Viceroy Palm renamed Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai

New operator Five Hotels & Resorts aims to “disrupt” the hospitality industry after Viceroy Palm Jumeirah Dubai was unexpectedly renamed Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai.

The move signals Five Holdings’ desire to bolster its hospitality profile in the city.

Kabir Mulchandani, chairman and CEO, Five Holdings, said it plans to operate four hotels and residences in Dubai by 2020 (the Palm property, Jumeirah Village Circle, and two to be announced). Five Holdings is also new, replacing Skai Holdings.

Both the switch and timing are surprising.

Viceroy is an established name in the luxury brand space and it must rank as the shortest five-star branded tenure in Dubai for a resort which only opened early April.

It is unclear why Five Hotels & Resorts was not launched prior to the resort’s opening, although names can change above doors during soft opening phases for any number of owner or operator reasons.

The property will formally open in October (at time of writing, the Viceroy portal is still live).

A spokesperson said staff would be retained although an email reply to general manager Mikael Svensson said he is “no longer with the company”.