Address Hotel tenants retrieve belongings

Dubai: Owners and tenants of the fire-ravaged Address Downtown Hotel apartments are returning to their premises to retrieve personal items, said

Emaar Properties on Tuesday.

After temporary hotel guests cleared their personal effects in the days immediately following the New Year’s Eve blaze, permanent residents of the hotel who own or rent apartments are now being escorted by Emaar staff to their homes to collect important personal items needed until the hotel is repaired and they can return.

“We have almost completed with the process [with the guests] and we are now facilitating tenants to access their apartments. The residents are now staying across various Emaar and other hotel properties in Dubai. We are working with various apartment buildings to work out long-term accommodation arrangements for owners and legitimate tenants,” an Emaar spokesperson told Gulf News.

A tenant who has lived in the Address for four years and did not want to be named, accessed his 26th floor flat on Tuesday morning after a call from hotel management.

“My apartment was safe, it was not flooded. I believe most of the apartments on the other side were not affected by the fire. I managed to pick up my belongings and drop them at the hotel accommodation they provided me, but I don’t know how long they will keep us here,” said the resident.

When the fire started, he said, he was in the lobby and was able to exit the hotel smoothly.

“My neighbours’ apartments are also in good condition and [they] were given access to their apartments just today.”

Mounia Khalifa, another long-term tenant, said she lives on the 56th floor facing Business Bay in a flat that was undamaged.

“I was only allowed to take two pieces of luggage, so I have other things to pick up. It was hectic to go 56 floors up by stairs and then down again this morning. They provided me with a temporary stay in Vida hotel, just across from the Address Hotel. They are keeping us there until January 16, then they will give us accommodation until our lease expires,” she said.

She said she has been told nothing about when she will be given the rest of her belongings.

Other residents, who spoke to Gulf News said they are still waiting for their turn to pick up their belongings. They said all tenants were asked to fill a paper before being called to collect their belongings. They also said they never expected the hotel management to handle everything so well.