Dubai's tourism chiefs visited the site of the newest five star property taking shape in the emirate and were briefed on the progress of work at the Fairmont Dubai Hotel which is set to open early next year.
Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) director general Khalid bin Sulayem was accompanied on the hard-hat tour of the Fairmont by Hussain Ali Lootah, deputy director general, and Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb, director of marketing and operations at the DTCM. They were briefed on the salient features of the 34-storey hotel to be operated by north America's biggest luxury chain by the hotel's general manager and vice president, Michael Kaile. Designed in the form of an Arabic wind tower (Barajeel), consisting of four interlocking towers, The Fairmont Dubai will comprise 393 rooms including 117 suites, among the largest number for a luxury business hotel in Dubai; state-of-the-art business facilities, a 250-seat auditorium, 12 restaurants and lounges, a nightclub and a spa and health club. The Fairmont Dubai also comprises 115 two and three bedroom residential apartments. Scheduled to open in February 2002, the hotel is located opposite the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and the new convention centre being constructed for the IMF-World Bank meeting in Dubai in 2003. Access to the DWTC is provided by a 108-metres-long walkway, the first overhead pedestrian walkway across the highway. The Fairmont Hotels and Resorts has acquired a minority stake in the project owned by the private office of Dr. Shaikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. This joint venture is said to be the first investment in the hospitality sector in Dubai by an international hotel operator. Traditionally, international operators have entered the arena under a management contract, with the bricks and mortar ownership remaining with a local investor.