New lifestyle brand hotel is inspired by traditional Middle Eastern hospitality
Shaza Hotels - officially launched at this year's Arabian Travel Market - is described as a contemporary, lifestyle hotel brand into which the traditions and codes of Middle Eastern hospitality have been designed from the outset. Shaza has been developed to be an international brand and, while the directors intend to open their first hotels in the Gulf, then Beirut and possibly Turkey, they also intend Shaza to travel into Europe.
The venture was initiated by international investment company Capital Guidance, who established a Sharia-compliant fund to support the development of a Middle Eastern hotel model. London-based architects YRM, and interior designer Alex Kravetz, were appointed to design the concept and, at the beginning of this year, Kempinski, became joint venture partner for the eight year life of the fund, bringing with it the market gravitas to deliver an ambitious growth programme. The partners are aiming for 20 hotels over the next eight years, half owned, half managed.
Chris Hartley, who moved from Kempinski to become CEO of Shaza Hotels, explains: "Kempinski is incubating Shaza. The company has the experience and scale to ensure first class operations, staff training and global marketing. This is a significant step for Kempinski, which has been single brand hotel company for a hundred years, but we are very confident that the time is right for Shaza and see this as a great investment opportunity for future shareholders. Not only is there a huge increase in inter-regional travel in the Middle East but there is a steadily growing interest from travellers of all cultures in finding a high quality hotel experience with an emphasis on well being, where families are welcome and both personal privacy and socialising are respected in the very design of the building." Within two weeks of launching, the fund had achieved its initial target of US$500 million.
The concept design is for a hotel with some 250 guestrooms ranging from 42 to 45m2. Classical elements, such as mashrabiyat screens, will combine with modern technology. In an interesting touch, the typical Western arrangement of facing doors along a corridor has been staggered to protect guests' privacy as they leave or enter their rooms.Georges Bekhazi, head of development for Shaza Hotels, explains: "The positioning of our hotels will be similar to the way in which Far Eastern hotels have successfully positioned themselves as the essence of Asia and similar also to the designer brand hotels," he says. Shaza Hotels hopes to open its first property in 2008.
www.shazahotels.com
