A new luxury hotel brand is hoping to bring the glamour and escapism of Hollywood to the hospitality industry.
The company, Paramount Hotels and Resorts, was launched last week at the Arabian Travel Market event in Dubai. Based in emirate, the fledgling company emerged from a long-term agreement with the licensing division of Paramount Pictures.
As one of the oldest and highest-grossing movie studios, films in Paramount's extensive portfolio include classic hit movies such as The Godfather and Saturday Night Fever to more recent blockbusters such as Transformers.
"There will be a combination of the entertainment, the technology and the creativity that comes from Paramount," says Thomas van Vliet, the chief executive of Paramount Hotels and Resorts. "They have a 100-year history in the film industry. We are going to bring elements of the Paramount theme into our hotels and resorts.
"We add to that elements of California lifestyle and of course the glamour of Hollywood. Some people ask me if we're looking to develop hotels like Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock hotels. The answer is 'no'. This is not the direction that we're going in. It's more subtle. It's more about luxury lifestyle," he adds. The hotel management company now has the challenge of finding investors and developers to build the hotels.
"We are talking to investors and developers at this moment in Brazil, in the Caribbean, in the UK, in Russia, in Oman, in Qatar, in Dubai and in South Africa and Indonesia," says Mr van Vliet.
The hotel group hopes to sign its first agreement within the next few months. "The environment of hotels is competitive. But I'm convinced that the ones with the unique elements and a lot of unique selling points will be successful," he says. "It's like in any business. If you can't differentiate yourselves from the other ones, it's hard. Yes, we will need to prove ourselves as a hotel company, but I have no problem with that."
Rates at the hotels are likely to range between US$250 (Dh918.30) an $350 a night, Mr van Vliet says.
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
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