ME by Melia Dubai to open in Q4 2018

ME by Meliá's first property in the United Arab Emirates, ME by Meliá Dubai, is set to open in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Designed by the late architect Dame Zaha Hadid in partnership with luxury developer Omniyat, ME Dubai will be part of the 95-metre high Opus building in the Burj Khalifa district in Downtown Dubai.

ME Dubai will consist of 93 rooms and suites, across 19 floors, including the Suite ME, as well as 98 serviced apartments and will be led by GM Stefan Viard.

The lifestyle hotel will also offer 15 restaurants, including Roka, the contemporary Japanese robatayaki restaurant.

Gabriel Escarrer, vice chairman and CEO, at Spain-based Meliá Hotels International, said: “We are incredibly excited to open ME Dubai, our first property in the Middle East, in partnership with Omniyat to bring Zaha Hadid’s vision to life.”

Mahdi Amjad, chairman and CEO at Omniyat, added: “The architectural wonder of The Opus requires a hotel partner that can resonate with its design and lifestyle appeal. We’re very proud and happy that ME by Melia is that partner and look forward to the first ME hotel in the region opening in The Opus.”

There are currently ME by Meliá hotels in Miami, Milan, London, Ibiza, Mallorca, Madrid and Cabo, with further openings in Sitges in 2018 and Barcelona in 2019.

In August this year, the company also announced Yannis Homenidis as the new general manager for its Meliá Dubai hotel. Homenidis took over from previous hotel manager Saurabh Tiwari.

Meliá Hotels International has released its nine-month 2017 financial results which show it has increased profits by 23.3% and improved margins and sales efficiency, consolidating a business model focused on hotel management.