Starwood eyes W Dubai Festival City revival next

 EXCLUSIVE: Starwood Hotels and Resorts said it is in talks with its partners over the revival of the stalled W Dubai Festival City Hotel.

 “W Dubai Festival City was placed on-hold by the developers, however, we firmly believe they fully intend to bring this project back to fruition,” a Starwood spokesperson told Hotelier Middle East.

“We are working closely with our owner partner and will be ready when the time is right to begin this development,” the spokesperson added.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide entered into a management agreement for the W Dubai Festival City with project developer Al Futtaim Group in 2006, with the launch of the hotel scheduled for 2008.

The 350-room hotel was intended to form part of Dubai Festival City's delayed 'Marsa al Khor' (Harbour of the Creek) development.

The hotel is Starwood’s third signed Dubai property under the W brand.

On April 26, the operator announced a partnership with Al Habtoor Group to open the W Sheikh Zayed Road in 2017 as part of the Habtoor Palace development on the site of the old Dubai Metropolitan hotel.

Just weeks later on May 8, Starwood said it had revived plans to open a W branded hotel on The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. The project first unveiled in 2006 was subsequently put on hold but has been relaunched and is now scheduled to open in 2016.

With the W Dubai Festival City postponed, W made its regional debut in the Middle East in Doha in 2009.