Emaar Hospitality Group, the leisure unit of leading developer Emaar Properties, said it has acquired the management of Al Manzil and Qamardeen hotels, two key hospitality assets of Emaar located in Downtown Dubai.

These hotels were earlier managed by Southern Sun Hotel Group. With this takeover, the Emaar subsidiary now has seven hotels in Dubai under its management including five Address Hotels + Resorts, said a statement from Emaar Hospitality Group.

Emaar also operates the Armani Hotel Dubai in Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

Commenting on the move, Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar said: 'Tourism and hospitality are the key growth drivers of Dubai, and over the years, we have acquired strong competencies in the hospitality & leisure sector through our world-class assets in Dubai.'

'Our expansion to hospitality is in line with our growth strategy of creating long-term value for our stakeholders, while also contributing to Dubai’s economic growth. With this move, we are looking at introducing the home-grown capabilities achieved by our hospitality unit and offer a differential lifestyle experience for our guests,' he stated.

Al Manzil and Qamardeen are prime hotel assets of Emaar popular among both business and leisure travellers, led by its central location in Downtown Dubai, described as ‘The Centre of Now.’

Both hotels are in easy access to the business nerve-centres and tourism attractions of the city including Burj Khalifa; The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination; and The Dubai Fountain, the tallest performing fountain.

The Address Dubai Mall hotel manager Stefan Viard will be the acting general manager of Al Manzil, while The Address Dubai Marina manager Aamir Khan will be responsible for Qamardeen, said the company statement.

Richard Weilers, the managing director of Southern Sun Middle East said: 'It was a rewarding experience establishing  Al Manzil and Qamardeen hotels and cementing their position as highly preferred properties in Dubai’s competitive hospitality scene.'

'In our six years of operation, both hotels have consistently emerged at the top of their peer category, winning numerous guest and industry-voted accolades. The Southern Sun brand is one of a number of brands owned by holding company Tsogo Sun, Southern Africa's premier hotel and entertainment group,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service