INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Hotel projects are open or currently underway in the Middle East, with major brands Hyatt, IHG, Kempinski and others creating opportunities in the area.
Hyatt Unveils Plans For Hyatt Regency Cairo West
Hyatt Hotels Corporation revealed that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with Aldau Development group for a Hyatt-branded hotel in Cairo. Hyatt Regency Cairo West, set to open in the last quarter of 2020, will mark the return of the Hyatt brand to the capital of Egypt. The hotel joins Hyatt Regency Sharm El Sheikh and will further add to Hyatt’s growing brand footprint in North Africa.
The property will have 242 contemporary guestrooms and suites, inspired by Egyptian culture, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Pyramids of Giza or the hotel’s pool and gardens. Guestroom amenities will include smart mirrors and sensor LED lighting control, as well as in-room massage and beauty facilities in a number of the suites.
IHG Signs Deal to Debut Voco in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
IHG has signed an agreement with Nouh Mohamad Nouh and Partners Limited for Voco Jeddah Gate. The latest signing underpinning IHG’s commitment to expand its footprint across the Kingdom. This marks the third Voco signing in Saudi Arabia in a span of nine months and follows the recent announcement of signing of world’s largest Voco in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Expected to open in January 2021, Voco Jeddah Gate will be IHG’s sixth hotel in Jeddah and the fifth brand from the IHG family. The 681-key hotel will occupy a premium location in the Fayhaa area within Jeddah Gate, an integrated master-planned community, which will have a combination of residential housing units, accommodations, commercial areas as well recreational amenities once completed.
Flagship Kempinski Planned in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Kempinski Hotels has planned a new luxury project in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The signing ceremony with the partnering company, Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction Company (UAQ), took place at Emerald Palace Kempinski Dubai. The property will be a flagship luxury hotel for the mega project on King Abdul Aziz Road.
Kempinski Hotel Makkah will include 380 rooms and suites. There will be an all-day dining restaurant and a specialty restaurant, offering Levantine cuisine. The hotel’s sky lobby will offer a coffee lounge.
Six Senses Opens on the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas brings its trademark take on hospitality to two restored Ottoman-era mansions in Istanbul, Turkey.
Six Senses Kocataş Mansions, which also incorporates next-door Sait Paşa Mansion, is located in the Sariyer district of Istanbul’s European side, famous for its Pearls of Bosphorus waterfront properties. The urban resort recreates historic architectural features and artifacts from the site’s former 19th century Kocataş Mansions, which were devastated in a fire years ago, paying homage to its original footprint.
The 45 guestrooms and suites are divided between the two stately three-level heritage mansions, together with lounges, banqueting and function rooms and a gallery.
Marriott Plans to Bring St. Regis Brand to Oman
Marriott International Inc. has signed an agreement with Alfardan Group to introduce the St. Regis brand to Oman. Expected to open in 2022, the 271-room St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort is planned to rise on a prime beachfront plot within Oman’s lifestyle and leisure destination, Al Mouj Muscat. The project also includes plans for 170 branded residential units. The residences are also anticipated to be completed by 2022.
The St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort is expected to encompass the hallmarks of the St. Regis brand such as its rich traditions and rituals, and signature St. Regis Butler Service. Amenities will include an outdoor pool, spa, health facilities and leisure club, and five specialty restaurants including the St. Regis bar, inspired by the original King Cole Bar at The St. Regis New York. The beachfront location is expected to allow guests to access Al Mouj Golf, an 18-hole championship golf course, designed by Greg Norman.
