Ritz-Carlton's new hotel in DIFC to start operations next year

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Gulf News

Dubai: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Union Properties PJSC have announced plans to open a 330-room hotel, with 121 serviced and managed apartments, at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

Scheduled to open in 2008, this will be the second Ritz-Carlton in Dubai and the fifth location in the Middle East for the award-winning luxury hotel company.

"We believe the hotel will be a very strategic addition to our global portfolio," noted Simon F. Cooper, president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

"We have enjoyed great success with our resort on Jumeirah beach. Therefore, the opportunity to expand our presence in Dubai and be part of a region of substantial growth is a tremendous opportunity. The new hotel will be an important addition to the DIFC. It will attract senior corporate executives travelling to Dubai to conduct business in this free trade/tax zone, and provide an outstanding meeting site for the international companies expected to open offices in the complex. Dubai is a vibrant and exciting city, poised on the brink of becoming one of the world's foremost leisure and business destinations, and we feel privileged to play a part in this development," Cooper said.

A contemporary design on Shaikh Zayed Road, The Ritz-Carlton in the Dubai International Financial Centre will rise 15 storeys.

Interiors

The interior will blend elements of modern style and classic Arabic design elements for a showplace of luxury and elegance. The 330 guestrooms and suites will include a Ritz-Carlton Suite and Royal Suite with the convenience and comfort suitable to host visiting dignitaries and delegations.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC currently operates 63 hotels in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Among the 33 new hotels currently under development are sites in Dublin, Tokyo, Lake Tahoe, and the Bahamas.