Hospitality

Why Luxury Hospitality Is Moving from Spectacle to Storytelling

Published

3 weeks ago

August 24, 2026

Integrator Web-Editor

Exclusive interview with Jai Sharma, Founder, Envelop Designs Arabia

Envelop has worked with major hospitality names including Taj Hotels, Rambagh Palace, Fairmont Udaipur, Ananta Hotels & Resorts and Emaar. What does a hotel or hospitality brand typically come to you wanting, and how does that differ from what a private client wants?

The starting point is actually the same, we begin with the story. Before we think about the space or the visual language, we want to understand who we’re designing for, their personalities, their values, what makes them different from everyone else in the room.

With a private client, that story is personal, a couple’s journey, their relationship, their families. With a hospitality brand, the story belongs to the property itself, its history, its guests, what it wants to be remembered for. The questions we ask change, but the process doesn’t. We’re still uncovering the emotional core before a single design decision gets made.

Hospitality brands are increasingly investing in “experience” as a differentiator rather than just service or amenities. From where you sit, is that a genuine shift in the industry or more of a marketing trend?

I’d call it a genuine shift, and it mirrors what we’ve seen happen with weddings over the last decade. The biggest change has been from display to meaning. Earlier, everything was about grandeur, now it’s increasingly about intention. Guests want experiences that reflect a place’s personality and values, not just its amenities.

The common thread across hospitality, weddings and brand experiences is emotional storytelling. People remember how something made them feel far longer than they remember what it looked like. We call it the memory economy, and hotels are starting to design for it the same way we’ve always designed celebrations, around recall, not just service.

You’ve now partnered with Rayqube to launch Envelop Designs Arabia in the UAE. What made Rayqube the right partner, and what does the division of expertise look like between design and technology in that partnership?

Rayqube brings nearly a decade of expertise in events, exhibition build-outs and technology-driven experiences, and that’s exactly the layer we needed to build properly in this market. Our strength has always been narrative, understanding a story and translating it into a spatial and experiential journey. Rayqube’s strength is production and technology, the infrastructure that makes ambitious ideas actually executable at scale.

Bringing that philosophy into the UAE through Envelop Designs Arabia let us build for a market that’s hungry for experiences with real cultural depth, and Rayqube is the right partner to help us do that. Design and technology under one roof means we’re not compromising on either side.

Hospitality operators think in terms of repeat guests and brand loyalty, not just single events. How do you design an experience that serves that longer-term relationship rather than just the moment itself?

A single celebration has one goal, to be remembered by the people in the room that night. A hospitality brand needs something that keeps working long after the guests have left, that makes them want to come back, or tell someone else about it.

What we’ve found is that the two aren’t actually in conflict. If an experience is built around genuine narrative rather than spectacle, it tends to create exactly the kind of memory that brings people back. We’re not designing for one night when we work with a hotel group, we’re designing for how that property wants to be felt every time someone walks through it.

The UAE hospitality and events market is famously competitive at the luxury end. What gap did you see here that made you confident there was still room for a studio built around narrative rather than décor?

We didn’t come to the UAE because it was the obvious next step. We came because I believe this region understands what it means to design a moment rather than just produce an event. There’s a real appetite here for depth, for culture, for experiences that are felt rather than simply seen.

Much of the region’s industry has been built around production and décor, and it’s genuinely excellent at that. What we saw was a different question waiting to be asked, not what a space should look like, but how it should make guests feel, treating every project as a complete sensory experience and reading psychology, pacing and emotion as real materials of design, alongside light, sound and space.

You’ve said Envelop deliberately limits itself to seven or eight social projects a year. Does that same discipline apply to hospitality partnerships, or does a longer-term brand relationship with a hotel group work differently from a single wedding or celebration?

The discipline is the same, even if the shape of the relationship is different. A hospitality partnership isn’t one project, it’s an ongoing one, so the depth we’d normally put into a single celebration gets spread across a longer relationship instead. That actually suits us. We’re not interested in taking on every hotel group that approaches us, we’re interested in the ones where there’s real alignment on what an experience should be.

The seven or eight number applies specifically to social projects, but the underlying principle, depth over volume, is what governs every relationship we take on, hospitality included.

With Envelop Designs Arabia, you’ve mentioned engaging in early conversations around Dubai’s real estate sector alongside hospitality and brand work. How closely connected are real estate and hospitality experience design from where you sit, and do they draw on the same process?

They’re closer than people assume. A real estate launch and a hospitality brand are both, in a sense, asking people to imagine a feeling before they’ve fully experienced the place, whether that’s living somewhere or staying somewhere. Both are memory economy exercises.

We’re already engaged in conversations for potential pitches with the city’s rapidly evolving real estate sector, and the process we’d bring to that is identical to what we bring to hospitality, understand the story, understand what feeling needs to be associated with the brand, then build the experience backward from there.

Technology is becoming a bigger part of how hospitality brands design guest experiences, from immersive installations to digital touchpoints. How do you decide when technology adds to a narrative versus when it distracts from it?

Technology can accelerate research, visualisation and execution, and we use it for exactly that. But it can not sit with a guest and understand what a particular moment means to them. That part of the work, empathy, intuition, storytelling, will always be human.

The test for us is simple, does the technology serve the story, or is it there because it looks impressive. If it’s the latter, we leave it out, no matter how capable it is. Technology should disappear into the experience, not announce itself.

Looking at Envelop’s growth trajectory, from Jaipur to Abu Dhabi to a full-time UAE presence, what does success in this market look like for you three to five years from now, beyond revenue targets?

The numbers matter, and we’ve set clear targets as part of that growth. But if I look at it purely through revenue, I’d be missing the point of why we came here in the first place.

Success for me looks like the UAE becoming a place where we get to attempt ideas we simply couldn’t have executed before, projects that need this scale, this appetite for depth, this cultural richness. If in three to five years people in this market associate Envelop with experiences that are felt rather than seen, that’s the real marker, the revenue will follow that, not the other way around.

Hospitality

WOULD YOU TRY COFFEE WITH TONIC? 3 UNEXPECTED DRINKS TO TRY AT COFFEE PLANET

Published

9 hours ago

September 14, 2026

Integrator Web-Editor

From espresso and sparkling tonic to strawberry açaí and coconut lemon, Coffee Planet is putting a very different spin on your usual coffee order

Think you’ve tried every possible variation of iced coffee? There’s one combination that might still surprise you: coffee and tonic.

The pairing might sound unusual, but the espresso tonic has been part of specialty coffee culture for years, combining a shot of espresso with crisp, sparkling tonic for a drink that’s bitter, refreshing and completely different from a traditional milk-based coffee.

Now, Coffee Planet is taking the idea a step further with a trio of tonic drinks that play with coffee, fruit, citrus and tropical flavors.

Strawberry Açaí Tonic: Fruity, bright and bubbly, the Strawberry Açaí Tonic combines strawberry and açaí with a crisp tonic finish. It’s a refreshing option for anyone who wants something a little different from their usual coffee order.

Coconut Lemon Tonic: Creamy coconut meets zesty lemon and sparkling tonic in this tropical-meets-citrus combination. The contrast between the creamy coconut and bright lemon gives the drink a completely different profile from a traditional iced coffee.

Espresso Tonic: For the most unexpected pairing of the three, there’s the Espresso Tonic. Bold espresso meets sparkling tonic, creating a crisp, bubbly drink that swaps the milk for fizz.

What makes the trio worth trying is the way each drink approaches the tonic format differently, fruity, tropical or coffee-forward, giving adventurous café-goers three ways to step outside their usual order.

The Tonic Trio is available for a limited time at Coffee Planet’s UAE cafes, with prices starting from AED 26.

Where: Coffee Planet UAE outlets, including JVC Circle Mall, Dubai Hills (Business Park), Dubai Hills Mall, Foundry Downtown, Etihad Plaza and Fountain Views at Dubai Mall, among others.

Hospitality

From the Return of Rio Carnival Brunch to Taco Tuesdays, September Is On at Barbossa

Published

10 hours ago

September 14, 2026

Integrator Web-Editor

The wait is over – Barbossa’s much-loved Rio Carnival Brunch is back this September. Returning every Saturday after a two-month break, the high-energy brunch brings the spirit of Brazil to Abu Dhabi with authentic flavours, flowing drinks, Rio-inspired cocktails, feel-good beats, and the lively Latin atmosphere that has made it a firm favourite.

And the good times don’t stop there. Barbossa keeps the week moving with AED 10 tacos every Tuesday, margaritas taking centre stage on Wednesdays, Ladies’ Night on Thursdays, unlimited late-night drinks every Friday, and the family-friendly Fiesta De La Familia Brunch on Sundays. Add Business Lunch, Happy Hour, and a limited-edition cocktail collection into the mix, and there’s always a reason to head to Barbossa.

***NEW*** Rio Carnival Brunch Returns
It’s back – and Saturday plans just got a whole lot livelier. After a two-month break, Barbossa’s much-loved Rio Carnival Brunch returns to Yas Bay Waterfront this September, bringing Brazilian flavours, flowing drinks, colourful cocktails, and all the high-energy Latin spirit that has made it a firm favourite.

Settle in for a feast inspired by Brazil, starting with fresh guacamole and pão de queijo cheese bread before moving on to classics including feijoada, flame-grilled picanha with chimichurri, and a fragrant coconut fish bake. At the bar, the Rio spirit continues with Caipirinhas, refreshing Caipiroskas, and signature serves including the Regal Amburana and Bachiller.

Add feel-good beats, plenty of carnival energy, and a buzzing Saturday crowd, and this is one comeback you won’t want to miss.

The Details:

When: Every Saturday, 1PM to 5PM
Price: AED 249 per person (Soft package); AED 399 per person (Pistolero package); add AED 100 per person to upgrade to the Champagne package

Let’s Taco ’Bout It Taco Tuesdays
Tuesdays taste better at Barbossa, where Let’s Taco ’Bout It serves up AED 10 tacos all day long, alongside AED 20 margaritas and Corona bottles. Come hungry, order a few for the table, and work your way through some of Barbossa’s Mexican favourites.

Mix and match from achiote chicken with pineapple salsa, carne asada with avocado, slow-cooked birria, crispy cod, Baja shrimp, Mexican chorizo, pollo frito, quesabirria, and crispy cauliflower. With plenty to choose from, the only real question is how many tacos to order.

The Details:

When: Every Tuesday, all day
Price: AED 10 per taco; AED 20 per margarita or Corona

Summer Cocktail Menu
Shake up your September drink plans with Barbossa’s limited-edition cocktail collection. Made for everything from long lunches to sunset drinks and lively nights out, the line-up gives every occasion a reason for another round.

Choose the floral Hugo Spritz with premium vodka, elderflower, fresh lime, mint, and sparkling wine; go tropical with the Bachiller, blending cachaça, coconut, lime, mint, and soda; or try the signature Barbossa Spritz, combining Luxardo Aperitivo, Luxardo Bitters, passion fruit, grapefruit, and sparkling wine. Available for a limited time, consider September drinks officially sorted.

The Details:

When: Daily, all day
Price: AED 55 per cocktail

Business Lunch
Give the usual lunch break a Barbossa upgrade this September with a Business Lunch packed with Mexican flavours and a little Yas Bay energy. Whether it’s a client catch-up, lunch with the team, or simply an excuse to get out of the office, there’s plenty on the table.

Start with signature Barbossa Ceviche before choosing two tacos, followed by a main such as juicy Carne Asada or a smoky Mexican Chorizo Quesadilla. Golden churros round things off, while two drinks – choose from a margarita, prosecco, select beer, or wine – are included to make lunch that little bit more fun.

The Details:

When: Monday to Friday, noon to 3PM
Price: AED 80 for three courses or AED 99 for four courses and two drinks per person (margarita, prosecco, select beer, and wine)

Midweek Margaritas
Margaritas take centre stage every Wednesday at Barbossa, with a special collection of cocktails.

Try the Fresca, mixing Jose Cuervo Silver with lime, yuzu, cucumber, blue curaçao, and mint, or go smoky with the Ebano Paloma, combining mezcal, grapefruit, lime, and a Tajín rim. Fresh, fiery, or somewhere in between, pick your favourite, order another round, and let Wednesday unfold the Barbossa way this September.

The Details:
When: Every Wednesday, 7PM to late
Price: AED 65 per margarita

Ladies’ Night
Three hours of free-flowing drinks, great music, and no minimum spend – Ladies’ Night at Barbossa has Thursday plans covered. From 7PM to 10PM, ladies can enjoy unlimited house spirits, wine, and prosecco while catching up with friends.

With no entry fee and plenty of Barbossa energy in the mix, it’s an easy excuse to get the group together and raise a glass this September.

The Details:

When: EveryThursday, 7PM to 10PM
Price: Complimentary free-flow spirits, wine and prosecco. No entry fee. No minimum spend.

Friday Nights Mariachi Band and Unlimited House Drinks Offer
Friday nights hit differently at Barbossa. From 8:30PM, a live mariachi band fills the night with bold Latin rhythm and electric energy, setting the tone from the first note. Then, from 10.30PM to 12PM, the lights go down, the music turns up, and the DJ keeps things moving with 2.5 hours of unlimited house drinks and plenty of late-night energy.

Priced at AED 99 for ladies and AED 199 for gents, stay on after dinner or arrive ready for the party – either way, Barbossa is where Friday night comes alive this September.

The Details:

When: Every Friday, mariachi band, 8.30PM to 10PM; DJ, 10PM to late; Unlimited House Drinks Offer 10.30PM to 12PM
Price: AED 99 (Ladies) and AED 199 (Gents) for 2.5 hours of unlimited house drinks.

Fiesta De La Familia Brunch
Bring la familia together this September for a Sunday afternoon filled with Mexican flavours, colourful drinks, and plenty of Barbossa energy. Fiesta De La Familia Brunch is all about sharing good food around the table, with a relaxed, lively atmosphere that makes it just as much fun for the little ones as it is for the grown-ups.

Start with a selection of sharing plates, then choose two tacos and a sizzling fajita, followed by classic churros for the table. Three drinks are included, with cocktails, beers, wines, and more to keep the afternoon flowing.

For younger guests, a dedicated children’s menu serves up favourites including juicy cheeseburgers and crispy chicken bites, accompanied by three drinks. The fun continues with signature mocktails such as the tropical Purple Colada, Cotton Candy, and refreshing Ultra Azul.

Easy-going, colourful, and made for the whole family, Sundays at Barbossa are best spent around the table.

The Details:

When: Every Sunday, noon to 4PM
Price: AED 199 per person; AED 49 per child (8 years and older)

Happy Hour
Ease into the evening at Barbossa with Happy Hour, bringing AED 30 drinks and plenty of Yas Bay energy from 3PM to 7PM, Sunday to Friday. Choose from select wines, beers, cocktails, and spirits while catching up with friends, grabbing an after-work drink, or getting the night started early.

With great music, a buzzing atmosphere, and the drinks flowing, Happy Hour is an easy way to turn an afternoon catch-up into a night out at Barbossa this September.

The Details:

When: Sunday to Friday, 3PM to 7PM
Price: AED 30 per drink
Barbossa is open Sunday to Wednesday, noon to 1AM, Thursday to Friday, noon to 3AM, and Saturday, 1PM to 3AM.
Barbossa is located at The Pier, Yas Bay Waterfront, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
For bookings and enquiries, please email reservations@barbossa.ae or call +971 50 185 8068.
Visit https://barbossa.ae/ and follow @barbossa_auh to discover more.

Hospitality

Qatar Airways Expands Global Network to Over 170 Destinations this Winter Season

Published

10 hours ago

September 14, 2026

Integrator Web-Editor

Qatar Airways will expand its global network to more than 170 destinations during the 2026-2027 winter season, reflecting the airline’s network growth and reinforcing its position as a leader in global connectivity. The winter schedule will see Qatar Airways operate more than 186 weekly flights across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East, providing passengers with greater choice and seamless experiences through its award-winning hub at Hamad International Airport.

As part of elevating the in-flight experience for global passengers, the airline is advancing Starlink rollout at an unprecedented pace to more routes in its network across six continents. With up to 340 Starlink-enabled flights operating daily, the airline is making access to the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky on more than 150 equipped widebody aircraft an increasingly familiar part of its passenger experience.

The 2026-2027 winter schedule reflects strong demand across Qatar Airways’ network in six continents and includes resumed services and frequency increases across global key markets.

Expanding Connectivity Across Africa

In Africa, Qatar Airways is increasing connectivity to the world’s most sought-after destinations. Daily flights to Zanzibar (ZNZ), Tanzania resume from 25 October 2026, further reinforcing the airline’s commitment to support tourism and trade across the continent.

Complementing this growth, the airline will also expand services to Seychelles (SEZ), Seychelles, from four to seven weekly flights from 1 March 2027, providing global travellers greater access to destinations renowned for their beaches, culture, and hospitality.

South Africa will begin benefiting from additional Qatar Airways flights to Johannesburg (JNB) starting 2 December 2026 with 18 weekly flights, an increase from 14 flights, offering travellers more flexibility in making business and leisure travel plans.

Strengthening the Americas Network

In North America, Qatar Airways will increase services to Montréal (YUL), Canada from five to seven weekly flights from 25 October 2026, representing a 40 per cent boost in seat capacity. The enhanced schedule caters to increasing travel demand to Canada from the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East.

Significant Growth Across Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific continues to be a key region in Qatar Airways’ network, with multiple frequency increases and route resumptions planned throughout the winter season, notably for travellers from Europe.

On 25 October 2026, Qatar Airways service to Phuket (HKT), Thailand, will increase from 14 to 21 weekly flights, and flights to Malé (MLE), the Maldives, will be ramped up from 12 to 21 weekly flights, offering greater choice to adventure seekers around the globe.

Flights to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), Vietnam, will increase from seven to 11 weekly services from 7 November 2026, supported by the reintroduction of direct four weekly flights between Doha and Ho Chi Minh City. The existing Doha-Ho Chi Minh City-Phnom Penh operation will continue, providing customers with greater flexibility while increasing overall capacity to Vietnam and beyond.

This winter season, travellers to, and from, Kuala Lumpur (KUL) will also have greater choice when selecting from Qatar Airways’ 18 weekly flights, starting 25 October 2026. The service will be complemented by oneworld partner, Malaysia Airlines 14 weekly flights between Kuala Lumpur and Doha.

Starting 9 December 2026, Qatar Airways will resume daily flights to Canberra (CBR) via Melbourne (MEL), Australia. The resumption reconnects Australia’s capital to Qatar Airways’ global network and provides additional connectivity to Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Furthermore, the airline is expanding frequencies to Melbourne from 7 to 14 weekly flights to Melbourne from 9 December 2026. In partnership with Qatar Airways, Virgin Australia will also expand flights from Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth to Doha from December 2026.

Sydney will increase from 7 to 14 weekly flights (total 21 weekly with Qatar Airways), Brisbane will restart with 3 weekly flights (total 10 weekly with Qatar Airways), and Perth will restart with 4 weekly flights (total 11 weekly with Qatar Airways).

Enhanced European Connectivity

In Europe, Qatar Airways will continue strengthening its presence to key gateway cities.

Flights to London Heathrow (LHR) will increase from 49 to 56 weekly services from 25 October 2026, delivering an 11 per cent addition in capacity. London-Doha connectivity is further supported by Qatar Airways’ codeshare partner, British Airways’ daily flight between the two capitals.

In Germany, services to Frankfurt (FRA) will increase from 18 to 21 weekly flights from 7 December 2026, enhancing capacity by seven per cent.

Continued Expansion Across the Middle East

Qatar Airways is advancing its services across the Middle East, with flights per day advancing by 10 per cent during the winter season, and four route resumptions announced in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Beginning with Qassim (ELQ) on 25 October 2026, Qatar Airways will also resume services to Taif (TIF) on 31 October 2026, Yanbu (YNB) on 2 January 2027, and Tabuk (TUU) on 3 January 2027, boosting access across the Kingdom.

Each destination will be served twice weekly, boosting Qatar Airways’ operations in Saudi Arabia to more than 155 weekly flights, representing an increase of more than 10 per cent compared to the summer schedule. The expansion will grow Qatar Airways’ Saudi network to 12 destinations, reflecting the airline’s long-term commitment to the Kingdom and its role in supporting regional connectivity and economic growth.

Driving the Next Phase of Growth

With nearly 1,800 weekly frequencies planned during December 2026, Qatar Airways is entering the winter season with greater scale and a robust global footprint, delivering more choice and connectivity for global travellers.

Bookings are now available at qatarairways.com or through the airline’s mobile app. New and returning passengers can benefit from their Qatar Airways Privilege Club membership to access in-flight Starlink connectivity, and collect and use Avios for upgrades, shopping and dining at Qatar Duty Free, extra baggage, and more.

-ENDS-

About Qatar Airways

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways won the ‘World’s Best Airline’ title for an unprecedented ninth time at the 2025 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. Qatar Airways was previously named the World’s Best Airline in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024.

The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence and has yet again received recognition for ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’. As the leading connector in the region, Qatar Airways has also been lauded with the ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ title for the 13th time.

Qatar Airways received the 2025 Platinum performance recognition by Cirium, the leading aviation analytics organisation, for its reliability and operational performance. The recognition is a testament to the airline’s unwavering commitment to providing seamless and proven operations as part of its award-winning passenger experience.

This winter, Qatar Airways will fly to over 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport. The airport has been recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for 11 consecutive years, as well as ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’ for the third year in a row by Skytrax. Hamad International Airport has previously been named the ‘World’s Best Airport’ by Skytrax in 2021, 2022, and 2024.

Qatar Airways was the first Airline in the Middle East to be certified to the highest level of IATA’s Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, based on recognised environmental management system principles (such as ISO 14001). As an inaugural signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration in March 2016, Qatar Airways became the first airline globally to be certified to the industry standard for the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking in aviation.