Over the past year, Daniel Kingston has delivered one of the UAE’s most distinctive luxury hotel openings as General Manager of SO/ Uptown Dubai, the brand’s Middle East debut. Navigating a fiercely competitive landscape, Daniel executed a flawless launch: overseeing everything from construction handover and guest journey curation to brand integration and recruitment. His bold, style-conscious hiring strategy led to a vibrant, guest-centric culture that achieved best-in-class service scores within 90 days. With a curated calendar of fashion, art and culinary activations, Daniel positioned the hotel as a cultural hub, while signature venues like Celeste and Brasserie Uptown quickly drew in Dubai’s social scene. Commercially, he outperformed forecasts by 12% in the ramp-up phase through smart pricing and demand-driven strategy. From sustainability to local storytelling, every detail was purposefully considered. In under a year, SO/ Uptown Dubai is already influencing the city’s hospitality narrative, proof of Daniel’s ability to deliver not just a hotel, but a movement.
