Category Archives: Hotels

The Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Resort, a 641-Room Property opening in 2019, will be located in the Yas Bay, a 3-kilometre stretch that is anticipated to become one of the most iconic and vibrant waterfront destinations in the region. The resort’s facilities will include a multi-purpose conference centre, seven dining outlets and an innovative urban beach concept with an infinity pool suspended above the waters of the Arabian Gulf. The resort is also nearby the Yas Arena, a multi-purpose indoor arena designed to host large- and intimate-scale events, including sporting competitions, major cultural performances, concerts and MICE activities. B.R. Kiran, Chief Portfolio Officer of Miral said: “We are proud to announce our partnership with Hilton, which represents another milestone in our journey to establish Yas Island as a top global destination. The creation of a world-class family resort at the heart of Yas Bay, our iconic waterfront development, will provide visitors with a five-star opportunity to extend their leisure and business stays and enjoy the unique attractions and memorable experiences that only Yas Island can offer.”

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will open a new 264-room hotel in Basel’s city centre in 2019, set to become the hotel group’s flagship hotel in Europe. Located in the heart of the city, next to the SBB railway station, the hotel can easily be accessed from several European cities. The 19-storey building is designed by renowned architects Miller & Maranta, while the “Timeless Modern” interiors, incorporating several design classics, is created by Matteo Thun. The hotel will include 50 Mövenpick Sleep rooms where guests can enjoy a good night’s sleep in individually adjustable beds. Another highlight will be the spacious Executive Lounge with its floor-to-ceiling window front and a furnished terrace with park views. Additionally, the hotel will offer 1,800 square metres of meeting space, divided into 20 different rooms. The 500-square-metre ballroom with a seven-metre-high ceiling will be able to accommodate up to 600 people.

Rove Hotels, the contemporary lifestyle brand by Emaar Hospitality Group, has unveiled its fourth hotel, with a focus on the fast-growing meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism sector of Dubai. Offering a design-influenced lifestyle experience for value-conscious business travellers, Rove Trade Centre has 270 rooms and will also appeal to leisure travellers who can access Dubai’s leading tourism, retail, food and beverage, and leisure destinations such as Downtown Dubai, City Walk and the Satwa/Jafiliya and Karama neighbourhoods. The home-grown Dubai hotel brand continues to offer a strong value for business and leisure travellers. Six more Rove Hotels are being developed, also in strategic locations across the city, each meeting the needs of visitors from across the world seeking value lifestyle experiences in Dubai. This will take the total number of rooms under Rove Hotels, developed as a joint venture between Emaar Properties and Meraas Holding, a Dubai-based holding company, to over 3,700 by 2020.

The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel, the newest addition to AccorHotels’ distinctive MGallery by Sofitel collection of contemporary boutique hotels, is set to become the first holistic well-being resort in the Middle East. The new property is scheduled for soft launch in the summer of 2017 and has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the German Medical Wellness Association. The MoU was signed in the presence of Lutz Lungwitz, President of German Medical Wellness Association, and Vanessa Waldow, Director of Sales and Marketing, The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel. This collaboration has followed the recent partnership agreement signed with Dubai Health Authority (DHA) which is set to boost wellness tourism in United Arab Emirates. Situated along the exclusive coastline of Palm Jumeirah’s East Crescent, the idyllic resort will offer guests a unique and tranquil environment in the heart of Dubai. The beachfront destination will showcase 255 luxurious rooms and suites, designed with natural elements, earthy tones and harmonizing feng shui. Guests will be able to enjoy world-class dining options, including a specialty restaurant highlighting local epicurean delicacies and a unique café offering a selection of healthy food and beverage options made from local, organic products.

Dubai Properties has announced the commencement of work on the new Marasi Business Bay marina. The installation of the pontoons, which marked the occasion, took place in the presence of Abdulla Lahej, Group CEO of Dubai Properties at the Marasi Business Bay Promenade. Launched by Dubai Holding and Dubai Properties Group in May 2016, the Marasi Business Bay is well on track to becoming the city’s most sought-after waterfront destination. It features unique water homes with pools and floating restaurants and is located along the city’s newest attraction: the Dubai Water Canal. Marasi Business Bay hosts the Park, the Pier and the Marina that will eventually comprise 800 berths in total, making it the region’s first yachting hub. Set for completion in Q3 2017, the first phase of the marina will feature 157 berths, varying in size from 8 metres to 35 metres, that are fitted with all essential facilities for boat owners, including portable water, power supply and drainage and sewage.  

South Africa based hotel brand One & Only is scheduled to open their latest resort in Seef, Bahrain later this year. Situated on the north-western coast of Bahrain, the resort will feature approximately 150 guest rooms, suites and villas, situated on a private beachfront. The resort will also feature world-class dining and retail choices, including a Hakkasan restaurant, along with a Givenchy Spa.

Jabal Omar Development Company (JODC), Saudi Arabia’s leading real-estate development company, announced that Emaar Hospitality Group’s premium luxury hotel brand Address Hotels and Resorts has been selected to manage its flagship hospitality project in the holy city of Makkah. This also marks the first expansion of Address Hotels and Resorts to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Jabal Omar Address Makkah, scheduled to open in 2019, is located just steps away from the Grand Mosque. Its two identical towers are the tallest towers within the master development. An interconnecting bridge linking the two towers serves as a visual landmark of the project. With a built-up area of about 2 million sq. m., Jabal Omar Address Makkah would feature residences, hotels, malls, retail amenities, prayer areas and other support facilities. There will be about 1,490 hotel rooms and suites, including units available for freehold sale.

Abu Dhabi based developer Eagle Hills has announced plans to complete building its second five-star hotel in Fujairah named the Palace Fujairah Beach hotel by 2019. Currently, they are building The Address Fujairah Resort and Spa. The Palace Fujairah Beach hotel will have 162 rooms, a health club, cafes and restaurants and meeting room facilities. Alongside it, Eagle Hills is building a gated residential community featuring 84 villas and town houses, which will be the first residential development in Fujairah city with direct access to the beach. The developer said that the site is an 8-minute drive from the local airport and 25 minutes from the border with Oman.

Majid Al Futtaim recently announced that it’s going to start building its third ‘My City Centre’ mall, named My City Centre Al Dhait, in Ras Al Khaimah this month. The retail pioneer’s expansion into the Northern Emirate comes as part of the company’s strategy to increase its total investment in the United Arab Emirates by AED 30 billion by 2026. The new shopping mall will start serving Ras Al Khaimah’s communities early next year. Located in a strategic location, between two growing residential communities in the north and south-west of Al Dhait in Ras Al Khaimah, the new community mall represents an investment of AED 68.5 million. My City Centre Al Dhait will bring a diverse and tailored mix of shopping and dining outlets, offering nearby residents a convenient and accessible destination for everyday shopping needs.  It will be home to 30 stores across 5494 sq. m. of gross leasable area, including a Carrefour Market spread over an area of 1178 sq. m. Further, it will offer 117 parking spaces to visitors.

The largest property of Sofitel in the Middle East, Sofitel Dubai Wafi, is expected to open in early 2019. Being developed in collaboration with development partner MKM Commercial Holdings LLC, it will feature 501 luxury guestrooms, inclusive of 86 suites — ranging in size from 55 sq. m. to 625 sq. m. — in addition to 97 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom serviced residences, which would be operated on an extended-stay basis. Also, there will be a number of dining venues, including an Asian speciality restaurant, gastro pub, a unique destination restaurant, bar and lounge on the 43rd and 44th floors, a French lobby café, an all-day restaurant and a pool bar. Guests will also have the option to relax and unwind at the SoSpa or work out at the comprehensive gymnasium. Also a part of the property will be few outdoor pools, private cabanas and a kids club. Business travellers will have access to 10 meeting rooms, in addition to an 1115 sq. m. ballroom. Sami Nasser, Chief Operating Officer, Luxury Brands, AccorHotels Middle East, commented, “We are delighted to work with MKM Commercial Holdings, one of our long standing partners, to develop this impressive project that will undoubtedly become a future flagship for Sofitel in the region. The development of this property is aligned with our strategy to operate one of our leading luxury brands across strategic locations in the Middle East.”