NEW OPENING: Dubai's Ocean View hotel, JBR

Scottish-themed bar and restaurant Girders.

Ready for battle
Armed with its talented workforce, family focus, a design-led fit-out and six original F&B venues, the hotel is hoping to make its mark in the popular Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) stretch, but in a much more competitive market to the one in which the Oasis Beach Hotel operated.

Chef Fries isn’t put off by the fierce competition in the area; he’s ready for battle.

“We want to attract diners, we want to steal them from other restaurants – we’re in a location where there are other hotels and maybe 150 restaurants in front of our door and these are our competitors,” he says.

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Since the days of the Oasis Beach Hotel, heavy traffic has also become a widely-discussed issue in the area, with future developments — including a nearby shopping and restaurant complex due to open in 12-18 months — adding to the problem.

“We’re liaising closely with the property management company for the area and they’re looking to change some of the traffic-management systems,” reassures Harley-Fleming.
The hotel will also be offering a valet-parking service for its underground car park.
The public beach is a hotspot for tourists during the cool winter months, but Ocean View will offer guests their own beach area via a complimentary shuttle service to sister hotel Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa.

“This works well because you can use Ocean View Hotel as a base for shopping, culture, a lazy day on the beach — we’re central, offering something different everyday.

But with a number of new areas in Dubai, including The Palm, establishing themselves as mini-destinations over the past four years, Hotelier asks if The Walk has maintained its former glory from the days of the Oasis Beach Hotel.

“With the public beach and the only outdoor shopping area precinct as such, I don’t think it will lose its appeal,” says Harley-Fleming.

“The Walk is becoming a destination with some of the international markets too, so when we’ve talked about Dubai, they know The Walk. It’s a landmark on its own,” he says.

The five-star neighbours are likely to agree, but Radosevic believes they’re not a threat: “Rate wise we have positioned ourselves just under the five-star competition in the area, about 10% difference, which is as a great strategy offering great value for money,” she concludes.

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