Month: June 2018
Sofitel Luxury Hotels has opened its first Abu Dhabi hotel and its second property in the United Arab Emirates.
The Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche is located on the seafront on the eastern tip of Abu Dhabis Corniche and tourists staying at the new property will have access to Saadiyat Island and Yas Island.
The latest addition to the already reputable collection of luxury Abu Dhabi hotels is part of the new Capital Plaza Complex and the building boasts contemporary architecture and design.
The chief executive of Sofitel Worldwide, Robert Gaymer-Jones, commented: I am particularly happy to be welcoming this new flagship hotel to our network.
The Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche is a precious asset for the brand both in the Middle East and internationally.
In addition to its strategic location in Abu Dhabi, its design based on contemporary art with some well-known French artists has ensured that this establishment is totally in line with the country strategic positioning.
When guests of the new hotel first arrive to their holidays in Abu Dhabi, they will be greeted in the lobby which features beautiful paintings from Pierre Soulages, a French artist known as the painter of black, as well as lithographs from Jean Cocteau and sculptures inspired by Brancusi.
The luxury hotel has 282 rooms and suites with modern dcor, furnishings and amenities, plus facilities including the Club Millesime Lounge, three gourmet restaurants with a wide choice of international and regional cuisine, three elegant bars, and 2,600-square-metres of meeting space.
During Abu Dhabi holidays at the Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche guests can walk across the bridge and head to Saadiyat Island, an up and coming world class leisure, residential, business and tourism hub. The natural island spans 27-square-kilometres of land, and development is being carried out in different stages until 2020.
The island is home to iconic landmarks; marinas with berths for up to 1,000 boats; two championship golf courses; civic and leisure facilities; over three million square-metres of office space; sea-view residential apartments and villas; luxury hotels; and tourist attractions such as the Guggenheim and the Louvre museums, the Zayed National Museum and the Manarat Al Saadiyat visitor centre.
Holidaymakers can also reach Yas Island from the new hotel in Abu Dhabi where they can visit Yas Marina, Yas Marina Circuit, and Ferrari World.
It will now be Reliance Industries catering to your needs when you fine dine at The Trident or lay back in the lap of luxury at The Oberoi Hotel. Reliance Industries Limited, led by Mukesh Ambani, Asias richest man, announced that it had bought a 14.12 per cent stake in EIH Limited, which owns and manages several hotels in the country including the Oberoi and The Trident brands.
The acquisition was made through RIL’s wholly-owned subsidiary Reliance Industries Investment and Holding Private Limited from Oberoi Hotels Private Limited and certain other promoters of EIH Limited a statement from the company said.
“RIL’s investment in EIH Limited has been made as the Oberoi family had developed the ‘Oberoi Hotels’ brand into a premier international brand in the luxury hospitality sector and as a result EIH Limited has excellent future prospects,” the statement added.
The entire deal has set back RIL by a whooping Rs. 1,021 Crores. But knowing Reliance, one cannot be surprised at the enormity of the figures the deal has witnessed. Reliance is a very diverse and flexible company, a fact which is again proven by the mentioned deal.
In a statement, RIL said that the investment in EIH Limited had been made as the Oberoi family had developed the Oberoi Hotels brand into a premier international brand in the luxury hospitality sector. The company noted that EIH Limited has excellent future prospects. The statement also said that there would be no change of management, operation or control of EIH Limited.
RIL is likely to get one seat on the board of EIH Limited for its stake. Sources said that there was no immediate plan for an open offer. Sources also confirmed that this was a strategic investment and probably the first step for the petrochemical major to enter the hospitality segment.
Now with Mr. Ambani investing aggressively in the hospitality business, it would be interesting to know whether his competitors follow lead and this inception triggers a series of aggressive investments mounting to huge amounts. Only time will tell what is in store. But for the moment, its Reliance at your service.