Hospitality Design - December 2011 - 47

places: middle east

perspectives
Left: The lobby of the Renaissance Doha City Center in Qatar.

the city has drawn much international attention. It will take some time for Erbil to blossom, but this planning and development stage is critically important. Also important is the opportunity to learn from overdevelopment in places like Dubai, once gloriﬁed, but now hemorrhaging ﬁnancially.”

landscape.” Other brands hope for the same: Muscat, Oman’s capital, plans to make way for Bangkokbased Absolute Hotel Services’ extended stay Eastin Residences, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and

Jordan
Jordan, which has remained relatively quiet during this year’s neighboring political upheavals, has the beneﬁt of longstanding tourism appeal. The streak continues in beach resort city Aqaba with the DoubleTree that opened earlier this year, the brand’s ﬁrst foray into the Middle East. “It’s a brand that’s becoming something quite different outside the U.S.,” points out Traxler. “Edgy and boutique.” Marriott also has plans for the JW Marriott Aqaba Hotel & Spa in 2015. Also on the horizon is Wadi Resort. Miami-based Oppenheim Architecture + Design recently won the World Architecture Festival Award for this property, opening in trekkers paradise Wadi Rum in 2014, an eco-friendly resort of 47 desert lodges carved into sandstone cliffs.

Kempinski the Wave, set on a beach in a mixed-use community.

Qatar
Marriott made signiﬁcant inroads into Qatar this fall with a three-hotel Doha City Center complex that opened in the business district, spanning the Renaissance Doha City Center Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Doha City Center, and Marriott Executive Apartments Doha City Center. While all hotels share seven ﬂoors, each has a distinct look. “We have also had our eye on Qatar for some time and are thrilled to debut the brand in Doha early next year, promising to bring St. Regis’ legacy of luxury to this thriving region,” notes James. Tapping into Doha’s growing passion for the arts, St. Regis has also collaborated with Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York to open a jazz club, joining a pulsating arts scene comprised of the new Qatari Music Academy, Jean Nouvel’s National Museum of Qatar, and I.M. Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art.

Kuwait
Twenty years ago, oil-drenched Kuwait was the site of Iraqi occupation during the Persian Gulf crisis, and now it’s a luxury getaway. After ﬁrst opening in Edinburgh, Hotel Missoni decided on Kuwait for the second location of its boutique properties swathed in the fashion house’s signature zigzags and stripes. “In Kuwait, the majority of our guests have been from the Middle East, with also some Europeans and North Americans. What’s been surprising has been the incredible support locally,” says Rosita Missoni. “The hotel has a very modern look, and, of course, we love color, so there is a strong design that is very different from anything else in Kuwait. It easily could have rubbed some people the wrong way. Instead, we have been so pleased by the number of bookings.” Another renowned brand is headed for Kuwait, too: Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait will debut in mid-2013.

Saudi Arabia
Because of its exacting rules regarding women’s rights and unforgiving policies towards crime, Saudi Arabia has been deemed one of the region’s harshest countries. However, Wimberly’s McMahon says the kingdom has evolved, now showcasing more progressive thinking than other neighboring countries. This growth is reﬂected in the hospitality sector, with Marriott, for example, busy plotting eight new properties. Rocco Forte plans to land in Jeddah in 2013 and Kempinski, opening several hotels in Saudi Arabia, will create the country’s ﬁrst eco-friendly building there a year later. Work on the Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residence in the capital city, slated for 2014, already snagged an award for its architecture and interiors; it will open after the Hilton Al Khobar Hotel & Residence. “Tourism to Saudi Arabia is beyond the Hajj,” says Traxler.

Lebanon
2009 was an important year for Beirut with openings of hotels like the Four Seasons and Gordon Campbell Gray’s designer Le Gray. Now, Traxler notes the city is picking up again: Hilton Worldwide just signed two deals there; a Grand Hyatt under construction is due to open by the end of 2012; and the Kempinski Residences Al Abadiyah Hills-Beirut resort is on the boards, due in 2013.

Syria
Currently, it is Syria suffering the most violence in the region. As president Bashar al-Assad clings to power in a bloody crackdown against stalwart protestors, it seems that growth in a country once ripe for tourism is stymied. As one example of the Middle East perpetually changing, McMahon was working on a project in Damascus that was forced to cease. “It’s kind of amazing that when the Egyptians had their Arab Spring, it was pretty non-violent,” she reﬂects. “There’s such a controlled energy in Syria by contrast. Two years ago they said Damascus was so safe, you could leave your keys in the car.”

Oman
The Sultinate of Oman, emerging as a high-end vacation destination, will be the site of the third Hotel Missoni. “Oman has a truly lovely coastline and unspoiled natural beauty. Like UAE, it has become a very popular destination for travelers around the world, but it has its own character,” shares Missoni. “The location is inspiring: Oman is a very intriguing place, with a beautiful beach, a fantastic turquoise sea, and a dramatic

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - December 2011