When it came time to interview Prateek Kumar, he was just a few weeks into his latest role as senior vice president of operations for EMEA, India, Philippines, Singapore, The Maldives, Japan and select properties in Thailand, within Dusit International.
A step up from his previous role as regional VP of EMEA, alongside his new global duties, Kumar has opted to remain general manager of Dusit Thani Dubai, a title he has held for close to a decade at this point. It’s a decision reflective of the kind of leader Kumar is. While his new job title now is almost half a paragraph long, he remains committed to embodying the trait at the core of Dusit: Graciousness.
Speaking to us in a masculine, mahogany boardroom, any tension immediately melts away when Kumar walks into the room. Kumar urges he isn’t simply a leader for his team to follow, he’s their coach, mentor, and a part of the family.
Kumar reflected: “Whenever I hire new staff, I always ask them after three months, “what is the key difference you feel as an employee of Dusit compared to your previous job?” Every person, invariably, says it is that they feel as though they are part of a family.
“This is what we strive for. When we treat our staff that way, they will echo that same behaviour to our guests. You can’t refurbish your hotel every day but you can keep service levels high all the time.”
The Graciousness Pillars
Dusit’s approach to all things is inscribed in its ‘Graciousness Pillars’ – which include: Service (personalised and gracious), Well-Being (delivering wellness experiences beyond the spa), Locality (uniquely linking guests with the local community), and Sustainability (social, economic, and environmental).
“All our behaviours are guided by these pillars,” said Kumar. Hailing from Singapore, Kumar said he felt a strong connection to the brand since the first day he joined, especially amazed by the loyalty within the company.
Starting with Dusit as a general manager in Manila, he said: “For me, personally and professionally, this has been the most fulfilling experience where myself and others have been given opportunities to contribute at the highest levels and work closely with owners and stakeholders on an individual and personal basis.”
Individuality is another trait Kumar firmly believes in, and one which he extends to his staff, owners and guests. Dusit is one of Thailand’s most influential hotel companies, but on a global level, the firm has managed to stay agile. Dusit has 47 hotels comprising five brands operational and another 50 in the pipeline within Dusit Hotels and Resorts.
Prateek Kumar on individuality
This smaller footprint – relative to the global hotel majors – allows Kumar to maintain individuality in all that he does and everywhere he oversees.
He explained: “At Dusit, you get to use your creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial skills which are appreciated a lot more than several organisations that I have experienced. This trait to me is extremely invigorating, challenging and rewarding.
“One of the good things about having around 50 operational properties and another 50 in the pipeline is that we can maintain our family spirit and forge close relationships. Whenever we talk to our partners about our brand, I highlight the very personal nature of our relationship and our owner-operator mindset.
“We want a personal connection with all our stakeholders, with all our suppliers, with all our staff and all our guests.”
Prateek Kumar as a mentor and a guide
Passionate about being able to form personal connections despite his worldwide duties, Kumar said that he will always remain a mentor and coach to those who seek him out.
He said: “I am the same person [as when I first joined Dusit] but I have learnt a lot through positive experiences and mistakes. I am learning all the time and I like to think I lead as a coach, mentor and guide for my staff. You have to get the right talent, empower them, coach them and then set them free.”
“This is how my mentors have always treated me. When people grow, they bring you up with them. A lot of people can be threatened by it, they don’t want to give younger talent their trade secrets in case they end up taking their job. I’m the opposite, I want to develop talents so that as they grow they can take over my job one day.
“One of my mantras is that I always work with people’s strengths rather than weaknesses. Focusing on weaknesses is a downwards spiral. You need to look at a person’s strengths and how to apply these strengths to make the teamwork in the most efficient manner.”
Prateek Kumar’s Dusit Thani Dubai standing strong
To apply all of these leadership attributes to something tangible, let’s look at the very hotel we spoke to Kumar from. Dubai’s second five-star hotel to open, according to the team, Dusit Thani Dubai has stood strong for over 20 years.
When asked what has been the key to the hotel’s longevity in such a competitive market, Kumar said it has been down to his team and the service they are empowered to provide.
He said: “This hotel is doing very well and it has a great pool of repeat guests. In Dubai, something newer, bigger, or shinier opens every day. What I tell my team is that we cannot compete with that – even if we renovate something today, it will be old in six months.
“Instead, the only way we can compete and differentiate ourselves is through the soft skills and the experience we create. That’s where the philosophy of Dusit’s gracious hospitality shines through. Despite our age, this is how we get an edge in the market: We have our four key pillars of graciousness in this company, and that is what we live for in this business.
“Dusit is very, very service focused. At the heart of our company is the idea of graciousness. We believe that you have to respect your team members so that they will respect your guests.”
Prateek Kumar’s lessons from the region
Spending time to discuss his global role, the loyal Dusit Thani Dubai GM spoke about the lessons he is taking from the emirate to all his other regions.
Kumar explained: “The fact that I continue to stay in this region despite taking on a more global role speaks volumes about the significance of this part of the world to us. Dusit wants to focus a lot more on this region. We currently have eight operational properties and we plan to open six more very soon with several others in the pipeline.
“There are so many lessons in this region I want to take to other locations. In terms of concepts, Dubai is the hotbed for every industry, hospitality included. There are so many hotels and restaurants and it’s so competitive here.“
He added: “You can never rest on your achievements. This spirit of continuous innovation is something I admire and want to take everywhere for Dusit. This region is amazing at dealing with cultural diversity and this is something we can learn and apply everywhere else.
“There’s no other part of the world where you have so many nationalities together and yet, the system works perfectly. In a lot of other places, this doesn’t happen. Cultural diversity in both staff and guest profile is amazing here.”
To put it simply, the Dusit Thani Dubai has aged gracefully, and that’s no surprise given the grace and humility emanating from Kumar himself. As Dusit looks to double its portfolio in a number of years, the company shows no signs of losing the traits which have defined it and help it stand out in the market for so long.