The 9th edition of the Middle East Hospitality Excellence Awards, organized by Hozpitality Group, occurred at the Arabian Ranches Golf Resort & Spa on December 6, 2023. This highly anticipated event brought together over 500 hospitality professionals for a dazzling award gala. The ceremony was a celebration of hidden gems and industry enthusiasts in the Middle East.
Raj Bhatt, Founder and CEO, Hozpitality Group said, “The hospitality industry truly deserves a standing ovation for its continuous efforts to spread joy and happiness worldwide. It’s crucial to recognize the hardworking individuals who dedicate long hours, sometimes away from their loved ones, driven by their passion for this industry”. Hozpitality Group, a leading enterprise, takes pride in acknowledging the exceptional leaders and community members who contribute to the field, Raj added.
Among the prominent winners were:
- Hospitality Leader of the Year:- Mark Kirby, COO – Emaar Hospitality Group;
- Entrepreneur of the Year:- Adel Sajan, Group MD, Danube Group;
- Emirati/Arab Hospitality Leader of the Year – Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels;
- General Manager of the Year:- Thierry Perrot, Cluster General Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek, Wyndham Dubai Deira, Days Hotel by Wyndham and Super 8 by Wyndham;
- Hotel of the Year (5 star):- Address Sky View Dubai;
- Hotel Team of the Year:- Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel;
- Restaurant Team of the Year:- Asha’s Restaurant International, LLC;
- Best Hospitality Employer of the Year:- Emaar Hospitality Group;
- Marketing/PR Champion of the Year – Mouna Ouni, Marketing Director, Swissôtel Al Murooj Dubai;
- Young Hotelier of the Year:- Aayan Ali, Managing Director, RAF Hotel Apartments, LLC;
- Hospitality Role Model of the Year:- Gaurav Agarwal, Director, Mercure Gold Hotel;
- Commended Hotelier of the Year:- Siegfried Nierhaus, Vice President Middle East, Deutsche Hospitality;
- Promising Hospitality Leader of the Year:- Prateek Kumar, SVP – Operations & General Manager, Dusit Thani Dubai;
- Promising Entrepreneur of the Year – Rajan JS, Founder, JM Foods;
- Inspiring GM of the Year – Omar Hamad, General Manager, Address Dubai Marina;
- Dynamic GM of the Year:- Haitham Galal, General Manager, The Tower Plaza Hotel Dubai;
- Young GM of the Year – Manish Jha, General Manager, NH Collection Dubai The Palm;
- Commended GM of the Year – Samir Arora, Cluster General Manager, The Retreat Palm Dubai Juemirah, Ramada Downtown and ibis Styles Jumeira;
- Emerging GM of the Year – Shahzad Butt, General Manager, Four Points by Sheraton Production City, Dubai;
- Commended Finance Leader of the Year – Abdul Qadeer Ahsan, Financial Controller, Dream Inn Holiday Homes Rental, LLC;
- Rising Company of the Year – Gates Hospitality
- Young Food Company of the Year – Home of Breads;
- Supply Chain Manager of the Year – Goutam Sharma Supply Chain & Logistics Manager Emirates Flight Catering;
- Hotel of the Year Paramount Hotel Dubai.
The full list of all the award winners can be seen here.
Vandana Bhatt, MD, Hozpitality Group said, “The Middle East Hospitality Excellence Awards is renowned for its popular choice awards, where organizations nominate their team members across various categories”. Subsequently, team members, along with their family and friends, participate in the voting process, which spans over six months. The winners are then unveiled during the gala ceremony, creating suspense as attendees eagerly await the announcement of silver and gold winners, added Vandana.
“We received an amazing response to online voting for the 9th Middle East Hospitality Excellence Awards 2023 with over 1,200 nominations and over 154,000 votes for various categories. The Awards were presented to recognize top industry organizations which have shown skill, creativity, ingenuity and success in the Middle East & North Africa’s growing hospitality industry”, said Vandana Raj Bhatt, MD, Hozpitality Group.
Hozpitality Group expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the entire hospitality community, as well as friends, supporters, and sponsors, added Raj. Special thanks to Danube Hospitality, JM Foods, African Eastern, Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Absolute Frame, Fushia Events, Aujan Interiors, TCL Laboratories, Zee TV, Restofair RAK, Taza, Wellbilt/Convotherm, and UAE Restaurant Group for their invaluable contributions and support, he added.
Hozpitality group announced their first Indian Hospitality Excellence Awards in India, a live event in partnership with Stave Hospitality, Alok Kaul and Shilp Wellness in Navy Mumbai, India. The Awards will be held on February 3, 2024.
“We have confirmed our F&B Awards next year, dedicated popular choice awards for the F&B Industry to be held on April 15, 2024, at the Address Sky View, Free Nominations will open shortly,” said Raj. “We have also finalized our Chef Awards in partnership with Emirates Culinary Guild and ICCA Dubai on June 17, 2023 at the beautiful Address Dubai Marina“.
Raj Bhatt and Shubhojit from Danube unveiled a Hospitality Sports Championship League in Dubai. “Raj said, in an exclusive partnership with Danube Hospitality, we present the inaugural Hozpitality Sports League, slated to take place at the iconic Danube Sports Word in Dubai during the second quarter of 2024. We are proud to launch a groundbreaking event that will revolutionize the way professionals in the sector connect, compete, and celebrate excellence,” Shubhojit added.
About Hozpitality Group
Hozpitality is an online platform for professionals from Hotels, Restaurants, Airlines, Travel agencies, Clubs, Cruise Lines, Cinemas, Spas, Schools, Suppliers and Retail. Hozpitality offers Branding options, A Community Network for Employers and Job seekers, a directory of Hospitality Suppliers, Latest Hospitality News, Hotel News, Movements and Appointments and Hospitality Announcements Hotel Industry Recruitment, Professional CV designing, Hospitality Courses etc. We provide an effective platform where all hospitality professionals can come together, network and benefit.
Hozpitality.com offers a selection of best Hotel Management Institutes, Schools and Universities and Hotel management Courses. Hospitality Students can search and apply for Hotel management Courses and join the School’s Alumni and network with their colleagues. Hozpitality also offers a Market Place for Hospitality Suppliers where Hospitality Products, Services, Offers and Deals can be listed and sold to millions of Global Hospitality professionals.
Hozpitality reaches out to over 1.2 million professionals thru its 2 group websites, hozpitality.com and hozpitalityplus.com with Registered Members and Social Media from over 186 countries.
The dedicated hospitality Media and News website Hozpitalityplus.com, publishes and shares Latest Hospitality News, Announcements, Hotel openings, Promotions, Events, Hospitality Movements and Appointments and Hospitality announcements, Reviews, Blogs, etc.
Hozpitality Consulting is a Global Executive Search consultancy based out of Toronto, Canada. Our success lies in building a long term relationship and delivering results quickly and efficiently for a “much lower cost”. We are experts in locating the best possible suitable executive and management candidates for placements in all types of hospitality organizations around the world. Through our matchless database, communication and networking, over the world, we provide our clients with the most skillful candidates.
“Hozpitality Buzz – The inside scoop” is a TV show based on the hospitality industry in Dubai and UAE, is in English and telecast-ed on a premier TV channel in Middle East & North Africa reaching out to approx. 10-12 million viewers. To know more about the TV show, Please log on to: facebook.com/hozpitalitybuzz and youtube.com/Hozpitality.
Middle East Hospitality Excellence Awards are presented to recognize top industry organizations which have shown skill, creativity, ingenuity and success in the Middle East & North Africa’s growing hospitality industry. To learn more, please visit here.
