Abu Dhabi's Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers expansion project is bang on target, according to Omer Kaddouri, general manager of the hotel.
The $68 million project's first phase of 186 new sea-facing rooms, six new executive floors - including two luxurious Presidential Suites - has reached completion, and has been opened to the public. "The opening has marked a major turning point for Abu Dhabi's hotel sector, providing new levels of accommodation and facilities for visitors to the city," said Kaddouri. The expansion, which is part of the Abu Dhabi Trade Center and Mall, has been designed to accommodate both the business as well as the leisure guest with state of the art in-room facilities matched precisely to their needs. "Every room features online connectivity, communications and Internet, complemented by exclusive guest amenities," says Kaddouri. Six dedicated Club Rotana executive floors provide business travellers with exclusive Club Rotana privileges, which include private check-in and checkout, private meeting facilities and a state-of-the-art business centre complete with secretarial services, laptops and Internet access. A further aspect of the Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers is the Beach Rotana Suites, which opened on October 1, 2002. It consists of 19 studios, 104 one-bedroom apartments, 14 two-bedroom apartments and six three-bedroom apartments. The entire project of the Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers, to be completed mid-2003, will also see the addition of a new 1,250 square metre Al Thuraya Grand Ballroom with a capacity for 1500 guests. The final phase will see the completion of a large marina and beach, tennis courts, swimming pools, and a specially designed kids zone. And with tourists the world over demanding more value for their money, it's up to the hotel to make sure its services are up to scratch. "With more than 5,000 5-star rooms available and growing in Dubai, the guest has a wide choice and can choose to pay the rate they wish to. This leads to rate dilution, and of course these days all travellers - business as well as leisure - demand an Internet connection, video conferencing and other high-tech facilities, as well as spa and health club facilities, which are top-of-the-range," says Dianna Martin, corporate communications manager, Rotana. According to Selim El Zyr, president and CEO: "Our ultimate goal is to have a Rotana managed property in all of the major Middle Eastern cities and that will be achieved within the next few years."