The WB Abu Dhabi, the only hotel by Warner Bros, has opened its doors in the UAE.
On Thursday, the hotel on Yas Island hosted an opening extravaganza complete with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, a Batmobile and more.
The sleek five-star hotel is replete with nods to Warner Bros films and TV shows such as Harry Potter, Westworld, Superman, The Wizard of Oz, Looney Tunes and many others.
The famous fountain from the opening credits of Friends sits outside the hotel entrance, greeting visitors as they arrive. It was lit up for the first time on Thursday.
Pamela Lifford, president of WarnerMedia global brands and experience, told guests that anyone checking-in would be reminded of the breadth and depth of Warner Bros' characters over the years.
"From Batman to Bugs, from Casablanca to Caddyshack. To Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Ross and Chandler, how could you forget?
"Warner Bros continues to be known for its incredible storytelling and our characters inspire and make people laugh, we make people cry and tell beautiful stories and, as Ted Lasso would say, we also make people believe."
Guests checking in can enjoy unique entertainment including towering digital pillars in the lobby that display revolving content created by Warner Bros, and a spiral staircase museum packed with scripts, film props, casting shots and more curated from the studio's almost 100-year archives.
An interactive grand piano in the lobby is a replica of the self-playing one seen in Westworld and a sculpture of a stack of luggage at the front entrance has suitcases belonging to cherished Warner Bros characters Tweety, Wonder Woman and Bruce Wayne.
As expected, the family-friendly hotel also has lots to offer for children, including a supervised club complete with a "dive-in movie theatre" with miniature sunbeds, parasols and an open-air cinema-style screen. Children can also call their favourite Looney Tunes characters from their rooms, and wait for Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck to deliver milk and cookies.
Part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, the six-storey hotel's rooms are all themed with guests sleeping in either The Vault rooms, featuring rarely-seen memorabilia; Script to Screen rooms which highlight famous films and TV shows from over the years; or Artist Confidential suites that showcase talents from behind and in-front of the cameras.
Each room is filled with more mementos from Warner Bros with framed pages of scripts such as The Great Gatsby and A Star is Born; classic billings and posters from shows and films; and comic books dating back through the years.
The rooms are spacious and each has a sofa area, Smeg fridge mini bar, a retro dial-up style telephone and a Marshall radio.
The 257-room hotel is just steps away from Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi and guests staying at the hotel get free tickets to the theme park.
On the hotel's rooftop, there is a sparkling infinity pool with in-water sunloungers offering 360º views of the island, the Arabian Gulf and across to the city. There's also a spa, fitness centre and family pool that's home to The Matinee pool bar.
The Warner Bros theme continues at the hotel’s dining options. There's an all-day dining restaurant Sidekicks, which has colourful decor, booth-style seats, speech balloon place mats and artwork from classic American 60s cartoon Wacky Races and Yogi Bear.
Downstairs on the lobby level, The Director’s Club is a swanky atmospheric steakhouse offering a good option for dinner.
The hotel is welcoming guests from Friday, November 12, with opening rates starting from Dh845. Reservations can be made at hilton.com
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
25-MAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo, Jamilu Collins, Semi Ajayi
Midfielders: John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu
Forwards: Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, Henry Onyekuru, Odion Ighalo, Alexander Iwobi, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze
On Standby: Theophilus Afelokhai, Bryan Idowu, Ikouwem Utin, Mikel Agu, Junior Ajayi, Valentine Ozornwafor