Millennium Place Barsha Heights’ Director of Security, Mr Imran Abassi has been a security officer for over two decades. He joined Millennium Hotels and Resorts in 2016 and has been leading the Security department since June 2019. He has gone out of his way to ensure that the safety and security of guests staying in the hotel and will continue to take initiative to delight the guests.

Q. Tell us about yourself and your work experiences.

My name is Imran Abassi, 45 years old, from beautiful mountain city of Murree (Pakistan). I am a proud father of 4 children who are living in Islamabad (Pakistan). I moved to Dubai since 2003 and I have been a part Millennium Group since 2016 and with Millennium Place Barsha Heights (MPBH) since June 2019. I have over two decades of experience in Security departments of various hotels such as Holiday Inn Hotel (Islamabad Pakistan), Carlton Hotel (Karachi Pakistan), Transguard Group (UAE), Emirates Airline (Emirates Group Security), Dubai World Trade Centre, couple of Rotana hotels and Millennium Plaza Hotel.

Being in the hospitality industry, I learned to balance strict security measures with top class hospitality, which helps us to continuously delight our guests and make them feel safe and secure during their stay with us. Despite the usual perspective of Security personnel being primarily in charge of the safety and security of the hotel, I was the only employee from the Security department to win ‘Guest Services Champion’ award twice in a year and ‘Guest Services Champion Of The Year’ award. I attribute these to the training and development I received in the industry – that with strict Security standards I am also able to be guest-focused.

Q. What are your hobbies outside of work?

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, driving around and exploring nature. I also enjoy staying active and engaging in sports. I love cricket and I'm always looking for ways to challenge myself and improve my skills.

Q. Share with us some of the memorable experiences/encounters you have at the hotel.

Here are some of my memorable experiences that I have at MPBH.

The Forgotten Emirates ID
The Housekeeping crews found an Emirates ID from a checked-out room and when they handed over to security, I tried to get the guest details from the system but unfortunately could not connect on registered mobile numbers and email in our system. Considering the importance of Emirates ID, I immediately tried to look up the guest online via Google and Facebook, and managed to find a Facebook profile with the same name and similar picture, I sent messages to the guest via messenger and when I informed him about his ID, he was not only happy that he found his ID, but he was amazed with the way I contacted him over messenger. He was extremely happy with the hotel services and the way this situation was handled.

Safe box at Check-out
While doing a routine check after a guest checked-out, as per MPBH security standards along with housekeeping department, we opened the locked safe box and found a huge amount of money (USD 190,000) and after following the necessary hotel security procedures, I immediately contacted guest (from Ukraine) through WhatsApp and discussed with her about the situation. Initially the guest panicked as she was outside the country, however after a long discussion, I calmed her down and informed her that her belongings are safe in the custody of MPBH hotel security team and that she can claim her money anytime she comes back to Dubai.

In the meantime, I did not only keep the money safe, but I also made sure to stay in touch with her and even though I went for vacation to Pakistan, I continued to be in contact via WhatsApp, to assure her. When she flew back to Dubai one week later(I was still away on vacation), she messaged me. I then contacted the hotel Duty Manager and Security, and informed them to ensure the money is handed over safely to the guest. In the end, she was extremely happy and relieved.

The Guest Who Called MPBH The ‘Safest Hotel in the World’
In another situation, following the routine security protocol, when we opened the safe box of a checkout room, we found USD 5,000 inside the safe. I immediately contacted the guest (from Russia) through WhatsApp and when I told him about the money, he was shocked and said that he would come back to the hotel. Later, when I met with the guest in the lobby and handed over the money to him, he was happy and said that we have saved him a big trouble. In a review online (Booking.com) that he wrote, he mentioned that we are the ‘Safest Hotel in The World’!

Wallet in the Taxi
One of our hotel guests who arrived at the hotel in Dubai taxi, found a wallet inside the taxi and he brought it to hotel. He handed it over to the lobby security. Along with other valuables, we found an Emirates ID inside the wallet, so I searched for the owner online (Google and Facebook) and found their details Facebook. I sent messages via messenger and immediately got a reply from the owner of the wallet. After verification, I informed him that his wallet is in safe custody of MPBH security department. The owner of the wallet happened to be a hotelier working for Burj Al Arab and he was super happy with the way we responsibly contacted him and saved him from a lot of inconvenience. 

The Laptop Bag
We found a laptop bag along with passports and other valuables in the Level Social (Lobby Lounge, ground floor). After checking details in the system, we traced the guest details and found that they had checked out the same day from the hotel, but they forgot their bag in the lobby. Without wasting any time, I contacted the guest via WhatsApp on the registered international number. By that time, the guest had reached Dubai airport. They realised that they had left it behind on their way to the airport and they sent the limo driver to collect it from the hotel. As the guest was with family and without passports they were in a state of panic.

The guest also shared limousine and driver details with me so when driver arrived at the hotel, I verified the details, sealed the guest bag and then handed it over to the limo driver. After the limousine left, I kept in touch with the guest over the phone. Later when he received the bag, he was amazed to see the bag being sealed and sent with such precaution. He was really impressed with customer safety measures taken by hotel security.  

The Lady in the Lobby
One day security informed me that we have one female guest from United Kingdom, who checked out in the morning but was still sitting in lobby late in the evening. I approached the guest and asked if she needed assistance. As per guest she didn’t have money to go to her friend’s place, so I paid for her taxi fare.

The Little Guests
Finally, for our most special guests, the children, every year since 2014 I will dress up as Santa Claus during Christmas, and on one such occasion during Christmas of 2021, I participated in the Christmas tree lighting at the hotel. At the end of it, as I was changing back into my office attire and one of my team members informed me of a little girl who was really upset as she could not meet ‘Santa Claus’. So, I quickly put on all the layers once again and made it to their room to surprise the little girl. This gesture not only made the girl delightful, but her parents were also extremely happy that Santa Claus specially coming to greet their daughter.

Day to Day Operation.
Guests usually forget their valuable belongings in different areas of the hotel like lobby, reception, restaurants, swimming pool etc. To relieve guests of the stress and ensure they are happy and satisfied, we never wait for them to inquire about their missing valuables, instead whenever we receive any lost item, we immediately review the cameras and try to find out who from the guests are the owners of the missing items. In many cases, we reached out to the guest before they realised that they have lost an item. As such, I am humbly proud to say that we have pleasantly surprised many of our guests. I would also like to admit that these acts are driven with a huge sense of empathy for our guests and generally people who I encounter in life.

Q. Who inspired you to be who you are today?

I'm inspired by my previous managers who have dedicated their careers to protecting organisation, people, and property throughout my career. Their stories and accomplishments motivated me to reach for my own dreams and to never give up. I am also inspired by the trust and confidence that leaders in the security field have in their teams, and their commitment to support them in any way they can.