Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a leading hospitality group, will open the first St Regis polo resort in Dubai, UAE, in partnership with the Al Habtoor Group.

Scheduled to open early 2017, the 136-room St. Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club will be the centerpiece of a 6 million-sq-ft equestrian sports complex in Dubai.

“St Regis has long been associated with the world of polo, and we are excited to lead this milestone project together with Al Habtoor Group- an important partner for Starwood who shares the St Regis brand’s passion for ‘the sport of kings’,” said Michael Wale, president, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “We are also delighted to extend our partnership with the Al Habtoor family, with whom we are working to open our first St. Regis hotel in Dubai later this year.”

The St Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club will feature 136 luxury guest rooms, 24 luxury St Regis branded bungalows and various culinary venues.

In addition, there will be a further 138 residential villas within the resort, alongside a polo club, a state-of-the-art polo academy and a riding school with 500 stables.

Guests will also have access to the polo academy, which will offer a wide range of programmes including dressage, riding and show jumping for riders of all ages. The resort will also be home to four world-class polo fields which will reinforce Dubai’s role on the global polo circuit, it said.

Led by British architects WS Atkins and Partners, the design of the resort will be inspired by Andalusian architecture. The St Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club will be part of Dubailand, a landmark project on Emirates Road just 25 minutes from Dubai International Airport. Set to become a regional and global tourism hub, Dubailand will feature various sports, leisure, entertainment and shopping attractions, and is expected to attract an additional 15 million tourists to Dubai annually once completed. 

Mohammed Al Habtoor, vice-chairman and CEO of Al Habtoor Group, said: “We are delighted to partner with Starwood for another landmark project in Dubai. The St Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club will be part of a state-of-the-art polo and equestrian community. Every guest of the hotel will be able to watch polo from their rooms, suites and the restaurant terraces. This offers something truly unique.”

Starwood operates nearly 50 hotels and resorts across the Middle East under eight of the company’s nine distinct lifestyle brands including The Luxury Collection, St Regis, Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, Le Méridien, Four Points by Sheraton, and Aloft.

The company has plans to further expand its portfolio in the region with a pipeline of over 35 hotels due to open by 2017.  – TradeArabia News Service