Dubai
While long-term accommodation arrangements are being made for guests and tenants of the Address Hotel, which was ravaged by a fire on New Year’s Eve, clearing and assessment work to restore the hotel has already begun, a spokesperson of Emaar has said.
Firefighters had waged a 14-hour battle against the fire, which consumed 40 floors of the 63-floor hotel before it was extinguished. Preliminary investigations showed the fire originated on the 20th floor of the hotel. Though there were no deaths attributed to the fire, police said 15 people were injured and one man suffered a heart attack during the evacuation process.
In under two weeks since the blaze that put a dint on festivities on Mohammad Bin Rashid Boulevard, cleaning work at The Address Downtown Hotel has already started with the mechanical, electrical and structural assessment of the building.
“The clearing and assessment work is ongoing and Dutco Group has a team of professionals and skilled workers on site,” the spokesperson said. Last week, Emaar Properties announced the appointment of Dutco Group as the contractor that will undertake the clearing, assessment and restoration of the hotel, adding that the hotel should be up and running again in record time.
Guests and tenants have been lodged in other hotels around the emirate until long-term lodging arrangements are made, the Emaar spokesperson said.
“We facilitated access to the rooms for all hotel guests and most serviced residence owners/tenants,” she said, “The report on lost and damaged items is being finalised, and is being conducted along with the concerned authorities. We are working with the insurance authorities regarding the claims, and we cannot comment on the same at this point.”
The spokesperson said there are 196 hotel rooms and over 600 serviced residences at The Address. “A majority of the serviced residences are rented out,” she added
When asked what he found when he went back to his 56th floor apartment, Simon Marouf, a tenant of The Address, said, “Although some apartments were gutted and charred, thankfully, mine was not one of them.”
“Two days ago I went back to get my things. Thankfully, my apartment was not affected by the fire — I just lost a few paintings which were near the balcony,” Marouf, who is a professional painter, said.
The 30 year-old Syrian said Emaar had assigned a few workers to help him collect his stuff. “I went there twice, on the first day I took the important things and on the second day I took everything out.”
Marouf said Emaar offered him an alternative apartment in one of the other branches of The Address.
“They asked if I wanted to renew my contract and offered apartments in The Address Dubai Mall and The Address Marina,” he said, “I chose the branch in Dubai Mall.”
Marouf, who is currently staying at St Regis, said he will move into the apartment after January 15.
“They’re treating us extremely well,” Marouf said, “but I see some of the tenants whose apartments were ravaged by the fire, they seem dispirited and are keeping to themselves.”
