As Dubai’s professionals redefine what a productive workday looks like, voco Bonnington Dubai is introducing its Workation offer, a 24-hour stay package for those who believe where you work is just as important as how you work

There is something to be said for a change of scenery. Positioned in the heart of Jumeirah Lake Towers and moments from the DMCC Metro, voco Bonnington brings together the comfort of a luxury stay with the infrastructure of a fully equipped workplace. The result is a seamless experience where productivity and indulgence don’t just coexist, they quietly elevate each other.

The Workation package starts from AED 275 and includes a 24-hour stay with a complimentary upgrade to a deluxe room, access to the pool and gym, two hours of meeting room access for up to five guests, complimentary coffee or tea in the meeting room or Author’s Lounge, and a 20% discount across all food and beverage outlets. Terms and conditions apply.

For anyone who has ever wondered what their workday could look like with a little more breathing room, the answer might be closer than expected. Built around the idea that productivity thrives when the environment does too, the Workation moves away from the tired “work from the beach” fantasy and toward something far more useful: a city-based experience shaped around real schedules and real results.

In a city that rarely slows down, this is something quietly radical. An intentional pause that doesn’t require leaving Dubai or clearing your calendar. Just a better version of the workday, right in the middle of it.

La Maison Ani, the French brasserie by Chef Izu Ani and Fundamental Hospitality, will open at Mall of the Emirates in September 2026. The 367-square-metre restaurant will seat 142 guests across an interior dining room, open show kitchen, and a wraparound Parisian-style terrace. The brand’s second address in Dubai, after the Fashion Avenue flagship that has welcomed approximately 385,000 guests annually since its debut in 2022.

“To me, no one is a customer,  everyone is a guest. When someone walks into our home, our maison, we welcome them with care, warmth, and the desire to create something truly special for them. Food is our way of transmitting happiness to others.

What we do was never designed to be transactional. It is an invitation, a personal moment rooted in love, generosity, and respect. Respect for one another, for the ingredients we work with, and for the home we open to others every single day.” says Chef Izu Ani.

The new location will bring the brand closer to Al Barsha, Dubai Marina, JBR, and the Palm – neighbourhoods with a strong appetite for refined, all-day dining. It also marks the continuation of an international expansion that now spans London’s Knightsbridge, Doha, and confirmed openings in Monaco, Miami and Riyadh.

“La Maison Ani was built to travel, but Dubai will always be home. Mall of the Emirates allows us to deepen our roots in the city where everything began, while continuing to prove that homegrown concepts, born here, can resonate anywhere in the world” Says Evgeny Kuzin, founder of Fundamental Hospitality.

The Space

The interiors will carry La Maison Ani’s signature Parisian romanticism into a new setting. Soft coral tones will flow through fabric-panelled walls and leather moulding details, anchored by light walnut timber flooring and Palissandro marble table tops. Croissant-inspired artisan tilework will line the boulangerie counter, while Eiffel Tower-motif shelving and trellis glass globe lighting will add sculptural warmth overhead. The signature chandeliers complete the picture, unmistakably La Maison Ani.

A show kitchen and dedicated pâtisserie display will anchor the dining experience, with freshly baked breads, viennoiseries, and pastries presented throughout the day.

The 62-seat wraparound terrace, framed by an iron pergola, will offer something rare for a mall setting: a dining experience that genuinely transports into a Parisian garden planted in the heart of one of Dubai’s most visited destinations.

The Table

La Maison Ani at Mall of the Emirates will operate as a true all-day dining destination. The day will begin with the boulangerie: freshly baked baguettes, flaky croissants, artisanal breads, before moving through light, seasonal lunch options to the richer, more considered flavours of the evening brasserie service. The full pastry programme will run alongside every service.

The menu will mirror the Dubai Mall flagship, rooted in Chef Izu’s vision of craftsmanship, tradition, elegance, and French passion, with the same signature dishes that have defined the brand since its debut.

Anantara Hotels & Resorts, the experiential luxury brand of Minor Hotels, marks its 25th anniversary with the launch of a global campaign: 25 Years of Unforgettable Journeys. From a single resort in Thailand to a global portfolio spanning over 50 hotels and resorts across 24 countries, the milestone celebrates the destinations, team members and guests who have shaped the brand since its creation.

A Brand Born in Thailand

The Anantara brand was founded in 2001 by William Heinecke, Chairman and Founder of Minor International, parent company of Minor Hotels, to address the need for a luxury hotel brand offering immersive, experience-led stays. He envisioned a brand that enables cultural discovery through indigenous design, local cuisine and unique destination experiences. The name Anantara comes from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘without end’, evoking discovery, new horizons and the celebration of life’s journey.

“Creating Anantara remains one of my proudest professional accomplishments,” explains Mr Heinecke. “Building the brand from the ground up gave us the opportunity to apply what we learned from operating hotels in Thailand for more than 20 years and satisfy the growing demand from discerning travellers who want memorable local experiences and adventures while having luxurious accommodations to come back to each evening.”

The first Anantara resort, Anantara Hua Hin Resort, opened to guests on 4 March 2001 in the seaside town of Hua Hin, three hours from Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city. Its design, inspired by a traditional Thai village, draws architectural heritage into tropical gardens, embodying Anantara’s ethos of cultural immersion from the outset.

Purposeful Expansion

From Hua Hin, the brand extended across Thailand, with Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort in the north and Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort in the south, each shaped by landscape architect Bill Bensley, whose eye for locale gave the early portfolio its distinct continuity.

International expansion followed in 2006 with Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, the brand’s first venture outside Thailand and the proof of concept that opened the door to the Middle East, Africa, Asia and, in later years, Europe. The 2015 rebranding of a landmark Bangkok property as Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel was a personal milestone for Mr Heinecke and a strategic one for the brand, signalling its evolution from resort brand to a hospitality brand equally at home in the world’s great cities. In recent years, Minor Hotels has expanded Anantara into iconic European cities, adding new properties in Amalfi, Amsterdam, Budapest, Dublin, Nice, Rome and Vienna.  

Anantara’s expansion into extraordinary destinations continues with upcoming debuts in Australia, Japan, Egypt, Argentina, Croatia, Turks & Caicos and the United States. The brand will also introduce Anantara Tented Camps in 2026, beginning with Anantara Tented Camp Kafue River in Zambia, adjacent to Kafue National Park, the country’s largest and oldest reserve.

“Anantara has played a defining role in shaping Minor Hotels’ luxury portfolio over the past 25 years,” said Dillip Rajakarier, Group CEO of Minor International. “Our focus remains on thoughtful, disciplined expansion that stays true to Anantara’s foundations, with immersive experiences, a strong sense of place and genuine cultural connection guiding how and where the brand evolves.”

Curating Unforgettable Experiences

For a quarter of a century, Anantara has been deeply committed to enabling journeys of discovery, authenticity and indulgence. To commemorate the milestone, the brand launches a global programme of signature experiences and activations to immerse guests in the destination’s surroundings and culture.