Atlantis: The perfect entertainment destination

Atlantis: The perfect entertainment destination

As one of Dubai’s most attractive tourist destinations, the award-winning hotel resort Atlantis, the Palm at Palm Jumeirah stands unrivalled. Most recently it was voted The Most Hygienic Hotel of the World Award 2012, from a shortlist of over 300 Prime Hotel finalists world-wide. Aviamost brings an exclusive interview with its very busy President and Managing Director,   Serge Zaalof

Mr. Serge, tell us a little about your day-to-day work with Atlantis

What I love about my job is there is no such thing as a typical day!  I start my daily operations meeting with all department heads followed by anything ranging from welcoming Heads of State, Royalty, celebrities, meeting with guests to checking on new experiences…for instance, we just launched a new dining experience in The Avenues, Asia Republic, and I had the pleasure of being part of all the food tastings, as well as the design of the space

What is the hardest part about being General Manager? 

The hardest part about being a GM is being across all areas of the resort including spa, marine and waterpark, food and beverage, kid’s activities and of course, rooms.

We have learned that 2012 is quite a good year for hotels in Dubai. How does Atlantis share in this success? And, what is the percentage growth that you target compared to last year? 

Atlantis continues to innovate new experiences for our guests so they can keep returning to have new experiences.  Our numbers have been very healthy this year and I feel confident that we will exceed our targets.

As a landmark in Dubai tourism and hospitality how do you keep the identity of the hotel?

We always strive to innovate and go above and beyond to make every guest satisfied. Some of the newest include Shark Safari, Dolphin Scuba and dining outlet AsiaRepublic. In addition to offering Botox and Fillers at ShuiQi Spa & Fitness, we are also planning to introduce teeth whitening and mesotherapy this fall. And there is always something happening at Atlantis—whether it is a festival on the beach, Sandance, to major motion pictures being filmed.

What are the major problems of the hotel industry in UAE?

I don’t think that there are any major problems across the hotel industry.  In fact, we are looking forward to additional hotels opening on The Palm so it can truly become the destination that was planed.

How challenging is the food and beverage part of the business, especially in a city like Dubai that has so many great restaurants?

It is very challenging and exciting to retain our client base in our restaurants by offering them a high standard of food, service and atmosphere, but more so instilling innovation in our food and beverage offering to keep it exciting whilst remaining true to the venues’ identity. In a city like Dubai, diners venture to many places but are regulars at their most favourite. So we constantly update ourselves on the latest global trends on dining and entertainment to continuously strive to please our guests.

Tell us about the guests who stay at Atlantis. Can you share the names of any famous guests who have stayed here?

Our resort hosts guests from around the world such as the UK, Russia, Germany, India and the GCC who come in the summer season. We are also growing in popularity among Chinese guests. We have over 83 nationalities working at Atlantis, guaranteeing that each guest has someone who will cater to their needs and understand them in their mother tongue. Some of us well-known guests include Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Elle MacPherson, Michael Jordan, and Kylie Minogue.