Pam Wilby, general manager of Grosvenor House Dubai and Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, was last night named General Manager of the Year in the JC Mclean Hotelier Awards 2005.
In addition, her colleague Ivan Di Lucia, chef patron of Ossigeno (Le Royal Meridien), was named Chef of the Year.
Running for the second year in Dubai, the awards recognise hotel staff at all levels. For the category of General Manager of the Year the judges were looking for a role model and a person ready to face challenges head on, as well as showing communication excellence with both staff and guests.
After receiving the award, Wilby said: “General managers are only as good as their team. This year’s launch of Grosvenor House, as well as the exciting refurbishments at Le Royal Meridien, have ensured a year full of challenges and emotions and I have felt supported all the way by my team.”
Wilby manages a combined team of over 1,000 people across the two hotels and she always strives to reward her staff in innovative ways. One example is the recently launched Grosvenor Grammies – yearly awards that allow staff members to experience the glitz and glamour of a gala dinner.
“After all, they put so much effort into organising these events behind the scenes, why not have them test drive the product?” says Wilby.
Also rewarded for his ever popular restaurant and his first class menu engineering, was Ivan Di Lucia, the Italian chef patron of Ossigeno at Le Royal Meridien.
The judges recognised his innovative menu creations, team spirit and character. Di Lucia says: “I have been in Dubai now for over four years now and I feel at home. Ossigeno has given me the opportunity to cook the food that I love with a team that I respect. This award will give me and the team and extra boost to surprise customers with even more exciting menus in 2006.”
Note to Editors: London-based Le Méridien is a global hotel group with a portfolio of more than 130 luxury and upscale hotels in 56 countries worldwide. The majority of its properties are located in the world's top cities and resorts throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. The company also enjoys a strategic alliance with JAL-owned Nikko Hotels, providing loyal guests access to an additional 46 properties around the world. In the 2005 Luxury Brand Status Index survey Le Méridien was recognised as one of the top 15 luxury hotel brands.
