INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Five hotel properties are in the works in Dubai, all scheduled to open within the next two years.
Desert Palm Hotel and Sol by Meliá
Meliá Hotels International has two hotels opening in the United Arab Emirates and Morocco this year.
The first, currently known as the Desert Palm Hotel in Dubai, is proximate to the city center, has 38 guestrooms, suites and villas, as well as a range of dining and wellness facilities, a horse-riding school and a polo field. The hotel opening is born of a partnership between Meliá Hotels International and the hotel owner, Albwardy Investment Group, with whom the Spanish company already operates three other hotels across Tanzania and Argentina.
Secondly, Meliá Hotels International has an agreement to grow the Sol by Meliá brand with the addition of Sol Marrakesh, the company’s fifth hotel in Morocco, which will operate under the resort brand. The resort, which first opened its doors in 1988, is currently closed for full refurbishment and will reopen later this year. Sol Marrakesh will offer 211 rooms, including 25 family units, as well as more than 14 acres of indoor and outdoor space. Upon completion, services will include a spa with hammam, fitness facilities, four tennis courts, a volleyball court, soccer field, golf driving range and swimming pool with a sundeck. The property will also feature its own nightclub, theater, two bars and a kid’s club.
So/Uptown Dubai
AccorHotels’ revealed its debut property in the Middle East with the So/Uptown Dubai. The property is set to open to guests by late 2020 with 188 rooms. There will also be 215 branded residences, which will include in-residence dining, concierge services, MIXO residence lounge, fitness center and swimming pool. The residences will range from 220-sq.-ft. one-bedroom units to 856-sq.-ft. four-bedroom penthouses. Rockwell Group will be completing the interior for the space.
The brand’s debut was revealed at a signing ceremony with development partner Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), a government free zone for commodities trade and enterprise in Dubai.
Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai and Caesars Bluewaters Dubai
Caesars Entertainment Corporation and Meraas Holdings LLC have entered into a non-binding letter of intent for Caesars Entertainment to manage two luxury hotels and a beach club at Meraas’ Dubai-based Bluewaters Island development.
This year, Bluewaters Island is expected to become home to Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai and Caesars Bluewaters Dubai, both of which will represent Caesars Entertainment’s first non-gaming resorts.
Situated along the beachfront on a manmade island, these two resort hotels will include 479 five-star rooms. The property will also feature a beach club, Caesars Beach Club Bluewaters Dubai, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa with a wellness center and space for meetings and conventions.
Avani Hotel Suites & Branded Residences
Avani Hotel Suites & Branded Residences is currently being developed in Dubai by ALFAHIM, one of the UAE’s largest conglomerates.
Scheduled to open in 2020, the 48-story, new-build property will be the third Avani in Dubai and will represent the launch of Avani residences in the region. The new Avani Hotel Suites & Branded Residences will have 263 Avani residences and 264 Avani-serviced apartments. The residences, which will be marketed to investors as a sale and lease-back product, will be a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom offerings, the latter with (1,394 sq. ft. of contemporary living space.
Designed by AECOM, the suites and residences will offer floor-to-ceiling windows, interactive living and private terraces. The Avani Hotel Suites & Branded Residences will range from 148-sq.-ft. studios, up to 591-sq.-ft. three-bedroom units.
