By Shane McGinley
Dubai hospitality developer Enshaa Group is in talks to open Versace-branded resorts in Europe and East Asia, and is also exploring potential locations for a string of jazz bars in partnership with American music legend Quincy Jones, the CEO said on Tuesday.
The official launch of the Palazzo Versace Dubai resort took place last month in an event hosted by Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace, a year after the resort opened its doors to the public. The Dubai Creek-based property, which is operated by Enshaa Group, includes 215 rooms and 169 residences.
The firm is now in talks to develop more hotel projects under the Versace brand outside the region.
“We have made a lot of progress,” Raza Jafar, chairman of Palazzo Versace Dubai and CEO of Enshaa Group, said at a media roundtable on Tuesday.
“There are a lot of discussions going on… We are looking in Europe and East Asia,” he added, without giving any details of specific locations or timelines.
The first Palazzo Versace resort was launched in Australia’s Gold Coast in 2000 by The Sunland Group. The Australian developer later joined with Enshaa to form Emirates Sunland Group, which developed the Dubai resort. But the partnership was dissolved in 2011 when Enshaa took over full control of the Dubai property and relinquished its involvement in the Australian property.
The next Palazzo Versace is due to open next year in Macau, but Enshaa, which has been granted first refusal on any new Versace-branded hotel projects, decided not to get involved in the development, Jafar said.
“What’s coming up is Macau, that’s not where we are involved because of the casino. We are not going to do anything there,” he said.
ALL THAT JAZZ
Enshaa last month opened its first jazz bar and lounge at the Palazzo Versace Dubai as part of a partnership with American singer and producer Quincy Jones, famous for his collaborations with Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Ray Charles, Whitney Houston and Chaka Khan.
Jafar said the plan was to open at least five ‘Q’s Bar and Lounge’ venues under the joint venture within the next seven years.
“We are conscious of quality and the outcome is up to Quincy and we don’t want to expand for the sake of it,” he said.
Jones told the roundtable that cities under consideration include Nairobi, Cairo, London, Paris, Las Vegas and Macau.
“It is exciting, it is very exciting… I’ve been in the business a long time and I have seen every decade of change,” the 83-year-old said.
© Zawya 2016
