Al Habtoor Group, the Dubai conglomerate whose interests span from hospitality and automotive to real estate and publishing sectors, on Tuesday said it will rebrand three of its Dubai properties as Hilton hotels.
Habtoor, whose franchise agreement with Hilton will become effective on August 1, will manage the properties in Habtoor City in the emirate, Mohammed Al Habtoor, the vice chairman and chief executive of Al Habtoor said at a press conference in Dubai.
Hilton, on its part, will provide global marketing, branding and other services for the hotels, Ian Carter, president, global development, architecture, design and construction at Hilton said.
The announcement comes less than a month after Habtoor on July 10 said it is relieving US hospitality major Marriott International, the largest international hotel operator in the Middle East and Africa, from managing the three hotels - The St Regis Dubai, W Dubai Habtoor City and The Westin Dubai Al Habtoor City. The company, in a statement at the time, described the move as a “mutual decision reached amicably between the parties”.
These properties, are being rebranded as Habtoor Palace LXR Hotels & Resorts, V Hotel Curio Collection by Hilton and Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City.
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Al Habtoor relieves Marriott International of three Dubai hotel operations
Dubai's St Regis is now called Habtoor Palace
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Keeping the management of the hotels is in line with the group’s plans to expand its Habtoor Hospitality management portfolio, which already manages Al Habtoor Grand and Metropolitan Hotel in Dubai, Mr Al Habtoor said.
“We will be responsible for the bottom line [of the three properties as managers]. Our team is capable of managing these properties and they will continue to do so,” he said, explaining the details of the franchise agreement with Hilton.
The agreement has taken the partnership with Hilton from five to eight hotel owned by Al Habtoor group, which has a local and international portfolio of 14 hospitality properties, he said.