DUBAI—JA Resorts & Hotels has growth and expansion plans: from a growth trajectory to Tanzania and beyond, a 30-plus hotel expansion into China aimed at millennials and 10 new food and beverage concepts set to open in 2019 alongside three collaborations with international chefs of Michelin star acclaim.
Expansion into China
JA Resorts & Hotels is expanding into China this year in a joint venture with Novel International Group, a Shanghai investment fund. The companies are forming JA Novel Hospitality China, and through this partnership will be acquiring buildings to be retrofitted, renovated or completed as hotels in two categories. The first is upper-upscale hotels, which will be branded as JA Hotels, and the second segment is upper-midscale lifestyle hotels branded as Big Bed by JA and targeted at millennials. For the upper-upscale hotels, the company is currently exploring three property options in five to six areas over the coming years. The vision for the Big Bed brand, or Dà chuáng in Chinese, is to roll out 30 units by 2024—spread across various Chinese cities.
Growth Trajectory to Tanzania & Beyond
JA Resorts & Hotels revealed plans to expand its portfolio of eight distinct properties across the UAE and Indian Ocean, with another two luxury lodges providing a total of 60 rooms. One luxury lodge will be in the Serengeti National Park and the other in the Ngorogoro Conservency. The group is also exploring multiple options in Sri Lanka.
Ten New F&B Concepts
Ten new restaurants are set to open in 2019 alongside three collaborations with international chefs of Michelin star acclaim. Collaborations include JA Manafaru Maldives and China’s chef Da Dong, whose restaurants have multiple Michelin stars, Lebanese Australian Chef Greg Malouf, who has three Chefs Hat awards featuring in two Dubai properties and Indian celebrity chef, Vikas Khanna, opening a new restaurant in JA Lake View Hotel.