Dubai gets first Missoni hotels
Rezidor SAS Hospitality, has announced that one of the world’s first Missoni hotels - will be on The Palm, Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Another two Missoni properties have also been announced - in Kuwait and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Hotel Missoni Dubai, which will have over 250 rooms and is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2008, will be on the Crescent of The Palm, Jumeirah and will be designed as a Mediterranean village with a private harbour.
“Although several lifestyle and boutique hotels have already entered this segment, we strongly believe that the market is only ready now to embrace a truly global yet individualistic lifestyle brand, such as Hotel Missoni,” said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO, Rezidor SAS Hospitality.
“Missoni is one of the few fashion brands that has an inherent and instantly recognisable look, and this essence fits perfectly with our objective to create a pure brand that is totally committed to quality and consistency in design and service, which effortlessly compliments and sustains a brand’s heritage.”
Hotel Missoni Dubai will feature the Missoni Cucina, Bar Missoni and Missoni Spa. It will also have a small fitness facility, pool deck and boardrooms.
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Rezidor SAS signed a license agreement with the Italian fashion house in November 2005 and plans to have 30 Missoni hotels under operation or development by 2010.
“Missoni, in my opinion, is a great brand. It’s real. It is not some creation to fit a short-term market opportunity - it has history, it has a great story to it. A family owned enterprise, the brand has deep emotional roots, and everyone involved stays absolutely committed to doing the right things for the long-term success and prosperity of the brand.
And that’s where Rezidor SAS and Missoni have found a common ground to move forward to the next level,’ said Gordon McKinnon, Brand Leader Hotel Missoni and Senior Vice President Brands, Rezidor SAS Hospitality.
To ensure quality and brand consistency, the interior designs of all Missoni hotels will be conceptualized and controlled by Italian design icon Matteo Thun, and locally implemented by trusted partners of Rezidor SAS, such as, LWD of Dubai.
Hotel Missoni Kuwait will be the first lifestyle development in the city of Kuwait at the Symphony complex. The 200-room hotel is scheduled to open its doors in the third quarter of 2007.
Rezidor SAS plans to develop the brand in dynamic cosmopolitan cities and resorts around the world, starting within its recognized patch of Europe and the Middle East, all based on the group’s dynamic development strategy.
The fashion brand Missoni, on the other hand, is about to take a step up into the truly global stakes through extension of the fashion lines into hotels, homeware and children’s clothing. Most vibrant of them all is the extension into fragrance collection through a joint venture with American cosmetic giant, Estée Lauder.
The launch is set for spring/summer this year, and is already making headlines as positioning the Missoni brand to a whole new international level.
Rezidor SAS Hospitality is one of the fastest growing hospitality companies in the world and currently has 267 hotels, encompassing over 50,000 rooms, in operation and under development in 49 countries, with the aim to develop 700 hotels across its different brands by 2015.
In September 2002, Rezidor SAS announced a unique deal with US-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide to expand selected Carlson brands in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Rezidor SAS now operates Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts, Regent International Hotels, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites along with the goldpoints plus loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests.
Initially, Rezidor SAS Hospitality was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Stockholm-based SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) Group. In June 2005, Rezidor SAS Hospitality completed the strategic agreement with US-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide, which resulted in an enhancement of their long-time franchise partnership into a shareholder agreement.
Carlson Hotels Worldwide acquired a 25 percent shareholding in Rezidor SAS Hospitality from SAS group in return for renegotiated commercial terms of the parties’ current Master Franchise Agreement.
In November 2005, Rezidor SAS signed a worldwide license agreement with the Italian fashion house Missoni, to develop and operate a lifestyle hotel brand of the same name: Hotel Missoni.
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