UPFRONT

Sunset Hospitality Group secures US$35 million funding from Goldman Sachs

DUBAI-BASED Sunset Hospitality Group (SHG) has secured US$35 million in funding from Goldman Sachs Asset Management to support its global expansion plans. One of the key projects that the funding will go towards is the opening of its agship Mett Hotel and Beach Resort, in Marbella, in the summer of 2023. Additionally, SHG aims to open 15 additional international venues, and expand to 14 countries by the end of next year. It is also reportedly actively exploring opportunities within the Mediterranean, UK, the US and Asia.

WALDORF ASTORIA LUSAIL OPENS IN DOHA

WALDORF ASTORIA HOTELS AND RESORTS

opened a new property in the Qatari capital of Doha in November. The Waldorf Astoria Lusail, Doha is located in Lusail’s Entertainment City, and is a 20-minute drive from the airport and 10 minutes away from Doha’s central business district. The resort features a combination of 429 guest rooms, suites, and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. It has a 200-metre stretch of private beach, and its culinary o erings include the likes of Sushisamba, Scarpetta and also The Highmore which is inspired by an original members only London club.

Flydubai adds six new destinations to its network

DUBAI CARRIER, ydubai, will launch ights to six additional destinations. ese include Cagliari, Corfu, Krabi, Milan and Pattaya from 2023, as well as the resumption of services to Hofuf in Saudi Arabia, which it did so on November 24. Emirates will codeshare on all these routes. e addition of these new routes will see ydubai’s network expand to 113 destinations in 53 countries. Since the start of this year, it has launched ights to over 20 destinations, including Pisa and Catania in Italy, Osh in Kyrgyzstan as well as Samarkand and Namangan in Uzbekistan.

MANDARIN ORIENTAL CONFIRMS 2028 OPENING OF KUWAIT PROPERTY

MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL GROUP will debut in Kuwait. It announced last month that it will manage a luxury hotel which is scheduled to open in 2028. The Mandarin Oriental, Kuwait will feature 159 guestrooms, including 33 suites and 10 serviced apartments. Located in the financial district of Kuwait City, it will be housed in an 80-storey tower designed by architects Foster + Partners. In addition to the hotel, the tower will comprise a podium which will feature international retail and entertainment centres, as well as o ice spaces.

New arrivals lounge unveiled in DXB

PLAZA PREMIUM GROUP has opened its new eir Patio arrivals lounge at Terminal 3 in Dubai International airport (DXB). Located next to the Duty Free, eir Patio caters to business travellers with its ‘Work from Airport’ concept. e lounge has meeting rooms, a co-working space, phone booths, a printing room and business consultancy services for accountancy and visa enquiries. e 523 sqm lounge features a concierge service, F&B o erings and a pop-up area for small exhibitions. Currently, there are two packages available for use of the facility: Dhs130 for two hours, or Dhs145 for three hours.

Marriott debuts its first UAE resort

THE FIRST MARRIOTT RESORT

in the UAE is scheduled to open this month. The Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah will be a beachfront property in Dubai, spread across 7,000 sqm and will feature 608 guestrooms and suites. Each has floor-to-ceiling ocean views, private balconies, and full-service in-room amenities. The next Marriott resort confirmed for the UAE will be the Marriott Mirfa Resort, Abu Dhabi, located on the coast of the Al Dhafra region. The 114-room beachfront resort in Abu Dhabi is expected to open in 2025.

Accor unveils plans for Fairmont Dubai Skyline tower

ACCOR IS SET to add a new property to its Fairmont Hotels and Resorts portfolio in Dubai. It has partnered with RSG Group of Companies to sign the Fairmont Dubai Skyline hotel which will open in 2024. It will be the third Fairmont property in Dubai and the seventh in the UAE. e Fairmont Dubai Skyline will feature 54 oors across the 226m-high structure. It will include 181 hotel rooms and suites, alongside 121 residences comprising two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. Accor currently operates 425 properties in India, the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, with another 192 in the pipeline.

THE CHEDI ENTERS QATAR WITH A BEACHFRONT PROPERTY IN DOHA

THE CHEDI KATARA HOTEL AND RESORT has o icially opened in Doha. Located in the Katara Cultural Village, it is managed by General Hotel Management. It is a 91-key resort with 59 rooms and suites with sea views. The resort also houses 32 villas, each with its own private garden and pool. The Chedi Katara is developed by the Qatari real estate consortium, Triple A Holdings, in partnership with Katara Cultural Village. The resort provides its guests with access to theatres, concert halls, exhibition galleries, mosques, restaurants, shops, a park and an open amphitheatre in the vicinity.

Emirates launches private catering service in the UAE

EMIRATES FLIGHT CATERING (EKFC) has launched a new service to cater for private events within the UAE. EKFC says that its “Michelintrained and award-winning chefs” can cater for events that range from small family gatherings to large assemblies of thousands of people. In June, EKFC entered into a partnership with Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai to become the latter’s exclusive F&B partner for the live entertainment venue. It also recently opened the world’s largest vertical farm, located near Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, that can produce over one million kilogrammes of vegetables annually.

INAUGURAL MICHELIN GUIDE ABU DHABI REVEALED

A TOTAL OF 42 RESTAURANTS were recognised in the inaugural edition of the Michelin Guide Abu Dhabi. Three of them – Talea by Antonio Guida, Hakkasan and 99 Sushi Bar – were awarded one Star. No restaurants secured either two or three Stars. However, four establishments – Almayass, Beirut Sur Mer, Otoro and Tazal’s – were awarded a Bib Gourmand, a recognition that the restaurant o ers good food at reasonable rates. Meanwhile, Rawad Hamdan and team at Li Beirut won the Service Award; Marlon Nuque from Zuma took home the Sommelier Award; and Luigi Stinga from Talea by Antonio Guida bagged the Young Chef Award.