Dubai-based developer Meraas yesterday announced plans to build four hotel brands, with two near the upcoming Dh6 billion development at Bluewaters island off the coast of the Jumeirah Beach Residence.
Meraas, in an effort to expand its hotel line, will establish Evado, Re Vera, Vivus and MQ. Re Vera and Vivus, expected to open next year, will be close to Ain Dubai – a London Eye-type attraction at Bluewaters, it said in a statement.
Abdulla Al Habbai, the Meraas group chairman, said that Dubai fostered a hotelier sector on par with international hospitality brands.
“We are confident that the new brands that we’re introducing will enrich the sector, offer modern choices and reinforce Dubai’s position as a leading tourism destination,” he said.
Luxury brands include the boutique Evado and Re Vera, while Vivus aims to grab upper upscale guests and MQ will be an upper-midscale brand.
The company said the new hotels will have “distinct brand attributes with amenities and services carefully curated to cater to the specific needs of travellers and visitors to the cities”, both individuals and families.
Meraas is working on building the island’s community, which will also include premium apartments, penthouses and town houses as well as about 200 expected retail and dining outlets.
It said last month that construction work on the Bluewaters island is now 75 per cent complete, with the project moving on from its structural phase to building finishes.
The company is behind developments that include City Walk, The Beach, Boxpark, Last Exit and The Outlet Village.
Dubai had 681 hotels and hotel apartments at the end of last year, with an increase in visitors over the year of 5 per cent to 14.9 million, according to the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
It had a 12 per cent year-on-year growth over the first two months of this year with 3 million visitors.
lgraves@thenational.ae
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