Dubai Properties has signed a deal with Starwood Hotels & Resorts for four new mid-range hotels in Dubai.
The agreement means Starwood will open three of its Aloft-branded hotels and one Element hotel – both of which are new brands to the city. They will all be based in newer areas of the city along the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road corridor.
The 168-room Element and a 221-room Aloft hotel will be based within the International Media Production Zone, a 220-room Aloft will be at Dubai Studio City and a 227-room Aloft will be opened within the Du- Biotech district. The four properties are due to open in 2018, with 816 mid-range rooms due to be added ahead of the Dubai World Expo 2020.
Starwood said the deal would strengthen its mid-range portfolio in the Middle East. This year, it has announced plans to open 11 mid-range hotels, representing 50 per cent of its regional pipeline.
Starwood operates 51 hotels and resorts across the Middle East, including 15 in Dubai – making the emirate its second-biggest market after New York City.
“The hotels under the Aloft and Element brands will offer two new concepts to the existing mid-market category in the emirate, which will emerge as a vital segment in the run to the exposition,” said Naaman Atallah, the chief executive of Dubai Properties. “The time is right to launch new hospitality projects as demand for new hotel rooms continues to increase and culminate around this major event.”
Simon Turner, the president of Starwood’s global development arm, said the demand for its mid-market hotel brands continues to grow.
“This is particularly true for Aloft, where signings have more than doubled globally versus the same time last year, including a surge of signings in the Middle East.”
In the first half of this year, Dubai experienced a 6 per cent fall in average daily rates to $249 per night, according to the consultants JLL. Occupancy rates also fell, which meant that revenue per available room, a key earnings measure, dropped by 9 per cent to $208 per room per night between January and May.
JLL said it expected further falls in rates during the short to medium term as a further 30,900 rooms were expected to be added over the next few years.
Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, head of the hotels and hospitality group at JLL Mena, said the falling rates “continued to reflect the impact of the drop in the number of tourists from Russia and the euro zone”.
He said that hoteliers had adjusted room rates downwards to sustain occupancy levels, with average rates 7.2 per cent below a 10-year historical average.
He added that this highlighted “the need for hotel owners and operators to focus on operational efficiencies”.
mfahy@thenational.ae
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ENGLAND TEAM
England (15-1)
George Furbank; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (capt), Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Courtney Lawes; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, Joe Marler
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Willi Heinz, Ollie Devoto, Jonathan Joseph
Series info
Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday
ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23
T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29
Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com
Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.
Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
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Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Past winners of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2016 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2014 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2012 Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2011 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2010 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2009 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, Friday, March 29, 5pm at The Sevens, Dubai
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
