Firas Al Alami
Riyadh,Saudi Arabia
Summary
Experienced General Manager with 25 years in hotel operations across 11 hotels in the MENA region. Proven expertise in budgeting, revenue maximisation, and guest satisfaction management. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, presenting business strategies and development plans to achieve ROI. Extensive background in pre-opening and renovation phases, overseeing project handovers and ensuring compliance with local regulations.
Overview
2
2
Languages
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Hotel General Manager
Accor Hotels and Resorts – Ibis Riyadh Al Olaya Hotel – Riyadh / KSA (176 Rooms).
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2025.12 - Current
- Craft and execute a comprehensive strategic vision for the hotel, ensuring alignment with Accor Corporate goals, engage in long -term planning to set performance targets and spearhead business expansion and growth initiatives.
- Ensured smooth daily operations, upheld exceptional guest service standards, and maintained rigorous protocols to enhance guest experience.
- Direct financial strategy, inducing budget management, financial planning, and reporting, implement measures for cost control and methods to maximise revenue.
- Champion commercial endeavours by identifying lucrative market opportunities and crafting robust business strategies. Drive revenue through innovative sales, marketing and revenue management tactics. Ensure that commercial activities are aligned with the unique brand proposition of the hotel.
- Uphold superior quality standards and ensure compliance with brand guidelines, legal regulations, and industry benchmarks, regular conduct quality assessments and audits.
- Oversee all aspects of human resources management, including recruitment, training, development and performance management to be aligned with ACCOR in people and culture practices and policies.
- Foster high levels of guest satisfaction through impeccable service and prompt resolution of feedback and complaints. Build and maintain enduring relationships with clients and stakeholders.
- Engaged with stakeholders, including local communities, business partners, and authorities, to strengthen hotel's market position and reputation.
- Leading the hotel team of 75 colleagues, 8 department heads to achieve the best financial results aligned with budgets.
- Initiated F&B and rooms activities that maximised revenue generation across all hotel aspects.
- Responsibilities:
- Achievements:
- Enhancing the hotel ranking in Booking.com from 7.7 as Good to 8.1 as Very Good. Google ranking from 3.7 to 3.9 within 6 months of Operations.
General Manager Operations – UAE
Valtrans Transport Solutions Company – UAE
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2025.01 - 2025.11
- Lead day to day operations for more than 100 locations in UAE for the Valet parking services with supervising around 2500 Drivers all over UAE.
- Reduced company turnover by 15% compared to last year, collected 4M Dhs in bad debts through diligent follow-ups, and improved Google ratings for cash locations.
- Evaluated revenue opportunities at cash locations to identify strategies for increasing daily income across all sites.
- Evaluating and comparing daily revenue with the staffing number of each location in order to have the right manpower of each site and reallocate others to different locations.
- Working very closely with the credit department to collect all the dues from other companies, hotels to minimise the credit ageing of the company and saving the cash flow of the group.
- Developed comprehensive learning and development programmes for drivers, enhancing service quality across all cash and non-cash locations.
- Supervising the Events operations and initiated several formulas of orders to hotels and city events in order to maximise the orders revenue from the team allocations.
- Meeting and build strong relationships with all stakeholders of the locations such as GM Hotels, CEOs of Malls, Heads of Operations of DXB Airports, and other entities that we provide valet parking services.
Hotel General Manager
Al Khoory Hotels – Al Khoory Sky Garden Hotel – DXB / UAE (279 Rooms).
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2022.04 - 2024.12
- Being fully in charge of the property as GM and leading a team of 200 colleagues, 10 head of departments.
- Led the hotel commercial team to boost the occupancy level and generate the maximum revenue from all revenue centres in the hotel.
- Managed monthly costs and balanced P&L figures to maximise GOP and NOP for hotel stakeholders.
- Accountable for achieving and exceeding business goals, key performance standards and measures in line with Al Khoory Hotels brand standards.
- Running day to day of operations from all aspects of 279 keys with a wide range with room categories.
- 5 Food and beverage outlets.
- Ballroom with separators can fit easily up to 200 guests for several events.
- Spa with 3 massage treatments along with full range of recreation facilities.
- Supervised team to enhance guest satisfaction ratings across social media platforms.
- Enhancing the hotel ranking in TripAdvisor from 444 out of 850 to 100s out of 850 hotels in Dubai within 3 years of operation.
- Rated 8.4 out of 10 at Booking.com – Very good.
- STR Positioning – 1 out 8 on Occupancy % / 4 out of 8 on ADR / 3 out of 8 on RevPAR at Deira district.
- Actioned customer feedback to enhance hotel services and facilities.
- Conducted regular staff training sessions to enhance customer service skills and product knowledge.
- Managed contractors to address snagging points before the warranty expiration.
- Dealing with Al Khoory Hotels corporate office along with the company stakeholders / owners.
Director of Operations / Fully In charge of the hotel
Rotana Hotels & Resorts – Hala Arjaan by Rotana – UAE (166 Rooms).
Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates
2021.10 - 2022.03
- Oversaw daily operations of hotel, collaborating with team members and cluster department heads to ensure seamless service across Rooms, F&B, Spa, and Sales.
- Oversaw daily hotel operations
- Accountable for achieving and exceeding business goals, key performance standards and measures in line with Rotana brand standards.
- Meet the stakeholders on a monthly basis to discuss budgets, forecasting and monthly P&L figures.
- Followed up with departments to screen and monitor their monthly P&L reports and undertook cost control measures.
- Engage constantly with major accounts of the hotel, in-house guests, and any future potential business.
- Leading the facilities team along with all refurbishment / renovation projects at the hotel.
- Monitored guest feedback across online channels, responding promptly to enhance guest satisfaction and meet expectations.
- Participated in recruitment process for new staff, supporting all HR activities to build a strong team.
Executive Assistant Manager/ Deputy General Manager
Rotana Hotels & Resorts - Erbil Rotana, Iraq (201 Rooms)
Erbil, Iraq
2018.04 - 2021.09
- Manage day-to-day operations of the entire hotel including Rooms, F&B, Spa, Sales, etc across staff of 250 personnel including 11 department heads
- Accountable for achieving and exceeding business goals, key performance standards and measures in line with Rotana brand standards and purpose
- Direct and manage projects related to the renovation and refurbishment of hotel outlets and rooms. Achievements: Exceeded assigned targets: GOP – 9%, Revenue – 10%, Rooms ADR/ RevPAR – 5%, NPS - 5%
- Collaborated with commercial team to identify and secure future business opportunities, maximising occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR to meet revenue budgets; served on budgeting and forecasting committee (2019-2022)
- Cultivated relationships with major accounts, in-house guests, diplomatic missions, and visiting delegations to enhance guest experience and hotel reputation
- Lead the F&B team on new initiatives and opportunities to increase traffic and revenues
- Analysed guest satisfaction survey results to identify trends and implement improvements, enhancing overall guest experience
- Achieved one of the highest guest satisfaction scores across Rotana hotels chain.
- Erbil Rotana was adjudged as "Best Business Hotel in Iraq" by "World Travel Awards" from 2012 to 2019.
Pre – opening Property Executive Assistant Manager/ Deputy General Manager
Rotana Hotels & Resorts – Erbil Arjaan by Rotana – Kurdistan (168 Rooms)
Erbil, Iraq
2017.02 - 2018.03
- Led HODs during pre-opening phase, ensuring alignment across departments
- Supervise and test all operations before opening the hotel as dry run period.
- Test and commission all MEP services with Engineering team before opening
- Collaborated with building contractors to monitor progress until handover.
- Coordinated with contractors post-soft opening to address any project-related defaults before official handover
- Follow up with Sales and Marketing teams to have an acceptable occupancy base upon opening
- Oversaw all project responsibilities.
- Secured significant contracts with major organisations in the region, including Oil & Gas companies, UN organisations and NGOs
Director of Front Office Operations
Rotana Hotels & Resorts – Several Hotels
Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates
2007.04 - 2017.01
Education
Bachelor of Science - Hotel Management
Al Zaytoonah, University of Jordan
Amman, Jordan2007-01
Diploma - Hospitality Management
Ammon College
Jordan2004-01
Skills
- Strategic partnerships, Risk management, Revenue optimisation, conflict resolution, Operational excellence, Self-motivation, Budgeting, Commercial acumen, Customer focus, Business operations
- Guest relations
- Culinary operations
- Community engagement
- Operational excellence
- Customer focus
- Customer service excellence
- Staff leadership
- Conflict resolution
- Risk management
- Self-motivation
- Business operations
- Staff leadership
Languages
English
Proficient
C2
Arabic
Proficient
C2
Custom
- Nationality – Jordanian; Holding Golden UAE Visa & KSA Residence visa / UAE & KSA Driving License; DOB – Dec 30, 1978
- Cities: Amman - Jordan, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain – UAE, Erbil – Kurdistan Region and Riyadh – KSA.
TASK FORCE:
- Al Marwa Rayhaan by Rotana – Makkah – KSA Jan 2018
- Centro Capital Center – Abu Dhabi – UAE Jan 2014
Timeline
Hotel General Manager
Accor Hotels and Resorts – Ibis Riyadh Al Olaya Hotel – Riyadh / KSA (176 Rooms).
2025.12 - Current
General Manager Operations – UAE
Valtrans Transport Solutions Company – UAE
2025.01 - 2025.11
Hotel General Manager
Al Khoory Hotels – Al Khoory Sky Garden Hotel – DXB / UAE (279 Rooms).
2022.04 - 2024.12
Director of Operations / Fully In charge of the hotel
Rotana Hotels & Resorts – Hala Arjaan by Rotana – UAE (166 Rooms).
2021.10 - 2022.03
Executive Assistant Manager/ Deputy General Manager
Rotana Hotels & Resorts - Erbil Rotana, Iraq (201 Rooms)
2018.04 - 2021.09
Pre – opening Property Executive Assistant Manager/ Deputy General Manager
Rotana Hotels & Resorts – Erbil Arjaan by Rotana – Kurdistan (168 Rooms)
2017.02 - 2018.03
Director of Front Office Operations
Rotana Hotels & Resorts – Several Hotels
2007.04 - 2017.01
Bachelor of Science - Hotel Management
Al Zaytoonah, University of Jordan
Diploma - Hospitality Management
Ammon College