Dusit International has said that the company will bring the DusitD2 contemporary lifestyle brand to the Middle East with a first rebranded property to be signed within a month.
According to David Shackleton, chief operating officer of the Thai company, the signing was to be done in time to make an announcement at Arabian Travel Market but there has been a delay.
Shackleton commented: “Currently it’s just one signing, in development you have to kiss a lot of frogs to meet a prince but this one is about 90% solid. It’s an owner we haven’t worked with before.”
The DusitD2 brand is outlined by Dusit International as “a contemporary hotel and resort brand whose distinctive combination of cutting-edge design, high-tech connectivity and efficient, modern convenience reflects the needs and desires of today’s new generation traveller”.
Shackleton commented: “It’s an upscale brand but not quite five star – four and a half. It’s a more contemporary brand. It’s full service, upscale, more vibrant, colourful in design, more edgy from a design standpoint.”
The hotel is due to be rebranded “as soon as it’s signed” according to Shackleton, who said that the rebranding would “probably take place in July or August this year”.
Additionally, Thierry Douin, regional vice president for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) revealed that the company is “keen to move into Doha with a D2 property”.
Shackleton added: “We are currently negotiating a DusitD2 property near the new airport and one in West Bay. Not everyone gets of the finish line but we have established relationships with the owners and have sites in mind.”
Shackleton also revealed that the company is negotiating four hotels in Saudi Arabia, which would be a new market for the company and three more Dubai hotels. Referring to these, he said there would be “an equal smattering of DusitD2 and Dusit International branded properties”.
Dusit International currently has a global operating portfolio of 24 hotels and is looking to triple that number within five years with openings across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the USA.
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