This magnificent new complex will be built on the one million square foot property opposite Al Safa Park that currently houses one of Dubai’s first hotels. The 34-year-old Metropolitan Hotel, which now stands on this choice location, will be demolished to make way for the new undertaking.
Khalaf Al Habtoor, chairman of Al Habtoor Group, commented on the demolishing of the Metropolitan Hotel: “Parting with the Metropolitan Hotel, our first hospitality venture is not easy as it is filled with great memories, but I always believe in looking forward. The tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai in particular, is constantly and steadily growing, and we have to be prepared to cater for the growing need of its visitors and residents alike”.
The 3 luxurious hotels complex will include over 1,600 rooms and suites and will cost AED 4.875 Billion (USD$ 1.33Billion).
“An investment of this magnitude will encourage other likeminded businessmen to regain their faith and will definitely send a very strong message to the national and the international communities that will help stimulate foreign direct investments from institutions and individuals alike” says Al Habtoor on the Group’s large investment.
“My faith in our country’s economic strength and our resilience has always been strong and now it is time to prove it. A good environment for investment provides security, economic stability and strong infrastructure, and for an investor like myself, no place provides all that the way Dubai does!” Al Habtoor commented further.
The development would comprise of two tall classically elegant towers rising from an imposing grand 5 storey podium.
Not just hotels, but a ‘lifestyle’ experience, the new project will combine classic elegance with unsurpassed quality in every sphere. Its facilities, second to none, will include a 5-star serenity spa, multiple themed restaurants, 50,000 sqft state of the art banqueting and meeting facilities, an international designer brands shopping arcade and a unique and new theatre which has the potential to become a stunning and prime destination point for visitors to Dubai.
This extensive and resplendent theatre will introduce to Dubai some of the world’s best theatrical performances from places such as Broadway and Las Vegas. With over 1,000 seats, this artistic arena will provide the highest degree of technical development and multi-media effects, including a hydraulic central stage, water features and movable floors.
Each offering a unique culinary experience, the themed restaurants, some Michelin Star holders, will spread over two podium levels. A tennis and sports academy will also grace the project which will be for the services of guests as well as local sports enthusiasts providing courts equipped according to the highest international standards.
With a magnificent view of the Safa Park, the Burj Khalifa Business Bay canal and The Meydan, the project will also overlook its own exceptional landscaped garden. At approximately 400,000 sqft in area this garden, whose fountain; exotic flowering shrubs and trees; and gazebos, are presented to Sheikh Zayed Road will irrefutably enhance the reputation of Dubai as one of the most beautifully landscaped cities in the Middle East.
With John R. Harris & Partners as Concept Design architects, Khatib & Alami Consolidated Engineering Company as the Lead Design Consultants, the construction of the project is to commence in the first quarter of 2012, with expected completion within 48 months.