Rmal Hospitality announces first Abu Dhabi resort managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Abu Dhabi-based Rmal Hospitality- the hospitality division of the Al Fahim Group - in alliance with the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), the tourism asset development arm of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA, recently announced the appointment of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (Fairmont) to operate its first five-star property, located in the UAE capital - at a signing ceremony held in the Abu Dhabi stand during the World Travel Market in London.

The 369 room low-rise luxury urban resort will showcase the best in contemporary design to create an iconic hospitality landmark. Positioned at the mainland gateway to the city, the property is scheduled to open in late 2008.

"This is yet another step forward in Abu Dhabi's strategy of attracting world-class brands to the capital and of significantly increasing its five-star hospitality inventory," said His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of ADTA and TDIC.

"In Al Fahim Group we have a trusted partner with a strong track record in the hospitality industry and in-depth knowledge of the local market and its requirements going forward."

The striking contemporary resort will feature 324 rooms and 45 stylish suites, including two exclusive penthouses, as well as extensively landscaped leisure facilities with a freeform pool, signature spa and world-class portfolio of restaurants featuring some of Rmal Hospitality's leading brands.

Additional facilities will include state-of-the-art meeting space, a 1000-seater capacity ballroom - with private and public entrances - designed to handle large-scale weddings and VIP launches, and top drawer executive floor services.

Commenting on behalf of Rmal Hospitality, Aamer Al Fahim, executive director of Al Fahim Group said, "Our business strategy is to form alliances with leading organisations such as the ADTA, TDIC and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, in order to secure our position as one of the leading hospitality providers in the Middle East.

"The solid foundations already established by the Al Fahim Group and the creation of our dedicated hotel and restaurant development division, Rmal Hospitality, have allowed us to move ahead with our expansion plans, and achieve a great deal of success within a short space of time."

The company operates an extensive franchise portfolio in the MENA and China regions, and represents a collaboration of specially selected brands. The addition of the Abu Dhabi property, managed by the leading Fairmont group, is yet another step forward in the growth of the company's asset portfolio.

"Fairmont is committed to providing the Gulf market with exceptional hotels and has successfully established our company in the Middle East. Today's appointment reinforces Fairmont as one of the leading luxury hotel brands within the region and we look forward to working with Rmal Hospitality on this landmark project to deliver the distinctive service and experience for which Fairmont is known," said James Kaplan, Senior Vice President, Development EAME, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International.

"Fairmont has a proven track record of operating luxury hotels in the Middle East and is the perfect operator to manage our first hotel," concluded Al Fahim.