Emirates Palace’s Michael Koth on taking good and making it great

How does it feel taking on a hotel synonymous with the most extravagant luxury in the UAE? A property that is known for its gold-flaked cappuccino, gold-topped camel burger and huge gold-leaf lined dome (the largest in the world, no less)? For Michael Koth, general manager of Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace, it’s like fine-tuning a luxury watch. Something that requires patience, care and attention.

Koth has been overseeing the hotel for less than a year, during a time of change for the iconic property. Back in January 2020, the hotel’s operations switched from Kempinski to Mandarin Oriental, with Koth appointed area vice president of operations for the group in the UAE, as well as GM in Abu Dhabi. Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai and Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh is also in his remit, along with the upcoming Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai, which opens next year.

The German-Swiss isn’t taking his new role lightly. He says: “When you work in an icon with a legacy, you would be mistaken to think you can work with a sledgehammer. You can only work like a Swiss watchmaker, using fine mechanics to tweak the precision. One needs to assume we are already luxury. So how do you take good to greater? It comes with a lot of small individual steps embraced by everyone.”

Despite being part of the Kempinski stable for a number of years, the hotel is known to everyone as simply Emirates Palace, so outwardly, people may not even have realised its management has changed hands. Staff, however, can see the difference. Koth explains: “A conversion can be tricky, as there is a lot of love and affection and expectation.

“It takes time, but after a while people will begin to recognise the beauty and respect the decision. Then they can start loving and embracing the new ways.”

Mandarin Oriental brings a sophisticated style of service and a particular attention to detail in the rooms, he adds. Changes that will not be seen fully until a gradual renovation of the property is complete after two years.

The general manager says the aim is to create a globally recognised gastronomic destination. Four new restaurants have been approved and Hakkasan, which has been in the hotel for more than ten years, will remain.

Hospitality and F&B are in Koth’s genes. His dad was a chef on a German cruise liner after World War II and his mum was a hostess, while Koth himself began his career as a chef in InterContinental Hamburg’s kitchens.

He remained with IHG for 23 years, during which time he was a general manager in Doha and Cairo, and oversaw the opening of a property in Bali. Despite some 35 years’ experience, the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown up challenges Koth has not seen before. However, with vaccines providing some light at the end of the tunnel, he thinks people will still want to visit the luxury hotel when they can travel once more.

“The dialogue we are having with loyal guests is that they are desperate to return. They come from all over the world and see this hotel as something special. We are also aiming to become more relevant to younger people.

“Staycation is our one and only market right now, in all its beauty and diversity. Every guest we are touching today, we wish to retain as a future guest. It’s not easy, as we know that the Emirati guest today does not have the normal choices at hand. We need to make sure that we are offering them a space in their heart and mind, to be a hotel and a product and service of their choice, even when they can travel freely again.”

What about the trappings of luxury. Does he feel he’s in danger of being spoiled by working such a palatial environment? It’s something he’s keen for his family to avoid. “We don’t want our children to think that milk comes from a plastic container or French fries come from room service,” he says. “We need to be humble and tone ourselves down to be normal human beings. We should be able to appreciate life, but also able to appreciate luxury.”

And when we ask Koth to tell us something surprising about him, he hesitates before saying: “We are working at a high pace, so I enjoy doing the opposite in my spare time. I love nature and I love to cook.”

So Koth is man who likes to take his time to get things right, whether that’s in his home life or at work, but like a Swiss watch, the mark of quality is a given at Emirates Palace.