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We Are the Balance Between Professionalism and Comfort

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In an exclusive interview with Giacomo Puntel, General Manager of voco Bonnington JLT, he shares his vision of blending professionalism and comfort to redefine corporate hospitality and elevate guest experiences in Dubai.

In your new role, what leadership values and experiences do you aim to bring to voco Bonnington JLT to elevate its reputation as a leading corporate hotel?

In my role at voco Bonnington JLT, I aim to bring a leadership approach centered on collaboration and service excellence. Understanding the unique needs of corporate travelers and exceeding their expectations will remain at the heart of everything we do.

voco Bonnington JLT has a distinctive style and identity. How do you see its design and ethos enhancing the overall guest experience, particularly for business travelers?

The versatile meeting and event spaces, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, provide the perfect setting for corporate engagements. Meanwhile, the well-appointed rooms and communal areas foster an atmosphere where guests can unwind and recharge, ensuring a balanced experience. The combination of style, functionality, and care creates a standout experience that supports both professional and personal well-being.

As a corporate hotel, voco Bonnington JLT embodies a balance of professionalism and comfort. How do you define this approach, and how do you ensure it resonates with business and leisure guests alike?

For business travelers, this means providing efficient service, modern facilities, and amenities designed to support productivity, such as high-speed Wi-Fi, well-equipped meeting spaces, and a strategic location in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, close to major business hubs.

For leisure guests, we focus on creating a warm and inviting atmosphere, offering unique touches like comfortable rooms, personalized service, and access to leisure facilities. We emphasize a relaxed yet vibrant experience that reflects the voco brand’s hallmark charm.

With its diverse room offerings, how does voco Bonnington JLT cater to the unique needs of corporate travelers while maintaining a sense of premium hospitality?

We recognize that corporate travelers have specific needs, and we’ve designed our diverse room offerings to provide a balance of practicality and premium hospitality. Our rooms are thoughtfully equipped with amenities tailored to business guests, such as spacious work desks, high-speed Wi-Fi and easily accessible charging points, allowing them to work seamlessly from the comfort of their room. Corporate needs vary, which is why we offer a range of room types to suit different requirements. For instance, our standard rooms cater to solo travelers looking for efficiency and comfort, while our suites provide more expansive spaces, ideal for longer stays or informal meetings.

How do the hotel’s amenities, like the rooftop pool, signature dining, and meeting spaces, enhance the guest experience and attract business events?

Our array of amenities, including a rooftop pool, signature dining experiences, and state-of-the-art meeting rooms, elevates the guest experience and positions the hotel as an ideal choice for business and corporate events. The rooftop pool and fitness center provide guests with a chance to unwind after a busy day, while our diverse dining options offer both casual and fine dining settings perfect for networking or relaxation. Our versatile meeting and event spaces, equipped with cutting-edge technology and dedicated event support, ensure that corporate functions run seamlessly.

How will you leverage voco Bonnington JLT’s prime location in Jumeirah Lakes Towers to create memorable experiences for corporate and leisure travelers?

Situated in the heart of Jumeirah Lakes Towers, voco Bonnington JLT capitalizes on its prime location to offer a unique and dynamic experience for both corporate and leisure guests. the surrounding area offers an array of dining, entertainment, and cultural attractions that can be explored through personalized recommendations and curated experiences..

What are your key priorities for voco Bonnington JLT, and how do you see its role in Dubai’s competitive hospitality market?

As the General Manager of voco Bonnington JLT, my key priorities for the coming year are centered around enhancing the guest experience, expanding our market presence, and driving operational excellence. I envision voco Bonnington JLT playing a key role in Dubai’s competitive corporate and hospitality market by capitalizing on our strategic location in Jumeirah Lakes Towers. We will continue to attract business travelers through bespoke offerings tailored to their needs, including enhanced meeting solutions and proximity to key business hubs. Simultaneously, we aim to be a preferred choice for leisure guests by offering distinctive, immersive experiences that highlight the best of Dubai’s vibrant lifestyle.

Hospitality

Giza Palace Hotel & Spa Partners with IDeaS to Implement Advanced Revenue Management Capabilities

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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.”

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Hospitality

SANA Celebrates Its First Anniversary An Evening of Uzbek Culture, Culinary Theatre and Live Entertainment

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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
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Hospitality

US$90 BILLION HOTEL PIPELINE SET TO EXPAND GCC AND NORTH AFRICA ROOM SUPPLY BY 27 PERCENT

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The GCC and North Africa has US$90 billion worth of hotels and resorts in the pipeline, with 200,000 upcoming new rooms set to boost the region’s existing supply by 27 percent, according to HVS data released ahead of the 2026 edition of Future Hospitality Summit – FHS World, taking place at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai from 29 September – 1 October.

With around 88,000 rooms currently under construction and another 25,000 in the final planning stages, over 55% of upcoming hotels in the region are set to be delivered between now and 2030, experts say.

Research from global hospitality consultancy, HVS, shows that Saudi Arabia is the dominant force in the Middle East’s hotel expansion, with 110,000 rooms – around 50% of the regional pipeline – under development in Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Diriyah, NEOM, the Red Sea and AMAALA. The scale of development is unprecedented, but equally significant is the increasing diversification of products, from large pilgrimage-focused hotels to luxury resorts, branded residences and upper midscale accommodation, the company added.

With 42,000 rooms in the pipeline, Egypt is the second most active country, with projects in Cairo, the North Coast, the Red Sea and emerging mixed-use destinations. Third is the UAE which, as a comparatively mature market, continues to evolve through destination-led developments, particularly in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, where projects such as Wynn Al Marjan Island are further expanding the country’s international appeal.

Hala Matar Choufany, President, Middle East, Africa and South Asia at HVS, said: “The hotel development pipeline across the GCC and North Africa remains one of the most significant globally, reflecting continued investor confidence in the long-term fundamentals of the region’s tourism and hospitality sectors. The region’s investment in hotel expansion underscores not only the scale of development, but also the depth of capital that continues to back the region’s tourism ambitions.”

HVS insight shows that capital is being deployed with greater discipline than before, increasingly favouring mixed-use developments, branded residences and phased delivery models that improve project economics and manage risk more effectively.  Funding models have also evolved, with increasingly diverse capital structures.

“The region’s hotel pipeline is no longer just a story of scale, it’s one of discipline, with capital deployed with far greater intention. But what’s changed the most is how projects are financed. The sector has moved well beyond the traditional mix of developer equity and bank debt. In Saudi Arabia especially, large-scale destination developments are being underpinned by government-backed investment vehicles and strategic public-private partnerships, while developers across the wider region are diversifying revenue streams through branded residences and mixed-use components,” said Hala Matar Choufany.

The 200,000 new rooms will be delivered in phases, hitting the market progressively rather than all at once. Around 44% are currently being built, with much of the remaining supply expected to be handed over in stages through to 2030 and beyond.

Delivery will also vary between markets, with some operating on long-term timelines and others more immediate, according to HVS. In Saudi Arabia, major destination projects are being delivered in phases extending well into the next decade, while the UAE’s delivery pipeline is shorter term, with a significant proportion expected by 2028-2030. In Egypt, the development cycle is spread across several years, particularly in the North Coast, Cairo and Red Sea destinations.

The high-end hotel segment – luxury and upper-upscale properties – continue to represent the biggest share of hotel supply, reflecting strong investor appetite for premium experiences, branded products and integrated resort destinations. At the same time, there is growing activity in the upper midscale segment, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where brands such as Hampton by Hilton, Holiday Inn Express, Fairfield by Marriott and ibis are expanding to support broader tourism objectives and offer more accessible accommodation options.

Hala Matar Choufany added: “The next phase of the region’s hospitality industry will not be defined solely by the number of hotels delivered. Success will increasingly depend on the fundamentals that support long-term performance. Connectivity remains critical, whether through expanded airlift, transport infrastructure or seamless digital access. Equally important is service delivery: as new destinations emerge, investing in talent, operational excellence and guest experience will be essential to ensuring that new supply translates into sustainable demand and attractive investor returns.

“The outlook for the region remains positive, but, as capital becomes more selective and markets more competitive, future winners will be those destinations that combine ambitious development plans with strong execution, connectivity and service excellence. Ultimately, the focus is shifting from simply building hotels to creating sustainable, globally competitive hospitality ecosystems.”

Ali Shahid, CEO of The Bench, organisersof FHS World, said “This data reflects the extraordinary scale of opportunity across the region, and the increasing sophistication of the region’s hospitality investment landscape. At FHS World, investment and real estate will be at the core of the conference agenda, with industry leaders examining where global capital sees opportunity and how investors are recalibrating for returns.” 

FHS World 2026 takes place at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, 29 September to 1 October, under the theme ‘Reinvest in our Future’.  See the full agenda here, and discover the growing list of industry-leading speakers here.

-ENDS-

Note to Editors: 

About The Bench 

The Bench has built a legacy as a global curator of opportunity, designing transformative forums and summits that empower the hospitality and travel industries to connect, innovate, and thrive.

With over two decades of expertise, The Bench creates platforms that go beyond transactions to inspire collaboration and drive meaningful change.

Each event brings together government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel associations, leading hospitality brands, hotel owners and investors, airlines, destination developers, and more. From flagship gatherings like FHS World (formerly AHIC) and FHS Saudi Arabia, to FHS Africa (formerly AHIF) and AviaDev, The Bench creates events where ideas spark, relationships deepen, and investments take flight. 

The Bench thrives on fostering dynamic and forward-looking dialogues, uniting industry pioneers to address challenges, seize opportunities, and co-create the future. Each event is crafted to deliver more than just connections – it’s about transforming ideas into action and building a better tomorrow. Discover more at thebench.com.

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