Shaner partners with Dubai’s The First Group

STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania – Shaner Hotels has formed an alliance between its Shaner Italia division and Dubai-based The First Group, with representatives stating Shaner will take management of The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel. The partnership also plans to pursue hotel management agreements throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Greece and Cyprus.

The new alliance will operate under the First Collection, Tribute Portfolio and the Marriott International family of brands. The first deal represents the first hotel to debut under The First Group’s lifestyle hospitality brand, The First Collection.

“While there is an obvious and growing demand for well-branded, well-operated hotels throughout the Gulf region, there are surprisingly few existing opportunities there to pursue as local owners tend to gravitate toward independent properties with lesser oversight,” said Plato Ghinos, president, Shaner Hotels. “This partnership aims to fix that, providing services for all stages of the hotel life cycle, from site selection through final sale.”

The alliance will enable both organizations to benefit from the cross-pollination of proprietary operational systems and hospitality experience, which will accelerate of managed hotels and F&B assets, according to Apo Demirtas, chief strategy officer, The First Group Hospitality.

“Shaner has a well-deserved reputation as a strong international operator with hotels throughout Greece, Italy, the Bahamas and the United States,” said Rob Burns, CEO, The First Group.  “With a firm grasp of regional dynamics, a strong internal culture and an existing footprint along the Mediterranean, they are an ideal partner to expand further into the Gulf region.”

The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel was developed by The First Group and operated by The First Group Hospitality. The upper upscale, 40-story hotel marks Marriott Bonvoy’s Tribute Portfolio debut in the Middle East.

“We are confident that we will help the hotel succeed both financially for our stakeholders and personally with our guests as we provide a truly one-of-its-kind experience for discerning travelers to Dubai,” said Lance Shaner, chairman and CEO, Shaner Hotels.

Today, Shaner Hotels has more than $1 billion invested in 60 hotel properties owned and managed across the U.S., Italy, Greece and the Bahamas.  Over the past 40 years, the company has also been engaged in both new development and redevelopment of more than 80 hotel projects.

Founded in 2005, The First Group is a hospitality real estate developer and hospitality management company with a portfolio of hotels and residences, and an array of F&B outlets and lifestyle venues. Over the past two decades the organization has developed 19 hospitality projects with over 55 F&B outlets, currently managed by The First Group Hospitality.