Dubai developer Nakheel and Thailand’s Minor Hotels have signed a management agreement for a new 372-room hotel to be constructed at Ibn Battuta Mall.
Under the agreement, the hotel will be managed under the AVANI Hotels & Resorts brand, Nakheel said in a statement.
The 18-storey hotel, for which a construction contract will be awarded next month, is the second Nakheel hotel at Ibn Battuta and one of 16 in the developer’s hospitality project portfolio.
Adjacent to the recently-opened Ibn Battuta Metro Link, which is directly connected to the mall, the hotel will feature a pool, spa, gym, all day dining restaurant, coffee shop and parking, Nakheel said.
Minor Hotels’ portfolio currently comprises more than 20,000 rooms across 156 hotels, resorts and serviced suites in 24 countries under the Anantara, AVANI, PER AQUUM, Oaks, Tivoli, Elewana, Four Seasons, Marriott, St Regis, Radisson Blu and Minor International brands.
Nakheel chairman Ali Rashid Lootah said: “Today marks yet another key milestone in our commitment to enhancing and diversifying Dubai’s hotel offering by bringing new, reputable international hospitality brands to the emirate in line with the Government’s vision. We are delighted to welcome Minor and the AVANI brand to Ibn Battuta Mall, which, with over 20 million visitors a year, is one of Dubai’s leading tourist destinations.”
William E Heinecke founder, chairman and CEO of Minor International, added: “We are very pleased to be partnering with Nakheel for the new AVANI hotel at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai. Having launched our upscale AVANI brand in the region last year, we are delighted to continue the brand’s expansion in the UAE with this new hotel and we are confident that the brand will prove successful in this key market.”
Nakheel has more than 5,300 rooms across a range of hospitality projects. Two are already complete and operational, with the rest at various stages of construction and development.
