When Rauf Malik arrived in Macau around five years ago, his job was quite literally still taking shape. The shell of the JW Marriott Hotel, for which he had been appointed vice-president of operations, stood just six storeys high, a long way from the final 53. And the adjacent Ritz-Carlton, which he would also oversee, was similarly a work in progress.
Today, of course, the scene is very different, with limousines at the door, the hum of arriving guests, restaurants serving round-the-clock, an ever-changing roster of events and activities, and staff on point to attend to any request or inquiry.
“My original role was to get involved in every aspect of a successful opening,” says Malik, who had previously done just that in Beijing before the 2008 Olympics and in Shanghai prior to the 2010 World Expo. “An important component in that is being able to understand a new market, appreciate the local community, and then set the right tone for the business.”
The two brands obviously work with clear standards and guidelines. But Malik still had to hire two executive teams, find the right mix of local and expatriate staff, implement training programmes, deal with owners, designers and contractors, and keep everything on time and within budget.
“And since opening in 2015, there hasn’t been a dull moment, with 99 per cent occupancy all year round,” he says. “Being attached to a gaming complex, we have to understand the needs and behaviour of our clientele and recognise the routine is upside down compared to ‘normal’ hotels. Guests may sleep in the morning, after spending the whole night on the casino floor, and they are more focused on F&B, well-appointed rooms, and good amenities. We have to adjust staffing, cleaning and timings in order to deliver.”
Though Malik hails from Chicago, growing up there was largely a matter of circumstance. His father, a Pakistani diplomat had been ambassador in Italy before being posted to the US where, sadly, he passed away at a relatively young age.
The family, though, decided to stay on, with Malik’s mother, who was originally from Sicily, laying down some new rules. No more cook or cleaner, and a division of responsibilities among the nine children, with Malik, as number four, assigned housekeeping duties, making beds and cleaning toilets.
“From the age of 12, I had a full-time job at home,” he says with a smile. “And if someone was sick, you had to know how to take over their work – laundry, cooking, purchasing or whatever else.”
Looking back, he can see how these formative influences steered him towards the hospitality sector. The appeal came in part from observing the diplomat’s lifestyle, experiencing travel and upmarket hotels, celebrating different festivals, and knowing how to coordinate clothes and dress smartly. But there was also the practical element, learned at home, of doing your bit to ensure the whole complex operation ran like clockwork.
Accordingly, at 17, he took a job as a trainee bell-boy at a hotel in Chicago. Often working from 7am to 9pm when studies allowed, he set clear targets and told himself that having the right attitude and being different from the other bell-boys was the way to get ahead.
“I saw myself as ‘general manager’ of the lobby. I wanted to make sure the area under my responsibility was well looked after, with clean ashtrays, a smile when the car door opened, and luggage upstairs within five minutes.”
On finishing a shift, he would check with the laundry, kitchen, housekeeping or banqueting section and offer to pitch in for no extra pay. The aim was to learn about other jobs, understand each process, and get on the fast track, with the help of a business degree from the University of Chicago, which he completed in 1978.
So, when invited to sit down with the hotel’s GM, Malik was ready to outline his step-by step career plan to become a general manager by the age of 27. That duly happened and, after joining Marriott International, he set off a journey with them which, so far, has lasted 35 years and included senior postings – mostly for hotel openings – in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Germany, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China.
“I’m a success in the sense that I can go to any city and work in the local environment,” he says. “I must set standards and have an understanding of the local people and culture because I’m representing the business and, in a sense, the country too.”
Among his current projects are plans to broaden the customer base by promoting the hotels as a MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) destination for corporate clients and offering more tours, activities and resort attractions geared to young family groups.
“I love Macau and believe there is a lot of potential here,” he says. “We are looking to be a world-class F&B destination, with a new restaurant opening every six months. Overall, we are on phase two of the complex. Phases three and four are coming, so there will be a lot more excitement ahead.”
A lifelong early riser, Malik is generally up by 5.30am and completes his regular 10km in the gym before touring the hotels, greeting back-of-house staff, spending time in the lobby, reviewing comments on social media, and generally keeping one step ahead.
After hours, if not catching up with his two grown-up children, he relaxes with the occasional cigar and by watching old movies, The Godfather being a particular favourite.
His advice for those contemplating a career in the hospitality sector is succinct.
“You have to like people, be ready with a smile, and never think the small jobs are unimportant. Every day, my attitude is that this is my first day in the office.”
