In partnership with real estate developer Dubai Properties, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has begun expanding in Dubai with the signing of four new hotels under the company’s Aloft and Element brands.
Slated for completion in 2018, the properties fall in line with the local government’s emphasis on developing midscale properties to host its upcoming Dubai World Expo 2020.
“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,” says Naaman Atallah, CEO 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.”
Starwood expects to quadruple its Aloft portfolio in the Middle East by 2019.
“We continue to experience increased worldwide demand for our mid-market brands,” says Simon Turner, president of Starwood Global Development. “Signings have more than doubled globally versus the same time last year, including a surge of signings in the Middle East.”
The 227-room Aloft Dubai Dubiotech will be located near the Dubai International Airport and the Dubai World Central International Airport in an area dominated by the life science industry. Located in the city center Dubai Media City area, the 200-room Aloft Dubai Studio City will feature approximately 400 square feet of meeting and event space. The 221-room Aloft Dubai IMPZ will sit in the city’s International Media Production Zone, which is dedicated to media production.
The 168-room, nature-inspired Element IMPZ will feature both studio and double-room accommodations with signature brand amenities such as saline pools, a fitness center, and rental bikes.
“The UAE presents great opportunities to expand in the mid-market sector where there is a high demand for reliable and affordable hospitality,” says Bart Carnahan, senior vice president acquisitions and development for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Europe, Africa, and Middle East. “We are excited to expand our footprint in the market by introducing these brands into areas of Dubai where Starwood currently does not have a presence.”
Starwood’s Middle East portfolio currently consists of more than 51 hotels and resorts across eight of the company’s ten lifestyle brands. Following New York, Dubai represents the company’s second strongest market.
