Deal for third Crowne Plaza hotel in Dubai signed

Dubai: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) on Sunday said it has signed an agreement with The Chelsea Group, part of Crimson Hotels, to develop a third Crowne Plaza hotel in Dubai.

Crowne Plaza Dubai Business Bay, scheduled to open in 2010, will be located at the heart of Business Bay, set to be the city's new central business district.

"Located next to Shaikh Zayed Road and Dubai International Financial Centre, the property will be perfectly situated to capitalise on the thriving corporate travel market in the city," the company said in an e-mailed statement.

The hotel will comprise 367 rooms and several diverse dining options as well as the business and corporate facilities which will include a 500 square metre function room and further meeting rooms. Leisure travellers will also be able to enjoy a health club, spa, an outdoor pool and terrace.

John Bamsey, chief operating officer, IHG, Middle East and Africa said: "Crimson Hotels have already proved a valued partner for us in the UK and we hope to continue working with them, in the future, both in the UK and now also in Dubai. With an increasingly discerning class of business traveller arriving in the UAE and the country leading the way in corporate travel, the Crowne Plaza brand is reassurance of high levels of comfort and service combined with the practicality of the latest amenities."

Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is currently located in nearly 50 countries.

"Chelsea Group already has a very close relationship with IHG in the UK through Crimson Hotels, following the recent opening of Crowne Plaza Gatwick-Crawley, the first of several planned UK projects with the group," said Karim Kassam, executive director, Chelsea Group.

"Having recently broken into the Middle East tourism market, Chelsea also has several hotel projects under development in Dubai and are pleased to be working with IHG, one the world's leading hotel management companies, on this landmark property in Business Bay."