Rixos Bab Al Bahr appoints Senol Sarisen, Ruslan Sultanov, Resat Dalay, Ipek Dem

Rixos Bab Al Bahr announced the appointment of four new heads of departments to carry out the new vision and continued success of the resort. The five-star resort in Ras Al Khaimah appointed Senol Sarisen as Hotel Manager, Ruslan Sultanov as Director of Sales, Resat Dalay as Director of Engineering and Ipek Dem, Assistant Director of Sales for MICE.

Rixos Bab Al Bahr is shifting its focus from not only being a family-friendly resort, but also the go-to fitness and wellness destination within the emirates. The hotel recently launched its outdoor Exclusive Sports Club facility and jungle gym, allowing visitors to exercise with scheduled fitness classes throughout the day. The new heads of departments will help drive the repositioning of Rixos Bab Al Bahr and build on the resort’s continued success.

Senol Sarisen will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations at the resort. This entails ensuring smooth operations, including team satisfaction, quality of service, guest satisfaction and maximising profit. Senol will be actively working with consulates to recruit new graduates from selected hospitality schools and train them at Rixos Bab Al Bahr.

Senol has three decades of experience in the hospitality industry. He started his career in the catering department at The Marmara Hotel, Istanbul in Turkey. Wanting to travel, he joined an American cruise line and quickly worked his way up to Maître d’hôtel. At the start of the new millennium, Senol settled in Germany where he continued in the hospitality industry. Throughout his career, he worked for internationally renowned brands like Ramada, Hilton Hotel, Miramar Hotel Resort, Rotana Hotels, Gloria Hotel and Rixos. Senol is German of Turkish origin and speaks English, Turkish, German, Spanish and Italian.

Senol said, “The Rixos chain has always delivered quality service to guests around the globe. I look forward to continuously improving our service quality at Rixos Bab Al Bahr and welcoming new hoteliers to the industry. By offering graduates the opportunity to work at a five-star resort, we ensure future hoteliers will continue to deliver top-notch service to guests, the Rixos way.”

Ruslan Sultanov, the new Director of Sales, will be responsible for driving profits of the resort and managing stakeholder relations while navigating the post-pandemic recovery of the hospitality sector. Ras Al Khaimah is rapidly gaining new hotels on the map, creating an increasingly competitive environment. Ruslan will also be responsible for strengthening Rixos Bab Al Bahr’s position as an all-inclusive concept within key focus markets.

Ruslan has been a hotelier since 2005 and is no stranger to the Rixos brand. He started his career at Rixos President Astana Hotel in Kazakhstan, his home country. From there he worked for brands like Radisson, Ritz-Carlton and Marriott before returning to Rixos. Ruslan is fluent in Russian and English.

Ruslan commented, “Many processes have changed after the tourism industry made a comeback in 2020; some have even become obsolete. I look forward to finding new and innovative ways to drive sales for Rixos Bab Al Bahr as we redefine business processes and navigate the fallout from the pandemic.”

The new Director of Engineering, Resat Dalay, is responsible for ensuring the resort is utilising the best engineering practices and driving continuous improvement across all engineering related areas of Rixos Bab Al Bahr. Born in Turkey, he has nearly four decades of experience as an engineer in numerous sectors, including shipping, construction and petroleum and gas. After joining the hospitality sector, Resat has led numerous five-star hotels to win prestigious awards like best hotel in Europe, the third-best hotel in the world and a plethora of internationally recognised green and sustainability awards. He has also managed more than a dozen hotel openings. Resat is fluent in English and Turkish.

Resat said, “Rixos Bab Al Bahr is a unique property with its all-inclusive offer, packed activity and entertainment program, eight swimming pools, seven restaurant outlets and sports facilities. My goal is to ensure the engineering aspect of these different elements run smoothly so the rest of the team can continue ensuring guests have an unforgettable experience at the resort.”

Also joining Ruslan’s team is Ipek Dem, Assistant Director of Sales for MICE. Ipek will be responsible for positioning Rixos Bab Al Bahr not only as a staycation destination but also as the go-to venue for weddings and events. Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority aims to promote Ras Al Khaimah as a MICE-destination. Representing the biggest resort in Ras Al Khaimah to date, Ipek will be working closely with RAKTDA to achieve the property’s revenue goals and assist with their vision for the emirate.

Ipek is well acquainted with the MICE industry in the United Arab Emirates, having worked for thirteen years in the country. She started her career as an Assistant Restaurant Manager at Rixos The Palm Hotel and Suites. Ipek is fluent in English and Turkish.

She commented, “Ras Al Khaimah is a gem in the country with its beautiful landscape and plethora of activities. I look forward to sharing this not only with the local market but also with the international market. One of my goals in this role is to establish international MICE relationships to increase the events revenue and support room bookings.”

All four heads of departments will report directly to Horst Walther-Jones, the General Manager of Rixos Bab Al Bahr.

Walther-Jones commented, “We have selected very strong candidates with a passion for what they do, showing in their track records, passions for their job and results each have driven. I am confident the appointment of these candidates will ensure the success of our new vision to become a fitness and wellness destination, not only for visitors from the United Arab Emirates but from around the globe.”