Bill Keffer is a real Marriott man. The American hotelier always puts his people first, believing, much like the Marriott family, that if your staff are happy, your guests will be too.
Announcing his retirement in April 2023, June 30 will mark Keffer’s last day at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, where he has been GM for 14 years.
Keffer is moving back to the USA knowing he has built one of the strongest hospitality teams in the city, with many of them, he says, ready to take a seat behind a general manager’s desk.
“If you haven’t created an environment where future general managers can be created, you haven’t done your job right, quite frankly. We have an obligation as leaders to do that,” Keffer tells Hotelier Middle East.
“You always think you know what you contributed, but when my retirement was announced, hundreds of people responded. They thanked me for what I did. You don’t always realise the small things in the moment, but they can change lives. That was the wake-up call. When you see those kind of messages, it’s very humbling. It gave me a sense of peace.”
Bill Keffer’s career
Keffer started his career with Marriott International in Tennessee, USA, followed by positions in Florida at the Harbor Beach Resort, and five years at the New York Marriott Marquis.
In 2000, Keffer relocated overseas and spent two years in Japan as the food and beverage director of the Renaissance Hotel, Sapporo, followed by three years in South Korea as director of operations at the JW Marriott, Seoul.
In 2005, Keffer moved to London, as area director of operations for the United Kingdom and Ireland, converting over 60 hotels from franchised properties into Marriott-managed hotels. Four years later in 2009, he moved to the UAE to manage the conversion of the Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites as general manager.
Boasting three decades of service to Marriott, it wasn’t until January 2012 Keffer joined the pre-opening team at JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai as the hotel manager. Shortly after, he was promoted to cluster general manager overseeing both the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Hotel and Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites, leading a team of over 1,600 associates of 70 nationalities.
Owned by Emirates Group, the striking 355-metre hotel also stands as one of Dubai’s leading gastronomic hubs, with a dozen restaurants, many of which have continued to scoop up awards over the years.
The legacy he will leave
As one would expect from the people-person Keffer, it has never really been about the wards.
He says: “As I tell my people, accolades are snapshots in time. Rather, I like to remember being able to work hard, hiring smart people, holding on to good people and investing in them. That’s what I will tell my kids.
“If I leave a legacy, it’s not anything I’ve done in this hotel, it’s about the people I’ve developed. People have made the difference. Seeing my people become leaders is very fulfilling.”
Work hard and always be up for a challenge
As humble as he is, Keffer tells Hotelier he got to where he is through hard work, a lot of it. He expects the same from all his team, and thankfully always gives them the tools to be their best selves.
Keffer explains: “I always like to give my story. People can come from many walks of life and many different places, but if you work hard and take chances, you don’t know where you can end up. I tell my guys all the time, there’s no one more surprised than me that I’m in this role.
“It was just a natural progression of taking on additional responsibilities and picking up different skills. You get the next job and the next job, and before you know it, you’re in jobs like this. It has all felt so quick.”
A top-notch team
Much like how he has climbed the ranks, he expects the team he is leaving behind to do the same.
He adds: “This has been the best group of individuals I’ve ever worked with. The group we have here, all of them could be GMs anywhere in the world. I’ve spent a lot of time with the team and everybody has really stepped up. I’ve always tried to hire the smartest people I can, they are great leaders.”
Heading home
Officially retiring in June and heading back to his hometown near Nashville on July 4, Keffer will be enjoying his retirement the same way he enjoyed his professional life: By giving back to others.
There is one key difference though, rather than giving back to people, Keffer will now be giving back to animals. He returns to the US for the first time in 23 years, planning to volunteer with two charitable organisations, one that supplies bullet-proof vests to police dogs, and another which rehabilitates retired military dogs.
“It’s very special to me and I’m a huge animal person,” he explains. “I’ve probably helped 30 cats in Dubai, I feed a lot of homeless cats, I’m just a big animal person.”
“If you ever see me on the streets, I probably have a ziplock bag of Whiskers cat food in my pocket,” he laughs.
Hanging his hat with Marriott and Dubai hospitality for a relaxed life in the States, Keffer says: “I am going to miss the people most.”