For many years, the iconic Palm
Jumeirah has been linked in our minds with the seven-star hotel Atlantis. In
the last two months, however, two new hotels have opened on the Palm, set to
attract thousands of new residents and visitors to the man-made island. The One
& Only hotel, with rooms that cost over 3,500 AED a night, opened its doors
in November 2010, with many of its rooms and shore-front villas booked over the
winter holidays. The second addition, the Zabeel Saray Hotel, is set to open
this month. The Zabeel Saray, with interiors inspired by the Ottoman Empire,
has stunning views of the sea and a range of restaurants including Turkish,
Indian and Vietnamese cuisines.
This comes at a time of recovery
in the leisure industry as hotel revenues in Dubai rose by 15 percent in the
last quarter of 2010. The travel and leisure industry is rewarding and with
several new hotels, including the Royal Amwaj Resort, due for completion by the
end of summer, Dubai is in a good position to compete with many other destinations.
With new hotels planned to open in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Oman and with strong
competition from in-demand holiday destinations like Singapore and Thailand,
these hotels will help Palm Jumeirah stay on the map.
