Rosewood Abu Dhabi‘s managing director, Remus Palimaru, has extensive experience in the hotel industry, having overseen some of the world’s leading and most luxurious global hotel brands.
Palimaru’s hands-on approach belies a passion for service excellence, motivating talent development within his team.
Here, he shares a glimpse into his daily schedule balancing work, fitness, and family time to maintain peak performance and wellbeing.
6am: I wake up at the same time every morning. After hydrating my body with a large glass of water, I like to meditate for 10 to 15 minutes to increase my focus and mental clarity for the day ahead.
6.30am: I prepare breakfast for my daughter and myself. I usually make myself a protein shake, with fresh berries, which are rich in fibre foods, nuts and fruit.
6.45am: Breakfast time with my daughter discussing homework assignments for her and her day ahead.
7am: I run to work the distance to the Rosewood Abu Dhabi property is exactly 3km. I run it daily regardless of the weather and it takes me about 18 minutes.
7.20am: I am in our hotel gym and after a short stretching exercise, I proceed with my workout routine. I attend the gym six times a week every morning between 7.20am and 8:30am.
9am: I start the working day with a morning meeting with my senior leadership team. We recap the day prior – any guest issues to be followed-up on, then move on to the arrivals of the day, our cultural values, birthdays of any associates or guests, anniversaries of associates and other important events in the hotel.
9.30am: I do my morning hotel walk around, greeting guests in Aqua, our stunning breakfast restaurant with views of the city or Manor Club. I also pass through the lobby, event space and heart of house (Talent & Culture, Housekeeping, Kitchens).
10.30am: I usually schedule meetings, paperwork to sign, and administrative work for an hour.
11.30am: Another walk of the lobby, greeting my teams in all front of house departments – for around check-out time, I like to greet departing guests and ask them about their stay and wish them a safe journey.
12.30pm: Lunchtime – I like to have a light meal, healthy, full of vitamins, minerals and high in protein.
1pm: Back to the office – and continue with various meetings, and admin work.
2pm: One-on-one meetings with my direct reports and other leaders of the hotel – these are regularly scheduled by my amazing executive assistant.
4pm: I go for an evening walk around the hotel to greet guests on their arrivals, rooftop pool area, and our Hidden Bar, La Cava – to ensure they are all ready for a busy evening ahead. I like to greet the teams before they start their shift, ensuring they are all motivated and happy.
6.30pm: I change and get ready for my run home (same 3km as I did in the morning).
7pm: I have dinner with my family. Then, I spend time with my daughter reading her a book or doing some playtime, then assisting with her bedtime routine.
9pm: As soon as I get into bed, I read for a while so that I can sleep by 10pm. This allows me to get eight hours of continued sleep, necessary to remain sharp and balanced throughout the day.