May 6 2024: IHG Hotels & Resorts has introduced its first collection brand to Kuwait as Arabella Beach Hotel Kuwait, Vignette Collection opened its doors.
Prominently positioned on the Arabian Gulf shoreline, the 195-room property joins IHG’s growing Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio – now the second largest in the world – to mark the GCC region’s second Vignette Collection, following Th8 Palm Dubai Beach Resort Vignette Collection’s opening in Summer this year.
Central to Vignette Collection is the balance of individuality and belonging. A family of like-minded hotels, each Vignette Collection property is entirely individual in its identity yet unified by the vision to offer a more authentic way to travel. Arabella Beach Hotel, Vignette Collection gives a glimpse into Kuwait’s rich heritage to capture the breathtaking allure of the region. Its location embodies the political, cultural, and economic pulse of the nation with the governorate houses of Seif Palace, government offices, and headquarters of many Kuwaiti corporations and banks within reach.
Expanding portfolio
Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “We are thrilled to announce the second Vignette Collection hotel opening in the Middle East, in Kuwait, as we continue to expand our luxury and lifestyle portfolio in the region.
“The partnership with Aqarat marks an important milestone for IHG Hotels & Resorts, singling a shift in the local hospitality market as we cater to the growing number of guests seeking curated hotel experienced driven by luxury and personalised services. As a group, IHG Hotels & Resorts remains dedicated to the delivery of unique, immersive, and authentic stay experiences that anticipate guest needs at every touchpoint of their personal journeys.”
Talal Jassim Al-Bahar, Vice Chairman and CEO of Aqarat, the owners of the hotel, said: “We are pleased to announce the launch of the upscale Vignette Collection brand in Kuwait, following our first collaboration with IHG at the Th8 Palm Dubai Beach Resort, and we look forward to building on this relationship and cooperating with “IHG” on future projects.
“Arabella Beach Resort joins the Vignette Collection brand family, a part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, a leading hotel group in distinctive and elegant hotels that blend luxury and lifestyle, and the second largest hotel chain in the world.
Unique features
“Each hotel in the Vignette Collection series stands out with unique features but is all linked by a common vision aimed at bringing positive change for people, places, and the planet. Each hotel in the Vignette Collection, designed for the next generation of travelers seeking luxury, indulgence, and lifestyle, has its own characteristics, personality, and unique design to achieve immersive experiences and to form a comprehensive and deeply studied project. Arabella Beach Hotel offers a glimpse into Kuwait’s rich heritage and the captivating nature of the region. The interior designs reflect the elegance of traditional Kuwaiti Sadu weaving, with textures that mimic the marine environment of the surrounding beaches.”
Arabella Beach Hotel Kuwait, Vignette Collection offers 195 exceptionally appointed rooms and suites, each elegantly designed for moments of tranquility and togetherness. Interiors modernise traditional Sadu weaves with tactile textures drawing inspiration from the surrounding shores. Suites feature spacious terraces with panoramic vistas overlooking expansive blues of the Arabian Gulf. A roof top pool, private beachfront, and expansively equipped wellness center, sit alongside the Arabella Complex’s 15 dining destinations to offer holistic hospitality.
Vignette Collection seamlessly weaves responsibility with community and locality to bring both socially empowering and environmentally conscious experiences to guests around the world.
Positive contribution
Means For Good initiatives, bespoke to each Vignette Collection hotel, partner with chosen non-profit organisation, working in partnership to spearhead positive contribution to the local ecosystem across responsibility, community and locality. Arabella Beach Hotel Kuwait supports 312 Café, a neighbourhood coffee shop employing individuals with disabilities, to extend opportunities in hospitality.
Memorable Rituals, celebrate each Vignette Collection property’s unique identity to provide purposeful and meaningful travel encounters that connect guests with the hotel’s cultural landscape. Guests of Arabella Beach Hotel, Vignette Collection are enveloped with the hotel’s signature scent throughout their stay, with the gift of a take home diffuser of the distinct aroma offering a memento to trigger reminiscence of a destination to remember.
Best-in-class loyalty programme, IHG One Rewards, provides guests of Arabella Beach Hotel Kuwait, Vignette Collection and the wider IHG portfolio with more ways to earn than ever before, including richer benefits tailored to their needs, all powered by leading technology on its new mobile app.
100 properties
Arabella Beach Hotel Kuwait, Vignette Collection is one of two Middle Eastern openings for the brand this year. The current Vignette Collection portfolio includes Th8 Palm Dubai Beach Resort Vignette Collection, Yours Truly DC in the US, Hotel X Brisbane Fortitude Valley in Australia, Sindhorn Midtown Hotel Bangkok in Thailand, Casa da Companhia, Vignette Collection and Vignette Collection Convent Square in Portugal with 12 hotels in the pipeline, and more than 100 properties globally anticipated to join over the next 10 years.
Arabella Beach Hotel Kuwait will be managed by United Hospitality Management (UHM) on behalf of AQARAT. UHM is a global hospitality management company with over 30 years of luxury hospitality expertise. A leader in hospitality asset development, operationalisation, and management, UHM has partnered with world-class brands from IHG, Marriott, Accor, Hyatt, Wyndham, Yotel and Bespoke Residences and Holiday Homes and has over $1 billion in assets under management.–TradeArabia News Service