New St Regis Abu Dhabi opens August 16
The second ultra-luxury St Regis in the capital opens on August 15, within the 33rd and 49th floors of one tower of the Nation Towers, a two-tower mixed-use development on the Corniche. It joins a beachfront property that the group opened in 2011 on Saadiyat Island. Among the 10 F&B options is Rhodes 44, Abu Dhabi’s first restaurant from Gary Rhodes, who also operates Mezzanine and Rhodes 2012 in Dubai. Looking to sleep there? There’s a presidential suite with private entrance, dedicated spa and movie theatre, suspended 200 metres above the ground, as well as 283 guest rooms, including 40 suites. The St Regis Abu Dhabi will also offer more than 4,800 square metres of meeting and event space, as well as a health club, spa and outdoor swimming pool and the first Hommage Grooming Atelier in Abu Dhabi. Guests get private access to the hotel’s Nation Riviera Beach Club.
Emirates upgrades Lyon service
A Boeing 777-200LR will replace the A340-500 on the French route from February 1, 2014. The upgrade comes nine months after the Dubai-based airline launched the route to the French city, the gateway to the Alps, and provides passengers with additional in-flight services, including eight private suites in First Class, 42 of its latest lie-flat seats in Business Class and extended in-flight entertainment options in all classes. Emirates flight EK81 departs Dubai every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 2.25pm, arriving in Lyon at 7.50pm the same day. The return journey leaves Lyon at 9.45pm and arrives in Dubai at 6.15am the next day.
