The Hilton Abu Dhabi could be on track for a major overhaul towards the end of this year, as hospitality consultants weigh up the building’s viability.
The 35-year old property, located on the UAE capital's Corniche, could change hands or use under a new plan which will see owners maximise the space and land available.
“We have used two different consultants to look at the best use for that property,” Richard Riley, CEO of owner Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH), told sister publication Arabian Business.
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“We’ve got a [Jumeirah] Etihad Towers, we’ve got a St. Regis and we’ve got a lot of new hotels along the strip, so we want to make sure we maximise that beautiful property. There’s also a very large car park behind it, there’s a lot of developable land there.
“But we haven’t made any [concrete] plans yet. The reality is we will move rather carefully because we need the market to settle.”
Asked if the building would continue to operate as a hotel, Riley said discussions had not yet taken place at board level.
He added that decisions had also not been made on whether to sign up a new operator, but hinted that this could be a possibility.
“The Hilton has been there for almost 35 years so there’s a lot of brand equity in having the Hilton brand there, but that doesn’t mean [it must remain].”
Abu Dhabi has long been trying to establish itself as a tourism hub in a bid to diversify its economy away from oil and boost its overall GDP.
However, the emirate has recently opened a large number of luxury hotels which threaten to undermine nearby properties.
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