Mr. Semih Elbaba, the Hotel Manager of Rixos Seagate Sharm, is talking about what attracts international and local luxury travelers to the resort. The hotel has been named the best in its area according to the Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2018.

Mr. Semih, we are truly amazed by what your hotel has to offer to the guests. Where do your ideas come from? What is your inspiration?

All our ideas are coming directly from our hearts. When we just started with our vision of introducing a brand-new concept to the tourism industry of Egypt, we were dreaming to create not only a brand name that would stand out, but a company that has parts of our souls. We are all the Heartiest and we merge our past experiences with our love to reach the best guest satisfaction, exceeding their expectations.

Probably most people know that Rixos is a global brand. How much creativity are you allowed to implement in your region? Do some things have to remain the same for the whole chain?

Although Rixos Hotels is a global brand, each separate hotel has its own dynamics and flexibility in operations according to the region of its location and the country’s cultural traditions. That is why we do our best to satisfy our guests in accordance with Rixos brand standards, but we also have a unique approach that is culturally appropriate for our location.

What are the peculiarities of running this business in Egypt? What would you name to be your biggest challenge?

First, the climate here is ideal for tourism: on average we have 360 sunny days per year on the South Sinai. This is an all-year-round destination, so we can consider ourselves lucky as the country combines the Red Sea wonders, rich history and amazing weather conditions. As for the biggest challenge, we can say that as hoteliers we faced it while implementing a brand-new concept to the tourism field of Egypt, as Rixos “All Inclusive – All Exclusive” concept was a unique and new experience for the whole area.

Tell us about your staff. Do you prefer to hire locals or recruit internationally?

Rixos team members are of international origins, but most of our colleagues are locals. We have a strong multi-level training basis with international couches for each team member. Our training program includes personalized orientations, online and offline job trainings and much more.

This year your hotel became the winner of Luxury Lifestyle Awards, named #1 Luxury Hotel in Sharm El Sheikh. How do you feel about this recognition? How are you planning to use it in the promotion of your hotel?

We are very proud to be selected as #1 Luxury Hotel in the region although it has not been long since we opened. It is an honor for us and we strongly believe it has been the result of our dedicated team work. As the Luxury Lifestyle Awards is an organization that exclusively focuses on the luxury segment of lifestyle and travel, we believe that promoting this award in the traditional and digital mass media will have a good effect to attract the luxury travelers and promote the Rixos Brand in Egypt.

Mr. Semih, tell us a bit about your plans for the future: which countries are you planning to target in 2018 in terms of guests? Do you have any cool surprises or innovations planned for this year?

Yes, there is a lot in the pipeline for sure. We would like to be put on the map, like Cairo or Hurghada in Egypt, or well-known international destinations like Maldives. We do have a surprise for our guests which will be soon announced in media. I will spare you the details, but we are going to operate the biggest Aqua Venture Park in Sharm el Sheikh.