By With a 30 year-career in hospitality spanning several continents, the General Manager at Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, Mr. Mohamed Al Aghoury is the true embodiment of Marriott’s “People First”. From the people working around him, to the greater community at large, this is truly one of the first times that we at The Arrival are able to witness what a holistic, intentional and genuine approach looks like.
Mr. Al-Aghoury began his career in the hospitality industry in Egypt as an intern in the front office from where he quickly moved on to sales and marketing. Fast forward a few years and soon there were only a few who didn’t know the name of this remarkable hotelier in the fast-growing tourism industry of Dubai. Now in Maldives, he believes that the Maldivian concept of one-island one resort is unique, “I’m glad to be in Maldives now after all this time, The sea, sun and sand is an unmatched environment”. He believes that one of the most important assets to be armed with in the industry is an enduring strong-willed patience. It is vital to be able to absorb the guest’s needs and requirements and expectations as well as to manage the team.
“We work 24/7, 365 days and the hotel never closes. So it’s a tough industry and it’s a people industry. You want to make everyone happy and that’s of course “almost”. However, in hospitality we try our best to make the majority happy.
With fourteen years as a general manager in the hotel industry under his belt, Mr. Al Aghoury says that motivating your team patiently is an important asset.
“Our industry is also about passion. If you don’t have passion for this industry, you should not work in this industry. You need to love it to be able to work long hours and many days”.
As for the Maldivian product, he remarked how we in Maldives receive a healthy mix of visitors. However, Mr. Al- Aghoury also believes that future endeavors lie in a united effort by resorts, government entities and stakeholders reaching out to untapped markets and markets such as the Middle-East where the numbers are relatively fewer when compared to locations such as Asia and Europe.
“So, definitely we need to work on maintaining the existing big markets and growing the markets that come with small numbers. I think some of the new markets that have potential to come to Maldives are Latin America. I would say Brazil, Argentina… thay area of Latin America because this is big population and has a lot of potential”
His longevity in the industry may lie in a simple understanding of the human element, “You need to understand the people around you. You need to put yourself in those shoes. You need to deal with them as human beings”. He says that the key is to first truly understand any issues they are facing and then to try and remove any demotivation by looking at how they are growing in life and in their careers. “Try to understand the problems, help them, motivate them and create some challenges for them”, he said.
As for the future, Mr. Aghoury believes that the key is evolving with artificial intelligence as a tool to develop function within the industry.
“We always need the human beings and the people in our industry. So, AI will definitely never replace the people in our industry. However, we should use AI smartly to enhance the guest experience, to enhance the guest’s stay in the hotels. The guests are not only here to just eat and enjoy the beach, but also to talk to people to learn about their beliefs and culture. ”.
With Maldives having almost the same number of inhabited islands as it does resorts and the industry contributing the majority of our GDP, the role of resorts in community cannot be overlooked. Mr. Alghoury highlighted concerted efforts of Marriott International through its Business Council to deliver the 360 culture and back into the community.
A neighbor of the property, students at the local Schools in K. Hura Island conduct field-trip visits to the property to learn about marine biodiversity as well as potential employment and career in the hospitality industry. He noted, “So, there is always communication and there is always cooperation between the hotels and the local islands”.
In-fact, The Arrival team arrived at Sheraton right under the excitement of the inauguration of the second batch of the Marriott International Maldives Apprenticeship Program (MIMAP). This program is in partnership with the Maldivian Ministry of Youth and National Apprenticeship Program (NAP) currently has 37 out of the 43 participants of the first batch as full-time employees of the chain.
An industry expert with the heart of a humanitarian and the mind of a sharp-witted business man. We only wish Mr. Alz Aghoury the best in future endeavors.