Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai is set to open its doors in December 2016. Located on Dubai’s Pearl Jumeira, it will be the brand’s fourth hotel property to open worldwide — and the largest in the world. Developed in partnership with Meraas, the resort spans over 52,000m2 on a private beach, offering views over the Arabian Gulf as well as the Dubai skyline.
Inspired by the vision of Jack Penrod, founder and owner of Nikki Beach Worldwide, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai has been designed in collaboration with DSA Architects International with interiors by Gatserelia Design. The five-star resort features 132 keys comprising 117 rooms and suites, alongside 15 villas. Additionally, there are 63 residence units ranging from one to four bedrooms and two penthouses.
The property is situated on a 450m beachfront, with amenities including Nikki Spa, Tone Gym, Café Nikki, Key West, Nikki Privé, and the Nikki Beach Dubai Restaurant and Beach Club.
Its general manager, Alexander Schneider, joined earlier in 2016. “Contrary to popular opinion, it was a good time to join a pre-opening team because I could bring in a fresh set of eyes and evaluate the things that have been done and compare these to the overall brand intent — because this is what I feel gets lost in the opening process,” he says.
He continues: “We have been spending a lot of time in further driving the brand intent of Nikki Beach Resorts not only for Dubai, but in general, to ensure that all the services we are planning to implement are right on. This is one of the most important disciplines these days: is what my operation going to bring to the guest really reflecting my brand promise? Here we have really achieved a fantastic mix of quirky elements, unique services which have one common denominator: the look, feel, tone, touch of Nikki Beach.”
Schneider also discusses his focus on recruitment and finding the right people for the project.
He reveals: “We have around 250 employees on-board but we already have 57 nationalities. We feel that Dubai is a global destination and people want a cosmopolitan experience.
“We have a very strong persona which defines the sort of talent that we’re looking for — the backgrounds and the skillsets. We were successful in attracting people not only from all over the world but also from a range of hospitality-related industries.”
Schneider is also against poaching, and says candidly: “Usually when people open hotels, they poach from the neighbouring hotels. In our case, only 20% of our staff have previous UAE experience. There’s a strong European influx [in the team] but it’s a global mix and I have personally interviewed each and every candidate that joined.”
| Advertisement |
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
