Latest news with #MatthewSpriegel
Arabian Business
6 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Business
AI-powered platform Atiom announces partnership with Minor Group
AI-powered behavioural change platform Atiom announced a partnership with Minor Group to enhance global communication, training, and guest service at the hospitality major. Minor Group aims to empower its teams, optimise training costs, and enhance operational efficiency and profitability through the collaboration. The initial rollout includes 17,000 licenses across Minor Hotels' diverse portfolio, including the highly acclaimed Anantara Hotels & Resorts, Avani Hotels & Resorts, NH Collection, Tivoli Hotels & Resorts, Oaks Hotels, and Elewana Collection. This initiative will support Minor Group's brand transformation, commercial initiatives, and long-term vision to become the world's leading hospitality group. Matthew Spriegel, CEO of Atiom said the company's digital-first approach aligns with Minor's eco-friendly training and development initiatives, which they are excited to be involved with. 'For us, the partnership provides a fantastic opportunity to expand to new hotels, adding to our growing credibility as a trusted digital transformation partner in the hospitality industry,' he said. Craig Cochrane, Chief People Officer at Minor Hotels, said the launch of Atiom in the Group's hotels across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa has been a key enabler in reinforcing its brand standards of aligning service, culture and communication. 'The platform has already started driving stronger engagement and faster learning across our regions, aligning well with our group-wide transformation,' he said. With Atiom, Minor Hotels' employees gain seamless access to essential company information, while managers can create tailored AI tutor modules, role-play simulations, and quizzes to optimize training. The platform also features tools for self-audits, peer-to-peer recognition, best-practice sharing, and news feeds to keep teams engaged and aligned with company objectives. In addition to operating over 560 hotels, Minor Group also boasts over 2,000 food and beverage outlets globally.
Al Etihad
14-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Personalised attention beats five-star perks in GCC hotel service ratings
15 May 2025 00:12 MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)In the GCC's hospitality market, it's the people - not the perks - making the biggest to the Hotel Service Index: 2025 GCC Edition, personalised attention, friendly staff, and repeatable excellence are the key factors that keep guests coming back to a hotel - and talking about index, covering the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain, was released by AI-driven behavioural platform Atiom, a Hub71 relied on real-time guest reviews to assess what matters most to today's travellers. The data showed that the highest-rated hotels across the GCC are not necessarily the most luxurious, but the ones that consistently deliver personalised experiences, recognise returning guests, and ensure human connection at every touchpoint."Luxury hotels and legacy brand names in hospitality do not top every ranking," the report stated. "Instead, hotels where guest reviews called out great service rose to the top – even at lower-tier hotels."At the heart of this shift is the human element. In one example, a single staff member at a top-performing hotel was named 14 times in guest the index found that while service excellence earns guest satisfaction, personalisation prompts guests to leave positive reviews. "Where guests felt personally attended to, positive reviews followed.""It's never been timelier for MENA's hospitality leaders to consider what drives positive guest experiences as they gear up for a record summer season and growing regional traveller volumes, with markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia forecast to receive over 60 million combined visitors in 2025," Matthew Spriegel, CEO of Atiom, said in a the highest-ranked hotels in the UAE were Vida Emirates Hills, Conrad Dubai, and Radisson Blu Hotel in were followed by Al Khoury Courtyard Hotel, Vida Dubai Marina and Yacht Club, Rove Trade Centre, Ramada Downtown Dubai, Kempinski The Boulevard Dubai, Fujairah Rotana Resort and Spa, and The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection."The UAE has long enjoyed its reputation as the region's hospitality and innovation hub. It's already a mature hospitality market where the competition is fierce," the report stated."If your hospitality team can make it in a city like Dubai, they can make it anywhere. Abu Dhabi has also become a fiercely competitive market as more tech firms attract both leisure and business travellers to the area," it addition to examining hotel performance, the report tracks broader tourism trends across the region."The hospitality industry in the GCC and wider MENA region is undergoing a major transformation, presenting a huge opportunity for hoteliers," said Kerry Healy, Chief Commercial Officer for Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and Asia-Pacific (Premium, Midscale, and Economy Brands)."With rising demand and rapidly evolving guest expectations, today's travellers are seeking highly personalised experiences tailored to their unique needs. In an increasingly competitive landscape, it's more important than ever for hotel leaders to ensure their teams are delivering consistently high service standards and deeply understand what guests expect in each market."Tourism and hospitality continued to fuel economic momentum in the UAE last year, with the hotel industry posting solid April, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, reported that hotel revenues in the country reached approximately Dh45 billion in 2024, marking a 3% year-on-year occupancy rates also rose to 78%, placing the UAE among the top performers both regionally and globally. This growth was supported by the opening of 16 new hotels across the seven emirates in 2024, bringing the total number of hotels in the country to 1,251 by year-end. The number of hotel rooms also climbed to 216,966 by the end of 2024, up 3%.
Wamda
07-04-2025
- Business
- Wamda
The hidden cost of rushing funding for MENA startups
An article by the CEO of Atiom, Matthew Spriegel. Startups often chase large early funding rounds, believing that more capital equals immediate success. However, targeting steady, sustainable investment figures can sometimes prove to be a smarter approach because it allows businesses to grow responsibly without the pressure of unrealistic expectations. Early success must be managed carefully to ensure long-term stability while recognising the right signs for market expansion crucial for sustainable growth. Equally important is handling failures with a level-headed approach, as setbacks are inevitable in any entrepreneurial journey. The Great Software Recession of 2022 is a reminder of the dangers of prioritising growth over everything. Many startups that pursued quick expansion found themselves struggling, forced to either make drastic budget cuts or seek additional funding just to stay afloat. While government initiatives continue to fuel funding for tech startups, 80% of startups in the UAE fail within their first two years – a statistic that overstates the need for thoughtful planning. The UAE presents exciting opportunities for tech entrepreneurs, but success depends on how well founders balance ambition with careful investment and long-term sustainability. Implementing a growth plan that works for you Crafting a growth strategy that fits your business is a time-consuming process, and it cannot be rushed. There is no one-size-fits-all approach or fixed timeline for scaling a company. This holds true in the UAE's ever-evolving tech ecosystem; every business must figure out a growth trajectory that works for them. Two companies that differ in growth strategies are Uber and Klaviyo. Uber, founded in 2009, took an ambitious approach to searching for funding. The business was able to quickly secure seed funding of $1.3 million within its first year and then went on to raise over $20 billion in debt and equity before its IPO in 2019, which was known as the largest ever first-day dollar loss in the U.S. Uber did not become profitable again until 2023. In comparison, Klaviyo, founded in 2012, established a more intentional strategy, self-funding its operations for the first three years before they were able to secure $1.5 million in seed funding in 2015. Due to their deliberate expansion strategy with a customer-centred approach, the company reached profitability and entered the public market in 2023. Recognising when early success needs more work Telling the difference between short-term traction and actual investment readiness can sometimes be difficult, especially directly after early success. Many believe that just because there is an initial customer interest in the business, it signals a green light for fundraising, especially within the UAE's competitive tech sector. However, gaining a couple of customers and neglecting churn for example, can lead to a lot of pain without proper traction. Real product-to-market fit is critical. It is also essential for founders to ensure they can spot early signs of organic growth. When satisfied customers are naturally spreading the word about your product and clearly expressing its usefulness, it's a good indication that the business has achieved a solid product-market fit and the messaging is effective. Evaluating these growth patterns helps determine if a business is genuinely prepared to be invested in or if it needs more time to develop its foundation. How investor partnerships can shape your startup's future Choosing the right investor is one of the most important decisions a founder will make, and choosing the wrong partner, whether it's a potential investor or a future board member, can lead to problems down the road. Securing investment without careful consideration can lead to expensive mistakes, with many founders confusing early financing with success. This results in partnerships with the wrong VCs, leaving startups with financial backing they will regret. Securing investment early rather than bootstrapping doesn't prevent mistakes; it just makes them costlier and harder to fix. It's important to note that raising capital goes both ways; investors must see your business fit to invest, and founders must select the right investors to bring value to their business. This crucial process determines the future of your business. Failure is essential for growth Failure is an unavoidable part of the journey, and learning to navigate it is an essential skill for founders to develop. This is especially true in the UAE's startup ecosystem, where fluctuating market conditions and competition from international players are common, causing many businesses to fail. Entrepreneurs must be okay with failing to discover valuable opportunities, not just for their business but also for their personal development. Mistakes are bound to happen along the way, and it's through these missteps that success is achieved. Maximising local opportunities for sustainable growth For tech entrepreneurs in the UAE, staying updated on local trends and opportunities can help their business grow significantly. It is estimated that the UAE's venture capital market is expected to reach a total of 2.46 billion AED by the end of 2025. This growth is partly driven by initiatives like the MGX fund, which has amassed around AED 367 billion through investing in AI while supporting companies like G42. Fintech, healthtech and agritech sectors are also receiving considerable investments, bolstered by government initiatives and regional venture capital. The UAE's free zones, such as Dubai Internet City and Abu Dhabi's Hub71, provide essential infrastructure, funding, and networking opportunities to support tech companies globally. In conclusion, startups in the UAE should approach fundraising with careful consideration, choosing the right investors at the appropriate stage of their development. They must thoroughly assess market conditions to reduce risks, though it's important to acknowledge that some level of uncertainty and failure is inevitable. These challenges can provide invaluable lessons for growth and improvement. Ultimately, it's clear to see that quick and rushed decisions rarely lead to lasting success. A more effective strategy involves pursuing steady, consistent investment growth over time.
