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.
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The Ritz-Carlton will be linked by a covered retail arcade to the DIFC Gate Building. Completion of the new hotel was scheduled for 2009, but was postponed to 2012 due to the global financial crisis in 2008. The hotel announced its expansion plans in July 2010, which include the addition of more guestrooms and new restaurant concepts. The expansion will begin in October 2010 and is expected to be completed in 2012.
The plan is to build a neighbouring wing to the house adding 163 guestrooms. This would bring the total number of guestrooms in the hotel to 301, out of which 18 will be suites, including two Royal Suites.
The Ritz-Carlton Dubai appeared in the Gold List 2009 as well as the Gold List 2010. It was selected as one of the best hotels in the world in the service category in Condé Nast Traveller Gold List in 2008.
The DIFC is expected to become a leading financial centre and will create a new central business district, contributing to 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. It has 138 rooms, 87 deluxe rooms, eight suites, 38 Ritz-Carlton Club rooms, three Club suites, the Ritz-Carlton Club Suite and The Emirates Suite, and it employs over 350 staff. The hotel 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 guestrooms 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, a closet safe, dual-line telephones with voicemail and data line capability, a multilingual TV with an in-house movie channel, a fully stocked honour bar, laundry service, bathrobes and slippers, and a 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 Ritz-Carlton, Dubai’s sporting facilitites include a health club and fitness centre and a Balinese spa with 40 treatments (eight treatment rooms – two for women only).
There are three swimming pools on offer, including one with a river-like circuit and waterfall, and a more traditional pool with a Jacuzzi. There are 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 Ritz-Carlton will be situated on Sheikh Zayed Road in the heart of Dubai’s new financial district. The hotel will stand 15 storeys high and feature a contemporary design to match the surrounding buildings.
The inew hotel’s interior will blend modern style with classic Arabic design 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 the convenience and comfort suitable for hosting visiting dignitaries and delegations. Several floors of the hotel will be dedicated to Club Level guests and feature extra privacy and amenities. A dedicated concierge will staff the exclusive lounge area, offering complimentary food and beverages 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 more intimate occasions.
Recreational amenities will include a 2,100m² health club and spa, as well as 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 the contract to build the new Ritz-Carlton, Dubai. 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 ($276m).
