The Sheraton Khalidiya is on a renovation spree, growing at the same pace as the city of Abu Dhabi.
It wants to be one of the best hotels in Abu Dhabi by the time that the city reaches its full potential. Under the current management and its farsighted vision, it just might be able to do so.
Gabriel Khoury, general manager, Sheraton Khalidiya told TTN that from 195 rooms in 2003 they will go up to 240 by the end of June. “We used to be a long term residential property in 2002 and now we have refurbished into a five star hotel. To make the hotel a world class one, no effort has been spared. We are opening up more and more facilities. There are three concept bars and restaurants in the pipeline. We are looking at opening them by next month. State-of-the-art business facilities are being put in place for the business travellers.”
The management understands the pace at which Abu Dhabi is growing, is phenomenal and it will need the infrastructure to support the tourism industry
“A lot of effort is going into promoting Abu Dhabi as a tourist destination. Etihad Airways is opening the world to Abu Dhabi and vice versa. There are a lot of projects that are fascinating. In two years, we are looking at opening a lot of new properties, mainly in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. We have a lot of real estate under negotiation for new hotels. In Dubai, we have the Sheraton Jumierah. The Starwood group and the Fareeda investment group, of which we are a part, both have a good relationship with the developers. So we are looking at more properties in the UAE, mainly Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”
The growth of Abu Dhabi, the prospect that it presents is phenomenal. According to Khoury, the Abu Dhabi tourism authority is creating an atmosphere in Abu Dhabi that is going to be friendly to the tourists from the world over. “The island projects that are coming up are going to take the world by storm. In the construction of these, what is important is the fact that the cultural aspect and the conservation is taken care of. The new museums that are opening up like the Guggenhiem and the Louvre, are all set to ring in the boom of the market. Then there is the Formula One that starts in 2009. It is not just going to be the F1 the facilities would promote, but other sports, culture, health and luxury, as well.
“As a part of Fareeda investment, we are looking at to be at the fore front of development. And even though there are a lot of properties coming up, we pride our self on our professionalism. That is the key to this market and being able to remain a fore runner in it”, said Khoury.
by Sonorita Chauhan