Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has extended its development pipeline in the Gulf with the announcement of its second St. Regis hotel in Abu Dhabi.

The St. Regis Abu Dhabi is Starwood’s fifth project currently in development in the Middle East, including The St. Regis Doha, The St. Regis Bahrain, The St. Regis Hotel & Residences Dubai, and The St. Regis Hotel & Residences Sa’adiyat Island, the latter representing the brand’s resort debut in Abu Dhabi.

It will be located on the Corniche in downtown Abu Dhabi as part of the Nation Towers mixed-use project to be developed by Abu Dhabi-based International Capital Trading (ICT).

Located at the top of one of the towers beginning at the 33rd floor, the hotel will feature 281 luxurious guest rooms, including 56 suites, signature restaurants, a connecting bridge restaurant, more than 4,800 sq m of ultra modern meeting and event space and over 3,000 sq m of dedicated health club with an outdoor swimming pool.

Guests will also enjoy a beach club adjacent to the hotel which will also be operated by Starwood, said a ICT statement.

The ICT-owned hotel will dominate the Abu Dhabi waterfront offering extensive views over the Gulf in a location that is both central to the business district and directly on the Corniche.

Located just a short drive from the recently opened F1 circuit, Ferrari museum, Gary Player-designed golf course and the Louvre, Guggenheim and Maritime museums, The St. Regis Abu Dhabi will provide an entrance into a captivating world of opulence offering a unique expression of its location, said a top official.

Hamad Abdulla Al Shamsi, ICT chief executive officer said the company was proud to partner with the St Regis brand for its flagship development on the corniche of Abu Dhabi.

"The signing marks another milestone for ICT who announced last year the award of the construction contract for the project. The combination of ICT’s prime location Nation Towers development together with the world class St Regis brand will provide arguably an unique luxury hospitality experience in Abu Dhabi," he observed.

“The announcement of our second St. Regis in Abu Dhabi is another sign of Starwood’s commitment to developing its brands in the key destinations of the Middle East, where customized service is an integral part of the culture of hospitality,” said Roeland Vos, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Europe, Africa and Middle East.

“We are honoured to build on our existing relationships in Abu Dhabi and we are confident that this project will be another prestigious addition to our portfolios of luxury hotels,” he added.

As the market leader in the region, Starwood currently operates more than 45 hotels throughout the Middle East with more than 20 projects in development.-TradeArabia News Service