Recognition
A returning guest should never be treated as a stranger. I learn names, preferences and histories, and I make sure the rest of the team has them as well.
The Welcome
The first few minutes decide the whole stay.
I am Front Office Supervisor at Cheval Maison, Expo City Dubai, and have been since the property opened in March 2025. The desk is where a long journey becomes somewhere to stay, and where every promise the property has made is tested in the first few minutes.
My responsibilities cover arrivals and departures, guest relations, billing accuracy, and the running of the shift itself: the handover, the team on duty, and the escalations that should reach me rather than the guest. It is a twenty-four hour desk in a 151-residence property, where guests stay a single night or an entire season.
Ten years of Dubai front offices sit behind that, including a 1,015-room Accor property and several years covering as Duty Manager and Night Manager. Different houses, the same discipline.
I hold a Bachelor of Law, which has proved useful preparation. Both disciplines reward the same habits: listening carefully, recording accurately, and remaining composed when a situation is difficult. Hospitality is a discipline rather than a mood.
“A name, used correctly, is the shortest route to a good stay.”
Approach
Three standards I work to.
Attention
Most guests will tell you what they need. The work is listening closely enough to hear it the first time, and acting on it before it has to be asked for again.
Composure
A front desk is measured on the days that go wrong. Overbooked, delayed or misplaced, the standard does not change: address it early, communicate clearly, and resolve it properly.
The House
Cheval Maison,
Expo City Dubai.
The building was the Leadership Pavilion at Expo 2020 -- the room heads of state were received in, and later a venue for COP28. In March 2025 it reopened as 151 residences, from Metro Rooms and studios to Royal Suites, standing alongside the great trellis dome of Al Wasl Plaza.
It runs like a hotel and lives like a home: a rooftop pool over Expo City, TEN-11 and the 7seven7 bakery below, the Metro five minutes away, and a reception that does not close. Guests stay a night or a season, which means the desk has to hold both the precision of a hotel and the familiarity of a neighbour.
- Residences
- 151
- Opened
- March 2025
- Reception
- 24 hours
- Formerly
- Leadership Pavilion
Experience
The register.
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Mar 2025--Present
Front Office Supervisor
Cheval Maison, Expo City Dubai
Joined for the opening of the property. Leading the desk across 151 residences: shift supervision, arrivals and departures, and escalations. Guest relations for long-stay and VIP residents, folio accuracy, and liaison between housekeeping, concierge and reservations.
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Dec 2023--Apr 2025
Front Office Supervisor Acting Duty Manager & Night Manager
Mercure Hotel & Apartments, Barsha Heights, Dubai · 1,015 rooms
Supervising the front office in the absence of the Duty Manager across a 1,015-room property. Blocking VIPs and special requests, training and developing the desk team, and running the night audit through Opera and Micros.
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Jul 2021--Nov 2022
Front Desk Manager Duty Manager
Odessa Hotel, Dubai
Responsible for the running of the front desk: budgets, records and contracts, performance reviews with the desk team, and reporting to the General Manager. Auditing registration cards and billing before they reached accounts.
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Mar 2020--Nov 2020
Front Office Supervisor Acting Duty Manager
Royal Beach Hotel & Resort, Al Fujairah
Supervising the daily shift and allocating rooms against guest preferences and special requests. Standing in for the Duty Manager and Front Office Manager, controlling cash at the desk and reporting on revenue.
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Oct 2018--Mar 2020
Shift Team Leader Acting Night Manager
Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa, Dubai
Leading the shift and covering nights. Scheduling the team, checking cash drawers and bank deposits, and preparing the weekly competition analysis and forecast.
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Jun 2016--Oct 2018
Front Office Agent
St. George Hotel, Dubai
Arrivals and departures, reservations by phone and online, upselling rooms and facilities, and daily liaison with housekeeping. Where the ten years started.
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Degree--Syria
Bachelor of Law
Legal training that suits a front desk: assessing a situation accurately, keeping a precise record, and remaining composed under pressure.
At the Desk
What I am trusted with.
Front office
- Front office operations
- Shift supervision & team handover
- Arrivals, departures & room assignment
- Guest satisfaction & guest relations
- Hotel booking & reservations
- Room service coordination
- Folio management & billing
Systems & strengths
- Opera property management system
- Micros point of sale
- GHA DISCOVERY loyalty
- Microsoft Office, Excel & Outlook
- Night audit & daily sales reporting
- Working under pressure
- Training and developing a desk team
Languages
- ArabicNative
- EnglishFluent
Clear communication in both: speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Commendations
The checkout process was seamless and efficient, and we would like to thank Kotaiba for the smooth and professional assistance.
Reception staff Merline and Kotaiba very helpful and kindly upgraded us to an amazing suite.
Special thanks to Meerim, Kotaiba, and Bouchra for their warmth and professionalism.
Named by guests in reviews continuously from June 2025 to April 2026
Contact
Always at the desk.
Email
kotaiba92f@gmail.com
Telephone
+971 54 506 6378
LinkedIn
Kotaiba Abo Fakher
Based in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates