An artist’s impression of the first property in the Greens

Zabeel House is aimed at the millennial traveller

As some fellow Dubai residents might think – no, it’s not an invitation to go live in the ruler’s home (the royal palace is located in an area called Zabeel)!

Zabeel House is the newest, and only the second brand from the Jumeirah Group, which is known for its eponymous born-in-Dubai luxury hospitality brand, which runs (arguably) the most luxurious hotel in the world, Burj al Arab, among others.

Designed to aim at a new breed of ‘curious’ traveller, who looks for immersive experiences in their destinations, the launch clearly taps into the growing trend of ‘live-like-a-local’, experiential travel being sought out by the millennial traveller. Zabeel House by Jumeirah will typically be located in ‘interesting’ neighbourhoods (we take that to mean slightly off-centre), and feature unique design and details inspired by the city – with certain brand-specific commonalities.

Case in point being the announcement of the first hotel to open, Zabeel House by Jumeirah^TM – The Greens; The Greens is a lovely little residential community in the heart of the city.  The hotel will be part of a mixed-use development called The Onyx, and is set to open in Q4 of 2018. With the vibrant Barsha Heights neighbourhood at its doorstep, easy access to most of New Dubai – from business districts such as Dubai Media City, to beaches and malls – the location certainly bodes well for the promise of ‘experiencing local life’.

There are four more hotels set to open in the UAE, with two already announced for the newly gentrified Al Seef area, and hotels in Saudi Arabia and UK are also in the pipeline.

Without being boxed into traditional hotel categorisations such as four-star, the ‘high on design’ and ‘eclectic’ collection of hotels is being pegged as upscale yet affordable, focusing on the basics, and a few ‘unexpected extras’.

It appears to be a direct challenge to last year’s launch of Rove hotels by the other Dubai-based hotel operator, Address Group by Emaar, which also aims to offer ‘culturally connected stays’ to guests.