New opening
Grape expectations
Grapeskin offers wines based on your mood
La Ville Hotel and Suites prides itself on its F&B offerings. That’s no different to any number of establishments across Dubai but director of restaurants Mislene Dos Santos is adamant the hotel is offering something unique. Dos Santos says: “We wanted to be very different and bring a different offer to our F&B. “I think what makes a huge difference is our team as we handpicked each and every one. We also wanted to bring people from free standing properties and not be hotel driven, so they can be themselves and bring something to the venue. “We didn’t open everything at the same time and the first one to open was Chival which was very popular because it was breakfast, lunch and dinner.” Dos Santos says that the formula is working and that people are starting to take notice of what’s going on at La Ville. “I think we are now creating an awareness with the beautiful courtyard in the evening where people can sit and have a glass of wine in the evening,” she says. “It’s very important the staff put their heart into it too, heart is very important because they need to really love F&B and be happy about it. “When they are happy they will treat the guests well and they will keep coming back . You have to ask do you really love what you do?” She says that not only being the only hotel in the area but also the only licensed premises has proved advantageous. “We offer wine by the glass across the entire property and I think it is really attracting a lot of people,” she says. “It’s about creating awareness to make people find us and come to us and creating an amazing experience with great service.” says Alvaro. “For now we are still in the beginning stages so we still need to find our way and figure out who our customers are and what our target audience is.” HIRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE Alvaro says: “Because we are an Autograph Hotel we are able to look at the details more than if we were a typically corporate hotel. “Actually if you have the right team together then it becomes a fun exercise.” So what makes the perfect team member at La Ville? “You do not want to have the typical hotel associate who is extremely streamlined, you need to have quirkiness, we’re looking for Generation Y but with heart and passion behind it, this is what we are looking for,” says Roeder. 42
HOTEL NEWS ME March 2017
Graze is a key part of La Ville
Markus Roeder, general manager
THE MARKET It’s no secret that the market has seen turbulent times recently so how does Roeder and his team plan to stay afloat in choppy waters? “The market conditions are not so easy, at this moment. We’ve just opened, so we’re working on awareness and making sure we get our brand out there and position ourselves,” he says. Alvaro explains how a branding agency was hired to look after each of the restaurant brands. “The concepts are very young and different, especially Grapeskin, the wine bar, which is a very different concept compared to the other bars.
It has a lot of different ideas in addition to a personalised service as well,” she says. “We have a concept in which we matched the mood of the customer with the wine we serve them. “All in all, it’s a really fun place. A business person can come here to relax after work and it is a good hangout for a group of friends.” “We have a great cocktail menu which is a little bit different from the ordinary, we had a beverage consultant flying in from the UK to create alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages,” she says. “We are now part of the Autograph Collection, which is under the Marriott umbrella but is actually not a brand but a collection of hotels so you can have very different companies coming under the Autograph name.” While the hotel has only been operational since 14 December, Alvaro is delighted with the response so far. “People didn’t know there was a hotel coming here and a lot of people walked in here to ask whether it was an apartment hotel or actually a hotel and if the restaurants are related to the accommodation,” she says.