Hospitality
Chic, cozy, and classy boutique accommodation
Exclusive interview with Houssam Mansour, General Manager, FORM Hotel
What is the concept behind Design Hotels? Who is FORM Hotel?
Design Hotels is a hand-picked collection of boutique and design-driven luxury hotels across the globe. FORM Hotel, a member of Marriott Bonvoy under the premium brand, boasts a remarkable portfolio of over 350 exquisitely designed hotels spanning the globe. More than a collection of hotels, the company is a collection of stories. Each property reflects the ideas of a visionary hotelier, an “Original,” someone with a passion for genuine hospitality, cultural authenticity, thought-provoking design, and architecture.
What are the policies that you have put in place that have made a big difference? What are the achievements you are most proud of?
Within a short period of time, FORM Hotel has succeeded in positioning and increasing visibility as a leading 4-star boutique hotel within Marriott in the Al Jaddaf area. FORM hotel has been carefully crafted as a design hotel and conceptualized as a boutique hotel, we have been able to increase the number of guests and retain customer retention through direct bookings at a high percentage.
Who is the General Manager of FORM Hotel, and can you share some insights you’re your background and contributions to the hotel’s success?
I am a seasoned 48-year-old Lebanese hotelier with over 25 years of experience in the Middle East and Africa. I began my career at 21 as a management trainee at Forte Grand in Abu Dhabi, now known as Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi.
Over the past two and a half decades, I have worked in diverse regions, including Bahrain, Tunisia, the Maldives, Egypt, Turkey, and the UAE, with major international chains like Le Royal Meridien, Hilton Hotels, and Marriott.
Last month, I marked the third anniversary of my journey with FORM Hotel, which has been a pinnacle of my career. I am deeply grateful for the support of the owners, whose commitment and care have been crucial to our success. Together with an exceptional, handpicked team, we have positioned FORM Hotel as the premier choice for chic, cozy, and classy boutique accommodations in the area. It has become a preferred destination for both Marriott members and VIP visitors. Here’s to many more years of continued successand excellence.
Why will guests choose to stay at FORM Hotel?
FORM Hotel Dubai offers a sublimely designed, boutique experience with seamless check-in and personalized touches to your stay. Guests enjoy personal parking spaces with direct, private access to rooms while all guest rooms feature acoustically sensitive windows offering stunning views over the Culture Village and the Creek.
This seamlessness extends through the boutique property with a carefully curated design experience by Paris-based Architecture Studio that is paired with a sense of continuousness and openness.
A hop away from Dubai’s sights and sounds yet far enough to escape the bustle of urban life, guests can expect the best of two worlds at the property’s strategic location in Al Jaddaf.
How does Marriott Bonvoy’s affiliation and its focus on providing a premium brand experience within the luxury segment benefit its guests?
FORM Hotel, being part of Marriott Bonvoy under the premium brand, attracts many members throughout the year, particularly Elite Ambassadors and Elite Titanium members. These members earn 10 points for every $1 spent and enjoy numerous benefits, including late checkout, complimentary breakfast, and room upgrades. Additionally, we’ve observed that many Marriott Bonvoy members return to FORM Hotel for the personalized service, coziness, comfort, and enhanced privacy measures.
Can you tell us about the Al Jaddaf area?
Al Jaddaf is still in its development phase, with numerous upcoming projects and ambitious plans aimed at further enhancing the area. It boasts an impressive array of hotels and residential buildings, making it a vibrant and bustling hub for accommodation and housing. This cultural village is well-connected to tourist attractions and entertainment venues such as Festival City and Old Dubai. Architectural practice URB has unveiled its plans to develop the world’s largest Urban Tech District along the Al Jaddaf Creekside in Dubai. Al Jaddaf’s vision of sustainable practices with the project’s plans to use a host of ‘green’ programs and practices to achieve net-zero carbon goals.
The biggest development in the future of Al Jaddaf is the construction of UAE’s very first sustainable building and a fully solar-powered Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) headquarters. Located in Al Jaddaf, you’ll find the renowned Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, the vibrant hub of visual arts at Al Jaddaf, and the prestigious Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, the largest library in Dubai. Al Jaddaf, a vibrant location in Dubai, offers a rich blend of cultural attractions such as Dubai Culture Village, Zabeel Stadium, Dubai Creek, the Floating Bridge, Dhow Wharfage, and Al Jaddaf Waterfront Sculpture Park, along with a range of luxurious hotels and resorts.
Hospitality
Giza Palace Hotel & Spa Partners with IDeaS to Implement Advanced Revenue Management Capabilities
IDeaS, a SAS company and the world’s leading provider of hospitality revenue management software and services, has deployed the G3 Revenue Management System (RMS) at Giza Palace Hotel & Spa in Cairo, Egypt.
A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Giza Palace Hotel & Spa is a brand-new luxury hotel in a prime location in West Cairo. The grandiose hotel features 560 rooms, eight distinctive dining venues, a spa, and extensive conference and meeting facilities. Blending architectural excellence with a curated art collection, the hotel is renowned for its exceptional service and guest experience.
The hotel is owned by Travco Group International, whose hospitality arm, the JAZ Hotel Group, is one of the region’s most prominent hotel operators, with a growing portfolio of over 68 hotels and resorts across Egypt and Zanzibar.
The deployment of IDeaS G3 RMS enables the hotel team to optimize revenue management decisions through precise forecasting, dynamic pricing, and inventory management, as well as streamlined group displacement evaluations and the automation of routine tasks.
A key factor in Giza Palace Hotel & Spa’s selection was IDeaS’ ability to effectively manage the complexity of its inventory. With more than 11 room and suite types across three room categories and eight suite configurations, the property requires advanced predictive analytics to position each room type competitively in one of the region’s most dynamic markets.
IDeaS’ Group Pricing capability addresses another critical segment of the business – the projected impact of displaced demand across their diverse inventory mix – by delivering real-time insights into the value of group business. Designed for speed and simplicity, the feature enables better-informed decisions that account for the full depth of the hotel’s offering, while preserving commercial flexibility.
Alaa Akel, CEO & Chairman JAZ Hotel Group commented:“Giza Palace was created with a clear ambition to set a new benchmark for luxury hospitality in Cairo. Our partnership with IDeaS supports that vision bringing advanced revenue management capabilities to our commercial strategy, allowing us to make smarter decisions, respond to market demand and drive sustainable growth.”
Ibrahim Saba, Principal Sales Director – Europe, Middle East & Africa at IDeaS commented: “Giza Palace Hotel & Spa is exactly the kind of landmark property where intelligent revenue management makes a measurable difference. With a large inventory and a significant conferencing operation, the team is managing considerable complexity across multiple revenue streams. G3 RMS gives them the forecasting precision and group pricing intelligence to ensure every booking reflects the true commercial value of each piece of business.”
Hospitality
VEGO Expands Beyond Its Café Roots with Launch of Full-Service Kitchen Concept
VEGO Cafe and Confectionery is entering a new chapter with the launch of its full-service kitchen concept, transforming the homegrown brand from a neighbourhood café into a comprehensive vegetarian dining destination.
Built on years of customer feedback, catering experience and growing demand for more diverse vegetarian options, the expansion reflects VEGO’s commitment to offering greater variety without compromising on quality or flavour.
“While Dubai’s dining scene continues to evolve, we identified a gap for a concept that brings together premium ingredients, innovative cooking and accessible pricing within a fully vegetarian setting. This expansion has allowed us to move beyond café favourites and introduce a broader menu that spans everything from street-style chaats and handcrafted dim sums to pizzas, pastas and traditional Indian curries.” said Kashyap Sajnani, Co-founder and Managing Director of VEGO Cafe and Confectionery.
Inspired by Indian flavours, family traditions, global travel and Dubai’s diverse culinary landscape, the new menu reflects VEGO’s philosophy of combining comfort food with thoughtful innovation. Signature dishes include the Ghewar Chaat, Gochujang Tofu Bowl, Sindhi Curry, Indian Handrolls, Dim Sums and VEGO’s signature Mango Dessert. The expanded menu is also available for catering, extending VEGO’s new offering beyond the dining space for private gatherings, celebrations and events.
Nearly all components, including sauces, spice blends and key ingredients, are prepared in-house to ensure consistency, quality and value, while the breadth of the menu has been designed to appeal to diners of all ages.
Complementing the culinary expansion is a refreshed visual identity that reflects VEGO’s growth while retaining the warmth, vibrancy and approachable character that customers have come to know and love. As part of the expansion, the space has also been renovated and the brand logo refreshed, giving the café a renewed look to match its next chapter. The updated look reinforces the brand’s long-term vision of becoming a go-to destination for vegetarian dining in the UAE.
“We wanted to build a place where grandparents, parents and children can all sit around the same table and find something they genuinely love,” added Kashyap Sajnani, Co-founder and Managing Director of VEGO Cafe and Confectionery. “If people leave feeling like they’ve had an incredible meal at a fair price and can’t wait to come back, then we’ve achieved exactly what we set out to do.”
To mark the expansion, VEGO is offering guests 15% off all dine-in orders until 31 October. Pricing across the menu remains aligned with the brand’s long-standing commitment to value-driven dining.
Hospitality
SANA Celebrates Its First Anniversary An Evening of Uzbek Culture, Culinary Theatre and Live Entertainment

SANA marks its first anniversary on 1 October with a celebration at its Madinat Jumeirah restaurant, followed by an afterparty at Moon Bar. From a traditional Uzbek welcome to a theatrical dining moment, the evening brings together the food, music and hospitality at the heart of SANA.
The celebration begins at 7:00 PM. For the first 40 minutes, a traditional Uzbek band will perform as two hostesses dressed in traditional Uzbek robes welcome guests with sparkling wine. A live illustrator will create personalised sketches for guests from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Dinner begins at 7:30 PM, with guests invited to choose between SANA’s à la carte menu and a special anniversary set menu priced at AED 450 per person. At 8:30 PM, the slow-roasted leg of lamb will be unveiled in a theatrical presentation accompanied by a belly dance performance to Uzbek music.
The evening’s second live music performance begins at 9:00 PM, when Sculer Band takes the stage followed by the anniversary birthday cake.
From 11:00 PM, the celebration continues at Moon Bar, where headline DJ BKOFMAN and ARKOV will play sets for the afterparty.
Event details
- Date: 1 October | Welcome reception: From 7:00 PM
- Dinner: From 7:30 PM | Location: SANA, Mina Al Salam, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
- Dining options: À la carte or anniversary set menu at AED 450 per person | Afterparty: Moon Bar, from 11:00 PM | View the anniversary menu
-
News11 years ago
SENDQUICK (TALARIAX) INTRODUCES SQOOPE – THE BREAKTHROUGH IN MOBILE MESSAGING
-
Trending11 months agoOPPO A6 Pro 5G Review: Reliable Daily Driver
-
Tech News2 years agoDenodo Bolsters Executive Team by Hiring Christophe Culine as its Chief Revenue Officer
-
VAR1 year agoMicrosoft Launches New Surface Copilot+ PCs for Business
-
Automotive2 years agoAGMC Launches the RIDDARA RD6 High Performance Fully Electric 4×4 Pickup
-
Tech Interviews3 years ago
Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape in Hybrid Work Environments
-
Tech News2 years agoToshiba Announces MG10-D Series of Enterprise HDDs with Capacities up to 10TB
-
Tech News1 year agoNothing Launches flagship Nothing Phone (3) and Headphone (1) in theme with the Iconic Museum of the Future in Dubai


