Raffles goes to Dubai
Raffles Hotels & Resorts has continued its global expansion with the opening this week of the Raffles Dubai [pictured below].
The 19-storey hotel features a striking pyramidal design inspired by ancient Egyptian architecture.
It is located at the Wafi food, fashion and entertainment complex, 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport.
Sheikh Mana bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, chairman, MKM Commercial Holdings LLC, which owns Wafi, said, “Raffles Dubai, being the first Raffles hotel in the United Arab Emirates, is an indication of Dubai’s ability to attract global brand names and further enhances Dubai’s reputation as one of the leading cities in the region.”
The hotel’s interiors draw design elements from both the Middle East and Asia. Columns intricately carved with Egyptian hieroglyphs decorate the hotel’s lobby, continuing the ancient Egyptian theme that inspired the hotel’s pyramidal structure.
Each of the 248 rooms at Raffles Dubai occupies at least 70 square metres and has a private balcony with panoramic views of the city.
The hotel also includes Raffles Hotels & Resorts’ lifestyle concept, RafflesAmrita Spa, plus 11 restaurants and bars.
For meetings and conferences, there are 11 large meeting rooms, a ballroom for 500 guests, and a Business Centre.
Raffles will develop several hotels in the next three years, including Tianjin Hotel, People’s Republic of China (2008); Raffles Resort Konottaa, Maldives (2008); Raffles Phang Nga, Thailand (2009); Raffles St Lucia, West Indies (2010); Raffles Resort Taimana Tahaa, French Polynesia (2010)
Raffles Macao, Cotai Strip (2010); Raffles Tortola, British Virgin Islands (2010); Raffles Manila, Philippines (2010); Raffles Amartha, Jimbaran, Bali (2010); Raffles Da Nang, Vietnam (2011) and Raffles Praslin, Seychelles (2011)/
A report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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