Construction on Four Seasons Resort Dubai is on schedule and making headway with main structural works completed on the five-storey property and interior installations due to commence, said a top official.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts highlighted its growing footprint in the Middle East, announcing updates on key regional properties during the Dubai leg of its GCC-wide sales development road show.

Four Seasons swept the region with a delegation comprising 10 GMs from Asia-Pacific the Middle East and Europe, led by president Hotel Operations Europe, Middle East and Africa Christopher Norton.

The company hosted a series of workshops and receptions in key GCC cities such as Manama, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait and Doha before heading to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

At the top of the list of regional updates was news on progress of the company’s first resort in the UAE, due to open in the last quarter of 2014.

With 237 rooms, including 49 suites and a prime beach-front location with convenient access to the main commercial district on Sheikh Zayed Road, Four Seasons Resort Dubai will target an almost equal mix of leisure and business guests.

The resort will be home to multiple restaurants, and poolside dining. The function spaces which have beachfront access will include a 600 sq m ballroom and five meeting rooms. The resort will also be home to a world class spa, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts and private beach club.

“Work on Four Seasons Resort Dubai, on the site of Jumeirah Beach is progressing rapidly and we are very excited about what we believe will be an outstanding addition to the Dubai hospitality landscape. This is a market in which we’ve been keen to have a presence for many years,” said Norton.

“We expect to enter it with a resort that exemplifies what guests around the world find synonymous with Four Seasons – a physical product that reflects the best of destination and a service offering that is intuitive, warm and exceeds expectations.”

Norton confirmed that the development pipeline for Four Seasons in other key Mena cities was also forging ahead.

Properties currently under construction include Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay (due to open mid 2014) and Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca (due to open mid 2014).

While active projects in the preliminary stages include Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, Four Seasons Resort Oman, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait City and Four Seasons Hotel Jeddah.

“The Middle East is one of our most active regions in terms of development, and having properties in almost every capital city in the GCC within the next few years will serve to further consolidate our presence in the market,” said Norton.

“Our firm commitment to the region also goes beyond a robust development pipeline to include continuous investment in the physical product and service innovation at our existing Middle East properties.

“Several hotels have recently engaged in renovations covering rooms, suites and entire floors, as seen at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, as well as newly conceptualised restaurant offerings such as Nusantao at Four Seasons Hotel Doha, 8 at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza, The Roof - an exciting rooftop bar and terrace at Four Seasons Hotel Beirut, and Aura at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence,” he added.

“Moreover, Four Seasons continuously looks for ways to create extraordinary experiences for our guests on property and within each destination – experiences that meet real travel needs and are truly memorable for business travellers, families, couples and guests looking for inspiring accommodation, dining and spa offerings,” Norton noted.

Beyond the company’s plans in the Middle East, Norton also highlighted several other new Four Seasons openings on the cards in the months ahead.

Leading the way is the new Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace St Petersburg, Russia due to open in summer this year. The 177-room property occupies one of St Petersburg’s most storied architectural gems – The Lion Palace – which has been meticulously restored to bring the hotel to life.

Four Seasons is also due to open another landmark property in 2014 – Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. The 434-room and 64-suite property will include three restaurants including a rooftop steakhouse with views over the nightly fireworks spectacle of the Magic Kingdom.

Other key openings in the future include Four Seasons Hotel Shenzhen in China (due to open in Q3 2013); Four Seasons Hotel Moscow (due to open in 2014), the recently announced Four Seasons Hotel Madrid which will be part of the Canalejas Project in the Spanish capital, and Four Seasons Hotel Sao Paolo in Brazil which will be part of the Parque de Cidade Complex. – TradeArabia News Service