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Dubai's Jumeirah Group used the recent regional conflict to fast-track its renovation pipeline, completing two years of work in a single year, its CEO Thomas Meier has revealed.
Speaking at the Rise summit in Dubai, Thomas said the safety of colleagues and guests was the first priority during the crisis. But once the initial wave passed, the group stepped back and reassessed its plans. "We assessed what projects we had lined up for renovation, new restaurants, change of concept," he said. "And this summer we did the renovation, the scope that we had for two years within one year."
The group made tough decisions. Some hotels were temporarily closed so work could move faster. Now Jumeirah is ramping up those hotels, adding new restaurants and new rooms ahead of the coming season.
Jumeirah Group CEO Thomas Meier said the safety of colleagues and guests was the first priority during the crisis. Photo: Nasreen Abdulla/KT
One of the group's most famous assets, the Burj Al Arab, was one of the hotels that was closed for renovation and remains closed until the third quarter of 2027. But Thomas said it is still the most photographed object in Dubai.
"The Burj Al Arab is closed for renovation, as we have announced,” he said. “From the outside you can't see this, and every day you have tourists who take pictures. We think that's fantastic."
He credited the landmark with helping to position Dubai as a global tourism destination in the first place. "If you look at the vision Sheikh Mohammed had when he started to conceptualize the Burj Al Arab, it helped really to position Dubai as a tourism destination," he said.
Personalisation matter
Thomas said the biggest change in luxury travel is how much guests already know before they arrive.
"Across every sector, our travellers are much, much better informed about the destination, about the product and what we can offer," he said. "In return, what we have to adapt ourselves to is a much, much higher level of personalisation."
Some guests now contact the hotel two to three weeks before arrival, sharing itineraries and preferences. He shared one story that captured the level of service. A regular guest forgot his glasses while travelling to the airport in Europe. From the plane, he reached out to his butler and shared his prescription. By the time he arrived in Dubai, a new pair of glasses was waiting for him.
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