Dubai island hotel aims to build on family destination with serviced apartments

Dubai’s new island destination Bluewaters aims to become a long-stay family destination as hotel operator Jumeirah’s Venu brand prepares to open serviced apartments alongside its first property there.

It plans to open the 300-room Venu Bluewaters Island Hotel with 119 serviced apartments branded as Venu Living.

These are expected to open in 2017.

Bluewaters Island, which is to be home to the world’s largest Ferris wheel, will also host retail, residential, hospitality and entertainment zones.

The new Venu brings Jumeirah Group’s hotel properties in the pipeline to 26. It already operates 22 properties in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Developed by Meraas Holding, Bluewaters is located off the Jumeirah Beach Residence coastline.

Dubai has announced projects reinforcing the city as a family destination to help meet its target of 20 million visitors by 2020.

Family tourism would also diversify Dubai beyond beaches and shopping. Serviced apartments help promote that idea.

Many tourists from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Dubai’s largest source market, prefer to stay in apartments rather than hotel rooms as they visit with families, said Issam Kazim, the chief executive of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, at the Destination Dubai 2020 conference last month.

As of August last year, there were 213 serviced apartments in Dubai accounting for 24,924 keys – or 28 per cent of the overall hospitality lodging accommodation in the emirate – and 62 serviced apartment operators, according to the consultancy Colliers International.

There were another 6,052 serviced apartment units in the pipeline.

Last September, Meraas announced the blueprint for Dubai Parks and Resorts in Jebel Ali that would include Motiongate theme park based on DreamWorks Animation characters, Bollywood Parks Dubai and Legoland.

The first phase is expected next year.

A Dh35 billion Desert Rose housing project for Emiratis was also announced by Dubai Municipality last month that aims to promote the emirate as a family destination.

The project will comprise 20,000 new homes for Emiratis and 10,000 low-cost houses for expatriates spread over 4,000 hectares near Emirates Road and Al Ruwaya.

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