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Hyatt to grow luxury product by 30pc

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By 2026, Hyatt expects its luxury brand footprint in Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EAME) region to grow by over 30 per cent. We spoke to Ludwig Bouldoukian, Regional Vice President of Development Middle East & Africa for Hyatt International, for more insight into the brand’s regional growth strategy. 

“At Hyatt, we are continuing the global growth of our luxury brand portfolio with a robust pipeline of highly anticipated openings over the next three years. Planned luxury openings before the end of 2025 in the Middle East and Africa include Andaz Doha in Qatar, Park Hyatt Marrakech in Morocco; Park Hyatt Johannesburg in South Africa; Park Hyatt Riyadh Diriyah in Saudi Arabia; Grand Hyatt The Red Sea and Miraval The Red Sea, both in Saudi Arabia.

Hyatt has been proactively introducing new brands in the Middle East region, including the first Miraval outside of the US.

“We’re excited to debut our luxury wellness brand, Miraval, with the slated opening of Miraval The Red Sea in 2025, alongside the upcoming Grand Hyatt The Red Sea, which will mark the second Grand Hyatt branded hotel in the Kingdom.”

Miraval The Red Sea will expand on Hyatt’s growing luxury resort offerings in the Middle East, with an aim to cater to today’s luxury travellers seeking well-being experiences through alignment of body, mind and spirit.

 

“We’re excited to debut our luxury wellness brand Miraval in the region, with the slated opening of Miraval The Red Sea in 2025”
– Ludwig Bouldoukian

“Grand Hyatt The Red Sea represents a key milestone within Hyatt’s strategy to expand its luxury resort offering in the Middle East. It will be at the forefront of the Red Sea project, helping shape the island’s unique identity and contribute to a destination that redefines the concept of sustainable luxury.”

A strong pipeline of luxury openings and development projects signals Hyatt’s continued commitment to catering to high-end travellers in new and desirable markets.

Over the coming years, Hyatt expects to grow the portfolio of its luxury brand, Park Hyatt, across more markets in the Middle East and Africa, Bouldoukian tells TTN. This includes destinations such as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with Park Hyatt Riyadh Diriyah, Johannesburg, South Africa with Park Hyatt Johannesburg and Marrakech, Morocco with Park Hyatt Marrakech.

There will also be ‘significant’ growth for Hyatt’s upper scale select-service brand, Hyatt Place, fuelled by the increasing demand across the region for affordable business and leisure accommodation options.

“We’ll also see the expansion of our luxury lifestyle brand, Andaz, with the highlight anticipated opening of Andaz Doha set for this year.”

Some 80 per cent of Hyatt’s growth in the Middle East region will be concentrated in Saudi Arabia going forward. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a thriving hub for global business, arts and culture, and pioneering hospitality experiences, and continues to represent an important growth market for Hyatt in the Middle East. Our properties in The Red Sea project and Diriyah perfectly align with Hyatt’s goals of enhancing the way we cater to today’s increasingly diverse travellers who are seeking captivating moments from what will be an iconic destination.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a diverse market where we have observed a demand for many of our brands including lifestyle, luxury, upscale and select service. We look forward to growing our brand portfolio in this dynamic and thriving market.”

Hyatt’s ambitious development portfolio in key cities across the MEA region showcases its aim to grow its brands with intent through strategic investments. “At the same time, we are committed to growing our portfolio in destinations that matter most to our guests, including new and desired locations,” Bouldoukian says.

“Our most recent opening in the MEA region, Grand Hyatt Kuwait, marked the debut of Grand Hyatt in the country, and offers global travellers superior hospitality services against a backdrop of majestic architectural design coupled with world-class culinary, leisure and entertainment experiences under one roof.”

Qatar is also a growing travel market, especially post-FIFA World Cup, with a burgeoning luxury and lifestyle sector. “We’re excited to bring our Andaz brand to the capital, with the soon-to-debut Andaz Doha, which is located in the prestigious West Bay area of Doha and it’s set to become one of the city’s most innovative destinations.”

Earlier this year, Hyatt announced Stuart Deeson as Vice President of Operations for the Middle East and Africa (MEA). In his new role, Deeson is responsible for Hyatt’s operating hotels across the region, with a current portfolio of more than 30 properties across 7 brands, including Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Alila, Andaz, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House.

Deeson moved to the UAE capital in 2014 and held GM positions at Park Hyatt and Grand Hyatt properties before taking on his former role as Area Vice President and General Manager of Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi.

“We are excited to have Stuart on board as he brings with him over a decade of knowledge and deep-rooted experience across the Middle East and Africa. He will play a crucial role in delivering value for our guests and staff while driving Hyatt’s vision across the region,” concludes Bouldoukian.

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