Alper Kucukbaycan
Complex Director of Operations, The Westin & Le Méridien Hotels, City Centre Bahrain

You have recently taken on your role. Please tell us what it entails.
Complex Director of Operations at one of the biggest hotels in Bahrain is a role that involves a lot of time, dedication, passion for service, day-to-day follow up with clients, VIPs, projects and daily operations. A lot of interaction during the day with guests and subordinates especially on weekends, when we have a high occupancy.

What do you like most about your job and what aspect is the most challenging?
As hoteliers, we should not stop creating new products to excite our guests that eventually enhance our financial performance. In today’s market, we have to be always agile and updated on market happenings, which can sometimes be challenging in the way that you need to dedicate a lot of time to this and convince your team to have the teamwork and dedication to bring projects and ideas to fruition. But, on the other hand, it gives a sense of fulfillment seeing the results, growing business and growing talents within the company.

After almost 20 years in the hospitality industry, what is the funniest or strangest thing you have encountered?
Back in the day, in my post in Caribbean, hurricane season in that region was new to me and it certainly took a while to adjust.
Also, working for a pre-opening with hundreds of people from different parts of the world all coming together to get a property ready to receive guests can be very funny and interesting. I have experienced this a few times in my career journey.