InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the signing of an agreement with The Chelsea Group, part of Crimson Hotels, to develop a third Crowne Plaza hotel in Dubai.

Crowne Plaza Dubai Business Bay, scheduled to open in 2010, will be located at the heart of Business Bay set to be the city’s new central business district. 
Located next to Sheikh Zayed road and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the property will be perfectly situated to capitalise on the thriving corporate travel market in the city.

The hotel will comprise 367 rooms and several diverse dining options as well as the business and corporate facilities which will include a 500 square metre function room and further meeting rooms. Leisure travellers will also be able to enjoy a health club, spa, an outdoor pool and terrace, said a top IHG official.

Commenting on the signing, John Bamsey, chief operating officer, IHG, Middle East & Africa said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with one of IHG’s long-time trusted partners, The Chelsea Group, to develop Crowne Plaza Dubai Business Bay and believe the upscale brand is a perfect fit for this major urban centre which is currently taking shape in Dubai." 

"Crimson Hotels have already proved a valued partner for us in the UK and we hope to continue working with them, in the future, both in the UK and now also in Dubai," he noted.

“With an increasingly discerning class of business traveller arriving in the UAE and the country leading the way in corporate travel, the Crowne Plaza brand is reassurance of high levels of comfort and service combined with the practicality of the latest amenities,” he added.

Chelsea Group already has a very close relationship with IHG in the UK through Crimson Hotels, following the recent opening of Crowne Plaza Gatwick-Crawley, the first of several planned UK projects with the Group.

“Having recently broken into the Middle East tourism market, Chelsea also has several hotel projects under development in Dubai and are pleased to be working with IHG, one the world’s leading hotel management companies, on this landmark property in Business Bay," said Karim Kassam, executive director, Chelsea Group. 

"We hope that this is the first of many projects with IHG in this region and we wish to grow our portfolio with them over the coming years," Kassam added.-Tradearabia News Service