Emirates will continue to manage Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in Australia?s Blue Mountains, Al Maha is now operated by Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
Hoteliermidddleeast.com has been told that Emirates Hotels and Resorts, operator of Wolgan Valley in Australia and former operator of Al Maha in Dubai, will cease to exist as its own division of the Emirates Group.
“Going forward, all projects that were a part of Emirates Hotels & Resorts, will come directly under the Destination & Leisure Management division; it will not be a stand alone entity,” said a spokesperson for Emirates Group.
Emirates will continue to manage Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in Australia’s Blue Mountains, while management of Al Maha was officially handed over to Starwood Hotels and Resorts at the start of the week.
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The Group handed over the running of its property Harbour Hotels and Residences to Marriot in October last year.
The Cap Ternay project remains in a design stage with no official line on who will be managing the property when it opens.
When asked why Emirates handed over the operation of its Al Maha property, the group said: “We evaluate all our businesses on an ongoing basis. If we feel that there are any areas that can benefit from third party expertise, we will bring them on board.
“Al Maha is a pioneering resort that has changed the face of the hospitality landscape in the UAE with its conservation-based ethos, not only towards its natural environment, but also its rich cultural heritage. Now a part of Starwood Hotels’ The Luxury Collection portfolio, the resort can tap into wider network and achieve its full potential.”
Emirates Group added that it would not be adding to its portfolio of properties as it was “not our strategy at the moment”.
For the interim, the brands formerly within Emirates Hotels & Resorts, Wolgan Valley in Australia, Timeless Spa and the management of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and the Wolgan Valley Wildlife Conservancy, will now fall under the Destination & Leisure Management Division.
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