Nicolas Bellaton: the Dubai difference

“I think one of the other huge game changers is that – especially in the high luxury industry – you don't compare any more with the best hotel in Dubai; but you have in your mind the experience you had in Paris, and you are expecting the same. Or Singapore, or whatever big city, or New York. So it's good. It pushed us really far to continue to evolve and invent and create.”

With more than two decades in the business, including as GM of the Armani Hotel Dubai – the first in the world to carry the Armani name – Nicolas Bellaton knows luxury hospitality better than most.

He’s also witnessed first-hand the incredible growth of Dubai as a destination for international travelers, making him perfectly placed to comment on the factors behind this success and their echoes elsewhere in the Gulf region, notably in Saudi Arabia.

In his role as Head of Hospitality for Emaar Group, Nicolas invited podcast host Martin Green for a tête-à-tête in the sumptuous surroundings of the Signature Royal Suite at the Address Downtown Hotel, complete with its amazing balcony views of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper.

The conversation touched on the secrets of delivering great customer experience, using technology to empower people, the convergence of luxury and hospitality, and much more.