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.

IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hospitality companies, has announced the appointment of long-standing IHG leader Joanna Kurowska as Vice President, Middle East and Africa Development. The move reflects IHG’s strategic focus on placing seasoned internal leaders in priority growth markets to strengthen owner partnerships, accelerate development, and drive sustained business performance across the region.

With nearly 15 years at IHG, Kurowska brings a strong track record of accelerating performance across complex, large-scale markets and is widely respected within the organisation and the wider hospitality industry for her people-centric approach and proven ability to drive stellar commercial performance. Her appointment reinforces IHG’s depth of internal talent and continued investment in advancing high-performing leaders from within the business.

Since 2021, Kurowska has led IHG’s UK and Ireland business – the company’s largest market within EMEAA – overseeing a portfolio of more than 400 open and pipeline hotels. Her leadership across development strategy, owner engagement, and portfolio performance has directly contributed to the market’s sustained growth. Most recently, she played a pivotal role in the integration of Ruby Hotels into IHG’s portfolio, strengthening the group’s brand offering and expanding its growth ambitions.

In her new role, Kurowska will spearhead IHG’s development strategy across the company’s highest-priority markets, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt. Her experience managing one of IHG’s largest and most operationally complex regions has equipped her with the strategic rigor to navigate the diverse opportunities and owner landscape across the dynamic Middle East and Africa.

“I am delighted to take on this new role representing a brand with such strong legacy and presence in the region, as well as ambitions growth plans for the years ahead. Having been part of IHG for more than a decade, it is a true joy and an honour to step into this position and represent the Group in the MEA region,” said Kurowska. “Having spent the past few months meeting with owners in Jeddah, Riyadh, Sub-Saharan Africa, Dubai and Cairo, I can confidently say the scale of opportunity unfolding across this region is extraordinary. My focus is on ensuring we bring the right brands, the right deal structures, and strong local expertise to help our owners succeed. The Middle East and Africa are dynamic regions already delivering exceptional performance, and I look forward to working closely with our dedicated teams to drive meaningful, sustainable growth while creating long-term value for owners and the communities we serve.”

Kurowska is a strong advocate for inclusion, reflected in her role on IHG’s Europe Inclusion and Impact Board, a principle that will continue to guide her leadership across the region.