FUJAIRAH // After almost four decades of catering to guests from the UAE and all over the world, one of the oldest and most popular hotels in Fujairah has closed its doors.
Staff at the beachfront Hilton Fujairah gathered up beach towels and stored away sun lounges for the last time this month to make way for demolition work as part of the Corniche redevelopment.
Opened in 1978, the hotel was considered one of the best getaways in the country, particularly as it was the only hotel in the city with beach access, and became a favourite destination for expatriate and Emirati families on the east coast.
“It’s really sad to know that Hilton is closing down,” said Asha Asok, 36, a Singaporean mother who lives in Fujairah.
“It’s considered one of the main tourist attractions and was a big part of Fujairah town’s history. The staff there were like a big family.
“My father was a chef with Hilton and the staff parties were a big affair. I used to remember the Hilton as the best place to get pizzas and birthday cakes.
“The location was strategic too. I would say Hilton was lucky to have that landscape. We are going to miss it a lot.”
For all her fond memories, Ms Asok said the property had not kept up with the times and was left lagging newer hotels that had sprung up around the city and Al Aqah Beach.
“It was a place of nostalgia but frankly, in recent years they didn’t have much buzz and didn’t offer anything innovative or trendy to keep the crowd coming,” she said.
“Closing down is harsh but a change might do good.”
Mayssa Kabbani had her honeymoon at the hotel and was a regular visitor at weekends and during public holidays.
“If you go through our photo album you will see most of our photos were taken at the Hilton, from our honeymoon in 2010 until last month,” said Ms Kabbani, 28, a Lebanese mother.
“We have great memories and we used to take our kids twice a week to swim and play. It’s sad that they will close it but we hope they will reopen it soon.”
The hotel had a prime location, between the Hajjar Mountains and the Indian Ocean. The land’s owners are expected to redevelop the site quickly.
“We can confirm that the Hilton Fujairah closed its doors in April 1 after having been a cornerstone of hospitality in Fujairah for nearly 40 years,” said a spokeswoman for the chain.
“The hotel site is undergoing redevelopment plans by its owners. All guests with bookings beyond this date have been provided with alternative accommodation and team members are being relocated to other properties within Hilton’s portfolio and beyond.
“We would like to thank the team for the hospitality they have delivered in Fujairah.”
Fujairah, like much of the UAE, has had many hotels built in recent years.
It now hosts chains such as Grand Millennium, Ibis and Novotel, which have all opened in the past four years, while the Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort in Al Aqah Beach began welcoming guests last year.
The Fujairah Statistics Centre said about 764,000 people stayed in the emirate’s 21 hotels last year.
The emirate’s government hopes to boost that number as it tries to establish Fujairah as a major tourist destination.
rhaza@thenational.ae