Premier Inn’s Eduard Jimenez: The regional commercial director balancing business success with family life

Born and educated in Barcelona, Eduard has more than 15 years of local and international experience in the hospitality sector. He began his career at a boutique Spanish hotel in London before moving on to international brands including Accor and Hilton in the UK, Asia and UAE. Before joining Premier Inn Middle East, he was cluster commercial director for four Hilton hotels in Ras Al Khaimah.

Here, he shares a glimpse into his daily schedule, as he drives commercial excellence, promotes working better together and balances work with family time.

5.30am: I wake up, the first one to rise if the children have had a good night of sleep. While taking my first sip of tea, I check the hotel group’s performance and make a mental note of things to discuss in the office. Once the children wake up – I have three little girls (four, two and three months old), my wife and I help to get them dressed, have breakfast, and prepare my oldest, Asia, for nursery.

7am: School run time – I find it important to be involved in family life as much as I can. During the drive to school, Asia and I talk about the upcoming day and her activities. After dropping her off – on the way to the office – I listen to podcasts depending on my schedule for the day. When I am meeting clients or suppliers, I listen to a podcast about negotiating for example, when I am having team meetings, I choose a podcast about team engagement. My favourites at the moment are ‘What you will learn’ and ‘Legends of Sales and Marketing’.

8.30am: I arrive at the head office at Premier Inn Dubai Al Jaddaf. I have another cup of tea and check my emails. Next, I review thoroughly the hotels’ pace and performance for the next 90 days, set the key priorities for the day, and take the time to discuss this with the commercial team on site. My role requires me to connect with 11 hotel teams throughout the UAE and Qatar. My mornings are usually filled with collaborating with the different teams and virtual meetings. 

10am: I join the leadership team to update on Premier Inn’s ongoing projects and new plans. Our goal is to maximise revenue and market share by maintaining our properties to the highest standards to ensure that we remain the Middle East’s brand of choice for high-quality, high-value accommodation. Growth is also very much on our agenda and we plan to expand into new territory in 2024. At the same time, we are committed to our sustainability programme Force For Good and always try to do business responsibly.  

Noon: Time to disconnect, have lunch and catch up with colleagues. Some days, especially in winter, I take a stroll outside and visit the local supermarket for a snack. This clears my head and brings back focus for the second half of the day.

2pm: The trading meeting, with all key stakeholders, takes place. Premier Inn MENA has made great headway in the last year with a new business plan and strategy focused on three key pillars: trading brilliantly, investing in the business and profitable growth. The installation of a centralised commercial team has enabled our hotel teams and leadership to focus on both operational and commercial excellence. The success of this transition is demonstrated in Premier Inn’s smashing commercial performance in 2023. We outperformed our competitors in all markets and significantly grew our market share with a 16 percent increase in RevPAR. Premier Inn generated more than 1 million room nights with revenue over AED250 million across our 11 hotels in the Middle East.

4pm: This month, we are visiting all hotels with a series of commercial workshops. Over the last year, Premier Inn has restructured its commercial function. Commercial, revenue and sales are no longer led by individual hotels, but by a centralised commercial team. This holistic approach has not only reduced duplication of efforts but also enhanced our efficiency considerably. The workshops aim to get feedback from the hotel teams about the new structure and what needs to be tackled to continue outperforming the market as well as improving the guest experience.

5.30pm: I get ready to leave the office for the day. I check my emails once more and address anything urgent with the team. On my way home, a 20 to 30 minute car ride depending on traffic, I reflect on the day’s achievements and challenges while listening to some music or calling some friends for a quick catch-up. 

7pm: When I arrive home early, I like to spend that time with the children. I head to the local park where they are playing, and we walk home together. I help prepare the kids’ dinner and take them to bed. Then it’s me-time; I like to go for a run around my community to recharge my mind and body.

9pm: This time is reserved for my wife and I. We enjoy a home-cooked meal together and reflect on our day at home and at work. This helps to ground me and re-energise for a new demanding, but fun day.