Dubai: One&Only Resorts is expanding its portfolio from traditional beach hotels to nature resorts, urban resorts, and private homes, the company’s president told Gulf News in an exclusive interview on Sunday.
“We have traditionally been seen as a beach hotel brand,” said Philippe Zuber, President and Chief Operating Officer for One&Only Resorts.
“Based on our understanding of our ultra-luxury clientele, we realised we needed to offer different types of resorts,” he added.
Speaking about the impact this brand evolution will have on One&Only’s approach to Dubai, Zuber said that the company “could easily consider a nature resort here in the desert,” as long as it was a decent distance away from the city, adding that there was a “strong wish at the company to go there.”
Most desirable direction
The company currently operates two resorts in the city, one on the Palm Jumeirah, and one on Jumeirah Beach, next to Mina Seyahi. It is expected to open a new resort, the One&Only Seef, in Bahrain later this year.
According to Zuber, of the three new segments the brand is expanding into, urban resorts is “the most desirable direction” for Dubai, despite the company’s interest in a desert nature resort.
“Our development team is currently extremely busy with this,” the senior executive said.
“Our biggest focus for urban resorts is to drive the best of the outside city in to the hotel. Dubai and the GCC has a strong desire for new products, and we feel like we have something to say in this segment. We are not going for the normal expectations of a city hotel,” Zuber added.
