AEHL Dubai Alumni gathering as Chapter President – October 2008

This 4 day AEHL gathering of alumni from Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne was a great chance to catch up with fellow students and network with 250 alumni who came from all over the world. We also had some terrific opportunities to visit some spectacular hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

After a day for the Alumni Chapter Presidents to discuss the current and future, the main event began on Thursday, October 16th with an intro to Dubai’s premier development company, Nakheel. The group then had a site visit to the newly opened Emaar Hospitality property; The Address, Marc Dardenne who is an EHL graduate of 1981 and CEO of Emaar Hospitality Group, welcomed the participants for lunch. The location offered a breathtaking view of Burj Dubai, the future tallest building in the world.

In the afternoon there was a visit to Sahari Village the Hyatt’s staff village and the evening ended with an amazing Gala Dinner at the Atlantis The Palm.
On Friday, October 17th, events included a visit to the “Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority Experience Centre” and lunch at the Rotana Beach Hotel in Abu Dhabi. This was followed by a visit and high tea at the Emirates Palace, the jewel in the Kempinski crown. Built by the Abu Dhabi Government for US$3 billion, this hotel is considered as the most expensive ever built.

In the evening, there was Jumana – Secret of the Desert & Dinner, a spectacular show celebrating the Arabian region’s rich history and culture with over 60 dancers
On Saturday, October 18th, the groups broke into smaller sections and we visited Atlantis with a back of house tour through all the kitchens and including the fish hospital. The event ended with a lovely farewell dinner at the Park Hyatt.

View of Burj Dubai from the address/ Afternoon tea at Abu Dhabi’s Palace Hotel and back of house kitchen tour of Atlantis.