ALDAR Properties to increase Abu Dhabi hotel offering

These hotels will increase the annual room offering in the city by over 2.2 million - almost doubling its current capacity.

The planned range extends from small boutique hotels through business hotels to major international resorts - everything to cater for the rapidly increasing number of visitors to Abu Dhabi. These hotels will complement the current $5.7 billion international airport expansion currently underway, which is designed to take a minimum of 20 million passengers a year.

ALDAR has already announced its first prestigious waterfront resort Al Gurm, on the western edge of Abu Dhabi Island. The resort hotel will be ALDAR-owned, but operated and managed by the internationally renowned Banyan Tree Group - as their first opening in the UAE. On completion, the resort will have 161 keys and a full supporting restaurant and spa service. Construction work has already commenced.

"ALDAR's initial hotel offering is the first of its kind in the UAE," said ALDAR Chairman Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh.

"Al Gurm Resort will be an exclusive and environmentally friendly development, set within a substantial natural mangrove habitat."

"It has been carefully designed to offer visitors and residents endless opportunities to appreciate and enjoy the beauty and serenity of its surroundings, while providing guest and residential facilities that are truly unique."

ALDAR's recently launched Al Raha Beach development will be home to eight of the company's different hotel projects: two 100 key boutique hotels, two full service business hotels and four limited service hotels. These will be constructed over the next three to five years, with the first hotel fully operational by the end of 2009. In addition, an exclusive Polo Hotel will be located in the adjacent Al Raha Gardens Community.

At the heart of Abu Dhabi lies the new mixed use Central Market re-development, one of ALDAR's principle major current projects. This too will feature select hotel offerings, include one fully-serviced luxury product, one quality limited-service hotel and one luxury hotel apartment complex.