Hilton Hotels Corporation anticipates doubling its portfolio in
Middle East & Africa over the next five years in line with the
company’s strategic focus on development and growth. Currently with 43
properties and 15 new openings scheduled over the next three years in
the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, Africa
and Indian Ocean, the Middle East’s leading hotel brand (ref. Business
Development Research Consultants 2007 survey) is targeting a Hilton
hotel in every capital city.

Jean-Paul Herzog, President, Hilton Hotels, Middle East &
Africa commented at World Travel Market 2007 in London, “The Middle
East is a key development market for Hilton Hotels. We have a new
organisational structure with Middle East & Africa heaquartered out
of Dubai that allows us to continue our focus on operational
excellence, whilst realising our development ambitions for the Hilton
Family of Brands.

“The UK is the number one international source market for our
hotels, with more than 13% of overall room nights originating from the
UK – therefore exhibitions such as WTM are of tremendous importance to
us to promote and sell our current portfolio, new openings &
development strategy to the travel trade.”

Next year (2008), Hilton is scheduled to have five new hotel
openings in the U.A.E and Egypt, together with its first hotels in
Qatar, Lebanon and Equatorial Guinea.

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The New Luxury Signal: Emotional Stability

The New Luxury Signal: Emotional Stability

Luxury resorts used to sell status and spectacle. Now they sell something quieter: relief. Guests arrive overloaded, and the best resorts are redesigning around sensory calm, reduced friction, and emotional steadiness. Modern luxury is less about what you add, and more about what you remove.

When You Can’t Leave: Designing for the Flight Reflex in Airports, Venues, and Hospitals

When You Can’t Leave: Designing for the Flight Reflex in Airports, Venues, and Hospitals

In high-stimulus public spaces, our bodies do more than react – they strategise.
Airports, hospitals, and stadiums all evoke subtle “Flight” responses: scanning, pacing, early exits.
Understanding how threat appraisal drives behaviour can help architects and planners design calmer spaces – and reveal why relaxation, not excitement, predicts dwell, spend, and satisfaction.

Small Towns, Big Relief: Nostalgia, Tradition, and the Break From Self

Small Towns, Big Relief: Nostalgia, Tradition, and the Break From Self

Small towns do more than change the scenery. They give visitors a break from themselves. This piece unpacks how nostalgia and tradition create identity relief that boosts spend, dwell time, and community value. Practical takeaways for tourism, luxury, food, museums, and policy.

The Last Ten Minutes of Luxury

The Last Ten Minutes of Luxury

Guests pay for days yet remember minutes. The peak end rule explains why a stay often lives or dies on one high moment and the day of departure. What works, what fails, and how to design the arc so memory carries your brand home.