Dubai: Dubai broke another world record on Wednesday by inaugurating the tallest hotel.
Rose Rayhaan by Rotana has been officially certified by Guinness World Records as the world's tallest hotel.
At 333 metres it is five metres higher than its rival in Bangkok, and is located on Shaikh Zayed Road, close to the Dubai International Financial Centre.
Built by the Arabian Contracting Company, the hotel cost $180 million (Dh660.6 million).
Construction started in 2004 and was completed in April 2009.
"We were looking to create something different in Dubai," said Ayad Hamadi, Director of Engineering.
"We had a very small plot of land, only 10,000 square feet, and we had to think how we were going to build such a tall tower with such a limited area. The proportion of the height to the area was a big challenge," he said.
The hotel, which held its soft opening two weeks ago, has had room occupancy of 25 per cent, said Omar Kaddouri, Rotana's Senior Vice-President of UAE Operations.
It has 72 floors and has 482 rooms including suits and penthouses. However, the highest rooms are located on the 65th floor. From here one gets a wide view of Dubai and its famous landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa, The World and Burj Al Arab.
To draw more visitors, the hotel is temporarily offering low opening rates. "The opening rate of Dh400 a room is our biggest promotion," Daniel Mathew, General Manager, said.
Vantage point
The management also expects the location to help attract more customers.
"We're expecting it to get busy at the end of the month because we are approaching the Arab Health Congress from January 25 to 28, which is one of the largest trade shows in the health industry," Mathew said. "Because of our proximity to the Trade Centre, we are expecting a lot of customers."
"Being the tallest in the world isn't the only aspect and isn't what's going to make us fill up this hotel," Kaddouri said.
The Rose Rayhaan is also an alcohol-free hotel catering to families and residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
"Being a non-alcoholic hotel is an advantage because we have a niche in the market," Mathew said. "We attract people from the GCC, China and Iran."
Mathew said the management seeks 65 per cent average occupancy. "Some days will be busy, some will not. It's about how you get creative to balance your occupancy," he said.
Fast facts
- Rose Rayhaan is 333 metres high.
- It has 72 floors, but the highest floor for rooms is 65.
- It has 482 rooms.
- It has 8 meeting rooms, three food and beverage venues, a fitness club and an outdoor swimming.
- Around 300 employees work in the property.
