Hoteliers eye up Saadiyat sites as cultural hub takes shape

Carlson Rezidor and Jumeirah Group look to Saadiyat Island as the cultural destination shapes up.

Abu Dhabi’s plans for Saadiyat Island include the Louvre Abu Dhabi, expected to open this year, the Zayed National Museum next year, and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2017. Above, inside Manarat Al Saadiyat. Mona Al Marzooqi / The NationalShow less

Hotel operators are looking to increase their footprint on Saadiyat Island as the cultural destination takes shape.

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which operates the upscale Radisson Blu and mid-market Park Inn by Radisson brands, is eyeing a resort and a hotel on the island.

“Resort hotels also attract their own level of business travellers as people look to tag on not just business to their events and meetings, but also the leisure element to a stay,” said Mark Willis, the area vice president for Middle East and sub Saharan Africa at Carlson Rezidor.

“It’s an exciting place, and a lot of infrastructure and investment are going in there.”

The company operates two hotels in Abu Dhabi on Yas Island, and seven others across the Emirates.

Abu Dhabi’s plans for Saadiyat Island include the Louvre Abu Dhabi, expected to open this year, the Zayed National Museum next year, and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2017. The island will also house a performing arts centre and a maritime museum.

The original master plan stated the island would have 29 hotels, including nine beachfront properties.

Carlson Rezidor is also planning to bring its luxury Quorvus Collection to the UAE. Last year, the company launched the collection in the Arabian Gulf when it opened the 169-room Symphony Style Hotel Kuwait. It is also planning to bring the midscale Radisson Red to Dubai, Mr Willis said.

Next month, it will launch Park Inn by Radisson in Al Barsha near Mall of the Emirates and another under the same brand near Deira Clock Tower by May.

Carlson Rezidor has five properties under construction in Dubai and Ajman that are expected to come on stream over the next 18 months. These include three Park Inns by Radisson in Al Jaddaf Dubai, Motor City and Jumeirah Village Triangle. A Radisson Blu is coming up in Ajman, as is Dubai Marina Residences by Radisson Blu.

Meanwhile, a Dh860 million beachfront resort on Saadiyat Island, which will be operated by the Jumeirah Group, is expected to be open by 2017, the firm confirmed. The 294-room resort is owned by Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed.

Despite what could be a crowded resort scene, Jumeirah Group’s president and chief executive Gerald Lawless is upbeat about the location.

“Saadiyat Island will offer a wide choice of resorts, each with its own take on the luxury experience,” he said. “[Abu Dhabi] will continue to see visitor numbers grow, attracted not only by the prospect of great weather and superb beaches, but by the museums, the golf course, the sailing and other luxury pastimes.”

Jumeirah is looking at a number of other projects in Abu Dhabi, according to Mr Lawless.

It operates Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, which is also owned by Sheikh Suroor.

The island now has two luxury beachfront properties under the St Regis and Park Hyatt brands.

Also under development are the 354-room Saadiyat Rotana Resort, a 366-room Hilton, and Abu Dhabi-based Al Jaber Group has the contract to build a 208-room Shangri-La.

Abu Dhabi has 25 hotels in the pipeline accounting for 7,673 rooms with most of them in the upscale and luxury segments, according to the hospitality consultants STR Global last month.

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