The new Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi is now open for guests, with deluxe rooms being offered at a promotional rate of Dh720.
This includes breakfast for two people. A 10 per cent service charge and six per cent tourism fee are extra.
The Dh1-billion ($272 million) project has taken 24 months to come to fruition, according to a hotel statement.
“In 24 months, we have conceptualised, built and delivered a product that is outstanding in the local market and we are looking forward to welcoming our first guests over the coming weeks,” said hotel general manager Adrian Rudin.
The 21-acre project includes 214 luxurious rooms and suites all with balconies, as well as seven villas, each with its own theme. The Residence will house 161 spacious serviced apartments, ranging from studio to four–bedroom units. Exceptional recreation facilities throughout the complex include four outdoor swimming pools, a health club with private pool, children’s pool and playground, five private beaches and a variety of sporting activities.
He told TTN the hotel’s smallest guest rooms are 45sqm. “We position ourselves just after the [Emirates] Palace, which is a monument by itself and in a different category all together. Competition will always be there, but the city is currently short on hotel rooms and so I believe opening up a new hotel is not going to take business from anybody,” he told TTN earlier in the year, when asked how the new hotel compares to Emirates Palace.
“What we have to offer is a different product, which will cater to different guests. We obviously want to be the market leader in terms of anybody else.”
The hotel expects 80 per cent of its turnover to come from business travellers. “We are looking at the Europe market, especially the UK, and of course, visitors from the GCC. From experience with our property in Dubai, the GCC is a big feeder market.” Rudin expects occupancies in the high 70s once fully operational. The second phase will see the remainder of the one-kilometre-long building finished, with 161 furnished apartments, a building of unfurnished apartments for rent, and a souk.