Jumeirah Intl set to spend Dh30m to rebrand itself

DUBAI — Jumeirah International, the Dubai based luxury hospitality group, announced yesterday that it will spend Dh30 million to rebrand itself and its assets to create a unified corporate image in order to begin its plans for 40 hotels in 5 years.

By Fadi Fahem

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Published: Wed 22 Jun 2005, 11:18 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 4:45 PM

No longer Jumeirah International but simply Jumeirah as of yesterday; revealed in a Press conference at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel that it plans to rename and rebrand all of its luxury hotels and properties within the coming months in a campaign to create a strong brand platform for local, regional and international expansion.

Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Jumeirah, Bill Walshe, described the new Jumeirah logo, which one member of the Press commented that it looked like flame from an oil well, as a beacon saying it "represented Jumeirah as a beacon of quality in a world of mediocrity, a beacon of individuality in a world of conformity." The new logo stems from Jumeirah's three hallmarks which describe attributes of friendliness, leniency and respect towards guests and within the organisation.

The new corporate name, Jumeirah, will be added to all current Jumeirah properties, for example, the Emirates Tower Hotel will be rebranded Jumeirah Emirates Tower with the new corporate logo. However Burj Al Arab, as the organisation's flagship and an icon in Dubai and the world's most luxurious hotel, will retain its existing identity.

Currently Jumeirah has eight hotels, two of which are in London. However with the Dh30 million rebranding campaign of which over Dh10 million will be used for advertising within the next 6 to 9 months, Jumeirah hopes to own and manage over 40 hotels within the next 5 years in key cities worldwide, challenging such luxury hotel groups such as Four Seasons Hotels Inc.

The advertising campaign, said Walshe, will begin in the fourth quarter of this year once all the properties have been rebranded. He added that the new web site, www.jumeirah.com, was up and running and at the moment the main communications portal for the new campaign.

As a part of Dubai Holdings, Jumeirah has accessibility to a larger range of luxury properties and establishments and according to CEO Gerald Lawless, this gives them an added advantage over their international competitors. He also cited the superior and genuine service provided by all Jumeirah hotels and resorts as an advantage.

Lawless talked about regional expansion mentioning Morocco and Oman as possibilities due to the recent acquisition of properties there by Dubai International Properties, one of the 21 firms owned by Dubai Holding. He also talked about expansions in New York and Paris, despite the failure of a recent attempt to acquire the Paris Intercontinental.

Lawless said the expansion had already begun with the establishment of sales and marketing offices in New York and London with the expectation that later this year an office in Moscow would open.

When asked what strategy there was for the expansion, Lawless said that they would maintain a close watch on Dubai Holding's acquisitions and properties as well as watching Emirates Airlines routes and destinations due to the fact that Emirates reaches all the major cities and tourist destinations worldwide. Currently there is no formal arrangement, though Lawless called Emirates a vital partner.

Jumeirah will primarily focus on managing more than owning luxury hotels and resorts in its international expansion.


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