Meliã to rebrand Minor Hotels property in Dubai

Spanish hotel operator Meliã Hotels International will complete its rebrand of the Desert Palm Dubai Hotel under the Meliã chain on July 1, 2018, according to a report for Arabian Industry.

The property originally operated under the Per Aquum brand by Minor Hotels. The hotel, which is now named Meliã Desert Palm Dubai, underwent a renovation to starting in the beginning of 2018 to upgrade guestrooms and suites. Meliã has planned to upgrade more guestrooms within the next few months.

“It’s an exciting time for the resort, with a reinvigoration for the team, the introduction of new elements including Meliã´s world renowned customer service culture program, and access to Meliã Rewards for our loyal guests. Since making the announcement in April, we have been focused on the transition, and we are all excited to start the second half of the year in our new guise,” James Reeves, GM of Meliã Desert Palm Dubai, told Arabian Industry.

This is Meliã’s fourth hotel deal with the property’s owner. The hotel group already operates three additional hotels of the owner: Meliã Zanzibar and Meliã Serengeti Lodge in Tanzania and Meliã Iguazu in Argentina. "We certainly think that we can bring extra value to the service component. The property is amazing and it's very special. The first approach will be to leverage the service, and then we can see whether we should leverage the product as well,“ María Zarraluqui, MD of global development, told Hotelier Middle East.

The rebrand follows AccorHotels’s recent takeover of the 164-room Meliã Bur Dubai. The hotel is set to reopen as the MGallery Bur Dubai in August 2018. However, Meliã has planned openings under the Innside by Meliã and Me by Meliã brands across the Middle East to continue expansion in the region.