STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS CONTINUES EXPANSION IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES WITH NEW ALOFT HOTEL
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) has signed an
agreement with Al Ain Club Investment Company to open a new 172-room Aloft hotel
in Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE. Created to shake up the traditional
mid-market hotel sector, Aloft is redefining the category by delivering an urban-influenced,
modern and vibrant design and a social guest experience at an affordable price
point. Scheduled to debut in 2016, Aloft Al Ain will be the second Aloft hotel
in the UAE joining Aloft Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2009, and it will the first
Starwood hotel to open in Al Ain.

“I would like to
thank Al Ain Club Investment Company for putting their trust in Starwood as we
bring the Aloft brand to Al Ain, furthering the brand’s footprint in the UAE,”
said Michael Wale, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and
Middle East. “Starwood recently celebrated the opening of its 75th
Aloft hotel and we see huge potential for this stylish, affordable mid-market brand
to grow in the UAE and throughout the Middle East.”

Aloft Al Ain

Aloft Al Ain
will also offer the brand’s signature XYZ lounge,
providing guests with a buzzing, atmospheric public space where they can mix
and mingle, read the paper, work on laptops, play a game of pool or grab a
drink with friends. The Re:charge fitness centre will offer an opportunity to
re-energise and the unique Re:fuel by Aloft will introduce a convenient
deli option for guests on the go, with an array of sweet, savoury and healthy
food, snacks and drinks available 24 hours a day.The hotel will also feature an
all-day dining restaurant and a cigar lounge, as well as two creative meeting
spaces that are equipped with the latest generation of audio-visual hardware.
Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium Mixed-Use Development
The
unprecedented investment into the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium mixed-use development
will create one of the greatest sporting arenas in the region. Strategically
located in the Tawya area of Al Ain, the development combines a serene setting
for work, family, leisure, shopping, sports and dining, with more than 700
residential units, two office buildings covering 20,000 square metres and 50
commercial units available for restaurants and retail outlets.
Setting new
benchmarks in the sporting world in the UAE, the Hazza Bin Zayed stadium was
launched on the 24th of January 2014 and will be the new home for Al
Ain Football Club’s first team. Seating up to 25,000 people, the stadium covers
an area of 45,000 square metres and is 50 metres high, making it one of the highest
buildings in Al Ain City. The specially designed roof provides extended shade
to cover the whole field during warmer months. The innovative design of the
façade of the stadium is inspired by the trunk of a palm tree which is an
integral part of the UAE’s heritage and legacy.
Starwood in the Middle East
“We see great opportunities
to grow our Aloft portfolio in established and emerging markets across the
Middle East, where there is a strong demand for affordable yet stylish and
cutting-edge hotel brands,” said Bart Carnahan, Senior Vice President,
Acquisitions & Development, Europe, Africa and Middle East Division,
Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Al Ain is the second largest city in the
Emirate. With a population of over half a million, as well as increasing
investment and growing business and leisure opportunities, Al Ain is an
attractive destination for development.
Starwood
currently operates nearly 50 hotels in the Middle East and continues to
strengthen its long-established position as one of the leading luxury hotel
operators in the region, with plans to open over 30 hotels in the next few
years. The company currently operates an Aloft hotel in Abu Dhabi and is set to
open another four new Aloft hotels in the region in the next three years in Al
Ain and Sharjah in the UAE, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Erbil in Iraq.
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