6 I Upfront
LE MÉRIDIEN DUBAI Hotel and
Conference Centre has marked the
re-opening of its lobby featuring
the brand’s Hub concept. The
‘palm tree’ pillars have been
painted white and new seating, 3D
local art-themed installation and
sharply designed Latitude 25 bar
augment the contemporary feel.
Guests can access desktops in one
area and Gourmandises coffee
shop has also been redesigned.
General Manager Shaun
Parsons said: “It’s a complete
transformation. The new lighting is
critical and the use of the mirrors
makes the space feel a lot broader.”OCTOBER WILL be a double-launch
month for Marriott International in
Dubai with Bvlgari Resort and Residences
Dubai preparing to ‘soft open’ and
Renaissance Downtown Hotel targeting
a mid-month launch.
Neal Jones, Marriott International’s Chief
Sales & Marketing Officer for Middle East
& Africa (MEA), was confident Bvlgari
will “carve out its own niche” within the
ultra-luxury sector. The Bvlgari Resort will
officially open in December. “At that level,
the price point is often not the number one
consideration, it’s more about the offering,
experience and brand itself. We see aunique opportunity for that hotel.”
The 298-room Downtown property in
Business Bay (pictured) features interior
designs by WA International and F&B
includes Bhar (contemporary Middle East),
Grounded (coffee shop), Basta! (Italian),
Bleu Blanc (French) and Morimoto Dubai
(Japanese). An all-suite spa concept from
Six Senses is due to open in December.
Online opening rates start from AED828.
for a Deluxe King water view room, rising to
AED1,425 for a Club Room with Burj Khalifa
view and Club Lounge access.
Both high-end hotels launch as hoteliers
continue to grapple with declining RevParsMarriott International gears up for
two premium launches in Dubai
however, and bracing themselves for the
imminent introduction of VAT across the
GCC in January. “Every hotel and restaurant
has to implement the 5 per cent, so it’s a
level playing field – we won’t be absorbing
the 5 per cent,” added Jones. “Clearly it will
place a slight burden on pricing, any increase
will impact consumers’ thought processes on
where they eat and stay, but we don’t see it
as impacting the business as such.”
Other prominent upcoming launches
include the St. Regis Cairo, which is
targeting a December opening, Edition Abu
Dhabi (2018), W Amman (early next year)
and W Palm Jumeirah (early 2018).
Jones said he was pleased with the “pace
of the integration” following the acquisition
of Starwood Hotels & Resorts and work
was continuing behind the scenes with
combining IT infrastructure and Marriott
Rewards and SPG rewards programmes.
Today Marriott International operates
34 hotels in Dubai (21 in the pipeline)
and 19 brands across MEA – and it plans
to add another four regionally in the next
few years. “We don’t think 30 brands are
too many, as long as each brand appeals
to a certain type of consumer. We may
well grow with an extra brand or two.”
renaissancedowntowndubai.com,
bvlgariresidences.ae
Turn to page 22 to read more on Business
Bay hotelsPay for Etihad tickets
in installments
ETIHAD AIRWAYS has added
some welcome flexibility to the
ticket-booking process by claiming
to be the first airline regionally
to accept credit card installment
payments. The tie-up with PayFort
and 17 banks provides passengers
with the option of paying over
three to 60 months when booking
through etihad.com. The Abu
Dhabi carrier said the move
is part of its ongoing digital
transformation and innovation
strategy and will assist “low to
medium income travellers”.Le Méridien Dubai unveils Hub lobby