Dubai

From the news of Portonovi launching villas for purchase to Paris Hilton announcing her launch of (yet another) one of her hotel brands, we collate the top 10 most read stories on Hotel Designs this week… 1. First properties at Portonovi, Montenegro launch for purchase The hotly anticipated, exclusive first properties at Portonovi, Montenegro – the Adriatic’s newest luxury lifestyle…

World-renowned carpet manufacturer Brintons has created a range of African inspired bespoke carpets for the stunning Ramada Encore Dar es Salaam hotel in Tanzania.The hotel opened in September 2015 and its interiors have been inspired by local culture to reflect the modern vibrancy of the country and its history through bright tones and traditional African shapes. Three styles of Brintons’…

2016 is shaping up to be a great year for Four Seasons with the opening of several new hotels and resorts planned for the UAE, Kuwait, Japan, China and the USA. A summary of the openings are as follows: Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island: This 200-room property is located in the heart of the new Central…

Minor Hotel Group (MHG), currently with a portfolio of 134 hotels and resorts in 22 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean, has announced a strategic partnership with Nakheel to co-invest and develop a 500-key AVANI hotel in Dubai, set to open in 2018.AVANI Deira Dubai Hotel will be located in Deira…

Opening in October 2015 at Madinat Jumeirah, the Arabian Resort of Dubai, will be the largest event space in the UAE when the expansion is complete. The venue was originally commissioned in recognition of the history, culture and character of old Dubai and was inspired by the Al Fahdi fort located in the oldest existing part of the Dubai creek.…

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has introduced Sheraton Grand, a new premier tier that recognises exceptional Sheraton hotels and resorts in enticing destinations, with distinguished designs, and excellence in service and guest experiences. Starwood has revealed the first ten Sheraton Grand properties, which span from Bangalore to Beijing, Dubai to Edinburgh, Miyazaki to Seoul, Taipei to Bangkok, and Tokyo to Rio…

May Highlights • Hotel profits in Dubai and Jeddah continue to fall • The summer slow-down impacts hotel performance in Doha and Manama • Kuwait hotels beat the regional trend with a growth in performance levels

In advance of the 37th Annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced it has achieved its strongest first five months of the year for deal signings since 2008. Starwood continues to see balanced growth across its brands and around the world, with North America leading the charge, accounting for nearly 40% of new…

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) and Greenland USA, a leading developer of residential and commercial properties, today announce the signing of the first Hotel Indigo® hotel in the city of Los Angeles, California. The 350-room, 18-story Hotel Indigo Downtown Los Angeles will be the flagship hotel at Metropolis, a more than $1 billion mixed-use development which promises to redefine the Los…

April Highlights • Amman and Dubai hotels witness profit decline • Profits rise in Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh on the back of renewed demand • Manama hotels experienced mixed results

From the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) in Dubai, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has announced it will double its portfolio in the Middle East, aggressively expanding its luxury, upper upscale and mid-market brands with plans to open 50 hotels by 2019. Reaffirming its growth commitment to the region, the company has signed five new projects under its Aloft…

March Highlights • Average rates fall in Dubai but rise in Abu Dhabi • Beirut and Sharm El Sheikh hotels witness a boost in occupancy on the back of strong demand • Revenues up but profits down in Doha hotels

Chelsom are delighted to once again be exhibiting at HD Expo 2015 which takes place at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas on 13th-15th May. HD Expo is the USA’s premier trade show and conference for the international hospitality industry, remaining at the forefront by offering the newest and most innovative products and services, providing inspiration and connecting hospitality professionals from all…

January Highlights • Dubai and Abu Dhabi: a different tale for two cities • A robust January for Cairo and Doha • The tides have turned for Kuwait hotels

Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, has announced the first deal for its new contemporary lifestyle hotel brand, Venu™, following the signing of a management agreement with Meraas Holding. The Jumeirah Group will operate the Venu Bluewaters Island Hotel together with adjoining serviced residences, which will be operated under the Venu Living brand.…

SIXTY Hotels – the innovative hotel brand of five luxury lodgings in New York City and Los Angeles, with Miami debuting in 2015, announces the next step in their evolution with a new project in Montreal, Canada. Slated to open late 2016, the collective formed by experienced hospitality leaders Jason Pomeranc, Lawrence Pomeranc, Michael Pomeranc and Stephen Brandman, will open…

December Highlights • Dubai hotels close 2014 with a 4.2% increase in profit margins • 2014 ‘the year of rebound’ for Abu Dhabi hotels • Doha hotels witness double-digit growth in TRevPAR • Beirut hotels report a 4.5% growth in profit margins in 2014 • Manama hotels are buoyed by higher leisure demand in 2014

First & Foremost Hotels and Resorts, a bespoke hotel asset, development and operations company has joined forces with four-time Major Champion, Ernie Els to launch First & Foremost Family Hotels in partnership with Leading Family Hotels & Resorts.A trend within the travel world currently is community sharing whereby residential accommodation is rented through the likes of AirBnB. This has shaken…

In the wake of their double award success at the 2014 Be Inspired Business Awards where they won the prestigious Exporter of the Year accolade, Chelsom have been selected as one of the 2015-16 Export Champions for UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) North West. The UKTI Export Champions programme, now in its third successful year, is unique to the North…

November Highlights • Dubai hotels start to feel the pressure • Performance levels continue to grow in Sharm El Sheikh • Doha hotels relish a growth in demand dynamics • Jeddah hotels witness mixed results • Beirut hotels continue on the path of recovery

“We believe that bringing the Newmor brand to our UK customers will ultimately deliver unrivalled service and cost savings for the project,” says Toby Morris, Managing Director of Newmor Wallcoverings.Formally known in the UK as Dixon Tuner, Newmor has grown to become one of the largest independent contract wallcovering manufacturers in the UK. Since its conception in 1967 by john…

September Highlights • Abu Dhabi hotels turn a corner as average room rates start to rise • Stronger demand fuels the revival of hotel performance in Sharm El Sheikh • Riyadh hotels record higher profits, however average room rates remain depressed • Average room rates fall in Dubai, but profits continue to rise • A 38.6% growth in Jeddah hotel…

This article is being re-published to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Burj, the hotel that raised Dubai to the position of a global competitor destination. It was originally published on HotelDesigns in May 2004 It takes a strange mix of qualities to lead a successful interior design practice. Designers are different to architects. Architects have the…

Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) and Kerzner International Holdings Limited (“Kerzner”), a leading international developer and operator of destination resorts and luxury hotels, today unveiled plans to forever enhance the landscape of Dubai with The Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences. Located on the crescent of The Palm and next to the iconic Atlantis resort, this new generation of distinctive luxury…

Chelsom have been crowned Exporter of the Year and Creative Business of the Year at the 2014 Be Inspired Business Awards at a lavish ceremony in the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom where they were the only company to win multiple awards in all categories entered.The Be Inspired Business Awards, the BIBAs, are the North West’s biggest and most prestigious business…

Jumeirah, the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, has revealed plans to launch a new contemporary lifestyle brand. The new brand, which is called VENU, is designed to appeal to the modern traveller whose expectations revolve around their own lifestyle – clean, contemporary, cool and effortless. To mark the launch of VENU, the company is revealing…

2014 has so far been a very busy year for Burgess. Not only are we celebrating our 55th anniversary, in May we launched our new showroom in the heart of Dubai Media City which has been warmly welcomed by the hotel and design companies in the region. Burgess has been exporting to the Middle East for 43 years, the showroom…

200 corporate CEOs from the U.S. and Africa and over 45 African heads of state joined U.S. President Barack Obama at the US-Africa Business Forum earlier this month, and Marriott International, Inc. President and CEO Arne Sorenson was there to share the company’s plans to reach over 150 hotels across 16 African countries, resulting in more than 25,000 jobs, between…

BAGNODESIGN, the home of creative bathroom solutions, will soon complete supply on a one-of-a-kind project located in Cultural Village, Dubai Creek. Palazzo Versace, one of Dubai’s fashion-branded hotels, reflects the vision and creativity of Gianni Versace S.p.A. along with a commitment to excellence in design and fine workmanship – a commitment that is shared by BAGNODESIGN. Situated in a spectacular…

The brand is rolling out a large-scale international communication campaign with an all-new angle on the hospitality experience.As you will probably remember, Pullman announced its global repositioning strategy a year ago, and one of the big breakthroughs back then was an advertising campaign featuring the brand hotel and resort spirit and design, which we created with the DDB Group. Then,…

UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has endorsed the fifth phase of Jumeirah Beach Hotel expansion plan, which is set for completion in 2018. The masterplan vision and concept for the expansion was delivered by global architecture, urbanism and design practice Broadway Malyan. The project was undertaken on…

May Highlights • Hotels in Doha record the highest occupancy levels seen in over three years • Rates in Dubai driven by MICE and leisure segments • Profits in Cairo constrained by reduced rooms revenue • Riyadh maintains strong performance on the back of corporate demand • Corporate demand in Kuwait begins to slow

Further to the news that Ilya Pukhaev has joined Chelsom as their exclusive Russian agent, the international Chelsom expansion continues with the appointment of Roberto Granda as their official representative for the United Arab Emirates.Roberto has an extensive background within both the hospitality and contract furnishings market spanning 18 years, the last 8 of which he has spent in the…