The 33-year-old Metropolitan Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai will be officially closed on March 15 for demolition and make way for a 1616-room hotel complex.

The construction of the new hotel, Habtoor Palace, will start in April, and is scheduled to be completed in 2016.

The Al Habtoor Group held a closing event to bid farewell to the 33-years-old hotel. The event was hosted by Khalaf Al Habtoor, chairman of Al Habtoor Group, and attended by the loyal guests of the hotel, mainly the guests of the Red Lion English Pub and the Don Corleone Italian restaurant.

“We opened our doors in February 1979, with five outlets including the Red Lion English Pub. HH Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, inaugurated the place. Sheikh Rashid had a great vision for Dubai and knew what Sheikh Zayed Road would become which is why he gave me that land”.

“Though I am sad to part with the Metropolitan, because it is full of fond memories, and I am sure it is the same for all our guests here tonight. I am very excited to witness the completion of Habtoor Palace, and to see what it will add to our country’s landmarks,” he said.

Al Habtoor thanked the guests for their loyalty and told them: “We’re here to celebrate 33 years of success and we look forward to continuing this relationship in the future”.

“Many of the Metropolitan Hotel’s outlets such as Red Lion and Don Corleone will be brought back in the new property so we’re not saying good-bye to our guests. This is just an interruption in a long relationship which we hope to resume in the years to come and to continue for a long time.” – TradeArabia News Service