Hyatt pledges to protect turtles

Abu Dhabi:  When the first beach resort opens next year on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island, it will use the island's turtles as its unique selling proposition. But Hyatt's five-star resort will also do everything it can to preserve the turtles.

"Where we are is a favourite place for the turtles. We're remaining in strong compliance to ensure the conservation of the turtles and are building bridges over the sand so as not to disturb them," Thierry Bertin, vice-president of sales and marketing, Hyatt International, South West Asia, told Gulf News.

The Park Hyatt is due to open in the second quarter of next year, the first beach resort to open on the much-awaited Saadiyat Island.

It will be a five-star resort designed in the style of a Moroccan house with 9km of beach and a golf course. And, of course, the turtles that make the beach their nesting ground.

Inclined tower

Hyatt has several other plans for the UAE, the Gulf and India, Bartin said.

Hyatt Capital Centre, located at Capital Gate, one of the world's "most inclined" towers, and Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi are due to open in the capital in the next year. The two properties will be Hyatt's first venture in Abu Dhabi.

"The Hyatt Capital Gate will be a very interesting hotel. It is a complicated structure in which no two rooms are the same," Bartin said.

A third hotel is set to open on Al Reem Island.

The Chicago-based hotel operator currently has three hotels in Dubai. Its expansion in the region has included hotel openings in Doha, Jeddah and Muscat. Hyatt is also eyeing Saudi Arabia.

"There are a lot of things happening in Saudi Arabia such as new structures and new cities. There is a lot of potential in the country," said Bartin.

The company's main expansion strategy for the next 12 months lies, however, in India, where approximately one fourth of Hyatt's global pipeline of more than 120 properties are earmarked.

"India is a very dynamic and fast-growing market. However, in the whole of India there are fewer five-star hotels than there are in Manhattan.

The emerging upper middle class is 250 million, and it is set to grow to 300 million in five years, which is equal to the population of the United States. These people travel, shop and stay in hotels," said Bartin.

The upcoming developments include Hyatt Regency Pune, Grand Hyatt Goa and Hyatt Regency Chennai, due to open this year.