HIGHEST OUTDOOR INFINITY POOL SETS NEW RECORD IN DUBAI AT 964FT

Dubai’s latest iconic skyscraper, the Address Beach Resort, has broken two records, one of which being an extraordinary outdoor infinity pool which is located almost 300m up in the air.

Dubai is one of the leading cities in the world when it comes to extraordinary architecture.

From the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa standing at 828 m (2,716 ft 6 in) tall, to the world’s largest frame building measuring 150.23 m (492 ft 10 in) tall and 95.53 m (313 ft 5 in) wide.

And it seems like the city is not slowing down anytime soon!

The Address Beach Resort, one of the latest additions to the Dubai skyline, has broken the record for the highest outdoor infinity pool in a building in the world.

The infinity pool is located on the resort’s rooftop at 293.90 m (964 ft 2 in) up.

The wet surface area is approximately 560 square metres, giving it the appearance of a massive lake in the sky.

The pool has a volume of approximately 500 cubic metres and is 1.2 metres deep at its deepest point.

But the pool isn’t the only record-breaking feature of the Address Beach Resort.

In addition to the record-breaking pool, the 77th-floor rooftop provides an amazing panoramic view of the cities most iconic landmarks such as the Bluewater’s Island, Palm Jumeirah, the World Islands, Dubai’s Dubai Marina Coastline, the Burj Al Arab and across the Arabian Gulf Sea.

Next to the floating lake, the rooftop is home to ZETA Seventy Seven, an Asian restaurant with a seafood-inspired menu.

The Address Beach Resort is part of a 77-storey twin tower project alongside the Address Beach Residences.

Both towers are joined at their base from the 1st level to the 13th and linked again at the top by a skybridge from the 63rd level to the 77th.

The skybridge has broken the record for the highest occupiable skybridge floor at 294.36 m (965.7 ft).

The skybridge hosts luxurious and serviced residential apartments.

The entire project was developed by Al Ain Holding and consists of 217 hotel rooms and suites, 443 serviced apartments, and 478 residential apartments.

“We are very honored to have received this accolade. The Guinness World Records titles positions Address Hotels and Resorts at the epitome of luxury and within bucket list destinations for travelers. With the opening of ZETA Seventy Seven, our diners will have an unmatched view of the city alongside with some great food.” - Mark Kirby, Head of hospitality at Emaar

After 16 successful years of operation, the Park Hyatt Dubai will undergo a complete renovation to its lobby, rooms and suites. Merging with the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club in the same complex, the new Dubai Creek Resort is gearing up to be one of the most luxurious lifestyle destinations in the emirate.

The Dubai Creek Resort houses Dubai Creek Golf, Park Hyatt Dubai, Dubai Creek Marina, Creek Golf Residences, Dubai Creek Academies, Amara Spa, and all F&B venues within one destination.

Hotelier Middle East was the first to talk to Park Hyatt Dubai’s recently-promoted hotel manager on the news. Luis Cobo said merging with the immaculate golf course was a no-brainer.

He said: “What we’re really envisioning here is the merger between Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and Park Hyatt Dubai. The Park Hyatt Dubai has been run independently for 16 years and we did not have any relation with Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, which includes its marina, restaurants, tennis areas and villas. So we thought, why don’t we just merge the entire resort under the Hyatt umbrella?

“It made a lot of sense, why have two directors of engineering, two directors of securities, and so on? It’s the same complex with one entrance. That [merger] happened already in 2019 so the entire complex is already merged under Hyatt. It’s been very successful already. We have a lot of golfers in our high season so they have additional benefits from staying.”

The renovation will be done in stages, with Cobo’s goal to contend with the “big boys” of Dubai hospitality.

He continued: “The hotel itself is aging in a very nice way, the guests love it like that. But we are in Dubai and we need to renovate if we want to compete with the big boys. Once we get all the approvals, we will go ahead and fully renovate.

“We’re going to renovate half of the hotel next year and the other half in 2023. We’re working on a lobby renovation as well. That arrival experience will roll out next year and it’s going to have things such as afternoon tea upon arrival.

“All the resources have been integrated already.”

A gradual evolution of the Park Hyatt experience

Since the hotel itself already boasts so much space and has such a striking exterior, Cobo has no intention of completely starting anew. Instead, the change is a gradual evolution of the property, with subtle upgrades along the way to create a cohesive lifestyle destination.

He explained: “For us what is really important is creating a destination – the Dubai Creek Resort. We can start changing the look and feel of the resort.”

As a hotel that has been around since 2005 with a long list of loyal patrons over that time, Cobo promised that the resort will retain its original charm, while still responding to the modern demands of the industry.

He stated: “We will keep the charm of the hotel, we will keep the nature and its DNA. The hotel itself is beautiful, it’s a sanctuary in Dubai.”

He went on to explain how interior design firm HBA will be renovating the interiors, a core part of any hotel transformation.

He said: “The design is very contemporary but yet has an Arabic feel along with its Mediterranean roots. The courtyard will be opened up with a glass top. The lobby will really have a contemporary Arabic feel.

“Technology is very important, so we’re incorporatingall these new elements into the renovation. In rooms, we’re integrating walk-in minibars – I’m a true believer of a good minibar in hotels. They have to be fun and exciting, not just KitKats! We’re using organic, locally sourced products in our bars. I want our guests to walk into a minibar space in their room and feel a vibe, feel the fun.”

For the villas now under Park Hyatt Dubai’s remit also, there are equally lavish plans. The appeal of the villas has rocketed since the pandemic, spurred by a greater demand for privacy, as well as new perks associated with Park Hyatt operations.

Cobo said: “Our 92 villas are all occupied and there are another 20 families on the waiting list for them.

“Villa guests are very happy as now they have easy access to all the Hyatt restaurants. Services have been elevated too. In fact, we’re planning to build more villas as 92 just isn’t enough anymore.

“We’re going to redesign and rebrand 27 of our villas to have a similar look and feel to the resort itself. These 27 villas are going to be top-notch and we’re working on two royal villas near the Twiggy by La Cantine area.”

Turning the resort back into a gastronomic powerhouse

Park Hyatt Dubai had a turning point for its F&B this year. The monumental success of Twiggy by La Cantine opened Cobo’s eyes to the power of trendy – and collaborative – restaurants.

Moving forward, he revealed that upgrading F&B is potentially the single most important change for the new Dubai Creek Resort.

Opening with Twiggy by La Cantine, he said: “It’s by the same guys as La Cantine so it’s really fantastic. It’s been an incredible success in terms of numbers and the crowd we get as well is phenomenal.

“We are looking at bringing in more collaborations like we did at Twiggy by La Cantine.

“We want to add more F&B offerings, there are 11 outlets at the moment covering all sorts of cuisines, but we want Indian cuisine to be with us. That’s why we’re opening The Cinnamon Club, part of a very successful and historic venue in London. We’re building it here in our former cafe and that’s opening mid-October.”

Setting his sights on the venues within the wider Dubai