Dubai: Abu Dhabi's Aldar is unleashing a Dh1.5 billion investment into a major upgrade to its Abu Dhabi hospitality portfolio, including rebranding some of its signature assets.
This is to speed up 'Abu Dhabi’s growth as a premier tourism and leisure destination'. The Aldar investments will 'elevate' the hotels it owns into 'luxury resort-style properties'. This would help meet the demand for 'premium hospitality experiences in Abu Dhabi amid rapid expansion of the leisure and tourism sector'.
This is what will happen to the Aldar hotel portfolio:
- The Eastern Mangroves hotel will become a Waldorf Astoria luxury resort with a new retail mix and 'enhancements' to the residences.
- The Yas Plaza Hotels concept will transition to be under the IHG brand, turning the six-hotel complex into the 'largest' Vignette Collection resort in the world.
- Aldar’s hotel in Al Dhafra region, formerly 'Tilal Liwa', will transform into a luxury desert escape and will also become a Vignette Collection resort.
- At Nurai Island, Aldar is undertaking a major refurbishment and expansion to the 'resort as Abu Dhabi’s ultra-luxury island destination'.
- In Ras Al Khaimah, the Rixos Bab Al Bahr and DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island will also go through the transition program.
"We see a tremendous opportunity to enhance and reposition our hotel portfolio to meet expected demand in the luxury segment, while maximizing the revenue potential of each asset," said Talal Al Dhiyebi, Group CEO of Aldar.
It ties in with Abu Dhabi's elevated status in the tourism and MICE space. The emirate had 27% more hotel guests in 2023 than in the year before with overseas guest arrivals rising 54%. The goal for visitor numbers is to grow to 39.3 million by 2030.
