Hospitality Consultants in Dubai
Captivate is an independent hospitality consultancy working with hotel owners, operators and investors in Dubai. We help hotels grow revenue, recover lost profit and make better decisions on their restaurants, bars and the whole property, from rooms and food and beverage to procurement and feasibility.
Operator first. Consultant second. Captivate is led by Michael Butler, a former General Manager of three hotels in England, Regional F&B Director for Morgans Hotel Group in London and Corporate Director of F&B for Hyatt across Europe and India.
What we do for hotels in Dubai
Restaurant and bar performance
Covers, average spend and visit frequency for each venue, with menu engineering, pricing and beverage attach tested against the guests you actually serve.
The 90-Day F&B Profit Recovery Sprint
Recovering the revenue and margin lost to low covers and spend, menu inefficiency, purchasing gaps, waste and scheduling.
Hotel operational reviews
Rooms, F&B, engineering and guest experience reviewed on property, with a prioritised action plan your own team owns.
Concepts and feasibility for new venues
Restaurant, bar and lounge concepts tested for guest, occasion and commercial return, with a go, no go or refine recommendation before capital is committed.
Rooms revenue and profit recovery
Pricing, channel mix and distribution cost, upselling and upgrades, plus room cleaning productivity, linen and guest supplies.
Owner advisory and asset management
Budget and capital plan reviews, operator performance against the management agreement, P&L and KPI reviews, and pre opening oversight.
Why hotel F&B in Dubai needs its own plan
In Dubai, a hotel restaurant or bar competes for local guests with independent restaurants, beach clubs and venues in other hotels, often a short drive away. Our reviews start from where else your guest could spend their money and time:
- Local guests decide the busy nights: in house guests alone rarely fill a hotel restaurant, so each venue needs a reason for residents to visit and return.
- Discounts through apps: dining apps and discount programmes can fill seats without adding profit. We test what each offer leaves after the discount and the platform fee. Read: your F&B discount and who owns the guest
- Seasonality: trading changes sharply between the cooler months and the summer, so opening hours, staffing and menus need to flex with demand.
- Ramadan: iftar and suhoor change F&B dayparts, staffing and purchasing for a month each year.
- Labour cost: recruitment, visas and staff accommodation sit behind every role, so productivity and scheduling have a direct effect on profit.
- Owner and operator: many hotels run under management agreements, and owners need an independent view of how the operator is performing.
Where we work in Dubai
Downtown, DIFC and Business Bay
Business, leisure and event guests share the same venues. We help hotels match each venue to its occasion and daypart, from breakfast meetings to late dinners.
Dubai Marina, JBR and Palm Jumeirah
Beach and resort hotels trade on leisure demand and outdoor seating that changes with the seasons. We help owners plan venues, staffing and opening hours around that pattern.
Deira, Bur Dubai and Dubai Creek
Older city hotels often need to recover margin without major capital spend. We focus on the changes that pay back fastest: menu engineering, purchasing, waste and scheduling.
Questions we help Dubai owners and operators answer
- Which of our restaurants and bars earn their space, and which should change?
- Are our discount offers adding profit, or only adding covers?
- Will this new concept win local guests against the independent venues nearby?
- Is the operator delivering what the management agreement promised?
- Where is margin leaking across F&B, rooms and purchasing, and what is it worth?
Experience
Case study
Whole F&B operational review, GCC (completed late 2025)
Every F&B area of a large hotel reviewed over four and a half days on property, with a prioritised action plan owned by the hotel team.
Speaking
Michael spoke on two panels at The Hotel Show Dubai 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre: on embedding sustainability in the UAE hospitality sector, and on sustainable and ethical procurement in the GCC.
How we work
- On property: a focused review on site, followed by a prioritised action plan your own team owns.
- Close at hand: Captivate is based in Ajman, so follow up visits to hotels in Dubai are easy to arrange.
- Commercially accountable: every engagement is measured against agreed financial outcomes.
Frequently asked questions
Do you work with hotels in Dubai?
Yes. We advise hotel owners, operators and investors across Dubai, from city hotels to beach resorts, and across the UAE and the GCC.
Where is Captivate based?
Office C1-1F-SF3853, Ajman Free Zone C1 Building, Ajman, United Arab Emirates, within easy reach of Dubai.
Is Captivate only an F&B consultancy?
No. We work across the whole hotel: rooms, F&B, procurement, engineering and feasibility. F&B remains a core strength.
Can you review a single restaurant or bar?
Yes. An engagement can cover one venue, every F&B venue in the hotel, or the whole property.
How does an engagement start?
With a confidential 30 minute call with Michael Butler, with no commitment.
What does it cost?
Advisory fees are tailored to each engagement. Fixed price intelligence reports start from £495 per venue.
Discuss your Dubai hotel with Captivate
Use the contact form, or message Michael on WhatsApp. For voice calls in the UAE, BOTIM is the most reliable option.
