Deira Islands to have $160M beach resort

dubai — Nakheel is planning a new partnership with Austria’s largest independent hotel chain, Vienna House, to develop a $160 million resort at Deira Islands.

The 600-room beachfront project will add another international hospitality brand to the emirate’s ever-growing choice of accommodation. News of the planned resort — the first for Vienna House in the Middle East — was outlined at a letter of intent signing in Bangkok, home of Vienna House’s parent company, U City PCL.

Ali Rashid Lootah, chairman of Nakheel; Keeree Kanjanapas, chairman of U City PCL; Piyaporn Phanachet, CEO of U City PCL; and Rupert Simoner, CEO of Vienna International Hotelmanagement, were present at the event.

Under the planned partnership, the two firms will build a unique beachfront holiday complex — Vienna House Deira Beach — at Deira Islands, Nakheel’s new, 15.3sqkm master-planned waterfront city that is transforming the area traditionally known as ‘Old Dubai’ into a worldclass hub for living and tourism.

The planned Vienna House partnership is Naheel’s third hospitality joint venture at Deira Islands. The developer already has 1,400 rooms under way through JVs with Spain’s RIU Hotels and Resorts and Thailand’s Centara Hotels and Resorts. In total, Nakheel has more than 3,600 keys at Deira Islands through existing or upcoming joint ventures or hotel management agreements.

— business@khaleejtimes.com