Ramada makes strides in Dubai

RAMADA Downtown Dubai has recently completed a soft refurbishment project, offering more contemporary and stylish accommodation to its guests.

The project, which began in May last year, includes a makeover of the hotel’s suites and penthouse, lobby and lifts, and meeting rooms. Opting for pastel colours for the various fixtures, the suites and penthouse now exude a modern and vibrant feel, while the common areas including the lobby and lifts are decked in earth colours to give a more inviting and cosier ambiance.

Ramada Downtown has also added a third meeting room, which along with the two meeting venues, combines chic elements with a retro twist. The all-day dining venue, Kenza Restaurant, which was re-launched in October, features newly renovated interiors in shades of red and white, and is complemented by stylish wood finish and Arabic ornaments.

DUBAI'S FLAGSHIP PROPERTY

Ramada Downtown, which opened in 2010, is R Hotels’ flagship property in Dubai. Samir Arora, the property’s general manager, commented: “Ramada Downtown, along with the properties under R Hotels, seeks to provide comfortable and stylish accommodation, matched with high standards of service to every discerning guest. On top of our prime location, Ramada Downtown furthers its offerings through this upgrade. We are very happy that our brighter and fresher atmosphere receives positive feedback from our regular clients, who returned to the property.”

Arora added: “The hotel expects high occupancy during the winter and exhibition season. We have done an organised and cost-effective strategy in completing the renovation to ensure that all our rooms and facilities will be ready to accommodate the high influx of guests during this period.”

The refurbishment was carried out in different phases, starting with the lobby and restaurant, followed by the guest floors, one at a time. The hotel’s back of house areas, including the staff dining room, kitchen and laundry, also got a facelift to provide better facilities and work place for the staff.

THE PALM JUMEIRAH

In other news, R Hotels has secured fund worth Dh204 million ($55.5 million) from Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD), to back the development of its Palm Jumeirah property.

The fund is part of R Hotel’s Dh500 million ($136.1 million) Palm Jumeirah hotel investment, which is set to open in the last quarter of 2016. Located at The East Crescent of The Palm, the new four-star resort and spa will feature 259 rooms, and leisure and wellbeing facilities.

Sumair Tariq, managing director of R Hotels, noted: “By capitalising on strategic hotel locations in the UAE, R Hotels is confident on the stable return of investments of all our projects in the pipeline, especially our property in Palm Jumeirah. We are pleased to have CBD on board, to guarantee that the project is backed by an established financial institution.”

R Hotels currently owns and manages four properties in the UAE which are Ramada Hotel and Suites Ajman, Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman, Ramada Downtown Dubai, and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham in Jumeirah Beach Residence. The group will open its fifth hotel in Jumeirah in the second quarter of 2015, and the multi-million dollar project at The Palm will be its sixth property in the UAE.