Construction on the Al Habtoor City Complex began in 2013, and it was two years later that the ambitious project began to see returns, with The St. Regis Dubai being the first venue at the complex to open its doors at the end of 2015.

Following that was the W Dubai Al Habtoor City, which had its soft opening this summer.

The launch of The Westin Dubai Al Habtoor City is imminent, with the F&B options in The Atrium slowly springing to life, and La Perle Dragone scheduled for a March 2017 debut.

The project has been an immense undertaking, and one in which different players have been invested in a variety of ways — from the general managers at the tri-branded Starwood hotels on-site, to the La Perle Dragone launch team and the artist behind the region’s first resident show.

Hotelier Middle East meets all the players from the different venues within the complex to find out what they plan for the development, and how all of it ties together with Dubai Tourism’s mandate for the city.

The St. Regis Dubai

Al Habtoor City — Hotels complex commercial director Seema Pande is a confident woman, one who oversees a vast empire: Dubai’s first St. Regis, the UAE’s first W hotel and the largest Westin in the Middle East collectively offer nearly 1,600 rooms, 18 restaurants and lounges, two spas, 34 meeting and banqueting spaces and three ballrooms.

It’s no easy task, yet Pande, recently appointed to her role, is up for the challenge. As we photograph her in The St. Regis Dubai’s Churchill Suite, it’s clear that more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry in the UAE is set to be an asset.

She reveals that the complex has seen strong performance from traditional markets right across the GCC, including KSA, Asia Pacific led by the Indian market, Europe, specifically the UK, and China. “In terms of emerging markets, we have seen demand coming from Latin America and Africa too,” she adds.

Another demand driver is the push towards being seen as a MICE destination. Pande admits this is of importance, with facilities catering to a range of sizes. The St. Regis Dubai, for example, has six meeting rooms including the 800m2 Astor Ballroom. W Dubai Al Habtoor City has a 725m2 ballroom, with five studios for small meetings. At The Westin Dubai Al Habtoor City, there will be 14 meeting rooms of various sizes, as well as a 1,450m2 ballroom with a separate entrance and pre-function hall.

Pande comments: “The Dubai calendar is busy all year round, with international and regional exhibitions and conferences. Recently, we have seen strong demand from Asia with citywide conferences and it’s clear that international corporations are choosing Dubai as a destination for their major events.”

Combining hospitality, entertainment and residential developments, Pande says that Al Habtoor City has a lot to offer.

“It’s our vision that Al Habtoor City will be the new ‘go to’ destination on Sheikh Zayed Road,” she concludes.

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