Dubai: Bulgari Hotels and Resorts is coming to Dubai’s Jumeirah Bay island, which is located off the coast of Jumeirah Beach Road.
Meraas Holding, a Dubai-based real estate and development company, signed an agreement with Bulgari Hotels and Resorts to bring the luxury brand to the emirate, according to a statement on Tuesday. It will be the hotel company’s fifth property after those in Milan, Bali, London and Shanghai.
The Bulgari Hotel at Jumeirah Bay island, a six million square feet mixed-use development, sculpted in the shape of a titanic seahorse, will feature 100 rooms and suites in the main hotel buildings, alongside 20 hotel villas and a marina. The marine complex will cover an area of 1.7 million square feet.
Construction is expected to start soon. The hotel is likely to open in 2018, according to the company.
The hotel is expected to be the third designer hotel in the UAE, followed by the Armani Hotel in Dubai and the Palazzo Versace, which has been delaying its opening. Analysts expect that the hotel will be received well in the market.
“The Dubai market has reached critical mass and maturity,” said Peter Goddard, managing director of TRI Hospitality Consulting. He expects the hotel will be successful due to the “great volume of travellers in Dubai that have stayed in lifestyle-branded hotels.
The Bulgari Hotel, designed by Italian architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners, will have both traditional and modern themes.
It is part of Bulgari Hotels and Resorts’ plan to have a stronger presence in the Gulf, according to Jean-Christophe Babin, chief executive of Bulgari Group.
“In keeping with the tourism directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, our agreement with Bulgari Hotels and Resorts marks a new milestone in our journey to play a pivotal role in shaping Dubai’s tourism and hospitality landscape,” said Abdullah Al Habbai, group chairman of Meraas Holding, in a statement.
“We are confident the new resort will emerge as a welcome addition to Dubai’s iconic shoreline. Through this key partnership, we will be expanding our portfolio in the hospitality sector in line with Dubai Vision 2020 for tourism,” he added.
