Al Habtoor Relieves Marriott International of Three Dubai Hotel Operations

Date: July 2018…Updated August 2018

Location: Dubai, UAE

Name: The St. Regis Dubai, W Dubai Habtoor City and The Westin Dubai Al Habtoor City

Khalaf Al Habtoor, chairman of the Al Habtoor Group. The company has decided to refocus its hospitality strategy. Antonie Robertson / The National

No. of Keys: 1,594

When: 1st August, 2018

Marriott will cease all involvement with the three hotels, and will no longer be part of the St Regis, W Hotels and Westin Hotels global brand portfolios, Al Habtoor said.

Marriott operates some 55,000 rooms across 19 brands in the MEA region including Bulgari, JW Marriott Hotels, Luxury Collection, The Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, Aloft Hotels, Autograph Collection, Courtyard by Marriott, Le Meridien, Renaissance Hotels and Sheraton.

“We maintain a strong and friendly relationship with Marriott International,” said the chairman of Al Habtoor Group, Khalaf Al Habtoor.

“This decision marks the start of a new era for Habtoor Hospitality as we focus more on strengthening our own brands and expanding our hotel-management portfolio.”

The company described the move as a “mutual decision reached amicably between the parties”.

“The UAE continues to be a key growth market for us … As a company we continue to explore and discuss opportunities that are in line with our overall growth strategy,” said Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, MEA for Marriott International.

“Al Habtoor Group continues to be an important partner of Marriott International. We value the relationship and thank them for their partnership, wishing them all the very best in their future endeavours.”

Marriott said it is on track to increase its portfolio in the region to over 380 hotels – an increase of more than 50 per cent over the next five years. Also in line with its development plans, Marriott expects to add 30,000 new jobs across the region by 2023.

THPT Comment: These things happen…looks like an amicable divorce (perhaps you could teach the UK & the EU how to do it…!)

They since have announced that Hilton will take over these three hotels…  The hotel names will change to Habtoor Palace Hotel, LXR Hotels & Resorts, V Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton and Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City.

Habtoor Palace, LXR Hotels & Resorts
The 234-room hotel will operate as an independent property as it joins the upcoming Hilton brand LXR Hotels & Resorts. Habtoor Palace will be located on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Dubai Water Canal.

Interestingly the brand is a recycle! –  LXR Luxury Resorts was created in 2005, when Blackstone used it to re-brand acquisitions from Wyndham. After it acquired Hilton in 2007, those properties were re-flagged to Hilton brands.

V Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
V Hotel will be the first hotel in the UAE to join Curio Collection by Hilton, expanding the brand’s portfolio of more than 50 hotels and resorts. The hotel will also join 10 properties currently operating or in development in the region. The 356-room hotel will be the location for Dubai’s first resident aqua show La Perle by Dragone.

Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City
This hotel under the flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand will be the largest in Hilton’s Middle East and Africa portfolio with its 1,004 guestrooms, including 142 suites. Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City will join the brand’s first hotel opened in 1971 along with six properties open across the UAE. Another 50 Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties are in the pipeline across the region.

These new Hilton hotels are part of the extension in the partnership between Hilton and Al Habtoor Group. They will also increase the number of Hilton-operated hotels from five to seven in the UAE.

“Our portfolio will now see more than 5,000 rooms open by the end of the year in Dubai, a destination that ranks alongside global powerhouses such as London, Paris and New York in terms of annual visitor numbers,” Ian Carter, president of global development, architecture, design and construction for Hilton, said.

Update First Seen: Hotel Management