ONES TO WATCH

Hotel groups making headway in the Middle East and North Africa region

Collection JVC – the latter of which debuted the firm’s new lifestyle hotel brand, The First Collection. Other projects in the firm’s pipeline include hotels in Dubai’s Business Bay and Jumeirah Village districts.

Envi Lodges

A new luxury experiential eco-lodge brand and management company, ENVI Lodges, launched in 2021.

The brand, which is the brainchild of co-founders Chris Nader and Noelle Homsy, taps into growing demand for authentic travel experiences, with the value of the global experiential lodging (glamping) market expected to reach $3.9 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 17.5%.

ENVI Lodges is working with world-class hospitality experts and advisors specialised in experiential travel and in December, joined Beyond Green, a global portfolio of hotels, lodges and resorts representing sustainable tourism leadership.

The First Group

Established in 2005 and initially specialising in residential apartment developments, The First Group today ranks among Dubai’s fastest-growing hotel developers, with a slate of projects currently underway headlined by Ciel, the world’s tallest hotel located in Dubai Marina. Ciel, which has been designed by award-winning architectural firm NORR, will house more than 1,000 guestrooms and suites, as well as premium guest amenities and facilities, such as the Ciel Observatory & Lounge on the 81st floor and a signature rooftop Sky Terrace featuring an infinity pool and bar affording sweeping panoramic views of Dubai’s skyline, the Palm Jumeirah and Arabian Gulf. The imposing tower, which will reach a height of 365 metres, will also boast standout features including a 300-metre-tall atrium with vertically stacked landscaped and naturally ventilated terraces; a luxury spa and health club located on the building’s 61st floor; and a range of specialty F&B outlets, including a soon-to-beannounced signature restaurant, a Sunset Lounge on the 74th floor and Horizon Bar on the 76th floor.

“Ciel is a landmark development for Dubai that will not only enhance its status as one of the world’s great tourism and business travel destinations but will set a new benchmark for upscale accommodation in what is recognised as one of the most dynamic and competitive hotel markets on the planet,” says Rob Burns, CEO of The First Group. Ciel represents The First Group’s most ambitious project to date and headlines its growing portfolio of properties, which today comprises Wyndham Dubai Marina, Millennium Place Marina, TRYP by Wyndham Dubai and the recently opened The First

Beyond Green is owned by Preferred Hotel Group, which provides sales, marketing and technology solutions to independent hotels. As part of its partnership with Beyond Green, ENVI will benefit from I Prefer, Preferred Hotel Group’s loyalty rewards programme, enabling guests to earn and redeem points in more than 650 hotels and resorts globally. ENVI Lodges shares Beyond Green’s core values – nature, culture, and community – applied to every aspect of the business.

Leva Hotels

Lifestyle hotel brand Leva Hotels has a portfolio of five independent and managed properties in the UAE, Oman, Uganda, and Ethiopia with its flagship on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road – Leva Mazaya Centre.

Leva Hotels plans to accelerate expansion through both management and franchise models across high-demand and under-penetrated cities in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe and has set its sights on rapid growth, adding at least 75 properties by 2032

The company says it fills the gap in the local market for “affordable luxury” and is “working towards enhancing the region’s hospitality offering” with properties that are “design-led, digital-first, and wallet-friendly”.

Revier

Swiss brand Revier has made its way from the Alps where it launched its first property – Revier Mountain Lodge in Lenzerheide – in 2017, to the desert dunes, with Revier Hotel Dubai in Business Bay offering “a city retreat like no other and a meeting point for the modern and tireless explorers”. The hotel’s 230 rooms and suites are edgy, cosy and functionally designed with everything the modern nomads need – flexibility, Instagram-able spots and fast Wi-Fi.

Sonder

Sonder says it is a next-generation company that is “revolutionising hospitality through innovative, tech-enabled service and inspiring, thoughtfully designed accommodations combined into one seamless experience”. Launched in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco, Sonder provides a variety of accommodation options — from spacious rooms to fully-equipped suites and apartments — found in more than 35 markets spanning nine countries and three continents. The Sonder app gives guests full control over their stay.

The company operates two properties in Dubai. The Sonder Downtown Towers opened in October and features 300 fully equipped holiday home suites with two or three bedrooms and kitchens. Guests have access to facilities including an onsite fitness centre inclusive of gym, glistening swimming pool, sauna, steam room and outdoor running track.

It joins Sonder JBR Suites in Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Residences with company currently operating 450 units across the emirate.

GLOBAL HOTEL ALLIANCE (GHA)

Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) brings together a unique collection of independent hospitality brands with GHA DISCOVERY, a multi-brand loyalty programme leveraging a shared technology platform. Through GHA membership, brands expand their global reach, drive incremental revenue, and reduce dependence on third-party channels, while maintaining management independence and individual positioning.

GHA represents a collection of 35 brands with more than 500 hotels in 85 countries serving 11 million members. Alliance brands currently include Anantara, Araiya, Avani, Campbell Gray, Capella, Corinthia, Discovery Destinations, Divani, Doyle, Elewana, Fauchon, GLO, JA Resorts, Kempinski, Leela, Lungarno, Marco Polo, Mysk, Niccolo, Nikki Beach, NUO, Oaks, Outrigger, Pan Pacific, PARKROYAL COLLECTION, PARKROYAL, Patina, The Residence by Cenizaro, Shaza, Sukhothai, Sun International, Tivoli, Ultratravel Collection and Viceroy.

In 2022, GHA DISCOVERY will expand significantly when Madrid-based NH Hotel Group joins the alliance.

This will see its NH Rewards loyalty programme merge with GHA DISCOVERY, establishing the loyalty programme as one of the 10 largest in the hospitality sector, with more than 900 participating hotels. NH Hotel Group comprises three brands – NH Hotels, NH Collection and nhow – operating more than 360 hotels in 30 countries, primarily in Europe and South America. It is majority-owned by current GHA hotel brand partner, Minor Hotels. GHA DISCOVERY recently evolved to include an additional tier and flexible paths to upgrade through nights/stays, eligible purchases or number of brands stayed, making it easier and faster for members to reach elite status. Unlike more traditional programmes, GHA DISCOVERY does not ask members to count points towards their next upgrade. Instead, members earn and spend DISCOVERY Dollars (D$), an exclusive digital rewards currency.

They also enjoy members-only experiences curated by each hotel and have access to properties close to home, without a stay, through local offers.