Hospitality

Keep it fresh, keep it honest, and let the ingredients shine

Published

1 year ago

February 4, 2025

Integrator Web-Editor

Interview with Chef Roberto Senese, Carluccio’s

How did growing up in Naples and learning from your grandmother shape your culinary philosophy?

In Italian homes, the kitchen is where life happens. It’s where conversations flow as meals are prepared and shared. That’s how it was for me. I grew up in the kitchen, watching my mother and grandmother cook while they talked about life. I started out doing small chores, but as I got older, I began helping with full meals.

That’s where my love for cooking began—bringing people together with food and sharing honest, unfiltered conversations around the table.

We cooked simple food at home: pasta, salads, seafood, and occasionally meat (which isn’t a big part of traditional Italian cuisine). Cooking was straightforward—lots of olive oil, fresh vegetables, herbs, and cheese.

That simplicity still defines the way I cook today, inspired by Antonio Carluccio’s philosophy: keep it fresh, keep it honest, and let the ingredients shine.

What does your philosophy “Minimum Fuss, Maximum Flavour” mean to you, and how do you bring it to life at Carluccio’s?

Minimum Fuss, Maximum Flavour” (MOF MOF) was the guiding philosophy of our founder, Antonio Carluccio. He believed in simplicity—using the finest ingredients, treating them with care, and embracing home-style cooking techniques to preserve authenticity and the comforting warmth of homemade food.

At Carluccio’s UAE & Qatar, Antonio’s MOF MOF philosophy is at the core of everything we do. It’s not just about how we cook; it shapes how we serve and connect with our guests. We keep things honest, genuine, and simple, following Antonio’s original recipes and maintaining the high standards he set.

While there are moments when we adapt to local tastes, we do so thoughtfully and sparingly, ensuring the heart of MOF MOF remains intact in everything we create.

How do you adapt Carluccio’s menu to cater to local tastes in the UAE and Qatar while staying true to Italian traditions?

Localization is key to staying relevant and evolving as a brand. At the same time, it’s just as important to preserve the essence of our brand philosophy.

Our menu is a blend of Carluccio’s classics and local favorites. For example, while BBQ Pizza isn’t traditionally Italian, it’s a regional favorite, so we’ve adapted it to suit local tastes—always using the best ingredients and keeping the cooking simple.

Another example is our Rigatoni Prawns & Pistachio pasta, a dish that combines prawns, pistachio, and pesto with a touch of chili, crafted specifically to appeal to the local palate while staying true to our focus on quality and flavor.

With the revamped Marina Mall branch offering vegan dishes and zero-proof drinks, how do you balance modern trends with authentic Italian cuisine?

Carluccio’s has always offered vegan options, but with the launch of our new menu, we’ve introduced a dedicated vegan section in response to growing demand and current trends. This addition reflects our commitment to catering to all guests.

We’ve also expanded our beverage offerings by introducing zero-proof drinks, providing premium options for those looking to enjoy something unique and exciting. These thoughtful additions have not only enhanced our menu but have significantly improved our dining experience, with guest feedback reflecting the positive impact on their overall enjoyment.

How does the show kitchen and iconic pizza oven enhance the guest experience?

Our goal was to showcase the authenticity, skill, and freshness that define our offerings. This is made possible by our show kitchen and pizza oven, where guests can enjoy watching their food being prepared with professionalism and the highest standards of hygiene. It’s not just a meal – it’s a visual experience that enhances the dining journey!

With elements like lemon trees and Mediterranean warmth, how do you aim to transport guests to Italy through both the food and ambiance?

In addition to enhancing our guest experience and bringing a modern touch to our interiors, we aimed to infuse subtle Mediterranean elements while staying true to Carluccio’s brand identity. This was achieved with features like lemon trees above the community table and vintage Italian-style tiling, which together create a rustic Mediterranean and Italian atmosphere.

Our food and service stay true to Antonio Carluccio’s MOF MOF philosophy, perfectly complementing each other to deliver an authentic Italian experience that is unmistakably Carluccio’s.

Hospitality

TRAVEL TRENDS DRIVING THE RISE OF BLENDED STAYS IN THE UAE

Published

1 hour ago

May 4, 2026

Integrator Web-Admin

JS Anand, CEO and Founder, LEVA Hotels

Multi-generational and family travel is becoming a defining trend in the UAE, with 41% of travellers now planning trips with extended family members and actively looking for destinations that balance adventure with relaxation across age groups. At the same time, bleisure travel is gaining momentum as professionals mix work and leisure, often extending trips and choosing flexible short stays.

These shifts are directly contributing to the rise of blended stays across the UAE and wider GCC. What was once described as bleisure or workation is now a common travel pattern, where the boundaries between work, rest, and leisure are increasingly fluid. Travellers are staying longer, choosing lifestyle-led hotels, and expecting spaces that can support multiple needs within a single journey.

This change is closely linked to how work itself has evolved, with hybrid models and greater mobility enabling people to work from almost anywhere. In response, hotels are now viewed as flexible environments that support both productivity and personal time. The UAE is particularly well positioned for this shift, with its strong infrastructure, connectivity, and diverse hospitality offering making extended, blended stays both practical and appealing.

As a result, stay behaviour is changing noticeably. Traditional short business trips are being replaced by longer, more adaptable bookings, with hotels increasingly functioning as multi-purpose living spaces. This trend is influencing design, operations, and pricing strategies, with a stronger emphasis on flexibility and continuity.

Guest expectations have also evolved significantly. Travellers now expect purpose-built work environments within hotels, including co-working areas, meeting pods, and more thoughtful in-room setups that support sustained productivity. At the same time, wellness and lifestyle features like gyms, outdoor spaces, and social areas are now key factors in how people choose where to stay, reflecting a growing focus on balance in travel.

The UAE continues to lead this transformation, supported by a hospitality ecosystem that is closely integrated with retail, business, entertainment, and residential infrastructure. This natural alignment has created the ideal conditions for blended stays to grow and become a long-term feature of the region’s travel landscape.

For developers and investors, this shift is also redefining value creation. Occupancy alone is becoming less indicative of performance, with greater focus placed on a hotel’s ability to support longer stays, adaptable layouts, and multi-functional experiences. Hotels that can seamlessly shift between short-term and extended-stay demand are better positioned for the future of hospitality in the region.

Ultimately, blended stays reflect a deeper structural change in how people approach travel, work, and time away from home. For the UAE and the wider GCC, the opportunity lies in building hospitality experiences that respond to these evolving behaviours and remain aligned with how people choose to live and move today.

Hospitality

STAY DOWNTOWN, SAVE MORE

Published

3 days ago

May 1, 2026

Integrator Web-Admin

Address Downtown, Address Dubai Mall, Address Sky View, Vida Dubai Mall, and Palace Downtown invite guests to a memorable family staycation designed to reconnect, explore, and delight together. Step away from the pace of everyday life and discover Downtown Dubai from a fresh perspective, where families and friends can enjoy quality time, exciting attractions, and the warmth of exceptional hospitality in the heart of the city.

Guests can enjoy:

• Daily breakfast
• Early check-in from 11:00 AM and late check-out till 4:00 PM
• 30% off dining and spa treatments
• Kids Stay and dine free (up to 11 years old)
• Complimentary ticket to one Emaar Entertainment attraction per stay, choose between Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Sky Views Observatory with Slide, or Dubai Ice Rink
• Prime location steps away from Dubai Mall and Downtown Dubai attractions

Families can explore, play, and create lasting memories while dining at the hotel’s signature restaurants, such as Thiptara, Ewaan, Solara, and Cetara.

Rediscover Downtown Dubai and embrace a city escape made for connection, fun, and memorable experiences. It’s time to unlock your next moment. Moments continue. Experiences evolve.

Hospitality

UBK AT MÖVENPICK JUMEIRAH LAKES TOWERS RAISES A GLASS FOR DUBAI’S MOST LOYAL COMPANIONS WITH “PAWS & POUR”

Published

4 days ago

April 30, 2026

Integrator Web-Admin

Some things in life stay beautifully constant, and for many Dubai residents, that has been their pets. Through everyday routines, slow days, and everything in between, pet parents have built their lives around their four-legged companions in the most natural, heartwarming way. UBK at Mövenpick Jumeirah Lakes Towers is celebrating that bond with Paws & Pour, a feel-good gesture for guests who stayed in Dubai with their pets during the recent period of regional uncertainty.

Visit UBK, show a photo of you and your pet from the past two months in Dubai, and enjoy a complimentary non-alcoholic drink on the house every Sunday only from 12pm-12am. Just a simple cheer to a not-so-simple bond. Because UBK has always been proudly pet-friendly, especially with Paws & Play running Sunday to Thursday from 12pm to 7pm, where dogs are very much part of the vibe. Plus, guests can enjoy 30% off food and beverages while spending time with their furry plus-ones.

Paws & Pour is UBK doing what it does best, keeping things easy, welcoming, and full of personality. A little toast to loyalty, companionship, and the pets who make every day better just by being in it.