Saad Salman Recognized in Hozpitality's Best 30 Front Office Leaders in the Middle East for 2024
Saad has accomplished outstanding operational milestones and has demonstrated exceptional progress in elevating guest experiences.
Saad Salman, Front Office Manager at voco Dubai The Palm, has earned a prestigious spot in Hozpitality's Best 30 Front Office Leaders in the Middle East for 2024.
Since joining voco Dubai The Palm, Saad has made significant strides in enhancing guest experiences and achieving remarkable operational milestones. His leadership was instrumental in the hotel achieving a 100% Loyalty Recognition score in February 2024, a milestone that reflects his dedication to guest satisfaction. The hotel was also honored as one of eight hotels under Member Guest Love Best Practices and one of eighteen hotels under Member Recognition Best Practices for premium brands on the IHG Merlin page.
Under Saad's guidance, the hotel's Guest Satisfaction Index (GSI) reached an impressive 104.23, earning the top spot in Comsats. The Guest Love score for June YTD stood at 91.91%, placing the hotel third in the EMEA region and first in the IMEA region. Saad also led the hotel to excel in Loyalty Recognition with a 96.33% score and in Loyalty Enrollments Efficiency with a 68% score, both ranking first in the EMEAA and IMEA regions.
Saad's leadership extends beyond guest satisfaction to significant strides in sustainability. The hotel achieved the highest cleanliness rating at 95.46% in the EMEAA and IMEA regions, a reflection of their commitment to a clean and hygienic environment. The hotel also ranked second in the IMEA region for problem handling, scoring 56.63%. His initiatives, such as eliminating single-use plastic bottles on the beach through the implementation of water dispensers and transitioning to digital reports in housekeeping, have significantly reduced the hotel's environmental footprint. Additionally, he replaced single-use 'Rate Your Stay' cards with Microsoft Forms QR codes, integrating this feedback system into iPads as part of the checkout process, furthering their sustainability efforts.
Saad's commitment to staff development is evident through his promotion of team members, including advancing a housekeeping attendant and a Recreation attendant to team leaders, and guiding a Front Office Supervisor to Duty Manager and subsequently to Assistant Front Office Manager (AFOM). He also facilitated the career progression of two housekeeping attendants to F&B servers, with one transitioning to the Front Desk.
Meela Seenarain
Dubai, United Arab Emirates UAE