Al Sharq signs up Starwood to operate W Dubai-The Palm

Scheduled to open in late 2009, W Dubai-The Palm represents W's second hotel in Dubai and third in the Middle East following W Dubai-Festival City and W Doha.

"Al Sharq is committed to delivering high-end, quality driven, innovative leisure developments", commented Steve Tight, CEO, Al Sharq Investment, "and we are convinced that W Hotels will provide a unique and exciting luxury guest experience at the Palm that exceeds all expectations".

W Dubai-The Palm is located on the Crescent section of The Palm Jumeirah and will offer 400 rooms with beach frontage and stunning views of the Palm, the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai skyline. As with W's existing hotels, W Dubai-The Palm will feature W's signature design elements, creating a destination for 'out of town' guests as well as for the sophisticated local business and social community.

"This project cements Starwood's leadership as the premier operator in the Middle East," said Roeland Vos, President of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East. "W Dubai-The Palm is another significant step in W's global expansion and an important step for Starwood in offering our guests ever more unique experiences."

W Dubai-The Palm will have approximately 400 rooms, including suites and the signature W Living Room experience, multiple restaurant outlets, a destination bar and spa, and access to all of the Palm amenities including world class shopping on The Golden Mile, and luxury boat marinas. Guests will indulge in the W signature beds with feather-top mattresses, 350 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and goose down comforters.

They will also be treated to Whatever/Whenever service, the hotel's 24-hour concierge that can provide whatever guests want (from a pair of running shoes to private jet service), whenever they want it. In a complementary move, Al Sharq will also release 200 prestige freehold residences on the Palm Jumeirah, adjacent to the W Dubai-The Palm, featuring 40 metres of pristine beach front and access to the amenities and services of the W Hotel.

The announcement of the W Hotel, in addition to Al Sharq's freehold residences on the Palm Jumeirah, follows hard on the heels of their development projects in Dubailand, Sheikh Zayed Road and Business Bay. These bring Al Sharq's total investment in its current slate of real estate developments to over US$ 2 billion.