Source: www.independent.co.uk
Ritz-Carlton has opened its second property in Dubai, adding a new luxury property to an area already struggling to fill its hotels.
The new Ritz-Carlton at Dubai’s International Financial Centre offers 341 rooms and lives up to the luxurious standards which are associated with the Marriott-owned brand – a 1,400 square meter ballroom, a ten storey waterfall and 3000 bottles of fine wine on display across an entire wall of the hotel bar.
Guests can explore restaurant options such as Blue Rain, a Thai restaurant, French brasserie Can Can and the Center Cut steakhouse, along with the Lobby Lounge and Terrace for afternoon tea, choosing between the opulent restaurant interiors or outdoor terraces to make the most of Dubai’s year-round good weather.
For those that need a dip after a day of the beaches or shops, there is a health club, swimming pool and the Ritz-Carlton Spa with 13 treatment rooms and a range of treatments for men and women.
The new property joins Dubai’s well-established range of luxury hotels, led by names such as the Armani Hotel, Jumeirah’s Atlantis and the “seven-star” Burj Al Arab, but recent reports have suggested that despite its top-end offerings, Dubai is still suffering from a shortage of visitors – which could lead to bargains for visitors.
Deloitte warned last month that Dubai will need an extra 2.5 million tourists every year to fill its hotels, with the number of rooms expected to increase 60 percent over the next five years.
If hoteliers cannot fill rooms, they are forced to cut prices and the amount they make per room (known as the revenue per available room, or RevPAR) falls.
According to the most recent data from hotel analyst Smith Travel Research, Dubai’s RevPAR stood at $208.75 in November 2010, an 11.6 percent fall from November 2009 and the largest drop in the Middle East and Africa region.
All this, however, could be good news for consumers looking to enjoy the emirate’s sun, sea and sand.
Early last year, Hotels.com said that Dubai hotel prices has fallen by as much as a quarter compared to 2009, and unless it can attract new visitors fast as the glut of new hotels continues (only two weeks ago Moevenpick opened a new 216-room property), the price of rooms in Dubai is likely to continue to fall.
