Habtoor Group streamlines Metropolitan Hotel development
Developer’s attention turning towards construction of replacement hotel as demolition nears completion
Habtoor Group says that has streamlined the design and construction of the three hotels that will replace the Metropolitan Hotel in Dubai as demolition work nears completion.
Excavators have been busy tearing down the hotel located on Sheikh Zayed Road since the end of April and with the process nearing completion, attention is turning to the resort that will replace it.
The Metropolitan first opened in 1968 and over the decades established itself as an institution with residents and visitors to Dubai. It will be replaced by a St Regis, a W hotel and a Westin Hotel.
As owner and developer, project manager Martyn Wild said Habtoor has taken a different approach to the 1,600 key project.
“Usually it is a very inefficient process in the case of hotels because somewhere down the line you are negotiating with an operator who may not like the design. They re-design it and then pass it on to a contractor who will have their own ideas and redesign it again.
“We’ve got the operator, consultant and contrator (sister company HLG) on board at design stage. Instead of designing it three times we’re doing it once.
“We’ve closed a revenue generating hotel so we want it done as efficiently as possible. It’s also a buyer’s market and we’ve got some good deals. It may be risky but it is possible to price on a concept design as along as you know what you’re doing.”
The three hotels are not the only projects on the go for Habtoor, the Waldorf Astoria on the palm is back up and running after the foundations were filled back in after the downturn hit Dubai.
“We’ve brought Hilton in and have redesigned it. That hotel is on ground level now and is 18 months away.”
