Interview with Mr. Firas Mneimneh, General Manager, Mansard Riyadh, A Radisson Collection Hotel

• Describe your experience as a General Manager in the hospitality industry

Simply amazing! There are many tangible and intangible fruits to enjoy in this wonderful industry. As a passionate hotelier, I have had the opportunity of working in several countries and have been exposed to various cultures and traditions which is something I value most. As there were many moments to cherish, the challenges were enormous. The energy required to succeed is driven by passion and determination.

• How do you adapt your leadership style to meet the needs of different team members?

I have a strong belief that leadership is about developing my team and communicating the needs and wants of all stakeholders. I adapt several leadership styles depending on each situation, every member of the team is different from another. It is vital to know more about your team members, what motivates them, what ignites the power within them, and how they desire to be rewarded. Having said that, the two leadership styles I adopt are transformational leadership which focuses on building trust, encouraging others by inspiring them and encouraging innovative thinking, coaching, and developing our most valuable assets. Transactional leadership that focuses on rewarding achievements to fuel my team and constantly monitoring deviations.

• In your opinion, what are the key skills and qualities required for successfully managing a hotel?

A successful General Manager should be passionate about the industry. Possessing a strong strategic understanding by being familiar and aware of all the events and happenings in the domestic market. Being able to analyze and foresee market demands and measure existing supply. Another area of focus is the commercial aspects of the hotel, financial data-driven analysis to help the decision-making process. We are in the people industry, people management is a key skill a successful GM should also have to build, develop and coach a successful team who will lead the success of the hotel KPI’s including but not limited to financial returns, quality results, customer satisfaction and more. Building relationships actively across a whole range of key external and internal people. Embracing diversity, being influential in presenting own views. Ability to weigh up options and possess strong confidence in making decisions and putting clear and logical arguments forward.

• How do you handle customer complaints and maintain high levels of guest satisfaction?

Guest satisfaction is one of the key performance indicators of the hotel’s well-being. Hotels that stand out in delivering convenience, autonomy and personalization for guests succeed in building a positive rapport and reputation. We constantly strive to leverage data-driven insights into our guests’ preferences. That data helps us better understand our guests’ needs and constantly evolve to deliver optimum service and memorable guest journeys.

Complaints are perceived as a learning opportunity; a wakeup call to remain alert and determined in our approach and focus to deliver memorable experiences and meet individual guests’ expectations. We are good listeners who show empathy and care. Guests’ complaints are

perceived as a learning opportunity, helps us build a personalized relationship with our guests, and turn them into brand ambassadors.

• Can you share an example of a successful marketing strategy or initiative you implemented to boost hotel occupancy rates?

Along with my commercial team, we make informed marketing decisions that are data-driven. We constantly analyze commercial data, monitor market and demand trends and review market best practices. All those factors do help us every single time to capture and maximize our market share. There are several strategies to adapt during shoulder periods such as increasing value by creating unique experiences and special packages, leveraging on online positioning i.e., preferred hotel, adjusting audience targeting, and staycations, in some cases lowering the rates would be the best option though it is not the preferred one, double up reward points, offer high discounts on F&B, SPA and other auxiliary revenues.

• How do you ensure effective coordination and teamwork across different departments within a hotel?

I keep my team holistically informed and updated on our goals and objectives. Encouraging them to collaborate and assigning tasks that require them to work as a team for optimum results. Cultivate the team rewarding culture instead of rewarding only individuals for their remarkable achievements. I also encourage sharing departmental challenges with one another, allowing them to walk in others’ shoes to cultivate empathy between the departments. I tend to constantly lead the guest journey and experience cycle as it combines all departments towards achieving one common goal.

• Can you provide an example of a time when you successfully resolved a conflict within your team or between team members?

It is seldom that I encounter such disputes at my workplace. I constantly bind my team together and encourage open, honest, and direct communication to sort out any misunderstanding before the situation gets any bigger and becomes a conflict or has any negative impact.

• What is your long-term vision for the hotel’s growth and development, and how do you plan to achieve it?

“Our aspiration is like Mount Tuwaiq, our ambition embraces the sky, and our achievements are above the clouds” as what HRH Prince MBS said. Deliver a wonderful experience for our valuable guests, making them feel valued, deliver optimum results for our shareholders, be the most preferred employer for talents to grow within, be active in making the world a better place by being sustainably conscious, contribute to the Saudi 2030 vision of delivering exceptional hospitality service, in simple words to stay the best in class and to stand toe-to-toe with the world’s most renowned hotels.

In addition to that, we are focused on positioning our food & beverage offering as the city’s finest and most reputable dining choices. We truly believe that the dining experience is not about hunger, it is about the need to feel welcomed, well taken care of, served with passion, food cooked with love, spices, aroma, music, and smiles. In principle, it is a journey where every moment matters. Our unique culinary experience sets us one step ahead in the market. Offering

diverse food & beverage experiences in partnership with the renowned American company, Major Food Group for three exclusive restaurants. Our guests’ dining journey has been carefully crafted and designed to set the momentum, from the warmth you feel the moment you walk through our doors, to the genuine and friendly approach of our professional team and the taste of every bite. We seek to evolve our guest’s dining experience into a living experience to feed both body and soul.

In conclusion to the above, our vision is to “Conquer the World” and focus on delivering our aspirations. Position the hotel amongst the finest hotels in the Kingdom and deliver optimum results for all our stakeholders.

• Tell us about Mansard Riyadh and what are the top 5 wins the hotel has achieved in the successful completion of one year.

During the past successful year, our Exceptional hotel has achieved several awards from Leaders in Hospitality Awards, The Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards, Booking.com Traveler Reviewer Awards, and Welcome Saudi Awards. The top 5 wins are ‘Leading Luxury Hotel’, ‘Best New Luxury Lifestyle Hotel Saudi Arabia’, ‘Best Luxury Lifestyle Hotel & Residences Middle East’, ‘Best New 5 Stars Hotel – Riyadh’ and ‘Best Luxury Experience Hotel – Riyadh’.

• How is the Mansard vision in alignment with Vision 2030 tourism and hospitality goals?

In terms of the aimed GDP growth, all hotels including Mansard should aspire to contribute to one mission which is providing outstanding hotel and lodging facilities, reliable and high-quality service and products that will drive and encourage inbound travellers to visit the country. At Mansard, we also aim to contribute to the Human Capability Development Program to prepare Saudi talents to become leaders and pioneers by developing their capabilities, skills, and knowledge to be able to compete globally.