Blackstone and Hilton: the 2007 buyout and the $14 billion exit
Editorial
Blackstone took Hilton private in 2007 in a $26 billion leveraged buyout, and when it sold its last Hilton shares in May 2018 it…
Insights
Sourced reporting and analysis on UAE business.
Minor International and NH Hotel Group: the 2018 takeover in numbers
Editorial
Minor International finished its tender offer for NH Hotel Group in autumn 2018 at €6.30 a share, ending up with 94.1% of the Spanish…
Marriott and Starwood: the 2016 merger that put Le Méridien under Marriott
Editorial
Marriott International completed its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on 23 September 2016, creating a company that operated or franchised more than…
Al-Futtaim Group timeline: from Toyota in 1955 to IKEA, Ace and Watsons
Editorial
Al-Futtaim Group says it was founded in Dubai in the 1930s. Its own history page then gives dates from 1955, when it started delivering…
Ritz-Carlton in the UAE: the Abu Dhabi hotel and three projects in the pipeline
Editorial
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company opened its first Abu Dhabi hotel in 2013, and the projects it has announced in the UAE since then are…
Larsen & Toubro: FY2026 results and a run of Middle East energy orders
Editorial
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) reported group revenue of Rs 2,85,874 crore for the year to 31 March 2026, up 12%, and a record order…
Wynn Al Marjan Island: cost rises to $5.7 billion as opening moves to September 2027
Editorial
Wynn Resorts said with its second-quarter 2026 results that Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah will open in September 2027 and that…
Le Méridien: from an Air France crew hotel to a Marriott brand with hotels in the UAE
Editorial
Le Méridien was founded by Air France in 1972 to house its crews in the cities on its network, and it is now one…
Minor Hotels: 2025 results and the UAE pipeline, from Dubai to Umm Al Quwain
Editorial
Minor Hotels, the hospitality arm of Thailand's Minor International, reported core profit of THB 6.84 billion for 2025, up 32%, on core revenue of…