Four Seasons’ long-anticipated Dubai debut property is just days away from opening, and promises to offer the highest levels of service and luxury in the emirate. Hotelier Middle East pays a visit to Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach to find out the secret that will set this hotel apart from its incredibly tough competition
At the Hotelier Middle East Great GM Debate in September, there was talk among delegates about an upcoming property slated to ‘set a new standard in luxury for Dubai’. Sentiment ranged from curiosity and excitement to nervous anticipation, with nobody quite certain what the differentiating factor might be for another hotel entering the land of beautiful luxury accommodation.
Physically the 237-key building is as refined and alluring as expected, with traditional Spanish-Islamic-inspired architecture by Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo Architecture firm (WATG), and interiors by BAMO. Entering the property, and what Simon Casson, regional vice president and general manager calls “the Kodak moment” strikes.
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An immense arched window beyond the lobby rotunda gives onto expansive gardens, an infinity pool and the pristine beach beyond, while in the forefront, a Venetian glass chandelier cascades under an octagonal dome above the grand staircase.
Described by Casson as “a diamond” in the company’s global portfolio, and set to open on time on November 16, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is the fruit of a search by the 54-year old Toronto-based luxury operator for the perfect location.
While the firm thought it had hit jackpot with a signing in Festival City some years ago, construction was called off in 2009 by developer Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate as a result of the global economic downturn. The hotel would have adjoined the Four Seasons Golf Resort, which in the same year, was taken over and rebranded by InterContinental Hotel Group.
And so the search continued, and it wasn’t until 2012 that construction began on Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, after a positive turn of events landed the company an even more prestigious location than originally anticipated — at the north end of Jumeirah Beach.
“This location is not acquirable,” asserts Casson, speaking to Hotelier during an exclusive first look at the property. “The location is in the hands of the ruling family; it’s the gift of the ruling family.”
And Casson is no stranger to the honour of being placed at the helm of such a hotel, having arrived in the GCC from London in 2004 as pre-opening general manager of Four Seasons Doha, when Qatar was barely known.
Having very fondly held his position in the neighbouring destination for nine years, 47-year-old Casson now arrives in Dubai at what would seem like the pinnacle of his career, as he oversees 7000 staff in Four Seasons properties across Damascus, Beirut, Riyadh, Qatar and St. Petersburg, as well as Dubai and the rest of the UAE.
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