Dubai: Three beachfront hotels located on Dubai's iconic Palm Jumeirah are scheduled to open this year and next, reinforcing the island's position as a landmark tourism destination.
Located along Palm Jumeirah's trunk and crescent, the hotels from a series of operators and developers will join Atlantis, The Palm, currently the development's sole hotel.
"While much of the recent attention has focused on the impact of the downturn on the hospitality sector, the UAE continues to be one of the world's active areas for hotel openings," Maggie Moore, Exhibition Director of The Hotel Show the annual event for hotel suppliers said in a recent statement.
"The UAE alone has over 5,700 rooms coming to market in 2010. Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are also seeing increased activity."
Villas
The Zabeel Saray by Rixos will be the first hotel to open in the second quarter of this year.
Zabeel has 410 rooms, as well as a series of suites. The development will house 38 residential villas. These villas will range in size from four to five bedrooms.
The 293-room, six restaurant Royal Amwaj Resort & Spa from Movenpick Hotels & Resorts will open on the north-eastern crescent of Palm Jumeirah in October.
In keeping with the concept of an island-style resort, Movenpick has decided to introduce a pre-paid, all-inclusive offering incorporating all guest dining both food and beverage.
Ian Scott, director for the UK and Ireland of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said: "Palm Jumeirah is one of the most exciting projects on the world stage and it is little wonder that some of the world's leading hotel groups are unveiling prestigious projects there.
"A large number of hotels are set to open on the island, and we are encouraged to see such a mixture of developments, which have taken their inspiration from all over the world, opening in this phase.
"This year's openings reinforce Dubai's position as a cosmopolitan, global hub and we hope that innovations such as all-inclusive offers will continue to entice visitors to sample the many delights of Dubai."
One&Only The Palm is due to open in October with a blend of Moorish and Andalusian influences. Surrounded by lush landscaped gardens, the resort will provide an oasis of tranquillity amid cosmopolitan Dubai.
Resort
Comprising 100 keys, guest accommodation at this intimate resort is composed of 35 suites and apartments within the grand Manor House, six independent low-rise mansions with eight to 10 suites and exclusive two and three bedroom beachfront villas.
The Grand Palm Suite will occupy 350 square metres on the top floor overlooking the 850 square metre pool or the resort's private harbour.
The resort will feature an over water restaurant and also a restaurant with live cooking stations. The freestanding spa and fitness complex will be a 2,400 square metre area offering rejuvenating treatments and state-of-the-art fitness equipment.
The final project to open in this phase by the end of this year is Jumeirah Al Fattan.
Located on the right tip of the crescent, with the prestigious Burj Al Arab in the background, the five-star resort will house a hotel, serviced apartments and private residences.
Overlooking the Arabian Gulf, guests will be encouraged to relax in the grounds, visit the beach club, set sail from the marina or wallow in the spa retreat.
Projected 2011 hotel openings include The Emerald Palace Kempinski Dubai, a 320-room luxury property located opposite the Golden Mile Shopping Boulevard, and Fairmont Palm Jumeirah.
Gassan Aridi, chief executive of Alpha Tours said that traffic from markets such as Germany, Russia, China and the Gulf Cooperation Council is on the rise.
"Prices are now affordable. Initially, during the peak [of 2008], we were refusing between 25 and 30 per cent of customers due to lack of rooms. Now, with a 17 per cent increase in room numbers, and affordable prices, hotels can maintain good profits and high occupancy," Aridi said.
While bookings for the first months of this year have indicated significant growth over last year, reservations for Easter have made hotels fully booked, he said.
