EARLY last month, Dubai welcomed its latest green hotel with the opening of the Novotel Al Barsha. Featuring an iconic 1,200 sq m hanging garden wall in its front façade boasting a staggering 27,000 plants, Accor Middle East unveiled the fifth Novotel hotel in the UAE.
The Novotel Al Barsha is Accor’s fifth Novotel property in the UAE and the 13th region-wide (three in Saudi Arabia, one in Bahrain and four in Egypt) representing 2,547 rooms. Five additional properties are committed for development in the region by the close of 2015. Accor’s current regional portfolio of 60 hotels includes ten operational hotels in the United Arab Emirates with 19 new hotels planned to open by the close of 2015, six are committed for the UAE.
Owned by API Hotels and Resorts, the 465 guest rooms, four-star property is conveniently located on Sheikh Zayed Road and offers both business and leisure travellers spacious guest rooms and meeting facilities with panoramic views of the Dubai coastline.
General manager Phillipe Montaubin feels that the way forward is creating a sustainable community and making people in Dubai think green. He tells TTN why it is important to go green and upcoming plans at the hotel.
Why have you employed eco-initiatives?
Our guests are our number one priority and we want to meet their needs. We are seeing more and more of our customers responding positively to the implementation of eco-friendly hotel operations and products, hence why our business model focuses on being green. The waste of energy is enormous in big cities throughout the world and it is important to start finding ways to change this. We are excited to see the reactions of our guests when they witness the initiatives we have taken.
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Novotel has chosen to rely on the renowned environmental certification, ISO 14001, to structure our sustainable development strategy. At Novotel Dubai Al Barsha, we have installed a unique seven-floor Hanging Garden. With a special irrigation and plant feeding system, it is environmentally friendly as it improves energy balance and reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It is also a great alternative to the use of concrete and brings to light the importance of nature in a bustling city.
Additionally, we in Accor have an internal environmental programme called Planet 21 to commit to being a sustainable business.
Planet 21 refers to Agenda 21, the action plan adopted by 173 Heads of State at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It echoes the urgent need to focus efforts in the 21st century to change our production and consumption patterns with the goal of protecting our planet, its people and their environment. One key example of our efforts to work with Planet 21 is to supply only environmentally-friendly products in our bathrooms.
With growing competition in the market, how does Novotel Dubai Al Barsha intend to keep ahead of the game?
As the biggest Novotel property to open in the Emirates under the Accor brand, we have opened as one of the largest hotels in the area with 465 guest rooms at a competitive rate with exclusive amenities and promotions that will appeal to both the leisure and business travellers. Prime examples include a four star rated property with five star service, five licensed F&B outlets and the launch of Cravin’ Cajun, the only Cajun Louisiana restaurant in Dubai.
Another differentiating factor is our approach to meetings. With over nine meeting spaces to choose from, we are launching our innovative EUREKA meeting concept. It is designed to enhance discussion and creative thinking in a multi flexible meeting room environment, while delivering fully personalised packages. We also have unique offerings including X-boxes and massages to recuperate during the meetings. In addition to complimentary wi-fi throughout the hotel, there is a dedicated MAC web corner. Another advantage is our location being equidistant from both airports and in front of the Sharaf DG metro station along Sheikh Zayed Road.
How has the hotel been positioned in the market?
We appeal to all markets, in particular the GCC. Of our 465 guest rooms we have 89 suites that range from one bedroom to three bedrooms, in addition to over 100 interconnecting family rooms – ideal for the GCC market and international leisure. We have taken necessary steps to ensure we can cater for every specific requirement and become the ideal staycation for local and international guests. A key example towards supporting our ambitions in reaching out to the international market is the fact that we have hired approximately 200 team members of different nationalities (39 as of now).
Being 20 minutes at the furthest from all tourist attractions and business districts and easy connections our location is very appealing. In addition to this, we offer five star facilities at an affordable price.
InBalance by Novotel is the hotel’s fitness and spa facility that offers a range of state-of the-art Technogym equipment, expert personal training services, seven treatment rooms, a designated relaxation area, two saunas, two steam baths and an outdoor swimming pool. With seasonal treatments, exclusive products and membership programmes for UAE residents, InBalance by Novotel is designed to offer all guests solitude and serenity in a busy city.
Our multitude of promotions from the Meeting@Novotel to Family by Novotel are also attractive, along with our loyalty programme, Le Club Accor, in which guests can earn points each time they stay in any of the 2,500 participating hotels and enjoy a whole host of benefits.
Looking forward what are your key focuses for the coming holiday season and New Year?
With the festive season soon approaching, we are focusing on offering our guests special and attractive promotions, particularly on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. We have a wonderful view of the Arabian Gulf and therefore, provide an ideal spot to watch Dubai’s acclaimed firework shows. The festive season coupled with the annual Dubai Shopping Festival and Global Village will definitely see more visitors flocking to the city so we expect occupancy levels to be high during these periods. As awareness of the hotel grows, we trust that we will have put our stamp on the UAE map as an affordable and desirable destination for both leisure and business travellers alike.