The First Collection: Raising the bar for lifestyle hospitality
Launched by The First Group in 2021, The First Collection has successfully raised the bar for lifestyle hotels in Dubai in its first full year of operations. The brand has gone from strength to strength during this time, picking up a number of impressive accolades for its two hotels, with a major highlight being TripAdvisor naming The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle one of the world’s 25 Hottest New Hotels for 2022.
The First Collection Business Bay, the brand’s second hotel which opened earlier this year, was also recently nominated among the Middle East’s best business hotels in the prestigious Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Awards.
Carving a niche in Dubai’s lifestyle hospitality sector
The First Collection’s unique take on lifestyle hospitality has helped it quickly carve a niche as one of Dubai’s most successful homegrown hotel brands. It’s focus on providing high-quality, modern and comfortable accommodation, world-class guest amenities and leisure facilities, alongside some of Dubai’s most exciting restaurants, bars and lounges, has quickly established The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle and The First Collection Business Bay among the city’s most popular upscale hotels in their respective locations. This is evidenced by the fact that both hotels rank among the very best in Dubai according to TripAdvisor users.
As of December 2022, The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle was ranked eighth overall among 908 Dubai hotels, according to the popular site, which hosts more than 1 billion independent traveler reviews from across the world. In its first five months of operations, The First Collection Business Bay welcomed more than 80,000 leisure and business guests from across the region and around the globe. It has earned an impressive reputation as one of the best lifestyle hotels in the vicinity of Downtown Dubai since its opening, with the four-star property currently rated among TripAdvisor’s top 10% best-reviewed hotels in the emirate.“The First Collection is an innovative and modern lifestyle-focused hospitality brand that specializes in providing guests with unforgettable experiences,” says David Thomson, Senior VP of Brand and Business Development for TFG Hotel Management. “Our goal for the brand is for it to set a new benchmark for sophistication in the UAE’s lifestyle-focused hospitality sector, delivering an unbeatable combination of comfort and convenience to our guests.”
Highly experienced and respected team
Thomson, who has played a key role in driving the growth of The First Collection brand, is recognized among the Middle East’s most respected and experienced hoteliers. He is joined by a highly experienced multinational team that includes Vice President of Hotel Operations Karim Abdelhamid, and Senior VP of F&B Mark Patten, in helping to shape The First Collection’s future growth plans.
The First Group’s F&B division helps to support the hotel operations with flagship restaurants such as Latin American favourite Santè Ria in Jumeirah Village Circle and homegrown smokehouse favourite The Blacksmith Bar & Eatery in Business Bay attracting guests and local residents alike, helping to establish both hotels as lifestyle destinations in their own right.
While The First Group’s immediate priority is to consolidate The First Collection’s presence and brand recognition in the UAE, its remarkable success to date is paving the way for expansion both in the Emirates and potentially across the region, with a number of potential projects currently being assessed.
The First Group’s ambitious strategy for The First Collection spells good news for the firm’s international investors, who are set to further capitalise on the brand’s growth and future successes in the coming years.