The Address Hotels and Resorts signs first management contract with Jnan Amar Polo Retreat in Morocco

Scheduled to open in 2011 and spread over 40 hectares, Jnan Amar Polo Retreat is developed by SIAMA (Morocco), the subsidiary of AAH Group, and is billed to be an exclusive polo spa-retreat that will strengthen high-quality tourism in the region.

In its first management contract internationally, The Address Hotels and Resorts will manage the luxury 5 star retreat hotel including the dining facilities, meeting venues, leisure facilities and business lounge, as well as several luxury villas.

Mr Azmi Abdelhadi, Founder and President of AAH Group and Mr Marc Dardenne, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group, signed the management agreement in Dubai. Also present were Mr Abdelatif Abdelhadi, Chief Executive Officer, Abdelhadi & AlMoiabed Consulting and Design Engineering (AMCDE) and Vice President of AAH Group; Mr Ammar Abdelhadi, General Manager, SIAMA; Mr Patrick Heuze, Senior Director - Hospitality Asset Management & Development, Emaar Properties PJSC; Mr Ayman Kacem, General Manager, Jnan Amar Polo Retreat; and Mr José Angel Olmo of Oktels Group, the masterplan consultants of the project.

Mr Azmi Abdelhadi said:

"Jnan Amar Polo Retreat is envisaged as a powerful growth driver for tourism in the Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz region in Morocco, and the varied luxury components of the project will create a new lifestyle dynamic to the region. The Address Hotels and Resorts, with its established credentials as an international hospitality provider, is a perfect partner in achieving our goals of offering luxury facilities to our guests."

Mr Dardenne said: "The partnership with Jnan Amar marks the first management contract for The Address Hotels and Resorts, a 5 star premium hotel brand. This is a reiteration of our founding objectives to be a global hospitality provider offering clear differentials as is demonstrated by our flagship property The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai."

Mr Ammar Abdelhadi added: "Jnan Amar has five focal areas of tourism - cultural, business, meetings and incentives, health & well-being and sports and recreation. It was therefore important for us to have a partner that has diverse strengths in managing all these aspects. The Address Hotel and Resorts has proven its competencies in all these aspects of hospitality, making it our ideal choice."

Jnan Amar will essentially have two components - the hotel and the villas, all set amidst an extensive lake and polo field. The retreat property will cater for Moroccan customers as well as international investors and tourists from Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa region.

Mr Heuze said: "The retreat hotel at Jnan Amar will have 60 luxury rooms including two presidential suites and 16 private villas. Several specialized food and beverage amenities are also being planned in addition to a sprawling ball room and modern business lounge. There will be a diverse range of leisure facilities too including a golf driving range and polo field, all of which will leverage Emaar Hospitality Group's diverse capabilities in the hospitality & leisure sector."

The three-and five -bedroom villas are designed to international luxury standards, and will feature a range of modern guest amenities designed to enhance the lifestyle experience.

The Address Hotels and Resorts will complement the strategic positioning of the property and emphasise on providing tangible benefits to guests. "Our brand is guided by three operational philosophies - a great location, superior customer service and providing tangible benefits. These three will the guiding factors in the management of the Jnan Amar Polo Retreat villas and hotel too," explained Mr Dardenne.

The Jnan Amar Polo Retreat will further build on the established capabilities of The Address Hotels and Resorts in developing and operating retreat-style projects. The hotel operator has already opened The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai to international acclaim, and will soon open The Address, Dubai Mall and The Address, Dubai Marina.

Emaar Hospitality Group owns and manages a diversified portfolio of hospitality assets such as hotels, serviced residences, golf resorts, a polo and equestrian club, recreation clubs, and the Dubai Marina Yacht Club and Marinas.