Dubai’s new landmark of luxury, Grosvenor House, takes shape

With less than a year to go until the opening of the first hotel on Dubai Marina, the 45-storey property is already set to become another landmark on the city’s skyline, according to its general manager Pam Wilby.

She said the Grosvenor House West Marina Beach by Le Meridien will aim to be Dubai’s first ‘grand hotel’, following in the tradition of many of Europe’s renowned hotels that set the standards for hospitality more than 100 years ago.

“With the rapid development of the hospitality sector in Dubai, we have to create something very different – giving the hotel a distinctive identity that will complement its location and striking tower design,” said Wilby.

By October, the management team will take over the first 15 floors of the hotel for fitting out, and work is well underway on restaurant themes and designs that will be a key feature of Grosvenor House.

Wilby explained: “We have developed a range of food & beverage offerings that are different from those already on offer in our sister property, Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa. With both properties, guests and apartment residents will have a choice of more than 25 outlets in future – a menu of unrivalled variety even in Dubai.”

The hotel will have 217 sea-facing rooms, while the 205 apartments will offer stunning marina views, and three of the signature touches will be plasma televisions in all rooms, personalised butler service and 24-hour room service from all outlets, in addition to the use of beach and pool facilities at the adjacent resort.

The top 11 floors will be dedicated to the Grosvenor Club, premium executive accommodation whose guests will also have access to the 44th floor dedicated lounge that will provide an unrivalled observation deck over Dubai.

All rooms and conference facilities will incorporate broadband internet access and the latest technology – so up-to-date that Wilby said it will not be sourced until the very last minute to ensure that Grosvenor House is at the cutting edge of technology.

“Even those guests who come to Dubai on holiday still expect to have global access and we will ensure that the hotel does not disappoint in this respect,” said Wilby. “We will create a modern classic, one that takes the best from the past but marries this contemporary design and innovation.”

Another unique signature will be the fourth floor – dedicated to health, spa and personal grooming. The health and spa will have a total of 10 treatment rooms for men and ladies offering the latest spa treatments as well as a hair and nail studio, rasuls hydropools, steam, sauna and jacuzzi, plus private rooms for those who seek an indulgent day of pampering.

A ballroom with all facilities for large scale events, plus meeting rooms and syndicate meeting rooms with state of the art technology, will complete Grosvenor House’s list of attractions, all designed to cater to the requirements of its expected clientele.

“We planned for a 60:40 split between business and tourism, but the exceptional demand from the leisure markets in Europe in particular means we may launch with a stronger leisure element,” said Wilby.

“Even our one- and two-bedroom apartments are expected to appeal to tourists who can enjoy all the resort amenities, but within a differently luxurious environment.”

Meanwhile at its sister property Le Royal Meridien, succession planning has already started which will see 25 per cent of the staff being transferred to Grosvenor House, and the recruitment of the rest of the 800 staff has also started.

“Up to 200 staff have indicated a desire to move across, so now we are planning both to replace these team members as well as recruit the additional numbers needed for the new hotel,” said Wilby.