Ritchie has worked at Atlantis for six years and was recently appointed as Chief Concierge.
One of my favorite things about the hotel is:
The ambiance and fun activities. There is never a dull moment at Atlantis, The Palm with Aquaventure, Dolphin Bay and The Lost Chambers, or for quiet moments, the Zero Entry pool and ShuiQi Spa.
One of the things I love most about my job is:
I love making people’s day and their holiday special. It’s about making guests happy, helping them create memories and amazing experiences. It helps me become more creative in different aspects to ensure we’re delivering quality service to guests. There is always fun and thrill involved. As the Concierge, you wouldn’t know what would be the next question a guest will ask, so it is a learning experience every day at the same time. You encounter a lot of guests from different cultures and so you get to understand them better.
One of my favorite memories as a concierge is:
A repeat guest’s six year old child had suffered a cancer relapse and her last wish was to swim with the Dolphins at Dolphin Bay. The parents were brought to tears when they entered their hotel room on arrival which we had decorated with pink balloons, a cake, a welcome banner with their family photos that we got off Facebook. The child passed away three weeks after her holiday, but her parents could not thank us enough for the best holiday their child ever had.
The question I’m most regularly asked is:
What can you recommend during our stay in Atlantis? And my answer is “Experience an encounter with our lovely friends at the Dolphin Bay” and then guests start to get curious as to how the program works.
The most common item people leave behind at the hotel is:
There are a couple of things but mostly mobile phones. They usually leave them on the sun loungers after a long day at the beach.
One of the strangest questions I’ve ever been asked is:
“Where can they find the casino in Atlantis?”
The activity/attraction/tour I encourage all our guests to do while here is:
Dolphin Bay and of course activities off-property such as Desert Safari or a shopping spree to Dubai Mall and a visit to the Burj Khalifa. The Big Bus tour is also a must for those who are interested to see bits of everything about Dubai. A stopover in the Old Souks and Gold Souks is well recommended.
Don’t leave without eating or drinking:
Dinner at our Michelin star chef restaurant Nobu or celebrate special moments at our award winning elegant dining seafood restaurant Ossiano. For families with children, a lavish buffet style at the famous Saffron Restaurant cannot be missed.
On my days off you would find me:
Exploring the old part of Dubai. There is a lot to discover in this cultural melting pot.
I recommend that keen shoppers visit:
A walk through the Avenues shopping area of the resort to find high end luxury watches plus an array of high fashion clothing. A visit to the Legends of Atlantis shop for souvenirs swim wear, toys and more. Outside the resort, for those who love to haggle, a visit to the old market is worth a try.
