JUNE 2020
GM INTERVIEW
Irish Hospitality
John Clifton, general manager of The Bonnington Jumeirah Lakes Towers, tells Hotel & Catering News Middle East all about the first full-service, fully licensed, luxury hotel in the Jumeirah Lakes Towers neighbourhood and the only Irish familyowned and operated hotel in Dubai Clifton is a well-seasoned hotelier with over thirty years of experience within the hospitality industry. Born in Dublin in 1958 and after completing full time education at Blackrock College Dublin, he didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps as a Structual Engineer and had considered law, but during an indecisive time his father drew his attention to an ad in the Irish Times inviting applications for a Hotel Management Programme with Irelands largest hotel, The Burlington. Following an interview, within a week, destiny took over. In summary, Clifton worked his way through each department learning every facet of the business with very hands-on experience which has been invaluable and over a period of thirty years and went from being a junior to general manager. Although he completed an academic degree in Hotel Management, the kind of experience the Burlington offered was invaluable and cannot be taught as the nature of the business can only be fully appreciated in a hands on way, and at this point there was not much that he had not experienced. The only constant is change and after closing the Burlington and then reopening the Burlington under old and new ownership, he worked with The Dalata Group, currently Ireland’s most successful and largest hotel group. When an opportunity to make a change and come to 32
HOTEL & CATERING NEWS ME
the UAE arrived, and resulted in making the move eight years ago, Clifton joined The Bonnington Hotel and McGettigan’s group in 2013. His career in the hospitality industry and extensive knowledge made him the ideal candidate to lead the The Bonnigton Jumeirah Lakes Towers and position the property as the frontrunner in Dubai's luxury hotel market.
With over 40 years in hospitality, I have experienced many challenges, each unique in their circumstances, including recession, changes of ownership, environmental issues such as foot and mouth, bird flu, and more.
What are the unique points of the hotel? Ideally located in the heart of Jumeirah Lakes Towers along Sheikh Zayed Road, The Bonnington is the only standalone Irish Hotel in Dubai offering genuine Irish Hospitality and quality service. It is within walking distance of a host of luxury shopping facilities, malls, restaurants, bars, metro line, numerous beaches, the world’s top golf courses and a few minutes’ drive away from the International Airports, making it an ideal location for tourists and business visitors alike. The beautifully designed hotel features 188 rooms and 20 suites, 272 deluxe serviced hotel apartments comprising one, two and three-bedroom units, five outstanding restaurants and bars and six fully equipped conference suites. The hotel also offers a unique Leisure Deck on the 11th floor which has an infinity style swimming pool and a panoramic pool bar where you can enjoy a refreshing beverage or a quick WWW.HOTELNEWSME.COM