Dubai best Hotels

The Atlantis Hotel (The Palm, Dubai), is one of those hotels so close to a movie set or cruise ship in terms of design and interior decoration many travelers forgo the pleasure and rate the experience “OTT, “Over The Top”. For some five star hotel (in some cases seven star) hotel accommodations prices, some vacationers want that quality of excessive drama. To some people luxury travel is refined. To others, it means emphasis and spectacle.

Visitors to Dubai seem to be flirting between the same group of choices. The known stellar luxury of the Burj Al Arab is tempered by its prices. The Al-Maha Desert Resort is not for the OTT traveler, who may be outraged at the isolation and seven star prices for safari tents. And other couples have to navigate which hotel will be overfull of young people whose parents are intent on avoiding them.The Emirates Palace is almost a walking tour to the room/suite, the ultimate in bragging rights premium travel. And then there is the Atlantis.

The Atlantis Jumeirah Palm Hotel cultivates the motif of elegance and spectacle all Dubai luxury hotels have. Dubai is hardly a town full of chops counters, bake shops, laundrettes and gas stations. Therefore guests and visitors must rely on staff to do everything for them. Chauffeurs, concierges, butlers, cooks, dry cleaning, everything must be procured by hotel staff. The cruise ship model of cultural dining, atrium shopping, enclosed cinemas and luxurious rooms nobody ever wants to leave is evident. The guests who stay in the room, with its LCD TV and room service make little nsie elsewhere.

The Atlantis Palm Hotel has a beautifully welcoming dramatic foyer and the near-aquatic theme its name implies. The location of such a hotel in the heat of the Dubai desert, albeit on the shoreline, is food for thought. Water as a theme takes hold. The titanic water slide and the faultlessly groomed beach appointments could pass any hotelier’s scrutiny. But in the hotel business they say the best feature of a hotel is location, location, location. And the Atlantis Palm has got it.

The hotel rises out of a island sandbar strip, in clear pure blue water from a shoreline with Dubai towers and little else. The building is shaped long and tall, with a intersecting pointed frontal space like maharajah’s crown. Since much of the offshore Dubai building area was earth-reclaimed, it’s a partially green seven star hotel. 1500 rooms, meeting spaces and 16 restaurants cement a multistellar hotel luxury attraction.

The interior of the Atlantis Palm Jumeirah is a sort of arch-Middle Eastern fusion of fantasy design and culturally legitimate decor touches. The creams and browns might echo the colors of a desert home, and the window treatments and ceiling creation is that much like the design interior of a synagogue or temple. The maritime themes echo throughout, especially in the spa. The gray-tinted restaurant interior showcases the vivid blue of the undersea tanks whose glass lines the walls.

The Atlantis Palm Jumeirah is very kid-friendly, as multiple fish and play spaces attest. The crawling play area for climbing kids is water briskly to keep it cool (this is the children’s version of the cold towels everybody loves in Dubai). The spectacle potential is worth any cost to sit and gaze and floor to ceiling fish while dining, and the playrooms benefit from the aquatic overdesign as it caters to a child’s imagination. But the kid in all of us will love the “ruins”, the island environment and the water tanks alike.
Al Basel Consultancy, a leading consultancy firm and a member of Al Basel Group, has announced that Raffles Dubai has joined Al Basel’s pool of high-stakes clients after the two parties signed a consultancy contract that will boost Raffles Dubai’s business portfolio in the Middle East. The new agreement is part of Al Basel Consultancy’s strategy to partner with prestigious business organizations to strengthen its reputation as a premier consultancy firm in the region.

Raffles_Dubai_on_18_October_2007.jpgUnder the terms of the agreement, Al Basel Consultancy will leverage its extensive regional network, well-placed connections and deep knowledge of the regional market to create awareness of the Raffles brand and deliver more business opportunities, particularly in the GCC market. The cooperation also takes advantage of the excellent performance of the tourism sector, which accounts for up to 28 per cent of Dubai’s GDP, presenting excellent growth prospects to key hospitality players such as Raffles Dubai.

"Al Basel Consultancy has prepared a portfolio of premium services specifically designed to increase market visibility for Raffles Dubai in the Middle East, particularly in the Gulf’s hospitality sector. This agreement aims to aggressively promote the Raffles Dubai brand in key markets in the region through our extensive network of partners and high-profile connections," said Basel Al Kasem, CEO, Al Basel Consultancy.

"Raffles Dubai can also greatly benefit from Al Basel Consultancy’s intimate knowledge of the regional temperament, which will help Raffles Dubai pinpoint high-yielding market segments and boost its competitive edge," added Al Kasem.

Hagop Doghramadjian, GM, Raffles Dubai, commented: "This agreement manifests our strong belief in the expertise and competency of Al Basel Consultancy to deliver the results that we require. In this highly critical market, the premium value offered by a highly reliable consultant is beyond measure, and Raffles Dubai trusts that Al Basel Consultancy has the right tools to improve our business value in this specific region."

The full range of services to be offered by Al Basel Consultancy includes general business consultations, partnership opportunities, market consultancy, advising on marketing tools, consultations to sell or buy shares, targeting important GCC events, and advice and due diligence in all aspects of Raffles Dubai’s business including segmenting the right agents for businesses from abroad, indirectly bringing businesses, and boosting Raffles Dubai’s portfolio of high-end clients.

Located adjacent to Wafi City, the legendary Raffles Dubai is the latest destination and the only branch in the Middles East of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, a worldwide collection of luxury hotels and resorts and winner of such accolades as "Top 100 Hotels of the World", "World’s Best Places to Stay" and "Top 25 Hotels in Asia". Built in the form of a stunning pyramidal structure, Raffles Dubai offers 248 opulent suites, including two royal, four presidential, 24 landmark and 24 diplomatic suites. It also features the unique, one-hectare Raffles Botanical Garden, which depicts the four elements of life – earth, wind, fire and water – promising an enchanting experience to all visitors.

Culinary preferences at Raffles Dubai span the globe through its 11 food and beverage outlets, while it also offers excellent health and fitness facilities with the decadent Raffles Amrita Spa. Raffles Dubai is part of Raffles Hotels & Resorts’ seven branches deployed all over the world, including those in Beijing and California, while a total of 13 branches are under development, including branches in France and the Maldives. Raffles also plans to open numerous new hotels in several key cities in the Middle East.

Al Basel Consultancy is the newest member of Al Basel Group, which has a number of business interests in various sectors in the UAE and in the greater GCC region. Al Basel Consultancy boasts a highly competent team of professionals led by the company’s CEO Basel Al Kasem, recognized as one of the region’s leading figures in real estate consultancy with his comprehensive knowledge of the regional market and hands-on experience with elite projects such as the iconic Burj Al Arab.
This right here is just one reason why Dubai is better than your city.

The Burj Al Arab has been hailed as one of the most luxurious hotels in the world. Apart from the several lavish amenities it offers, it also has the honor of having the highest Tennis court in the world. The space, which is located about 210m in height, doubles as a helipad for emergencies or transit of guests. The luxury hotel has 202 duplex suites on 27 floors while the accommodation ranges between 1830 and 8400 square feet. Designed to bear a resemblance to a billowing sail, the hotel soars to a height of 1053 feet, towering over the Dubai coastline.

Some of the luxurious facilities it offers include Chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce, Majles Al Bahar private beach exclusively for guests, unlimited access to this adventure park, living, dining and office spaces in each suite, golfing, and Assawan Spa and Health Club equipped with spa, sauna, Jacuzzi, hydrotherapy baths, oriental massage, stand up solarium, squash court, infinity pools, fitness studios and aerobics floor. The 7 star luxury hotel is currently running Festive Season offer from December 14 – 23, 2007.Check out more pictures below…
Dubai's downturn in real estate could help franchisees, according to American franchisors.
By David Farkas, Senior Editor -- Chain Leader, 4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
For months there had been speculation that Dubai's real estate bubble was ready to burst. It did in January, tanking real estate prices by 30 percent and putting the kibosh on the large construction projects that turned the city into one of the Middle East's--and certainly the United Arab Emirates'--most glamorous (and safest) playground.

Predictably, the downturn has led to an exodus of foreigners, who comprised most of the city's population. The Dubai government is reported to be canceling residency visas at the rate of 1,700 a day, almost three times as many as a year ago.

As grim as things appear, the situation hasn't significantly dimmed the hopes of two Atlanta-based restaurant franchisors with units in Dubai.

It's Helping, Not Hindering

"The downturn is actually going to help us," declares Zack Kollias, senior vice president, international operations, for Church's Chicken, which does business as Texas Chicken in the Middle East. "We will not have trouble finding construction people, who before didn't want to work on small projects like a restaurant."

Church's franchisee, Saudi Arabia-based the Olayan Group, recently opened a restaurant in Dubai and has plans to open two or three more in 2009, according to Kollias.

He isn't worried about the sudden absence of deep-pocketed foreigners, either. Customers at the month-old unit were locals with deep pockets. He describes them as "middle- to upper-class" people who haven't been affected by the slump.

Those who are affected, mainly Europeans, have been fleeing quickly. There are reports that many have abandoned luxury cars as the recession took hold.

No Layoffs, but Slower Growth

Many foreigners on their way out have been sacked by their employers. Not so at Cravia Inc., the Dubai-based franchisee of Cinnabon and Seattle's Best Coffee. "We haven't laid off anyone or cut down salaries," says Cravia CEO Walid Hajj.

"We're OK," he adds. "I look at reports every day expecting something to happen. We have not witnessed it yet." Still, Hajj expects to open just nine units this year compared to 16 in 2008. His brand stable also includes two full-service Lebanese concepts, Zaatar y Zeit and Roadster Diner.

Blame the slowdown on liquidity issues at banks in the wake of real estate's collapse and tumbling sales. "We were comping 15 percent to 20 percent last year. Now it's 5 percent to 6 percent. We have put a hold on new expansion," Hajj explains. Not that he is complaining. He has heard that at luxury brands, sales are down 50 percent.

Hajj believes the per-person ticket average of $5.50 to $10 keeps his franchised concepts affordable.

That may explain why Senior Vice President of International Mike Shattuck of Focus Brands, franchisor of Cinnabon and Seattle Best Coffee, remains hopeful about the area. "We are still getting interest there. People are looking for brands," he says, adding the company is making Moe's Southwestern Grill available.

Adds DLA Piper attorney Philip F. Zeidman, a specialist on international franchising: "We haven't detected a diminution of flow in [franchise-related] transactions in our Dubai office."