Connect with us

Hospitality

WHERE HIGH STANDARDS MEET GREAT TASTE

Published

8 months ago

on

man sitting on chair

Interview with Jaime Castañeda, Chief Executive Officer, Ninety Nine SB Investment L.L.C. | 99 Sushi

You’ve built a career across some of the region’s most respected hospitality groups. Looking back, which early leadership lesson still shapes how you run Ninety Nine SB Investment today?

One of the earliest and most enduring lessons I learned is that every single day counts. Leadership is not about long-term vision alone; it is about daily execution. A team must clearly understand the direction in which the company is moving. That direction must be explicit, consistent, and visible in the decisions we make every day.

I strongly believe that at the end of each day, a leader should be able to say that something meaningful has been achieved, something that moves the company forward. Procrastination is dangerous in leadership. Equally risky is delegating responsibilities that a leader must personally confront. There are moments that require direct accountability.

Leading by example remains fundamental to how I operate. Engagement with Heads of Department is not optional; it is essential. When leadership is visible, aligned, and decisive, it cascades naturally throughout every department and ultimately shapes the culture of the entire organization. That culture of clarity, accountability, and momentum continues to define Ninety Nine SB Investment today.

As CEO, where do you personally spend most of your time today — operations, brand strategy, or future growth planning?

While brand strategy and future growth are constant priorities, I dedicate significant time to operations. Operations drive cash flow, and cash flow sustains independence. I often say that cash is the oxygen of the company. Without it, nothing else survives.

Despite my role as CEO, I remain closely involved in daily operational oversight alongside our General Managers and Heads of Department. This ensures that teams have the resources, structure, and support required to generate strong performance while maintaining the standards that define us.

Ninety Nine SB Investment grows organically. We do not rely on external funding or debt to expand. Our growth is driven by profitability, discipline, and reinvestment. That model requires operational precision and constant vigilance. Brand vision is critical, but operational excellence is what enables that vision to materialize sustainably.

From Les Roches to leading a globally recognised Japanese fine-dining brand, was this always the trajectory, or did hospitality surprise you along the way?

My original ambition was to become a General Manager of a hotel. After graduating from Les Roches, that was the clear path in my mind. By the age of 30, I had already joined the executive committee of a hotel, and I realized that the trajectory I had envisioned might unfold differently, and perhaps faster than expected.

After working within hotel environments, including a period with Meraas Holding, I was presented with the opportunity to bring 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant to the region. At that time, I could not have imagined that I would one day be leading a Japanese fine-dining brand with international recognition.

Hospitality absolutely surprised me. The industry is dynamic, unpredictable, and full of unexpected doors. What began as a structured hotel career evolved into brand building, entrepreneurship, and international expansion. That unpredictability is, in many ways, what makes hospitality so compelling.

99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant has retained its MICHELIN Star for three consecutive years. What non-negotiables ensure that level of consistency across markets?

Consistency at the level required to retain a MICHELIN Star demands absolute clarity of concept and unwavering discipline. At 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant, two elements are completely non-negotiable: immaculate service and premium ingredients.

The concept is clearly defined and protected. From sourcing to preparation to presentation, every detail must align with our identity. Ingredient quality is paramount; we work exclusively with top-tier suppliers to ensure excellence without compromise.

Equally important is service. Precision, discretion, timing, and genuine attentiveness distinguish exceptional service from standard hospitality. Guests must feel guided yet unintruded upon, respected yet warmly engaged.

Recognition from the Michelin Guide is never treated as a guarantee. It is a responsibility. Maintaining a star requires constant vigilance, continuous training, and humility. The moment complacency enters, standards decline. For us, excellence must be protected daily.

KO by 99 introduces a more contemporary, accessible side of the brand. What gap were you aiming to fill with this concept?

KO by 99 was created to express a different dimension of the brand. It was not about filling a gap in the market, but about expanding what 99 represents.

While 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant is rooted in fine dining, KO by 99 allows us to showcase a more contemporary, lifestyle-driven approach. It is more accessible in tone and pricing, but it does not compromise on quality. It offers a space where guests can socialize, enjoy cocktails, and engage in a vibrant atmosphere beyond a traditional seated dining experience.

We wanted to demonstrate that 99 is not solely a destination for formal fine dining. It can also be a place to connect, to celebrate, and to extend the evening beyond the meal itself. KO by 99 embodies that energy — refined, yet relaxed; sophisticated, yet approachable.

Today’s diners value experience as much as cuisine. How has guest expectation evolved in fine dining over the last five years?

The UAE market has matured significantly. Guests today are highly informed and experienced. Years of exposure to world-class restaurants have shaped a clientele that understands quality and demands more than just exceptional food.

Fine dining is no longer defined by cuisine alone. It is a 360-degree experience. Music, design, lighting, spatial flow, and atmosphere all play critical roles. Illumination, in particular, is often underestimated. Lighting can transform a meal into an immersive experience or diminish it entirely.

Guests also expect continuity. If they choose 99 for dinner, they want the experience to extend beyond the final course. A digestif at the bar, a curated cocktail, carefully selected music – these moments must carry the same level of refinement as the dining experience itself. Today’s diner seeks immersion. Excellence must be holistic.

Having operated across the Middle East and Europe, how do hospitality expectations differ between regions?

At the high-end level, excellence is universal. Guests in Europe and the GCC both expect precision, quality, and professionalism. However, cultural nuances are significant. In the GCC, respect, privacy, and discretion carry particular weight. There is a strong emphasis on generosity, formality in certain contexts, and cultural sensitivity. Service must adapt fluidly to those expectations without appearing forced or overly rigid.

In Europe, service may sometimes feel more relaxed or informal, even within fine dining. In the Middle East, attentiveness and structured hospitality are often more pronounced. Understanding these nuances is essential. True luxury hospitality is not about imposing a single model of service; it is about interpreting excellence through the lens of cultural awareness.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Hospitality

TWG Tea Unveils the TWG Tea Gallery, Its Largest Flagship and First-Ever TWG Tea Museum at Singapore Changi Airport

Published

2 days ago

on

October 8, 2026

By

TWG Tea, the finest luxury tea brand in the world, unveils its largest global flagship, TWG Tea Gallery, at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s international growth. Welcoming travellers around the clock, the TWG Tea Gallery is strategically located within one of the world’s leading aviation hubs, underscoring TWG Tea’s continued investment in travel retail as a key pillar of its global expansion strategy. Spanning 2,700 square feet beneath a soaring 23-foot-high ceiling, the new flagship represents the brand’s most ambitious retail expression to date, setting a new benchmark for luxury tea in the global travel retail landscape.

Envisioned as an immersive expression of TWG Tea’s craftsmanship and savoir-faire, this destination invites discerning travellers into a luminous world where rare harvests, exquisite blends and timeless rituals converge. Its landmark TWG Tea Museum showcases more than 170 antique tea wares and over 50 antique Russian samovars from the 17th to 20th centuries, personally curated by the brand over the past 15 years from around the world. TWG Tea Gallery also introduces a selection of exclusive creations, including the Grand Voyage Tea from the Grand Mode Tea Collection, the Singapore Surprise Gift Set, and specially created tea-infused macarons, ice cream and sorbet.

Bringing together the Tea Boutique, curated tea accessories, bespoke gifting and a Takeaway experience, this flagship also introduces Singapore’s only Tea-Infused Ice Cream & Sorbet concept, designed for travellers on the go. An impressive tea wall displaying more than 1,200 tea tins anchors the space, transforming the space into a compelling new expression of TWG Tea for today’s global traveller.

“The TWG Tea Gallery represents the most definitive expression of TWG Tea to date. More than a Tea Boutique, the flagship brings the past, present and future of tea into one immersive experience, celebrating the stories, traditions and artistry that have shaped tea over the centuries, brought to life through its landmark TWG Tea Museum. Singapore has remained central to TWG Tea since its founding, and we are honoured to present our largest global flagship at Changi Airport, an icon of aviation excellence and an extraordinary platform to bring the world of TWG Tea to travellers from around the world.”
—Taha Bouqdib, President & CEO of V3 Gourmet and Co-Founder of TWG Tea

“Changi Airport is proud to be home to TWG Tea’s largest flagship store in the world and its first-ever TWG Tea Museum. As one of Singapore’s most recognised brands, TWG Tea offers travellers a uniquely Singapore experience. Together with TWG Tea, we are delighted to introduce a collection of exclusives created specially for Changi Airport, including Singapore’s only tea-infused ice cream and sorbet concept. This new flagship transforms a retail visit into an immersive journey through the heritage, artistry and culture of tea, reflecting the innovation and hospitality that define both TWG Tea and Changi.”
— Hung Jean, Managing Director of Airside Concessions at Changi Airport Group

A Voyage Through Design

This location within Changi Airport was chosen to house TWG Tea Museum to form a defining part of the flagship experience, showcasing more than 170 antique tea wares and decorative objects spanning cultures and eras. The collection offers a compelling window into the artistry and cultures that have shaped tea over the centuries, adding a rich traditional dimension to the contemporary travel retail experience.

Among its highlights are Yixing clay teapots, traditionally marked by their makers and prized for their craftsmanship and provenance, alongside Chinese and Western tea wares tracing evolving traditions of form and decoration from the 18th century to the present day. Blue-and-white ceramics shaped by Chinese-Islamic artistic exchange sit alongside porcelain once prized in Europe as “white gold,” revealing the movement of ideas and aesthetics across cultures through the rituals of tea.

The collection also includes more than 50 antique samovars from Russia, with notable 19th- and early-20th-century examples from the celebrated workshops of Tula and beyond. Works by makers such as the Batashev and Shemarin brothers bear distinctive hallmarks attesting to their provenance and craftsmanship, offering a further perspective on the decorative traditions surrounding tea.

This dialogue between cultures continues in the flagship’s design, crowned by a hand-painted ceiling depicting a luminous world tea map. As its defining architectural feature, the composition traces the global journey of tea through intricate motifs and rich colour, extending the museum’s narrative of cultural exchange into the contemporary setting of Changi Airport Terminal 3.

Continue Reading

Hospitality

MI AMOR: ORILLA INTRODUCES A NEW WEEKLY LADIES’ NIGHT IN JVT

Published

2 days ago

on

October 8, 2026

By

Orilla is turning Wednesday nights into an occasion with the launch of Mi Amor, a new weekly ladies’ night bringing together free-flowing drinks, live entertainment and an elevated late-night atmosphere at the restaurant’s rooftop setting in Jumeirah Village Triangle.

Launching on Wednesday, 7 October from 7:00pm onwards, Mi Amor invites ladies to dress up, gather their favorite people and settle into an evening designed around good energy, flowing drinks and memorable moments.

Set on the 27th floor of Hotel Local, Orilla provides the backdrop for the new weekly ritual, combining panoramic surroundings with the restaurant’s lively Latin-inspired atmosphere. For the launch evening, guests can expect free-flowing drinks for ladies, sensational entertainment throughout the night and a room dressed for the occasion.

More than simply a midweek drinks offer, Mi Amor is designed as an opportunity to make Wednesday feel like the start of the weekend. From the first cocktail to the final song, the evening brings together music, entertainment and an upbeat social atmosphere for groups of friends looking to make the most of their night.

The launch will set the tone for what guests can expect from Mi Amor as it becomes a regular fixture at Orilla — a night built around celebration, connection and a little indulgence.

Mi Amor Ladies’ Night launches on Wednesday, 7 October, from 7:00pm onwards, with free-flowing drinks available for ladies and entertainment throughout the evening.

Event Details

  • What: Mi Amor Ladies’ Night | When: Every Wednesday, launching 7 October 2026 | Time: From 7:00pm onwards | Where: Orilla, 27th Floor, Hotel Local, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Dubai | Ladies’ Offer: Free-flowing drinks | Entertainment: Throughout the evening | Reservations: +971 4 575 2986 / +971 55 104 7521 | Email: reservation@orillarestaurant.com
  • Limited tables are available. Guests are encouraged to reserve in advance and join Orilla for the first taste of Mi Amor. 
Continue Reading

Hospitality

From AMAYA to MYA: Dubai Mall Dining Destination Refines Its Global Identity

Published

2 days ago

on

October 8, 2026

By

AMAYA is now MYA. As the brand expands its regional and international presence, a unified name gives every location one voice and every guest one clear promise. MYA supports consistency across its growing portfolio of destinations while preserving the energy, hospitality and attention to detail established in Dubai.

The Dubai-born dining and lifestyle brand has refined its name as part of its continued growth: one concise name that can be recognized, remembered and expressed with equal confidence in every market. MYA is shorter by design, creating greater clarity across destinations, partnerships, communications and digital platforms.

The refinement is precise. MYA carries forward the same founder and leadership, the same team, the same concept, the same culinary direction, the same standards and the same distinctive guest experience. Everything that earned the trust of AMAYA’s guests remains at the heart of MYA.

“Strong brands grow through clarity, consistency and trust. MYA gives the name we have built a sharper global expression. Our people, standards and guest experience remain exactly the same. One name. One vision. One uncompromising standard, built in Dubai and continuing forward as MYA.”               

–  Murat Tutuncu and Moe Ezzat  | Founders & CEO, MYA

MYA’s purpose is clear – to give the established Dubai-born hospitality brand a shorter and more consistent name as it grows across destinations. The shorter name increases recognition, the unified name strengthens consistency, and the same standards give the brand the foundation to grow confidently across cultures and geographies.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2023 | The Integrator