The islandChief had the pleasure of having a pleasant chat with the executive housekeeper from Lux* South Ari atoll, Mr. Arafat. Born in the Maldives, Arafat has many years of experience in the service industry and his youthful vision inspires nothing but success. We ask about his thoughts of the Lux* brand, his experiences with the tourism industry and about his responsibilities at work and how he manages them.

 Q.1/ How will you describe Lux* as a brand name?

I would say the Lux* brand is a very open and innovative brand. The company is always on the lookout for an opportunity to provide something new and innovative.

 When I Look at other top brands I often see a closed box structure. Lux* is five stars, but it is an open box always allowing employees to think out of the box. To serve our guests, we are open to do anything and I believe a large part of this attributes itself to the success of the Lux* brand

Q.2/ How do you see Lux* as a second home?

Everyone works here together. I always have a very homely and family like feeling when I am here. Starting from the top management to the department heads, no one employs a bossy style. There is no specific time for a staff to speak to a manager or a department head, everyone is open at any time of the day. Everyone accepts new ideas and are always open to suggestion. You dont feel like you are working for someone here. You feel like you are working for something that you are part of it.

 Q.3/ How long have you worked in the Tourism industry?

13 years.

 Q.4/ How does a normal workday go for you?

The morning starts with a walk around the island to see how things are. Then comes the house keeping meeting followed by breakfast and exco meeting. When you are housekeeping, there is more field work than admin work. Like, handling guests, handling room issues or doing something with the staff. As long as you are on the island, you are always on work. Even during your break, youll be engaging with the staff. From morning to evening, youll still be working. And even when you sleep, youll probably be dreaming about work.

Q.5/ What are your main duties and responsibilities?

My main focus at present is room division as it is the next step for Lux*. But the main responsibilities for housekeeping are maintaining the rooms and condition, ordering the necessary materials and handling the team leaves and stuff. Laundry, gardening and even landscaping fall under our supervision.

 Q.6/ How many staff are there for housekeeping?

We have 35 villa attendants. Inclusive of labourers we have around 110 team members. Furthermore I am proud to point out that the housekeeping unit is presently run completely by Maldivian's.

 Q.7/ What is the most difficult task that you handle in your daily operations?

Having a Hundred and ten employees means the challenge is a 110 different minds. Their expectations are different and dealing with each separate one is different. so the challenge is treating them all fairly. Even when you do your best, at the end of the day there will be unhappy people. That said I believe the housekeeping staff are all very experienced and trust worthy so general issues are very less. My team is generally very flexible and understanding.

 Q.8/ What inspired you to join the tourism industry?

I joined the industry by luck! After finishing 10^th grade, there was an open day recruitment held by One and Only Reethi Rah, and by chance I explored it. But when I joined I knew nothing about the industry. Later on when I worked there I learnt a lot from the people. Then a lot of opportunities came up and built my interest into the industry that way. I was barely 18 when I started, and I had to work with a lot of experienced people and that inspired me. I just couldnt work elsewhere after that. The opportunities inspired me to be where I am today.

 Q.9/ Is there any words or philosophies that you hold dear to yourself to keep motivation and morale high?

 There must be a lesson or advice you keep to yourself for motivation! So share with us that piece of advice.

Never give up! You might fail a couple of times, but always keep trying. There will be a lot of challenges and failures, but dont give up. Always try to learn. Also, always keep in mind that your seniors will never point out something you have improved. They will not always say what you like, but if they point out something, improve it. Learn from it and dont repeat the same mistakes. I always tried to improve like that.

 Q.10/ How do you spend your off duty hours at the resort?

I try to arrange a fun activity with my team during the off duty. Some days we go fishing or snorkeling. Sport competitions now and then. We have beach volley every day. Mostly off duty hours will be for team motivation. Most of the time I am never alone and always doing something with someone. I enjoy the company and always try to give back to the team for their dedication and hard-work.

 Q.11/ What do you miss most from home?

I really want to spend time with my 2-year-old son. Thats the only thing I really miss.