|By Arabian Post Staff| UAE-based conglomerate Al Ghurair announced a partnership with AccorHotels to launch the upper-upscale Swissôtel and Swissôtel Living in the Al Ghurair Centre. With over 4,000 hotels, resorts and residences, as well as over 2,500 of private homes around the globe under the AccorHotels banner, this reflag marks Swissôtel’s first entry into the UAE market.
Known for the famous Swiss hospitality, Swissôtel upholds industry-leading sustainability standards, the company said in a statement. Al Ghurair and AccorHotels will rebrand the existing hotel and hotel apartments adjoining Al Ghurair Centre to the upper upscale international brand. In the interim the hotel and hotel apartments will be managed by AccorHotels, under the name of Al Ghurair Hotel and Al Ghurair Living.
Sultan Al Ghurair, CEO of Al Ghurair Properties, the property development arm of Al Ghurair, said: “This landmark agreement, in partnership with AccorHotels, reflects Al Ghurair’s commitment and vision to working with best-in-class service providers and to attracting new brands to the UAE. We are proud to include international brands such as Swissôtel and Swissôtel Living as part of the Al Ghurair Centre experience to further complement 350 retail, dining and entertainment outlets. Since completion of the Mall extension we are now welcoming more than 21m visitors a year and have exciting plans to introduce more concepts and attractions in the near future.”
Speaking about the agreement’s alignment with the Al Ghurair Properties’ vision, Sultan added, “With 58 real estate projects under development, the rebranding of Al Ghurair Centre’s hospitality offering is a key part of our vision to revitalize old Dubai.”
AccorHotels Middle East is one of the fastest growing hospitality groups in the Middle East. Currently, the Group’s regional portfolio includes 97 operational hotels representing over 30,000 rooms in ten countries, the statement said.
Speaking about the partnership, Sami Nasser, Chief Operating Officer, Luxury Brands, AccorHotels Middle East said: “The Al Ghurair enterprise plays a leading role in driving Dubai’s growth as a global destination, and as such, the iconic Al Ghurair Centre is the ideal location to debut the city’s first Swissôtel & Swissôtel Living. Through this rebrand, we are bringing a new travel experience that is full of energy, passion and vitality – all part of the Swissôtel brand DNA.”
The Al Ghurair Hotel and Al Ghurair Living features 428 guest rooms and suites as well as 192 serviced apartments, respectively. Apart from three restaurants, the hotel also offers more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space, including six fully equipped meeting rooms and two ballrooms, offering an array of venues for events and gatherings of all sizes as well as an outdoor swimming pool, health club and spa, and squash and tennis courts.
Al Ghurair Center has more than 90,000 square feet of retail space including a cinema complex, indoor rollercoaster, ice rink, and food court, a Dining District which includes over 29 international outdoor cafés and restaurants, a supermarket, a hypermarket and an extensive choice of regional and global brands.
