Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

In 2009 the construction of the Ritz-Carlton International Financial Centre (RCIFC) began in the heart of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The new 15-storey hotel, designed by Gensler, will become the second Ritz-Carlton hotel in the city and is set to become a premier destination for business executives. The hotel will provide 340 guestrooms and suites, 124 serviced apartments, and 70,000ft² of retail space. Union Properties is the developer of the project.

The Ritz-Carlton will be linked by a covered retail arcade to the DIFC Gate Building. Completion of the new hotel is scheduled for 2009. The DIFC is expected to become a leading financial centre and will create a new central business district for the long-term growth of the city.

THE ORIGINAL RITZ-CARLTON DUBAI

The first Ritz-Carlton Dubai is a small boutique hotel on Jumeirah beach with 138 rooms, 87 deluxe rooms, eight suites, 38 Ritz-Carlton Club rooms, three Club suites, the Ritz-Carlton Club Suite and The Emirates Suite with just over 350 staff. It is situated on a 350m stretch of the beach front.

The Ritz-Carlton remains a favourite with tourists; perhaps its more modest size and uncompromising standards account for this attraction. Guests sitting on the beach are periodically furnished with ice cold towels, cold water sprayers and fruit kebabs.

All DeLuxe guest rooms are 50m², are sea-facing and have a private balcony or terrace. All rooms benefit from twice-daily maid service, refreshing cold towels and fruit juice on arrival; 24-hour room service; closet safe; dual line telephones with voicemail and data line capability; multilingual TV with in-house movie channel; fully stocked honour bar in each guest room; laundry service; bathrobes and slippers; and complimentary newspaper.

The hotel has several restaurants, offering continental fine dining in La Baie, Mediterranean dishes in Splendido, casual snacks and cocktails in the cavernous Lobby Lounge and the Gulf Pavilion poolside restaurant, with an excellent outdoor grill. In addition, the Amaseena tented Bedouin village offers al-fresco dining. The hotel also has a library and cigar room.

The hotel also features a health club and fitness centre and a Balinese spa with 40 treatments (eight treatment rooms – two for women only). Three swimming pools provide a choice of a river-like circuit with a waterfall, and a more traditional style of pool with Jacuzzi. There are also four tennis courts and two squash courts.

Turner International provided preconstruction consulting and construction management services on the 138 room, five-star resort hotel. The Architects were Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo.

NEW RITZ-CARLTON DUBAI

The new hotel will be situated on Sheikh Zayed Road in the heart of the new financial district. The Ritz-Carlton Dubai will stand 15 storeys high and feature a contemporary design to match the buildings of the financial district. The interior of the new hotel will blend modern style and classic Arabic design elements to produce a hotel of distinct luxury and elegance, as befits the Ritz-Carlton brand.

The 330 guestrooms and suites will include a Ritz-Carlton Suite and Royal Suite with convenience and comfort suitable for the hosting of visiting dignitaries and delegations. Several floors of the hotel will be dedicated to Club Level guests and will feature extra privacy and amenities. A dedicated concierge will staff the exclusive lounge area, offering complimentary food and beverage presentations from breakfast to after hour cocktails.

The new hotel will have three restaurants and a Lobby Lounge and Bar offering afternoon tea, drinks, light snacks and evening cocktails.

Meetings and conference space at The Ritz-Carlton, totalling 2,000m², will be available and flexible enough to host large gatherings and exclusive social events. The hotel facilities will include a 1,400m² ballroom, five meeting rooms, a boardroom; and a range of smaller rooms for smaller needs and occasions. Recreational amenities will include a 2,100m² health club and spa, as well as both indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

The serviced apartments will range in size from 125–350m² and feature between one and four bedrooms with luxury furnishings. Residents will be able to use all of the premier services offered by the hotel, including housekeeping, catering, concierge, spa, bar and in-room dining.

NEW RITZ-CARLTON CONSTRUCTION

The developer Union Properties awarded construction company Bouygues a contract to build the new Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The contract was awarded after the company set up a local joint venture partner, Target Construction. According to Bouygues Construction the hotel deal is worth €225m (US$276m).