Two years ago he received the international award as director of the year in the field of hotels for the Middle East, now Giacomo Puntel , 44 years old from Cagliari, has reached another coveted milestone: he will be the resort manager of Anantara World Islands, a dream located on an island 4 kilometers off the coast of Dubai.
The property has decided to focus on him again to launch the exclusivity of a thousand and one nights tourism in the world. Behind him international experiences like the one in Gordon Ramsey's restaurant - the well-known chef and TV personality - in London, but when he started “I was a dishwasher, peeled potatoes and didn't speak a word of English”.
What does this new assignment consist of?
“I will be the first resort manager, responsible from A to Z for marketing, customer satisfaction, food and beverage, staff and employees. So the whole field of hospitality to be sure that those who come to us have a top stay ".
Will he be in charge of how many people?
"161, and there are also two Italians: a girl who currently works in Capri and who will be restaurant manager, and another who will be duty manager, the sector that focuses on reception and customer assistance".
Who are your employers?
“The island on which the structure is located belongs to Seven Tides, we at Anantara are the hotel operators, we have signed an agreement that lasts 15 years for the management of the resort. Anantara in turn is headed by Minor, which has hotels all over the world ”.
Is recovering after the pandemic difficult even for the giants of your sector?
“There has been a lot of negative publicity because some say the islands are disappearing. The property, on the other hand, managed to prove otherwise and to build what I call a paradise. The works lasted almost four years and dealt with all logistical problems: we know well that transporting materials from the mainland to an island is not easy ”.
What do you propose?
“We are the first hotel to open on the archipelago: 70 villas with swimming pools on the beach, with private access. A terrace where you can eat and relax, a Spa with 7 cabins, a gym and a children's area because we also cater to families. From the coast of Dubai we take our customers to the island with 25-seater speedboats ”.
Do you eat Italian food?
"Also. There are two restaurants, a Mediterranean one with a mainly fish-based menu, and an Indian-Arab one ”.
Mediterranean therefore also something Sardinian or not?
“Of course, for example the bottarga, which we buy from the importers who are here in Dubai. And the wines: cannonau and vermentino ”.
Can you tell us some of the exclusive services?
“The opportunity for couples to dine inside transparent bubbles, which have a controlled temperature all year round. You sit, eat, admire the view. It is unique in the Middle East, we are the first to offer it ”.
There's more?
“Breakfast or tea served on a platform in the middle of the sea, for example”.
Will there also be particular attention to the environment?
"Yes, we will not have water in the bottles, we bought a desalination plant from England to avoid plastic and we will try to reuse the leftovers as compost for plants or to feed the fish."
A dream with stellar costs?
“Anyone looking for a certain type of tourism knows that it is not cheap. Prices are affordable but definitely not low. Customers know that instead of going to the Maldives they can come here, they spend a week at the most, it is more difficult because being on an island is not easy, for figures around $ 1,200-1,300 a night ”.
This promotion is a new career leap for you, what do you expect in the future?
“In the meantime, do everything possible to ensure that the resort's business is a success and to be recognized in 2022 as one of the best destinations in the Middle East and, why not, also in the world. For me personally, perhaps to manage not only a structure but a cluster, a set of companies ".
How is life now in Dubai? A year ago there was talk of a resumption of tourism.
“Today, with the start of the Expo, we are back to the levels of 2019 at least for properties with access to the sea. The facilities are nearly full, with occupancy rates of 90-95 percent. Covid cases have dropped below 100 per day and the restrictions are minimal: mask and spacing. Restaurants are open, discos and bars too. An almost normal life ".
Are there also no vaxes there?
"Absolutely no. Since the vaccines are provided by the government, virtually everyone has joined the campaign. Anyway, whoever comes here to work must have done the first and second dose before the contract ”.
Did Italian tourists arrive?
“Some do, along with the Swiss, the Germans, and the British who are now returning to travel as before. Most of the clientele this year was Russian, before it was European ".
Are there many structures that have suffered such a collapse that they have been closed?
“Those that had suspended activities are now reopening. Dubai remains a destination that many want to visit, and there are many hotels that will open by the end of the year and in 2022. The recovery continues, the room occupancy rate is growing. The feeling is a bit that Covid is present, but at the same time it is a bad memory ".
Did you manage to return to Sardinia?
"Yes, two weeks in September to see my family again."
And is the desire to go back to live there still?
“He has never abandoned me. Who knows, if one day there was a right position, a right job opportunity, I could evaluate. I miss my land but there are many things that don't work ”.
What should tourism entrepreneurs in Sardinia learn from those in the Emirates?
“I start by saying that, as many know, labor in the Middle East has lower costs and therefore structures can afford more employees. In Italy, people usually work a lot with seasonal workers. But I think the secret of success lies in having staff with international experience, who speak two or three languages. In that way, much more tourism could be attracted, while now one goal is missing, that of making oneself unique in hospitality. One can become a director, but a director must try to offer something that cannot be found elsewhere. It is clear that supporting certain investments is not for everyone, but support is needed in this. We have fantastic properties in Sardinia, we should try to open our mentality a little and at least try to always be at the forefront ".