Exactly a year ago, Gerrit Gräf had a weight on his shoulders. Not only was he opening a brand-new five-star hotel (challenging at the best of times), he had to do so in time for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in a brand-new city, standing as the first international hotel brand to enter the city. Le Royal Méridien Doha Hotel and Residences has gone on to exceed expectations, standing as one of the icons in Lusail and setting the pace for Marriott’s ambitious future when it comes to Qatari luxury. Directly connected to the palatial Place Vendôme Mall, Le Royal Méridien Doha Hotel and Residences has the duty to serve international visitors and loyal locals alike, doing justice to the architecturally remarkable mall and making the most of its gravitational pull as well.
The system of luxury only continues to grow, with Gräf also leading the Agora, Doha, Autograph Collection, Qabila Westbay Hotel (soon to become another Autograph Collection) and the upcoming Palais Vendôme, A Luxury Collection Hotel opening next year.
Sitting with Hotelier Middle East, the multi-property general manager and Marriott stalwart reflected on a full-year of excellence at Le Royal Méridien Doha, his approach to managing vast portfolios, and the bright future of his properties and hotel teams.
“Opening Le Royal Méridien Doha in a highly competitive environment at a very busy period and surviving the year whilst achieving our financial goals is one of our greatest achievements,” Gräf explained. “Le Royal Méridien Doha’s location makes it a unique hotel. Its connectivity to Place Vendôme Mall is one thing benefiting from the local and international exposure it gets, and being located in Lusail City is another significant factor especially being the first five-star hotel from a global chain that has opened in Lusail prior to the World Cup. Lusail itself being tagged as the future smart city of Qatar.”
Suited for a wide range of travellers, including the ‘bleisure’ group, the property has proven a hit with Qatar’s fast-growing business travel segment. With over 1,000 square metre of flexible indoor meeting space, a dedicated entrance as well as a theatre style open kitchen connected to the main ballroom, complemented with a full and state-of-the-art conference facilities including cutting edge AV technology and an innovative event management team through the hotel’s Le Caractère team of event specialists, Le Royal Méridien Doha has become an ideal MICE hotel.
Not only has the hotel succeeded thanks to its enviable location and array of facilities, it has benefitted from strong leadership as well. Previously Marriott’s area VP for premium and select brands in the UAE, Gräf is an expert when it comes to juggling multiple hotels at once. Despite working with several brands at once, the hospitality veteran explains it is his teams that unify everything he does. He explained: “I’m a people person, hence, a people leader. Echoing one of Marriott’s core values of ‘Putting People First’, it is vital for me as a leader that I take care of our associates as they take care of our guests, and ultimately, as a responsible business unit, we take care of our stakeholders, such as the community where we operate and our owners.”
Taking care of people also means investing on them by providing them the necessary learning and development programs that will sharpen their skills, not only benefiting them personally but also professionally meeting the expectations and demands of the continuously evolving travellers and guests.” With Le Royal Méridien Doha continuing to soar, and the Agora Doha also doing exceptionally, Gräf is turning his attention to his next two hotels. Qabila Westbay Hotel will undergo a full renovation this year as it prepares to run the Autograph Collection flag, and the Palais Vendome, A Luxury Collection Hotel will open in the near future.
Looking at the year ahead, he said: “Having been experienced working in global markets with different types of products, doing pre-openings, hotel conversions, hotel positionings, product launches and innovations. My focus is really to take care of the current projects, ensure completion of the enhancements/renovations required for the two Autograph Collection hotels and a successful opening for the Palais Vendome, A Luxury Collection Hotel.
“Ultimately, what’s important is that the businesses that we do are sustainable and flexible to cater to various opportunities and needs of the market whilst navigating the years ahead.”