Viceroy Yas Abu Dhabi has promised to raise the bar for the Formula 1 event in the UAE capital in November.
The third Grand Prix since Viceory has managed the hotel will be the best so far, according to regional president at Viceroy Hotel, Anton Bawab.
“The first F1 for us we had only been there for six weeks, so we were very keen to make sure we honoured all the commitments made to the guests,” he explained.
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“We did not push the envelope with what we could do with the property - we just had to get it right and we were very successful.”
While Michelin-star chefs and entertainment created a buzz and the following year the company “took it up a notch”, Bawab said this year “we are taking it up two notches”.
“We are making sure we are capitalising on every space we have at the hotel and ensuring the programming there is relevant,” he explained.
“So we have the podium lounge coming to one of our pool decks and then Cirque du Soir coming into Rush; we have activated our venues for the post-race footfall.
“We discovered we can afford more people walking in and out of the hotel.”
At the time of speaking last month, Bawab confirmed that room sales, while not sold out, were ahead of pace.
And as a region with short lead times he asserted “we will book up no question”.
“We have about 50-70 rooms that are booked by people who live here who just don’t want to go home because they are entertaining,” Bawab continued.
“If you are a chairman and you have 20 guests staying at the hotel you will stay as well because you want to be able to enjoy dinner, the concert or the lounge and then just retire to your room.”
He also said that the Grand Prix was “the real international class event that the UAE puts on”.
“The golf is great, the rugby sevens is great, The World Cup, but this really draws in the international crowd and really puts Abu Dhabi back on the map. The number of partnerships and sponsorship and viewership on TV is staggering.”
Other extras this year will include additional TV monitors to follow the race details as well as a new hotel lightshow.
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