of Hospitality Excellence offers a wide range of training and facilities for cabin crew engagement.  Spread across eight tech-enabled classrooms, the centre also features a restaurant-style lounge for up to 170 guests, elegant presentation kitchens, and breakout areas.

Recruited from over 140 countries and speaking more than 70 languages, cabin crew undergo initial eight-week training, beginning in Economy, with additional classroom modules for promotions to Business and First Class. Each step comes with specialised fine dining and service courses, culminating in the leadership role of Purser.

“Emirates continues to uplift the ‘fly better’ experience for our valued customers,” said Thomas Ney, Divisional Senior Vice President (DSVP) of Service Delivery, who led the media tour.

“We have invested in the highest levels of luxury hospitality training for our cabin crew, enabling them to really relate to the customers they serve and create unforgettable signature moments.”

“We are delighted to provide our crew with immersive training, allowing them to personally sample the cuisine, the beverages, the ambiance and ultimately, the hospitality Emirates is renowned for. This is how we empower world-class cabin crew,” said Ney.

He added that it is a priority for the airline to provide value for the money spent by its customers by offering them the world-class hospitality services.

A highlight of the centre is the immersive fine dining experience, where cabin crew dine as guests before learning to serve. “It’s not just about plating or pouring wine,” said a trainer.

 “It’s about understanding what true excellence means: attention to detail, elegance, finesse, and the atmosphere we create around our guests.”

The restaurant-style lounge, where crew members are trained how to set tables and serve, offers the unique opportunity for cabin crew to experience a gourmet four-course gastronomy lunch.

The fine dining experience is curated by Emirates’ master chefs, serving some of its most celebrated First and Business Class dishes and signature meals.

The cabin crew are personally served their meal by the airline’s elite training team, to showcase the best of Emirates’ own ‘7-star’ hospitality, leading by example and modelling best practices to cabin crew.

The crew get hands-on training in serving the gourmet menu prepared by Emirates Flight Catering on board a fully functional aircraft simulator replicating Emirates A350 interiors with unique glass windows.

The simulator plane inside the training centre provides the perfect ambience to serve the passengers sans the actual flying experience. Crew practise meal service, beverage handling, and passenger engagement in a realistic environment without the logistical challenges of real aircraft.

“This dual approach, with the simulator here and those in the next building and seat demonstration rooms over there, ensures crew are fully prepared before stepping onboard,” explained Margaret Phelan, Divisional Vice President – Cabin Crew Training.

At the presentation kitchens, crew learn plating, balance of textures, and visual artistry, alongside practical exposure to airline-specific service nuances through the Art of Service course.

This goes beyond silverware etiquette or plating techniques. It teaches emotional intelligence, attentiveness, and savoir-être — presence, poise and the ability to connect with guests on a personal level.

In a specialised L’art du Vin programme, crew explore wine and other beverages services, learning about grape varieties, varietals, aromas, textures, fermentation, and food pairings, said Graeme Rodgers, Centre of Hospitality Excellence Wine Trainer.

"They can taste the beverages themselves while understanding how to guide customers in choosing the perfect pairing. Emirates has an exclusive airline partnership for its celebrated onboard collection of beverages," he explained.

Sustainably sourced caviar is also part of the immersive training, with both traditional and vegan options offered in First Class service. Trainers guide crew through tasting techniques and presentation styles using mother-of-pearl spoons and serving it chilled on blinis (mini pancakes) or toast points. The full caviar experience includes crispy melba toast, soft blinis, egg yolk, egg white, chives, white onions, sour cream, and lemon.

While setting the table, the crew practise everything from cutlery placement and hygiene to logos orientation on crockery, ensuring even the smallest details reflect Emirates’ luxury ethos.

Forks on the left, knives on the right, and logos facing the guest are golden rules of fine dining etiquette drilled into the crew. Special training is given in folding and setting the napkin.

“Even if 99% of guests won’t notice the logo beneath the plate, the one percent who do will see the attention to detail,” said Sally Cayzer, Centre of Hospitality Excellence Trainer.

Her colleague Stefana Jovanovic said serving from the left and clearing from the right creates a ritualised system, minimising mistakes and making service feel seamless.

Another trainer, Leah Adriane Deklerk, added: “We want our crew to be mindful of every detail: from symmetry to service trays, to create a perfect fine dining experience.”

Every year, crew return for refresher and upgrade courses, ensuring their skills remain sharp and aligned with evolving hospitality trends though it is not a requirement for retaining their licences, a senior executive revealed."

Idél Le Roux, a Business Class Cabin Crew, shared her experience: “This training really changed my perception of service. This is where we learn why we do what we do. It’s not just taking an order and serving a meal. It’s an art form. There’s emotion involved, a creation that comes together to enhance the customer experience. It makes me proud to be part of Emirates’ team. They don’t just enhance us as crew, but as people.”

Chef Trainer Carissa Wood explained: “We’re teaching them to turn a meal into an experience. It is luxury, but also storytelling with a personal touch.”

The training programme at the culinary hub ensures crew can deliver exceptional experience with authenticity, personality, and emotional connection to passengers.

For Emirates, investing in people is as important as investing in aircraft or onboard luxury. With this culinary hub, the airline is ensuring every crew member embodies excellence at 40,000 feet and ensures its global brand promise: to fly better.