“Having two teenagers myself certainly added depth when planning this hotel,” says Richard Alexander, father of an 18-year-old and a 12-year-old – and GM of Jumeirah Al Naseem Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE.
“We opened December 1st, 2016, and we had 100 arrivals that day, which meant, with 430 rooms total, we had a somewhat easy start. Our line staff had come on board a month before, but with two weeks’ compulsory health and safety we had only had 10 days for specific luxury-level training and I wanted more,” he explained.
His 734-strong team includes security and beach patrols, and a laundry that services guest items and F&B linens – rooms’ linens are sent to a central facility. Jumeirah Al Naseem is last of the various resorts that make up the 120-acre Madinat Jumeirah complex, right on the beach of the Arabian gulf, and all properties share facilities. “Yes, to be honest, I would like to have our own fitness center right here, but our guests can walk, or take a buggy, to the massive gym next door at Jumeirah Mina A’Salam.”
As if in compensation, those staying at Jumeirah Al Naseem have three swimming pools, one of which is adult-only. They can also admire a 1,500-square-foot pond filled with sea turtles of all sizes (this is day-long popular for selfies). As well as sharing Madinat Jumeirah’s serious Sinbad’s children’s club, Jumeirah Al Naseem’s own KIDS has a pool, and an outdoor jungle gym, plus an indoor facility with face-painting and crafts: babies’ high chairs throughout the hotel are high-tech Bloom Fresco, just as good as any yummy mummy has back home. What about teenagers? “Great free WiFi is one of my top requirements in any hotel,” stated Melina Alexander, 18. Here it is 10GB inside, on the beach and around the turtle and other pools. Teenagers also love Madinat Jumeriah’s Wild Wadi water park, five minutes by buggy.
“I knew this hotel would stand out from its siblings. We are more modern, especially in design. Al Naseem means ‘sea breeze’ and all our rooms are sea-facing, with all-glass end walls that slide back to be completely open, and many guests comment on this,” said Melina’s father. Word of mouth and social media quickly brought business. Last month, April 2017, closed at 78%, at basic AED3,000 (US$816.62) up.
As befits a self-confessed foodie, Richard Alexander would arguably have wanted more than nine months before opening, to put his stamp on the hotel’s F&B. Guests have access to the hotel-run seafood-specialty and all-day outlets – the latter has 430 cooking pots hanging over the entrance, but few guess there is one for each bedroom. There are also
two leased-out restaurants, one Japanese, and the other the highly popular Il Borro, run entirely by the Ferragamo family and a copy of their Il Borro in Tuscany. “And there are signing privileges in a couple of dozen restaurants and bars throughout the entire Madinat Jumeirah complex. It is not only décor, food and service, but I am also a fanatic when it comes to sound,” continued Alexander. “Our in-house music must be right not only for the location but for the time of day. We have a music company but I also have a DJ who wanders around altering the tempo as he thinks fit.”
Richard Alexander was born on the Mediterranean island of Malta but soon moved to Singapore – his father was an officer in the U.K.’s Royal Marines. He later boarded at the co-educational Dauntsey’s School in Wiltshire, England, and then, after talking with a cousin who worked in banqueting at Sheraton Park Tower London, he studied hospitality at Bournemouth University. His first job was at Hotel L’Horizon, on the island of Jersey, under GM John Wileman, whom he still considers an all-time mentor (Steve Wynn is another – Alexander headed F&B at Wynn’s Las Vegas operation for three years). He became acquainted with Jumeirah when running its Dubai F&B operations, moving on to become GM of Mina A’Salam. Time with Viceroy, in London, and Anguilla, followed – and then the call came to return to Dubai in February 2016.
Over dinner in Il Borro, one night, he talked candidly. “I am as enthusiastic as ever, possibly more than my kids,” he admitted. “I cannot see them following in my footsteps. My daughter, who is home-educating, seems destined to be a scientist, and all my son, who loves the sociability of school, really cares about, other than using a device, is surfing.”