With more than three decades of experience across global luxury and lifestyle hospitality, Yigit Sezgin has built a career bridging strategy, design, hospitality, and investment. Today, he leads Clé & Partners, a vertically integrated advisory and investment firm redefining how capital, creativity, and capability converge to shape the future of the industry. In an exclusive conversation with Khaleej Times, Sezgin shares his insights on the renaissance of the GCC, the evolution of travel, and what lies ahead for hospitality, wellness, and branded living.

Excerpts from the interview:

We are seeing renaissance in the Gulf region, from tourism to lifestyle investments. How would you define this transformation, what forces are truly driving it?

I honestly believe the new century's renaissance is happening right here in the Middle East and GCC. For various reasons, whenever global challenges arise, it seems to make this region stronger. The UAE, particularly Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ras Al Khaimah, continues to lead, followed closely by Saudi Arabia and Oman. In the near future, I believe we will see progress in places like Syria and Iraq as they rebuild and restructure. This is an incredibly attractive region because of its market potential, tax incentives, ideal weather conditions, and the diversity of young, talented people working together in harmony. The sense of safety, the efficiency of automation and e-government, and the quality of life, all contribute to its strength. As tax pressures increase in Europe and the United States, more people are choosing to live and invest in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Saudi Arabia is also drawing serious attention because there is still so much opportunity across many sectors. Population growth, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence are making life easier and more connected. Even the airport and airline experiences in this region are on another level. To me, the American dream of the last century has become the Gulf dream of this one.

What emerging destinations and guest expectations are redefining hospitality today?

I'm not particularly fond of the word 'experience,' but I understand its relevance. Life has become easier through technology, and social media allows people to explore destinations instantly. You can see what is trending, read reviews, and make decisions faster than ever. The post-Covid era changed everything. People realised that life is short and they want to travel, explore, and enjoy it. This has driven the tourism and hospitality industries to new heights. Guests no longer want formulaic hotels. Unless they are travelling for business, people now look for something unique, authentic, and connected to the local community. If you stay at a luxury brand in different countries, the experience feels the same everywhere. Today, travellers expect distinct design, local food, and a sense of place. They want to interact with local culture while still enjoying world-class service. Global brands have begun adapting to this shift by incorporating regional identity and character into each property.

How do Middle Eastern markets, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, align with or diverge from these global trends?

Saudi Arabia has learned a lot from the UAE and is building new cities and destinations with that experience. I would say that the heart of global hospitality today is in Dubai. People look to Dubai for inspiration and see it as one of the world's top five cities. We are also seeing a shift toward what I call quiet luxury. This means more refined, understated experiences through private clubs, boutique resorts, and bohemian-style concepts. Regulations have become more supportive, encouraging creative spaces in areas such as DIFC and Jumeirah. Dubai's evolution continues with new international lifestyle brands like Janu, Faena, and Soho House entering Abu Dhabi. These fresh, art-driven spaces represent the next version of Dubai - where taste, craftsmanship, and intimacy replace ostentation.

The new wave of hospitality investments merges F&B innovation, wellness, and design authenticity. From your vantage point, where is the smart money going right now?

To stand out today, developers and operators must deliver holistic experiences. Food and beverage, wellness, innovation, and design are all equally important. Major hotel companies are only now realising the influence of great F&B concepts in driving guest decisions. Take Waldorf Astoria Maldives, for example. One of the main reasons it is so popular is because it has Zuma. People choose the hotel partly because they already know that restaurant experience. Groups like Accor/Ennismore are now investing in F&B companies like Paris Society and Rikas, integrating restaurants as core components of hospitality. The old model where the hotel managed everything, from spa to dining, no longer works. Owners now prefer specialised partners. This shift is changing contracts and partnerships, creating a new landscape where smaller, focused operators are leading in their specific areas of expertise.

How has the concept of wellness evolved beyond spas into a broader investment thesis for developers and operators?

The word 'spa' no longer captures what this segment represents. Wellness and longevity are the real focus now. Artificial intelligence is being used to understand human DNA, opening the door to biohacking and stem-cell treatments. Scientists are studying species that live longer than humans to learn more about the ageing process. Developers are recognising that wellness is a key differentiator. Look at Clinique La Prairie opening in One Za'abeel - it offers a membership-based model focusing on health and longevity. Brands like Lanserhof, SHA Wellness, and VIVAMAYR are also expanding into the Middle East. When developers create masterplans today, they always allocate space for wellness partnerships. The concept has moved far beyond steam rooms and saunas; it is now about genuine holistic wellbeing and health transformation.

Branded residences have exploded in popularity across Dubai, Riyadh, and beyond. What is fueling this surge, and how do you see the model evolving in the next five years?

It is an exciting but risky trend. Branded residences are profitable for developers, but they can dilute brand value if not managed correctly. The challenge lies in maintaining hotel-level service for residents while keeping operations sustainable. At Clé & Partners, we saw this opportunity and created Omoria, the world's first ultra-luxury boutique residential hospitality brand. It focuses entirely on residential living, not hotels. We are developing three Omoria projects on Dubai Islands and one in Ras Al Khaimah. Managing a home is very different from running a hotel. You spend half of your life at home, so it deserves a service model tailored to that lifestyle. Omoria is designed for the modern connoisseur who seeks serenity, personalisation, and meaning at home.

Clé & Partners operates as a vertically integrated advisory and investment firm. How does your model differ from traditional hospitality consultancies, and what sets you apart?

Clé means 'key' in French, and that perfectly describes our mission. We are not a brokerage or a traditional consultancy. We connect capital, creativity, and capability within one ecosystem. Our senior partners have more than 250 years of combined experience in luxury, lifestyle, real estate, and brand architecture. None of us are career consultants; we are operators who have run major global brands. Our core value is fairness - to our partners, our clients, and the communities where we work. It is fundamental to our success.

I have been advising Fundamental Group, which owns leading F&B concepts such as Gaia, Sirene by Gaia, Alaya, and Shanghai Me. We are helping them develop a hospitality division that includes resorts, membership clubs, and hotels. I also advise Godiva, helping reposition the brand for its centennial. In addition, we are consulting for one of the world's largest investors on the development of the Maldives' largest island, covering about 55 acres. Each project demonstrates how we bring strategy and soul together - that's our signature.

With such a global background and now a successful entrepreneurial venture, what is next for Clé & Partners in terms of geography and investment focus?

Our strategic focus is firmly on the Global South - the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. These markets share the same creative and demographic energy that defined the rise of Asia twenty years ago. Europe, by comparison, has matured; regulation and saturation limit its pace of transformation. The Global South, on the other hand, offers the rare combination of ambition, agility, and access to capital.

At Clé & Partners, we operate with the belief that the future of hospitality and lifestyle investment lies in interconnected ecosystems rather than isolated ventures. As Harvard Business Review recently highlighted, the most successful firms today are those that integrate creativity, technology, and capital within a single, fluid structure - precisely what we have built. We connect operators, designers, and investors across verticals to create scalable yet soulful concepts.

We have recently launched our Culinary Innovation Lab, Retail & Entertainment Verticals, and Creative Brand Platforms - enabling us to develop, advise, and co-own intellectual properties that we can then roll out with aligned partners across the region. This is where hospitality merges with private equity - where ideas become equity, and creativity becomes a measurable asset class. Watch this space for the ramp-up of our F&B concepts: Kigo, an omakase restaurant in DIFC; Miori, our first
Aegean gastro-destination, both recently inaugurated; and OMEBAB, a contemporary luxury kebab concept redefining casual fine dining, is opening soon. Each represents a new frontier where experience, emotion, and investment coexist seamlessly.

What major shift do you believe will redefine the global hospitality landscape in the next decade?

Without a doubt, it will be artificial intelligence. AI will reshape economies, jobs, and even government systems. Some jobs will disappear, but people will gain more personal time, which will increase travel and leisure demand. However, AI cannot replace human connection. No one wants a robot serving them dinner. The emotional connection, the human warmth, the joy of sharing a meal; that will never change. Even in a world driven by technology, hospitality will remain the most human of industries. Technology may shape the world, but hospitality will always shape the human heart.

MENAFN06112025000049011007ID1110309049