NEWS

Close on the heels of the launch of the world's first Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa, Emaar Properties, the developer of the mixed-use tower, has handed over homes to buyers of Armani Residences, who now have the world's most prestigious address.

Guests staying at The Address Downtown Dubai, The Palace The Old Town, The Address Dubai Mall, The Address Dubai Marina and The Address Montgomerie Dubai can enjoy complimentary priority access to The Dubai Malls famous attractions such as Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, SEGA Republic, KidZania, Dubai Ice Rink and At the Top, Burj Khalifa.

Emaar Hospitality Groups five star premium hotel brand, The Address Hotels + Resorts, has appointed Mr Thomas Norberg as the General Manager of The Address Dubai Mall.

Emaar Properties, the country’s largest developer, has started to send letters to owners of units in the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, warning that they will lose their apartments and 40 per cent of the property’s value if they fail to pay their overdue instalments within two weeks.

Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, announced that customers applying for personal or priority banking products or services at any of the four Emirates NBD branches in the Burj Khalifa area, will have several opportunities to win a ‘stay for two’ at the Jal Fujairah Resort and Spa, located on the east coast of the UAE.

The 75-year-old designer opened his first hotel at the world's tallest tower in Dubai last month and plans a new hotel in Milan in 2011, as he keeps investors guessing on the future of his company.

With the Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa pulling in hundreds of tourists each day, Downtown has come into its own in the past year.

Dubai is the first in a series of at least 10 Armani Hotels which will pop up around the world’s holiday destinations, including Milan, Marrakech, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai and London where “Armani will share his dream” . And the pocket burn is in line with the brand’s image. The tariff for a night stay starts at AED 2800 (Rs 34,163) plus tax and climbs up to AED 9000 (Rs 1,09,840) for a larger suite.

Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality & leisure subsidiary of global property developer Emaar Properties PJSC, won six awards at the World Travel Awards 2010 with Emaar Hospitality being voted as the ‘Middle East’s Leading Tourism Property Development Company,’ and The Address Hotels + Resorts winning awards for all its properties in Dubai.

Giorgio Armani has built one of the world's greatest fashion empires and bagged over $5bn along the way. Mohamed Alabbar turned Emaar into one of the world's biggest property developers. So what happened when both men met in Milan? Anil Bhoyrul talks to the two icons.