Business excellence and community involvement ensure success for the Mövenpick Hotel Bur Dubai

Led by Thomas Tapken, General Manager, the hotel has proven itself to be a worthy competitor in the Dubai marketplace, establishing the Swiss Hotel Chain in a unique and exciting way, with not only the renowned high Swiss standards of service and cuisine, but also a variety of charity events noted for their creativity and innovation.

Children and charity have been the driving force behind many of the hotel's most ingenious events, the most successful yet being the building of the biggest heart in the UAE to celebrate St Valentine's Day. Comprising 6,500 balloons, the 12.5-metre heart was built with a metal frame at the entrance to the hotel. With extraordinary support by our sponsors, most balloons contained prizes for the lucky buyer - such as Swiss International Airlines tickets, hundreds of Wafi Bears, and many other delightful gifts. The money raised was given as a 'Gift of Hope' to children in Iran and Iraq.

The coming year will introduce a bevy of new and exciting charity based challenges and celebrations, involving the local community, business partners and the team at Mövenpick Hotel Bur Dubai, promising to excite and delight everyone who participates.

Mövenpick Hotel Bur Dubai has strategically positioned itself within the market place as one of the best city business hotels, offering guests a distinctly unique and personalized five star experience, firmly based in the Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts approach of giving guests a home away from home. Gastronomy has been the focus for 2004 with the introduction of a new Executive Chef who brought with him a very talented team. With this comes the introduction of new flavours, new dishes and new menus, contributing to a considerable increase in popularity with both visitors and resident guests.

With an enhanced focus on guest needs, banqueting opportunities at the hotel have been strongly promoted on the Dubai market. One of the prime target markets are weddings, with a new precedence set for style and quality in designing wedding packages.

Tapken says: ' the successful re-branding of a hotel in a vibrant and growing international market such as Dubai has been one of my biggest challenges yet. The success of the property is due to an effective operational team of department heads and committed staff, who have set the fundamental structure for future prosperity. What makes the difference is our people, our energy and our drive. '

'Our vision for the future of Mövenpick is based around these philosophies, ensuring success for both the Mövenpick Hotel Bur Dubai, and the Group's current and future projects within the UAE. '