Largest hotel development yet to be born in Dubai

By Hazel Heyer, Special to ETN | Jul 25, 2008

If this Gulf state never seizes to amaze you, then brace yourself for more. The largest hospitality and leisure development in the world is yet to descend on the planet. And yes-- in Dubai again.

Located towards the Bab al Shams Desert Resort and Spa (near Sheikh Mohamed’s remote, private retreat in the desert where the ruler’s pricey camels and stallions breed I reckon) and near the future Dubai Investment Park and upcoming new Jebel Ali Airport is the monster development of Bawadi.

Set to be one of the premier tourist destinations in the world, Bawadi will have the largest clusters of hotels in the globe boasting 51 hotels offering 60,000 hotel rooms sprawled over a 10-square-kilometer space. Bawadi is being groomed to be the world’s most exciting entertainment and leisure destinations, offering amusement centers, shopping malls, theaters, restaurants and convention centers. To underscore Dubai’s namesake of being the world’s shopping capital, Bawadi will create the largest shopping area, providing over 40 million square feet of gross leaseable area with malls, boutique malls, street shopping and an underground shopping connecting all Bawadi’s elements into the longest shopping boulevard on earth.

Being developed in five phases to match the growth of tourism in Dubai, Bawadi’s shopping feature will enhance its offerings and accelerate its drive to develop a world-class hospitality and tourism project in the Emirates and the region.

Arif Mubarak, CEO of Bawadi said with confidence: “Bawadi is a destination by itself. As we are owned by Dubai’s Tatweer, a company owned by Dubai Holding, we are developing en-masse our own hotels. Out of the 60,000 rooms, we will own 30,000 keys, run our investments, own our business plans and do our own feasibilities. We’ve also signed up with Emaar Properties that owns a piece of land with 5,000 rooms in Bawadi; we are the destination managers for the overall project.”

For such a gigantic project, developing almost a Las Vegas strip, construction must be a big challenge. With construction costs going up, Mubarak discloses that cost will not affect the returns on hotels though. He said they sit on the high side of the hotel returns, specifically with the ROI. “There will be a drop but it will not be considerably negative. Hotels will remain profitable and will be a very lucrative business,” the Bawadi CEO said.

Is Bawadi looking to market to the US and the Europe? “People come and go to Dubai and make a fortune. The hospitality and tourism industry has become a great support for investments. The slowdown in US market gives Dubai and this region a great advantage. This region will definitely capture that slowdown. The US market is not and has never been a prime market in Dubai and for this region. We always looked at the 4 to 6 hour flights for markets. Any market within the 4 to 6 hour flying distance gives us the advantage,” said Mubarak.

Mubarak, however, said Dubai should improve on its convention and meetings facilities. Hotels and attractions related to entertainment will not be enough to cater to the conventions. As Dubai has now come up with three hubs serving its visitors, such as the current World Trade Center hub, the new airport hub and the upcoming Bawadi hub, Mubarak believes they have a responsibility to support the MICE sector of Dubai in return.

A huge convention facility will be in place to cater to the visitors of the 51 hotel operators, complementing the family entertainment offerings of the biggest development on earth. Dubai’s business now actively driven by the new drivers, such as media (Dubai Media City), IT (Dubai Internet City) and the education (Dubai Knowledge Village) sectors outside the already jam-packed Free Zone will be good for the Bawadi hotel chains. “This makes us attractive that hotels are not identified with any of these zones specifically or exclusively, but they all become part of Dubai, selling product and receiving tourism product which leverages hotel operation in the most effective ways,” added Mubarak.

Bawadi has made a commitment to sustainability incorporating green and sustainable design throughout the development. Landscape and green spaces will be used to provide a structure to the development by helping to define the boundary of the development and character areas and through providing connecting green corridors which link the character areas.

The so-called Boulevard will be a wide heavily-landscaped shopping street adapted for outdoor use throughout the year. Arterial routes will be provided with street trees to help mitigate the effects of traffic and provide a more pleasant street environment. “We are pushing the developers, who always push us back, to abide by the ruler Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s new initiatives for sustainability. Developers complain about the cost related with going sustainable but Bawadi will stay sustainable; in the long-term, developers will get back more than what they are saving from being sustainable. This is more attractive than being just a door and window hotel,” explained the head of Bawadi - the newest of Dubai’s cultural melting pot that offers an exhaustive selection of hospitality, entertainment, shopping and food and beverage in the middle of what is today’s patch of desert - but not for long .

Source:Eturbonews

Spa Salvation

Escape the mayhem of Dubai and indulge in a spot of spa therapy!



In a city as fast paced and hectic as Dubai, the need for relaxation and escapism is upmost. We put up with the daily drain of the pollution of heavy traffic, dusty construction sites, the battle against the AC and the fight against the sweltering heat, but sometimes we need to take a break and really pamper our bodies and minds.

We have to take a step back from the mayhem and allow our bodies to re-align themselves and rejuvenate before once again submitting them to the stresses and strains of life in Dubai. There are many ways to do this, but seeing as Dubai is home to so many wonderful spas, why not make the most of what is on offer. Why should Dubai's spas only be for the tourists and holidaymakers? Whatever treatment you are after and from whatever part of the world, you will find it here in Dubai.

Sometimes, taking time out to pamper ourselves isn't that easy and convenience is the key. SensAsia Urban Spa in The Village Mall, Jumeirah is an ideal spa for those high-living city dwellers who want an express treatment in a contemporary yet Balinese inspired setting. Another city-slick contemporary Asian-inspired spa is Dragonfly Spa in Burjuman.

It is the perfect retreat for weary shoppers in need of a little spa therapy.
For Dubai's financial wizards a male spa has now opened up in DIFC, the Urban Male Lounge and offers massages, facials, shaving etc while incorporating all the latest design and technology. 1847 and H20 Male Spa in Emirates Towers are also perfectly placed for Sheikh Zayed Road's busy male office workers and are chick free zones!

If you like to keep on the pulse of the latest happenings then why not indulge in a treatment in one of the eleven treatment rooms at one of Dubai's newest deluxe spas on the block, Heavenly Spa at the luxury Westin Hotel (next to Le Meridien Mina Seyahi).


Or at the opposite end of town, the newly opened Rafflesamrita at Raffles Dubai offers the ultimate in grandeur and sophisticated spa going.
If you are a regular spa bunny then why not try something a little different and opt for a Hammam treatment at Oriental Hammam in the One&Only Royal Mirage. Famed for its traditional hammam treatments this trip to the spa will leave you feeling buffed and glowing -the Grand Lube of spa treatments!!

If your pampering allowance is a little tight then a simple Thai massage at Bliss Relaxology in Garhoud (behind Chilis restaurant) won't blow the budget, or for those with money to blow, then why not overindulge yourself with t

The Talise Absolution treatment at Talise Spa in Al Qasr at The Madinat Jumeirah.

Source: Dubai Selected

Nobu comes to Dubai - what is next?

As Atlantis, The Palm Dubai prepares to welcome its first visitors in September, we look at what is in it for us the residents and what is next on the big Dubai master plan.

Back in December 1999 the infamous Burj Al Arab opened up its doors and became the world's first 7 * hotel and one of the most luxurious hotels not only in Dubai but across the globe.

But this was just the beginning. It seems Dubai has the monopoly on the biggest, the best and the tallest with some awe inspiring architecture such as the Burj Dubai which is already the world's tallest manmade structure.

The World with its 300 manmade islands in the sea, Dubailand which is planned to be home to over a dozen theme parks and of course not forgetting The Palm Islands.


The Palm Jumeirah, the first of the three Palm Islands is already inhabited by some 2000 families, boasts the ubiquitous Costa Coffee chain and now even has several licensed restaurants including Bidi Bondi, an Australian themed waterside sports bar and restaurant.

But there is one new branch to this Palm that is set to knock the socks off all that has come before in Dubai and that is the new Atlantis Hotel set to open in September.

This mega-resort, nestled at the tip of The Palm's crescent will bring the lost ancient city of Atlantis to the Arabian seas and attract thousands of visitors to Dubai every year to its 1539 sumptuous rooms and suites, 170,000 sqm of beachfront, 17 hectares of adrenalin pumping water park attractions at Aquaventure, 65,000 marine animals in The Lost Chambers and 28 dolphins at Dolphin Bay. Great for the tourists, but what about us residents?

Well, if your days of Wild Wadi have become exhausted and you are looking for a new water playground, Aquaventure will allows outside guests for around 220 Dhs and you are guaranteed to not get bored! With uphill rides, downhill coasters, a 2km long wave river and the Daddy of all rides the Ziggurat - a 27.5 metre near-vertical drop which propels you through a submerged tunnel into a shark-filled lagoon, this has to be the ultimate water park!

With some of the world's top Michelin star chefs launching their restaurants in Atlantis, this will certainly be a favourite haunt for Dubai's socialites and gastro connoisseurs.

One of these restaurants is the long awaited and world-famous Nobu. As a favourite with celebs around the world and with its fantastic Asian fusion cuisine, Nobu is bound to be the new it' place to be seen. Other hot seats to tickle our taste-buds will be Italian restaurant Ronda Locatelli - brought to us by Italian celebrity and two star Michelin chef George Locatelli.

Rostang - a French Brasserie by two star Michelin Chef Michel Rostang and Ossiano - world renowned three star Michelin chef Santi Santamaria's signature gourmet seafood restaurant.

As we eagerly await Atlantis to open its doors, we can be rest assured than in another 6 months something bigger and better will be fighting for the limelight

Perhaps Trump International Hotel and Tower at the trunk of The Palm Jumeirah with its suspended sky lobby or any of the other 28 hotels planned on The Palm, or the uber stylish Armani Hotel at The Burj Dubai and not to mention the 51 hotels at Bawadi, part of Dubailand. This is one skyline which will continue to dazzle brighter and brighter.

source:Dubai Selected