Dubai’s iconic Arabian resort Madinat Jumeirah this month celebrates its 10th birthday with a new logo, improved restaurants, refurbished hotels and the birth of its fourth property, which will mark the completion of the family. Resort general manager Margaret Paul reveals why this year is such a magical milestone both for Jumeirah Group, and for her personally
It’s no wonder that since it was established 10 years ago this month, Madinat Jumeirah has upheld its reputation as the first port of call for visitors to Dubai looking for an authentic taste of Arabia. Connected by three kilometres of waterways and landscaped gardens, and set across its own private beach, Madinat Jumeirah – the Arabian Resort of Dubai radiates a certain magic normally reserved for fairy tales.
Guests zig-zag through the candlelit corridors of Souk Madinat Jumeirah, up winding staircases and over foot-bridges taking in an Aladdin’s cave of stalls selling candles, trinkets, jewels and Persian slippers.
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They idle at the side of lapping waters, watching lazy dhows float up and downstream, dropping and picking up visitors from the 40 or more restaurants and bars along the way. Thirty per cent of these visitors come back year after year to stay at the hotels, Al Qasr and Mina A’Salam, as well as the Dar Al Masyaf comprising 29 summer houses, and seven Malakiya Villas.
And then there are the added extras such as Talise Spa and Talise Fitness, and extensive conference and banqueting facilities with two grand ballrooms, a 1000-seat Amphitheatre and a dedicated entertainment centre and multi-purpose venue, Madinat Arena.
Soon Madinat Jumeirah will be an even more attractive prospect to visitors, as it enters phase four of development with the birth of another grandiose hotel — the name of which is expected to be revealed soon. Resort general manager Margaret Paul assures that while “the fourth baby” will have its own identity in terms of architecture and look and feel, “it will blend with the other hotels in the resort”.
“It will look as if it has always been there. It’s similar in height to Mina A’Salam so not a high rise – it goes up to the seventh floor. It’s on a piece of land facing Burj Al Arab and the ocean so it’s a winner already. A lot of the rooms will be ocean-facing.
“Each of the hotels has its own personality and character, so they are quite different, which is why they’re so successful.”
Piling has been completed on the site and the main construction of the 434-room hotel has commenced. Paul has seen a plan and two model rooms for the property, which is set for a quarter one 2016 opening, and while no team has been appointed for the yet, having experts from the other hotels to hand means Paul is not alone.
“The beauty is that I have expertise at my fingertips. I think it’s a little early to talk launch, but that’s the excitement of a new hotel. You get these creative juices flowing,” she comments.
While this abundance of expertise is a blessing for Paul during a pre-opening, managing communications and brand alignment with 3200 colleagues across the resort was admittedly her biggest challenge when she first took on the role two years ago.
“I think communication is very important and I think that one of the biggest challenges when I arrived was to think about how I was going to communicate to such a big audience.
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