Luxury halal hotel chain eyes Asia after Middle East success

NEWLY-launched five-star brand Shaza, a joint venture between Kempinski and Guidance Hotel Investment Company (GHIC), wants to extend its shariah-compliant concept to Asia, after establishing a robust pipeline of projects in the Middle East and North Africa.

Dr Hasnita Hashim, managing director, Guidance Financial Group, which like GHIC is a subsidiary of Capital Guidance, said: “There have been attempts to create shariah-compliant hotels, but they are more localised one-offs. We wanted to create a brand that encompasses the values, aesthetics and culture of the Islamic civilization, but of an international five-star standard that has scalability.”

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of the recent Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) UPDATE, she explained that Shaza was making up for its have-nots, such as the absence of a common swimming pool and alcohol, with offerings such as a hammam (Turkish bath) and spa, top chefs in F&B outlets, bigger-than-usual room sizes, a kids’ centre and tasteful Islamic art.

Two properties have opened over the last few months – one in Medina, Saudi Arabia, and the other in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina – while more are under development in Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain and the UAE.

Hashim expects to have more than 10 hotels under the brand within the next five years, which will comprise its own investments, management contracts, as well as a mixture of both.

Identifying Malaysia as a suitable destination for its debut property in Asia, Hashim said negotiations had been ongoing for at least two years, but the company was still waiting for a chance to snap up an elusive prime location in Kuala Lumpur.

Hashim explained that Shaza was targeting Muslim travellers, as well as international guests who were “looking for a true experience of the region rather than just going to your standard, five-star Western hotel”. In that respect, it is also exploring opportunities in Hong Kong and London.

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