ArabianBusiness.com

Missoni Kuwait is the latest in a growing list of Gulf hotels designed by top Italian fashion labels. The first Armani hotel opened in Dubai in 2010 and will be followed by the launch of the Palazzo Versace hotel later this year. Elisabetta Gucci, the great-granddaughter of the founder of the fashion label, last year said Dubai would be the setting for the first of up to 40 Gucci branded hotels.

Renowned for completing the interior design and fit-out of such famous landmarks as the world's tallest building, the 828 metre Burj Khalifa hotel in Dubai, and the Four Seasons hotel in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, Depa said it is now aiming to enhance its position in the European market.

Emaar Properties said on Saturday it had set up a new team of senior managers and consultants to develop a five-year action plan. The Dubai-based developer of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, said the team would "develop and roll-out a five-year corporate strategic action plan for long-term value creation".

Italian design house Armani Group has denied it is planning to open a third branded hotel in Russia, under a joint venture deal with Dubai’s Emaar Properties. The design company, which launched its first branded hotel in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in April last year, spoke out after press reports claimed it had signed a $150m deal to open a property in the Russian resort of Stavropol.

Even with the limited amount we know about the project, it is impossible to conceive of how it could mirror the success of the Burj Khalifa, and thereby pay for itself. As anyone who has been to Jeddah will tell you, the idea of a Jeddah Mall, with starry-eyed tourists lining up to have their photos taken in front of the world’s tallest tower is not just implausible, it’s laughable.

Dubai-based internet startup, Yadig.com, which provides real-time feedback on restaurants and entertainment, has revealed the UAE’s top five most popular restaurants and entertainment outlets, as picked by its uses. The site sourced more than 1,500 local user reviews to rank the best eateries, night clubs, bars and coffee shops in the Gulf state.

The 2010 outlook excludes the impact of a claim relating to Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower in Dubai, the statement said. The company had made a net loss 103.6 million dirhams in the first half of the year due to the Burj Khalifa claim, it said in August. The firm said it is positioned for about 20 percent growth in 2011 and 2012. It is also expanding into new territories like Yemen, Angola and Abu Dhabi.

One of Emaar’s biggest hospitality brands, The Address, has confirmed that it is interested in expanding into the Indian market.

Room rates at Dubai's Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa will start at AED1,700 for a night in one of 24 Armani studios, it was revealed on Sunday. The hotel, which is due to open in March, has put its online booking system live starting, with bookings able to be made at www.armanihotels.com.

More than 800 apartments in Damac Properties’ Aykon City development have been sold, the company said in a statement.