Minor Hotels is charting an aggressive growth trajectory across the Middle East, capitalising on a sharp rise in regional bookings driven by domestic staycations and robust aviation recoveries. Speaking on the group’s commercial resilience and strategic transformation, Chief Commercial Officer Ian Di Tullio outlined how consumer confidence is surging ahead of 2027.
The hospitality giant, which aims for "north of 800 properties by 2028 and almost 1000 properties by 2030" globally, has successfully unlocked localised leisure demand. "We have seen a surge largely focused on an intra-regional type of recovery," Di Tullio explained. "We've benefited from not only intra UAE traffic, but intra regional traffic through some of these beautiful resorts in Oman and Ras Al Khaimah and Qasr Al Sarab. And so people are almost to some extent rediscovering their backyard."
Balancing portfolio
While leisure has been the primary post-disruption driver, Minor Hotels is actively diversifying its segment mix to mitigate market risks. The transition of properties like Dukes The Palm to the food-and-community-focused Colbert Collection, alongside transformations of Oaks properties, reflects a deliberate pivot toward corporate and MICE travellers.
"We've been migrating away from the traditional leisure market and we're now having a much bigger mix of customers between corporate MICE and leisure," noted Di Tullio. He added that moving into a mixed-segment brand like NH Collection "has been a plug and play for us."
This global experiential expansion is also taking flight in Africa with the launch of Anantara Tented Camp Kafue River in Central Zambia. "Kafue is just opening now. We are in the process of reintroducing wildlife into an area. And there's been a tremendous amount of media interest," Di Tullio shared. “It ticks the boxes of every hotel that will be successful, particularly in the experiential space in Africa."
Power in Oman
Closer to home, this commercial playbook is already yielding strong returns at the newly built Tivoli LA VIE Muscat in Oman, serving as a prime example of Minor Hotels' launch capabilities and backend strength.
"As we launched LA VIE directly under the Tivoli brand, the strength that Minor possesses in distribution and digital infrastructure has proven incredibly powerful for the property from day one," Di Tullio shared. "We are seeing an exceptional level of performance, with the brand identity driving massive momentum on top of our global networks. The results have been incredibly positive, and our owners are thrilled."
Discovering the unexplored
Another core pillar of Minor Hotels’ DNA is destination building - bringing undiscovered gems to the forefront, exemplified by their appointment to manage the eco-focused Sharjah Collection.
"Sharjah is not a hard place to get to, but it certainly is less discovered from an Emirates perspective," Di Tullio stated. "How do we inspire well-travelled adventurers who have seen it all to keep exploring? The answer lies in destinations like Sharjah, which offers these fresh discoveries in spades. It's a small footprint, extremely private, and yet you're discovering a part of the planet that no one else has seen."
We're seeing a travel bubble starting to build up towards the tail end of the year
Bright outlook
Minor Hotels is preparing for an extensive pipeline, including the highly anticipated Anantara Bandar Al Khairan Resort in Oman in Q4 of 2027, and up to 15 new regional projects planned through to Q1 of 2028. Commercial teams are already leveraging their established presence in Oman to build pre-launch distribution channels, viewing the new resort as an opportunity to capture additional market share by offering a distinct alternative to existing properties.
Despite logistical challenges causing intermittent flight disruptions across the region, Di Tullio remains firmly optimistic about the underlying demand. "Development has never been stronger," he concluded. "People are not cancelling, they're deferring their travel. We're seeing a travel bubble starting to build up towards the tail end of the year. We couldn't be more optimistic.”