One to watch: Jumeirah

Hotel Interactive’s Editor-in-Chief Glen Haussman has an interesting article on Jumeirah, the group best know for the iconic Burj Al Arab. CEO Gerald Lawless’ quote is of particular interest since it demonstrates the anticipated rapid growth of the group in the years to come:

Our strategy is to have upwards of 60 hotels by 2011. We have these amazing Dubai products we have developed during the past 10 years and will use that platform to set ourselves up to compete with the likes of Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton. With the hotels we have now we can compete at that level.

With only 10 properties to date, that is some claim. But the hospitality group was formed only as recently as October 2001, so it would take a brave man to argue that, with what it’s established  already,  it doesn’t have what it takes.   Jumeirah developments are already underway at a number of locations worldwide.