UAE: Jumeirah has revealed plans to launch a Venu, a “new contemporary lifestyle brand”.
UAE: Jumeirah has revealed plans to launch a Venu, a “new contemporary lifestyle brand”.
Jumeirah says Venu is designed “to appeal to the modern traveller whose expectations revolve around their own lifestyle – clean, contemporary, cool and effortless”.
The company has appointed Matt Balcik as vice president operations, brand development, to lead the roll-out of the new brand.
Balcik has 18 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, having worked in Turkey, Washington DC, Sydney, Aruba, US Virgin Islands, New Orleans and Newport Beach, California. His most recent position was as general manager of the W Hotel in Istanbul. Prior to that, he held senior roles for hotel brands such as Marriott and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Dubai-based developer Meraas Holding is in discussion with Jumeirah to operate the first Venu hotel on Bluewaters Island in Dubai.
Nicholas Clayton, CEO group operations at Jumeirah Group, said: “This is a genuinely exciting innovation for Jumeirah Group. The time is right for us to launch a new contemporary lifestyle brand. Its provenance and energy comes from Dubai – and the first few Venu hotels will open here – but it is ultimately a powerful way of taking the core essence of the Dubai out into the international market, reflecting the city’s energy, dynamism and cosmopolitan nature. At the same time, coming to a Venu hotel will be an intuitive experience, built around and anticipating the needs of the modern, savvy traveller.”
www.jumeirah.com
Editor’s Comment
Jumeirah’s move in to the lifestyle hotel space is a logical move, but it is a very competitive market. Jumeirah will be up against the likes of Marriott’s Edition, Starwood’s W and Melia’s ME among others, but it has the resources and know-how to make Venu a success, with the appointment of a former W general manager to head up the brand a canny move.
