Rocco Forte’s first property in the Middle East, the Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi will showcase the groups distinctive service and ambiance
The latest addition to the UAE hospitality scene is the much anticipated Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi, the group’s Middle Eastern debut, which began welcoming guests on November 7.
Sir Rocco Forte, chairman and CEO of Rocco Forte Hotels, travelled to the emirate for the opening of the new development, which has taken place in collaboration with Al Farida Investments and Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC).
Speaking of the ongoing project, Al Farida chairman Sheikh Hamed bin Ahmad al Hamed said: 'Our investment of Dh700 million ($190 million) into the hotel industry is paving the way for the future development and completion of our second phase – the Dh300 million ($81 million) Rocco Forte Residence and Office Tower – which we are currently preparing with the management of Rocco Forte Hotels.'
Accepting bookings from mid-October and welcoming its first guests in November, Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi has seen tremendous interest from the corporate market in the UAE for both rooms and events, as well as bookings from the wider region and Europe for both leisure and business travellers. With strong recognition for the luxury and elegance associated with the Rocco Forte brand among Middle East residents who have previously stayed at the group’s European properties, the management of Rocco Forte Hotels is keen for a wider audience to experience its distinctive service and ambiance.
'Rocco Forte Hotels has had a significant reach into the Middle East during the last 15 years, as travellers from this part of the world make up a strong proportion of our guests in the UK, Germany, Italy and other destinations. Our design and interiors, our meeting spaces, our dining outlets and especially our service approach have all been created to satisfy the discerning traveller. The Middle East is a vitally important destination to our company and our opening on November 7 represents a historic development for us,' said Sir Rocco Forte.
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With exquisite attention to detail, Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi offers a contemporary and elegant space in the city, with 281 spacious, well-considered bedrooms and suites, seven diverse and compelling options for dining and recreation, a generous spa and wellness centre, and some of the UAE’s most sophisticated meeting and event spaces. The hotel’s interiors combine the comfort and style of both Arab and European influences through the use of marble, mosaic and agate, with artworks by regional artists and a design aesthetic which subtly reflects the Arabian Gulf and surrounding desert.
Shaun O’Connor, chief financial officer of TDIC, commented: 'We are extremely pleased to partner with Al Farida Investments in bringing the Rocco Forte brand to the Middle East for the first time. Delivering this spectacular new property to the UAE is a major accomplishment for TDIC, as Abu Dhabi continues developing its regional and international reputation as a key business and leisure destination. Its strategic location, considered mix of facilities and its superlative service will help further enhance the Abu Dhabi experience for visitors and residents,'
Stand-out attractions at the new property include a supremely well-appointed 2,000-sq-m spa with separate male and female facilities, indoor swimming pools, traditional wet and dry hammam, fully-equipped gymnasium, 15 treatment rooms and a yoga/pilates studio. Guests and Abu Dhabi residents seeking new dining options can choose from the Martin Brudnizki-designed Oro Italian restaurant; the Oceana Grill, a speciality seafood restaurant; Rouge, serving contemporary Japanese and Chinese cuisine and Brown’s Tea Lounge, a contemporary space serving traditional favourites. Before or after-dinner drinks can be enjoyed in Blue, a suspended lounge with a 15-m hand-polished agate serving area and stunning views from every vantage point.
In designing the guest bedrooms, Olga Polizzi has taken into account the needs of regional and international travellers, delivering spacious living areas and generous bathrooms complemented by artwork from Arab artists. Specially for the emirate’s growing population of business travellers and events, Rocco Forte Abu Dhabi offers a dedicated executive floor and lounge, seven meeting rooms, a ballroom accommodating 500 seated guests with its own valet area and a VIP majlis.
Following on from its Abu Dhabi debut, Rocco Forte Hotels will open a 159-bedroom hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2013, a 90-key all-suite golf and spa resort in Marrakech, Morocco, in 2014, a 275-bedroom property in Cairo, Egypt, in 2014 and an 82-bedroom hotel in Luxor, Egypt, in the same year.