HILTON Worldwide is set to introduce its first DoubleTree by Hilton hotel to Abu Dhabi in the UAE following the signing of a management agreement with prominent local investor, Reliable Property Investment, owned by Sheikh Ahmed Al Nahyan.
The latest hotel to join the Hilton Worldwide pipeline will be located at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, a unique eco-metropolis and low-carbon, low-waste urban development designed to be one of the world’s most sustainable cities.
The 316-room DoubleTree by Hilton Abu Dhabi Masdar City will comply with the environmental ethos of Masdar and will seek to secure the prestigious ‘Estidama 3-pearl’ rating. Estidama, which is Arabic for sustainability, is the UAE equivalent to the globally-recognised LEED programme.
Rudi Jagersbacher, president, Hilton Worldwide Middle East & Africa, says: “Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is developing into an extraordinary and exciting model of green living and with a strong and growing community of global businesses, residences and educational institutions, it is an ideal location for one of the company’s most dynamic hotel brands.”
DoubleTree by Hilton Abu Dhabi Masdar City will feature a complementary mix of rooms and suites with ample meeting and event space, a business centre and a wide choice of bars and restaurants. The hotel, which is scheduled to open early 2017, will also include an outdoor pool, a health club and Hilton Worldwide’s exclusive spa concept, Eforea, which blends distinctive holistic treatments with specialist products sourced from natural resources.
Although still in development, Masdar City is regularly featured in visitor attraction listings for Abu Dhabi and the growing tourism numbers to Masdar City reflect the increase in visitors to the Emirate itself. According to Tourism Culture Authority for Abu Dhabi, the Emirate has enjoyed a bumper first half of 2013 with guest arrivals from January-July topping 1.5 million – a 10 per cent increase on the same period in 2012. Also, the UAE capital was voted Fourth Favourite City In The World following a poll conducted earlier this year by global market research company, Ipsos, to rate the best worldwide cities for business, to live in and to visit.