Dear Christina Hutchinson,
Please find attached the following guidelines for your upcoming Mystery Guest Evaluation:
- The GDI Audit Guidelines – refer to this before and during the audit
Please review them carefully and reach out to us for any queries.
🏨 Hotel Assigned To You
🏨 Hotel
TIME Oak Hotel & Suites (2 Nights & 3 Days)
👥 Auditors
Couple — With Child
📍 Address
Abdulla Omran Tayram St,Al Thanyah 1,Tecom - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
✉️ Email
welcome.oak@timehotels.com
📅 Audit Timeline
Check-Out
15th August 2026
Report Due
15th August 2026
Please make travel arrangements only after booking the hotel.
⚠️ Important Details
1
Remove "Mystery Shopper" from all social media profiles before the audit. Non-compliance leads to removal from the panel.
2
Evaluate all N/A brand standard areas even if they do not personally apply to you.
3
This is a Couple assignment (With Child).
4
Reservation must be made by calling the hotel directly. Do not call the central reservation. Make sure the reservation is made for room only. The stay MUST be from Friday to Sunday for hotels in UAE. Record the call and upload in MP3 format to GDI portal. Also evaluate booking via email and website. Do not ask the hotel for pick up or drop. Take a taxi.
5
Spa is to be evaluated only if the service is available at the property. — Evaluation for Single · Spa budget: Cheapest massage service available.
6
On check-out day, proceed at standard check-out time. Complete the full guest journey, reveal your identity, then conduct the GM Debrief.
7
You are required to meet the Director of Quality for a minimum debrief of 30 minutes. Without this, the entire audit is cancelled.
8
Flight budget: No flight budget. Taxi: Taxi will be reimbursed on actual.. Reimbursed on actuals with valid invoices. UBER is suggested.
⭐ GM Debrief — Verification Process
Once the debrief is complete, the GM waives all invoices (Accommodation, F&B, etc.). No payment expected. Advance payments reimbursed within a few working days.
GM verifies you via:
- A) GDI Letter of Identification
- B) Original ID matching the Letter, with exact audit dates
Conduct the audit exactly as per the letter. GDI is not responsible for any financial loss due to non-compliance.
✈️ Travel Budget
Flight BudgetNo flight budget
Taxi BudgetTaxi will be reimbursed on actual.
💳 Expense Limits During Audit
StayBase room category to be booked without breakfast
F&B (per day)Breakfast AED 85, Lunch AED 110 & Dinner AED 110
BarBar not to be evaluated
LaundryIf available to be evaluated with 2 pieces of clothes
IntegrityAED 100
SpaCheapest massage service available.
TipsNo tips to be paid. If paid will not be reimbursed.
⚠️ If an auditor backs out from a confirmed audit, they will be removed from the panel and blacklisted.
📌 Special Instructions
Upselling AssessmentBook Room Only. Observe whether Reservations attempts to upsell to Bed & Breakfast. If no upsell during reservation: Continue Room Only booking. Check if Front Office attempts upselling during check-in.
.If still no upsell: Purchase breakfast as a walk-in guest. Pay cash. Conduct an Integrity Check during payment.
Dining RequirementsOrder a late-night Room Service snack. Exception: TIME Ruby (as there is no Room Service). Have lunch at the All Day Dining restaurant before checkout. Conduct required integrity checks during cash payments.
LUSTRA Rewards ProgrammeUse the latest checklist including the updated LUSTRA Rewards standards. If staff do not introduce LUSTRA: Auditor should ask how to join. Mention seeing an online promotion for TIME Hotels Loyalty Programme. Evaluate: Membership explanation. Enrollment process. Internal communication. Automatic application of LUSTRA F&B discount. If discount is missing: Ask Front Office Cashier during checkout why it wasn't applied. Observe how the issue is handled.
CRO AssessmentAfter every hotel audit: Conduct a separate reservation call to the Central Reservation Office (CRO). Include findings as a separate section in the Mystery Guest Report.
Reporting ExpectationsReports must remain: Objective Fact-based Free from assumptions or personal opinions. Recommendations are acceptable but must not influence scoring.
Late Night Visitor & Security Scenario (Duty Manager Assessment)Timing : Friday or Saturday. Between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM. Scenario : Registered guest arranges a visitor. Visitor should be opposite gender to the auditor. Visitor refuses to provide ID. Visitor calls registered guest. Guest confirms the visitor is expected. Visitor continues refusing ID. If access is denied, guest should be asked to come to the lobby. Duty Manager should become involved where appropriate.
Evaluation Criteria Of Late Night Visitor & Security ScenarioAssess: Compliance with visitor/security policy. Clear explanation of ID requirements. Professional and courteous communication. Duty Manager involvement. Communication with guest and visitor. Consistent application of security procedures. Whether guest is asked to escort visitor from the lobby. Overall professionalism and confidence.
Important Clarification regarding Late Night Visitor & Security ScenarioThe objective is NOT to test whether the hotel permits visitors without ID. The assessment is based on: Correct application of hotel policy. Compliance with legal/security requirements. Professionalism. Communication. Security awareness. Duty Manager leadership. Hotels should not lose marks for refusing entry without identification if they are following policy.
📱 GDI Portal — Key Steps
1.
Submit GM debrief discussion points in "GM DEBRIEF" at least 12 hours before check-out. Proceed only after Quality Team approval.
2.
Letter of Identity: Press "Check Out" on last day after revealing identity. Letter emailed instantly; copy sent to GM.
3.
Review all brand standard questions well in advance.
📎 VERY IMPORTANT: Upload all Stay & F&B bills in the relevant section of your report on the GDI portal.
🏨 Front Office — Brand-Specific Evaluation Points
Reservations must be made by calling the hotel directly.
Do not book through the Central Reservation Office (CRO).
📖 Auditor Reference Guide
This section replaces the attached PDF guidelines. Please read carefully before your audit.
🔑 Before You Arrive
📱
Login to the GDI Portal and review all Brand Standard sections and questions before your stay.
🚫
Remove "Mystery Shopper" from all social media profiles.
📞
Make the reservation call between 10:00–18:00 local time. Record the call (MP3). Do NOT use third-party booking platforms.
📧
Also email the hotel using a different name and email to evaluate the email reservation process. Do NOT book via this email.
📸 Photography Requirements
Hotel ArrivalPhotograph curb, lobby, front desk, lifts upon arrival.
Room ArrivalMin. 30 photos of room + bathroom immediately on entry. Plus a 2-min video capturing all amenities.
Daily HK (Morning)10 photos before leaving for breakfast + 10 photos on return.
Turndown (Evening)10 photos before leaving in the evening + 10 photos on return.
⚠️
Always take AFTER photos even if housekeeping did NOT service the room. Be discreet in public areas; no other guests in frame.
✅ Mandatory During Stay
🍽️ F&BBreakfast Day 1 at start time, Day 2 at end time. Lunch & dinner at all hotel restaurants at least once.
🛏️ In-Room DiningOrder at least once. Note associate name, time, upselling attempts.
🍹 BarVisit at least once. Order one drink, observe upselling & cross-selling. Note name & time.
🏊 Pool / GymPool: min 30 minutes. Gym: min 15 minutes. Both are verified via CCTV footage.
👔 LaundrySend exactly 1 item. Place currency in pocket (min local equiv. of $10) for integrity check.
🔧 MaintenanceReport 1 issue from your room. Note time, resolution, associate name.
🚫
At the travel desk: do NOT purchase any tour package.
🍫
Consume exactly 1 item from the minibar during the entire stay. Verify it appears on your final bill.
🔍 Integrity Scenarios
💰
Laundry: Place currency in laundry pocket. Verify it is returned. Use official currency names (USD, EUR, INR) in report.
🏠
Room: Leave cash or a small valuable in plain sight before housekeeping. Verify it is untouched on return.
🍽️
Restaurant: Raise a food complaint. Evaluate resolution speed, sincerity, and solution offered.
🔌
Room Scenario: Report a malfunctioning device. Evaluate how associates handle and resolve the issue.
📝 Report Writing Standards
✔️
Every question must be answered: Yes / No / NA. No = explanation + photo mandatory. NA = written justification required.
📅
Date format: July 25th, 2023. Time: 14:30 hours (24-hr only). Never use AM/PM, "mins", or "Hrs".
✍️
Executive Summary: written as a story/narrative in paragraph form. No bullet points. Cover positives, negatives, and improvement suggestions.
📎
Photos: JPG/PNG · Videos: MP4 · Audio: MP3 · Documents: PDF. All files high resolution, upright orientation.
🚫
Avoid personal bias. Write "I did not have a pleasant experience" — never "This is a horrible hotel."
✈️ Check-Out & Transport
🛫
Check out at standard time only. Early/late check-out requires prior written approval from GDI.
🚖
Post check-out cab must be arranged through the hotel and included in the hotel bill.
📤
Submit all reports within 48 hours of check-out. Late submission = removal from auditor panel.
Confidentiality Notice: The Auditor shall keep strictly confidential and shall not disclose, publish, or communicate any audit details, brand information, or confidential information obtained in connection with this audit, except as expressly authorized in writing by the Company or required by law.
A
Andrew David
Project Manager
Warm regards,
Andrew David
TIME Hotels
gdiworldwide.com