Al Habtoor Group to build an exotic Thai-Balinese luxury resort on Palm Jumeirah.

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1 Jun 2006

Al Habtoor group, one of the prominent business groups in the UAE, is boosting its hotel presence in Dubai with two new hotels and also plan to build a hotel in Abu Dhabi to cater to the capital's growing tourism market.

The company is waiting for the green light from the Palm Jumeirah Island's developer Nakheel to start work on its USD 200 million resort, Al Habtoor chief executive Mohammad Al Habtoor said.

Al Habtoor's US$ 200 million Palm Jumeirah resort.

It has also announced plans to build a 100-storey tower in Business Bay that will house a penthouse boutique hotel. Details of the project are still being worked out and design work is expected to be completed in mid-2007.

"Our hotel room capacity will exceed 2,500 when the Business Bay project is completed," Al Habtoor said. The Al Habtoor Group owns and operates hotels through its subsidiary Habtoor Hospitality.

The company has developed three brands for three different markets. Habtoor Grand Hotels & Resorts are five-star plus properties, while The Metropolitan Palaces are five-star, and the Metropolitans are mid-range hotels.

The group will have a total of 1,700 rooms after the 300-unit Thai-Balinese resort on the Palm is completed. "We are working on the design. We are waiting for the Palm infrastructure to be completed," Al Habtoor said. He said the company is pursuing plans with Abu Dhabi authorities to build a luxury hotel in the capital.

"We have already approached the government. As soon as we find land in an appropriate area, we will start a hotel in Abu Dhabi," he said, adding that the company will consider setting up hotels in other emirates in the future.

The group also has hotel businesses in Britain and Lebanon. Al Habtoor said the company has so far invested more than US$ 350 million in its Beirut properties that include a luxury hotel and the Habtoorland theme park.