"Goal to be top"

Bugra Berberoglu, General Manager of Emirates Palace Hotel. Abu Dhabi - Arabstoday   In an exclusive interview with Emirates Palace's new General Manager, Mr. Bugra Berberoglu expressed his gratitude for having this prestigious position, and highlighted the latest projects the Emirates Palace is keen on finishing by the end of 2011. "Since our opening in 2005, we have established superior standards for the hotel industry in Abu Dhabi and the wider region. As Abu Dhabi continues to grow we will strive to maintain our number one spot in the capital by continuing to invest in our staff and developing innovative offerings so that we are always providing the best services internationally." Since he arrived five weeks ago, Bugra and his team have been working on several new projects for the hotel, which will be announced in the coming months. "Our aim is to confirm that we are the number one hotel in the world. In order to do that we will work continuously to improve ourselves and to innovate, by offering ongoing training to all staff, reviewing our food and beverage offerings regularly, and expanding our leisure facilities" he said. Speaking about the relationship between the hotel and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, ADTA, he said, "We maintain an important strategic partnerships with ADTA, and Etihad Airlines, and I believe that together, through the leadership of ADTA, we will ensure the development of a sustainable tourism industry in the city of Abu Dhabi." Bugra added "There are many new hotels being built in Abu Dhabi, and through the excellent management of ADTA, and the growth of Etihad Airlines, Abu Dhabi will be one of the best destinations worldwide." New plans and developments at Emirates Palace Mr. Berberoglu highlighted during the meeting that the latest project at Emirates Palace is a state-of-the-art marina featuring 173 slips, built in “true Abu Dhabi style”. "We are currently developing the entire area around the Marina where we will eventually have several dining outlets, shops, and a new ballroom. We are currently in the final stages of finalizing plans to open an Emirates Palace yacht club at the marina, as well as a large fitness center." Discussing the excitement of opening the new marina, he added “Since we’ve just opened the marina and development is ongoing, we are offering fantastic opportunities for the marine leisure community in the way of special promotions. If you sign with us in marina now, you can take advantage of incredible pricing, and in two to three years, when we finish the developments, it will be difficult to find such great rates." Speaking about new activities planned for the coming months, he mentioned several different events, "We're looking to finalise an annual Emirates Palace Yacht Show, held at our marina. We have signed a letter of intent with a well-known polo company to host Kempinski's first traditional polo event in Abu Dhabi and we're hoping to host the first annual polo game in Abu Dhabi, early next year." "As part of our commitment to culture, we are also working on bringing incredible art to Abu Dhabi. We are planning two special exhibitions in the next year, one featuring hanging statues and another that will showcase works by renowned painters from around the world, including mural art." Mr Berberoglu concluded by saying " The second half of 2011 will offer many exciting occasions for our guests and the local community to come and share in our authentic palace tradition of offering extraordinary experiences for everyone. We are looking forward to the upcoming art exhibitions, classical music concerts, ballet performances, and much more. Our special events have been always a great success and we continue to see growing demand from the local community for remarkable cultural offerings.  We are proud to serve as an icon for the city and a symbol of its warm hospitality.