Ramzy Fenianos, director of acquisitions & development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Middle East; Kareem Nagy Hassan, CEO, Al Ain Club Investment Company; and Neil George, senior VP acquisitions & development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Africa and Middle East. Ramzy Fenianos, director of acquisitions & development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Middle East; Kareem Nagy Hassan, CEO, Al Ain Club Investment Company; and Neil George, senior VP acquisitions & development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Africa and Middle East.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with the Al Ain Club Investment Company to open a new 172-room Aloft hotel in Al Ain in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Scheduled to debut in 2016, Aloft Al Ain will be the second Aloft hotel in the UAE joining Aloft Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2009, and will be the first Starwood hotel to open in Al Ain.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts EMEA president Michael Wale said: “I would like to thank Al Ain Club Investment Company for putting their trust in Starwood as we bring the Aloft brand to Al Ain, furthering the brand’s footprint in the UAE. Starwood recently celebrated the opening of its 75th Aloft hotel and we see huge potential for this stylish, affordable mid-market brand to grow in the UAE and throughout the Middle East.”

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Aloft Al Ain will become part of a 500,000 square metre mixed-use development around the iconic 25,000-seater Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, which was inaugurated last month. The development will include office space, residential units, sports and family entertainment areas, retail shops and food and beverage venues.

Kareem Nagy Hassan, CEO of Al Ain Club Investment Company added: “Our aim is to create a pioneering entertainment and tourism destination, especially for sport enthusiasts and families, in Al Ain. With the stadium as the central hub, the new master plan will provide an exclusive combination of living, working and healthy lifestyle in one location and it is only fitting that we have Starwood’s Aloft Al Ain as our flagship hotel. Aloft Al Ain will offer a unique experience and outstanding hospitality within this brand new development. We are excited to work with Starwood and look forward to a fruitful long-term partnership.”