The team at Park Inn by Radisson Dubai Motor City claims that the property is the only sports-themed hotel in Dubai. The 146-key hotel, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Al Tawfeeq for Development and Investment (ATDI), opened in Q4 2017, right before the festive season.
The first milestone moment for the general manager Paul Uglesic has been seeing the property evolve from a dusty construction site into a full-fledged operating hotel. Uglesic adds: “Going from a one-man show for a few months to getting a team on board, moving into the hotel and the offices was a great moment.”
The property, however, didn’t come into fruition without some challenges and delays on the way. “The opening date was a moving target – so you think you’re opening and then there’s a bit of a delay.” Uglesic adds.
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In an earlier report by Hotelier Middle East, the hotel was slated to open in Q1 2017 but Uglesic, who was hired in January 2017, says the delays were part of the process: “In any opening, there’s going to be some teething issues but we have taken them in our stride and knocked them off one by one.”
Walking into the lobby, it’s simply impossible to miss the bright red Ferrari hanging upside down on the ceiling. The gleaming racing car is easily the centre of attraction and an Instagram-worthy spot, and Uglesic agrees. Besides the car, the bustling lobby is filled with bright-coloured furniture in pink, blue and yellow and the motor racing theme continues into the hotel’s rooms as well. The lobby cafe’s ceiling is studded with metal tyre rims and the walls are lined with rubber tyres, which coordinates with the colour of the sofas.
The theme continues throughout the hotel including the rooms and suites with race car art hung above the headboards in the rooms. Guests can enjoy a view overlooking the Autodrome race track and the Dubai Marina skyline from the accommodation: 67 standard rooms sized at 25m2, 69 superior rooms and 10 junior suites, all of which come with Apple TV and free high-speed internet. The property also has a health club and spa, while its MICE facilities comprise four meeting rooms, three of which, fitted with large glass windows, directly overlook the racing track.
Read the full story in Hotelier Middle East's February 2018 issue.