Scaling up the hybrid model

The  enduring and growing appeal of the serviced apartment and branded residence concept in the Middle East is amply demonstrated by the announcement that Hilton’s first Curio branded property in the region is to feature 280 serviced apartments as well as 450 hotel rooms.

Curio is one of the increasing number of soft brands launched by the big hotel chains, under which property owners can retain the individuality and identity of their hotel, while benefitting from the marketing and sales clout of the big boys.

In Europe, the brand has largely been taken up by boutique and lifestyle hotels, generally of a much smaller scale than the proposed Dubai property. The fact that the first Middle Eastern Curio property is a large-scale hybrid of regular hotel and apartments speaks volumes both for the seemingly unstoppable development pipeline in the region, and for attractiveness of the serviced apartment/branded residence model.

Next week’s Serviced Apartment Summit MEA, which is taking place at Fairmont The Palm in Dubai on October 26 and 27 will feature a dedicated session on the branded residence and hotel apartment model.