Olivier Louis

13 February 2002 by
Olivier Louis

Name: Olivier Louis

Date of birth: 09/09/1955

Job title: General manager

Location: Royal Mirage Palace Hotel, Jumeira Beach, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

First job in hospitality: Working as a restaurant commis at a three Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris when he was 16.

Route to current job: Louis's career spans 25 years of hospitality management positions, much of it with Le Méridien hotel group. He started in 1972 in Paris and later moved to the USA, completing stints in Houston, New York and Newport Beach, among other places.

At other times, he was based in London, Thailand and the Bahamas. He left Le Méridien six years ago to manage one of Sun International's projects in Mauritius and came to Dubai three years ago.

Main responsibilities: Managing the 250-bedroom Royal Mirage Palace Hotel and overseeing the development of two new properties next door. So for much of the day, he is working there with engineers, designers and architects. At the moment, 30% of his job involves administration, 40% is taken up with managing the two new projects and 30% is about guest relations. Most evenings are spent meeting or having dinner with various guests.

What do you most enjoy about the job?
Being the GM of the most unique hotel in the best resort in the Middle East. The ambience here is amazing, the climate is wonderful and the people are so warm. And I really enjoy working with such a variety of nationalities and cultures. My workforce comes from 34 different countries. I also thoroughly enjoy the frenzy of planning construction and the pre-opening activity. And I love being able to get to know the guests properly.

What do you most dislike about the job?
Maybe the heat. For a few months of the year, the temperature outside gets up as high as 50°C and that's really too hot. You can't go outside in the afternoon then.

What attributes do you need to do this job?
Diplomacy, flexibility, sociability, resilience, resourcefulness and a sense of humour.

What will be your next career move?
My immediate plans are to open two beautiful new properties close to the Palace of the Royal Mirage - The Arabian Court & The Residence & Spa scheduled to open in late December 2002.

What is your ultimate career goal?
To operate an exclusive 50-60 room resort beside the Mediterranean.

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