A host of new hotel openings – from design-led properties aiming to provide a dazzling welcome, to easy-going destinations with a community focus – is bringing greater variety and choice to the region. identity presents five of the best additions to the GCC hospitality scene...
W IS FOR WOW
Designed by DWP, W Dubai – The Palm, W Hotel’s first property in Dubai, has now opened on the West Crescent of Palm Jumeirah. It’s described as an “alliance between the boundary-pushing global design studio, DWP, and hospitality disruptors, W Hotels; a creative rockstar marriage made in heaven”.
The property welcomes guests with myriad palm fronds and an atrium lobby that draws on Arabic architecture, featuring thick mud walls with minimalist openings that keep out the heat and elements; a centrepiece cubic chandelier; stone and carpeted floors that “represent the rugged geography of the Gulf coastline”; and a catwalk dining table.
Technology features heavily; Scott Whittaker, Group Creative Director for DWP, says that – from mood-changing lighting to building controls –
“The technology is wireless, invisible and app-run.”
Whittaker adds: “DWP is unique in that our team is both local and global. For 10 years we have created distinctive hospitality projects in Dubai. We understand the local market but have brought global design trends. The project with W has been a fun-filled journey. W Hotels are ‘labs of creation’. The exciting challenge with this project was to create that quintessential W hotel feeling of rebellious and distinctive luxury, while drawing from Middle Eastern culture.”
Anne Scott - General Manager, W Dubai said: “Our aim was to ensure that W Dubai – The Palm customers get the best experiences, fitting their high expectations of a W hotel. DWP understands the importance of attention to detail in creating the WOW factor and telling the W story.”
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
The Merchant House has become Bahrain’s first boutique hotel to be awarded a five-star rating.
Bu hikaye Identity dergisinin April 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Identity dergisinin April 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Breaking the mould
A collision of forces has given birth to a new project called The Great Design Disaster. Led by a passionate duo – interior architect Gregory Gatserelia and design enthusiast Joy Herro – its aim is nothing short of shaking up the traditional boundaries of the contemporary design market. identity catches up with Herro to learn more.
A taste for luxury
Häcker Kitchens is on a mission to 'disrupt the kitchen industry' in the Middle East
An Italian affair
An exclusive collection by online retail platform Artemest has been curated by Dubai-based interior designer and founder of Styled Habitat, Rabah Saeid, and combines Italian handcrafted pieces inspired by cosy nights in.
At the nexus of design and function
Casamia is home to truly contemporary kitchens for lovers of elegance and understated style
DESIGN FOCUS: A FEAST FOR THE EYES
As a place for everything from cooking and eating to entertaining and gathering with family and friends, the kitchen is the heart of any home. It can be a space that invites creativity as well, not only with food but also with design. Contemporary or traditional, urban-inspired or with a countryside feel, adorned with neutral colours or noble materials, bespoke or modular: there are many options to reflect your own style.
Contemporary heritage
Launched just a few months ago, new brand and gallery Don Tanani revives the past with a contemporary eye, through objects that are at the crossroads of design and art
Distant voices
The voices of 4000 Lebanese citizens have travelled to the Venice Architecture Biennale as part of Beirut-based architecture and design duo T SAKHI’s installation, ‘Letters from Beirut’. With the hope of fostering dialogue and honouring the Lebanese community, the installation shares narratives in the wake of the city’s ongoing reconstruction following the explosion in Beirut on 4 August last year.
An urban legacy
A new book chronicling Sharjah’s modern urban landscape offers a wide-ranging view of the UAE’s third-largest city
WEEKEND LIFESTYLE
This Sydney home achieves harmony through the perfect balance of proportions, materials and colours
A labour of love
The House of Today platform has supported emerging design talent and students in Lebanon for nearly a decade. Today, in the face of ongoing challenges, their efforts remain as solid as ever.
