According to the Financial Times, Maybourne has adjusted its marketing strategy to attract more American and British guests, in response to a decline in high-spending travellers from the Middle East since the outbreak of the Iran war in February 2026.
Group Chief Executive Marc Socker says the commercial teams have “proactively repositioned” toward other markets to offset weaker bookings from the Gulf. He notes that the group is stepping up efforts in the US, its principal source market, while also seeking to grow business in other markets by highlighting different facets of the brand and expanding its network of international travel agencies.
For American guests, the company is emphasising the tradition and heritage of its British properties, while also seeking to attract a domestic clientele looking for a more indulgent stay. Marc Socker acknowledges significant exposure to the Middle East, but points out that stronger demand from the UK, US and Europe has offset the losses and is supporting the revenue growth expected in the first half of 2026.
A marked downturn in Gulf clientele
VisitBritain, the UK’s national tourism body, reports that bookings from the Middle East to the UK fell to around half their usual level in March 2026, immediately after the US-Israeli strike on Iran. The body notes that July bookings remain well below the same month in 2025, adding further pressure on London’s most expensive hotels and their priciest rooms.
Strengthened governance to support growth
This rebalancing of clientele is part of a broader long-term development strategy. This month, the group appointed José Silva, former CEO of Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, as Chairman of its board, as the group prepares for international growth.
Maybourne, owned by Qatari sheikhs Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani and Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, plans to expand its hotel portfolio to around 15 properties by 2035, up from six currently. The group is due to open its first Paris property next year and is targeting cities such as New York, Bangkok, Singapore and Tokyo, as well as resort markets in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.
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Marc Socker says that domestic UK expansion is not currently a priority, as competition intensifies in Mayfair and Belgravia with several new five-star openings in London. The Chancery Rosewood opened last year on the former US Embassy site at Grosvenor Square, while the St Regis London and Waldorf Astoria Admiralty Arch are due to open in 2026.
A London market under competitive pressure
This competitive pressure is already weighing on some market players. The Stafford, in St James’s, owned by Egypt’s El Sharkawy family, was this month the subject of a winding-up petition filed by HM Revenue & Customs over unpaid debts, although the company says the matter is being handled through the appropriate channels.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Maybourne shifts commercial focus after Gulf demand slump.
Middle East bookings to the UK fell to about half of normal levels in March 2026, following the Iran war
Maybourne redirects sales and marketing toward the US, UK and Europe to offset the shortfall
Group projects higher first-half 2026 revenue despite continued Gulf exposure
José Silva, former Jumeirah Group CEO, appointed Chairman to guide global growth
Portfolio set to nearly triple to about 15 hotels by 2035, with a first Paris opening planned for next year
London’s five-star segment faces mounting competition from Chancery Rosewood, St Regis London and Waldorf Astoria Admiralty Arch
