Dubai: The Jumeirah Group, operator of the Burj Al Arab, signed a management deal for its first hotel in India that is expected to open in 2017 — marking its entry into the country, the group said on Sunday.
“We are very focused on developing Jumeirah’s name within the Middle East region generally as well as in India and Asia. We do hope that in the near future, we will able to announce further projects in India but these projects are very much decided upon by Jumeirah on a hotel-by-hotel basis,” Gerard Lawless, president and group chief executive of Jumeirah Group, told Gulf News in an email when asked whether the company has more hotels in the pipeline for India.
The luxury hotel is part of a new development in the Lower Parel district of Mumbai and forms the first phase of the group’s expansion into India, the company said in a statement.
Jumeirah Group is in “advanced negotiations” for hotels and resorts in other key destinations in India, according to the statement.
“The demand for five-star hotels in the Indian market has been robust and we are delighted to have initiated the first phase of our expansion into India with this landmark project in Mumbai,” Lawless said.
Facilities
When complete, the property will consist of 470 rooms, suites and serviced apartments, a range of restaurants and bars, conference, wedding, banqueting and meeting facilities and a spa.
Jumeirah Group currently operates 20 luxury hotels and serviced apartments, including 10 in the UAE, seven in Europe, two in the Maldives and one in China. A further 15 hotels are now under development.
