Dubai

Hilton Worldwide, a US-based hotel operator, is looking to bring hotels under a new brand to the Middle East.

According to a senior Hilton executive, the company plans to introduce its new brand Curio-A Collection by Hilton to the region “in due course.” He did not divulge additional information.

The company is expected to strike two deals in Dubai and Doha in the coming days, the Financial Times reported.

An announcement is expected to be made by the end of the week or early next week.

Upscale travellers

Curio, which the company announced yesterday, is a collection of four- and five-star hotels aimed at upscale travellers, which brings the total number of Hilton brands to 11.

According to Hilton’s statement, “each Curio hotel will be different from the next, with individuality being a common thread.”

Hilton plans to launch another brand later this year, reportedly aimed at technology savvy travellers.

The hotels in the Curio portfolio will be managed rather than owned by Hilton.

So far, the company has signed letters of intent for five properties in the US, including SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, The Sam Houston Hotel, Hotel Alex Johnson, The Franklin Hotel and “a soon to be named hotel development in downtown Portland, Ore,” it said in a statement.

“Our customers and owners have expressed strong interest in a brand from us that includes hotels that can retain their unique identity but also deliver the many benefits of our system, including our Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program. That desire, combined with the current size of the independent hotel market and demand for differentiated hotel stays around the world, made for the right timing for this launch,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, Hilton’s president and chief executive, in a statement.

Hilton has opened more properties in the Middle East and Africa this year, where it currently has a pipeline of 67 hotels that are due to open by 2017, including seven in the UAE and 16 in Saudi Arabia.

Two properties under the DoubleTree by Hilton brand opened in Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai’s Al Barsha area earlier this year, and another one is set to open this month in Dubai.

The company is also looking to open properties in Abu Dhabi, Oman, Morocco and Tunisia.