From small-key boutiques to mega developments, expansion continues apace
Words by: Katie Kervin + Alissa Ponchione
Thanks to a vigorous development pipeline, the Middle East and Africa region is thriving.
Much of that is due to Saudi Arabia’s influx of development (15 hotels with 6,050 rooms) and Dubai’s growth spurt (11 hotels with 2,868 rooms). The latter posted its highest September occupancy since 2016, according to data from CoStar—which provides online real estate marketplaces, information, and analytics in the property markets—reaching 77.6 percent, a 10 percent jump year over year. (Aside from three days, occupancy remained above 70 percent throughout the month.) Additionally, CoStar reported that ADR was Dubai’s highest since September 2017 at $125.
Rounding out the top cities were Qatar (10 hotels with 1,484 rooms), Tanzania (four hotels with 150 rooms), and Kenya (four hotels with 305 rooms).
From small-key boutiques to mega developments, expansion continues apace
Thanks to a vigorous development pipeline, the Middle East and Africa region is thriving.
Much of that is due to Saudi Arabia’s influx of development (15 hotels with 6,050 rooms) and Dubai’s growth spurt (11 hotels with 2,868 rooms). The latter posted its highest September occupancy since 2016, according to data from CoStar—which provides online real estate marketplaces, information, and analytics in the property markets—reaching 77.6 percent, a 10 percent jump year over year. (Aside from three days, occupancy remained above 70 percent throughout the month.) Additionally, CoStar reported that ADR was Dubai’s highest since September 2017 at $125.
Rounding out the top cities were Qatar (10 hotels with 1,484 rooms), Tanzania (four hotels with 150 rooms), and Kenya (four hotels with 305 rooms).
See Hospitality Design’s full Best Of 2023 list here.
Setting a new standard of luxury in Dubai, the Atlantis the Royal opened in February to much fanfare (including a Beyoncé performance). Soaring 43 stories high across 795 rooms, 17 restaurants, and a 55-acre waterpark, the resort is known for its striking, stacked architecture, which promotes indoor-outdoor living while offering uninterrupted views of the Arabian Gulf.
Architecture Firms: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, New York, and Arcadis IBI Group | Design Firms: Sybille de Margerie, Paris, and G.A Group, London | Operator: Kerzner International
Photo courtesy of Atlantis the Royal
After a decade-long restoration, the 11-room R48 Hotel and Garden has opened on the tony Rothschild Boulevard, sporting a new glass façade that juxtaposes the 1933 Bauhaus-style building and landscapes dreamt up by Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf (known for the gardens at the Highline in New York). Evoking a private villa, crisp white interiors mingle with shades of yellow and green, walnut and African teak, and works by contemporary Israeli artists, like the botanical-themed diptych from London-based photographer Ori Gersht found in the lobby.
Architecture Firm: AN+, Tel Aviv | Design Firm: Studio Liaigre, Paris | Owner + Operator: R48
Photos by Amit Geron
With Six Senses properties opening in Rome and Crans-Montana, Switzerland earlier this year, the wellness-focused brand bookends a successful 2023 with the launch of the Six Senses Southern Dunes. Surrounded by the undulating dunes of the Arabian Desert, the 76-room Red Sea destination is aiming to be the first LEED Platinum resort in Saudi Arabia, thanks to an onsite solar farm that powers the property.
Photo courtesy of Six Senses
Marking a new chapter for Marriott, the JW Masai Mara Lodge is the hotel company’s first foray into luxury safari accommodations. Nodding to its serene setting on the banks of the Talek River, the nature-inspired interiors—including 20 tented suites, each with a private terrace—immerse guests into the idyllic natural surroundings.
Design Firm: Kristina Zanic Consultants, Dubai | Owner + Developer: Baraka Lodges | Operator: Marriott International
Photo courtesy of Marriott International
The adaptive reuse of a Brutalist government building from the 1970s, the 90-room Ned Doha channels the glamour of the era with custom Murano glass lighting, terrazzo flooring, marble finishes, and coffered concrete ceilings. Yet, it’s the nods to sister locations in London and New York, with brand mainstays like Cecconi’s restaurant (one of seven F&B options) and a members-only club that crowns the top floor, that add to the property’s appeal.
Architecture Firm: David Chipperfield Architects, Berlin | Design Firm + Operator: Soho House | Owner: Ron Burkle
Photo by Joe Chua Agdeppa
Comprising 16 guest houses sprinkled among verdant gardens, a signature restaurant, and an onsite art gallery showcasing the works of renowned Turkish painters and sculptors, the chic beach getaway in the Mediterranean is only accessible by sea. Designed to integrate into its surroundings, the property’s interiors reflect the secluded haven with polished concrete floors, a palette of serene earth tones, and bathrooms with indoor-outdoor showers.
Architecture, Design Firm, + Owner: Fahrettin Aykut, Istanbul | Operator: Yazz Collective
Photo courtesy of Yazz Collective
Joining openings in San Sebastián and Sevilla, Spain, along with residences in Los Cabos, Mexico, the Nobu Hotel Marrakech is the brand’s debut in Africa. Nobu’s restrained Japanese style comes alive across the brand’s signature restaurant, a subterranean spa, a Mediterranean-inspired rooftop lounge, and 71 spacious suites, where dark wood complements rich aubergine and merlot hues—a nod to traditional Moroccan architecture.
Architecture Firm: Mahmoud Slimani, Marrakech | Design Firms: Stevani & Silva, Madrid and Artikech, Marrakech | Owners: Hivernage Collection and Luxury Hotel Partners | Operator: Nobu Hospitality
Photo courtesy of Nobu Hospitality
Set within Uptown Tower, the 1,115-foot-hight architectural landmark—home to 188 rooms and suites, all with skyline views—boasts a kaleidoscopic experience that transcends its location, notably in the nature-inspired mural that wraps the lobby’s imposing columns, where birds in flight move across the landscape. Five restaurants and bars, an events space that can accommodate up to 1,000 people, branded residences, and a sky-high luxury spa round out the experience.
Architecture Firm: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, Chicago | Design Firm: Woods Bagot | Owner: DMCC | Operator: Ennismore
The luxury brand’s first outpost in Egypt, the Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis welcomes guests via a glass-walled atrium lobby curved into the shape of the eye of the Pharaonic god, Ra, and the brand’s trademark clock displaying the time with two rings of flowing water inspired by the Nile. East and West come together once again in the 252 rooms and suites, where a palette of green and blue is balanced with wood tones and natural materials.
Design Firm: Adrian Barboza Design, London | Operator: Hilton
Photo courtesy of Hilton