Minor Hotels, currently with a portfolio of 158 hotels and resorts in 25 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean, will open its Oaks brand in Lebanon in 2018. The group has announce it has signed a management agreement with Allied Investment Group to operate Oaks Beirut, scheduled to launch in mid-2018.
According to the news, the 110-key hotel will be located in Sodeco, a commercial area of Beirut, approximately five minutes’ drive from the vibrant central downtown area and 15 minutes from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport. The hotel previously operating as Hotel de Ville Beirut, but has been closed for renovation. Oaks’ smart simplicity will now be delivered to the Lebanese market, as the property will provide modern accommodation with a selection of guest rooms and suites, with facilities including an all-day dining restaurant, a Lounge Bar & cafe, a rooftop pool and bar, plus dedicated conference facilities.
Providing the luxury of space, Oaks Hotels & Resorts offers a range of contemporary accommodation, from hotel and resort rooms and suites, to furnished serviced apartments, in central city locations and resort destinations. The brand’s growing portfolio currently comprises 56 properties across five countries – Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, India and the United Arab Emirates, with more than 6,000 guest rooms under its management. Dillip Rajakarier, CEO Minor Hotels, had this to offer with the announcement:
“We are very excited to announce the forthcoming debut of our Oaks brand in Lebanon later this year. For Minor Hotels adding Lebanon to our footprint has considerable strategic value and we are very pleased to be partnering with Allied Investment Group to launch our first hotel in the country. Beirut is a dynamic city with so much to offer and is widely regarded as one of the most influential trend setters in the region.”
Joseph Nemer, Owner and CEO of Allied Investment Group, also pointed out that “Allied Investment Group is partnering with Minor Hotels” in order to bring the Australian-rooted Oaks brand to Lebanon.” The executive also expressed confidence in the success of the new venture in Beirut.
Minor Hotels currently operates two Oaks properties in the United Arab Emirates – the 165-room Oaks Liwa Heights in Dubai and the 54-room Oaks Liwa Executive Suites in Abu Dhabi. In total across the Middle East region Minor Hotels operates 13 properties across four of its brands – Anantara, AVANI, Tivoli and Oaks – and has a further strong pipeline in the region across these four brands.