Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights is raising the bar – and taking hospitality in the region to newer heights.
BY SHAFQUAT ALI
If you have been a long-time resident of Dubai or have been travelling to the emirate over a period of time, you are quite likely to agree that Hyatt Regency Dubai is a landmark hotel in a city that has no equal. Located in Deira, Dubai’s historic heritage area, the hotel is often referred to as the granddaddy of Dubai’s five-stars – opened in 1980, it was the first Hyatt hotel in UAE and, till date, continues to be home to Dubai’s only revolving restaurant, Al Dawaar.
Not surprising then that, three-and-a-half decades later, when the second Hyatt Regency property in Dubai threw open its door earlier this year, the first question on everybody’s mind was: how would it measure up to the iconic property on Deira Corniche?
With its two iconic high-rise towers comprising 464 hotel rooms and 405 apartments piercing the sky at 164 m, Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights is ideally located next to the resurgent Dubai Creek, providing elaborate views across the water and the stunning Dubai skyline.
The hotel offers distinctive design features, including a spacious lobby filled with more than 3,200 sq-ft of plant walls, flowers and greenery, along with soothing water features and a towering glass ceiling embossed with Swarovski crystals. The open-to-the-sky view helps to bring the outdoor space into the heart of the hotel and illuminates the interior with the city’s year-round sunshine.
It also features 76 luxury suites, including two Royal Suites, each stretching the entire length of the hotel’s top two storeys. One of the suites features a wrap-around outdoor terrace with a 360-degree view, and the other is designed to include a 23-ft-high dome ceiling and skylights. All suites include access to the exclusive Regency Club lounge on the 32nd floor.
“Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights represents an evolution of the Hyatt Regency brand, with energising interiors and amenities that put everything at business and leisure guests’ fingertips, so it’s easy to stay connected to the people and things that matter most,” said Pablo Graf, senior vice-president of operations, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Southwest Asia.
Added Mathieu Greppo, general manager, Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights: “Hyatt has already carved a niche in Dubai’s competitive hospitality industry and it is my personal mission to always look for new ways to make today’s traveller’s stay more memorable and pursue their evolving expectations. We have assembled a world-class team to bring a refreshing and enthusiastic spirit to Dubai’s buoyant hospitality market and strive to continually deliver innovative guest-oriented products and services wherein a key to our success will be tailoring hotel experiences to match the guests’ occasion. My vision is to redefine and raise the bar for the guest experience in Dubai and offer a level of service excellence which is warm, energising and engaging.”
The hotel will be focusing on both corporate and leisure, but we understand that being in the Healthcare City area, we will also target the pharma business, which is quite a large business in the UAE,” explained Greppo. With its close proximity to the Grand Hyatt, the two hotels plan to work closely
together so that they can work with major groups and events, utilising the convention space in the new hotel as well as the 5000m2 of convention space at Grand Hyatt.
Combining the inventory of these two properties clearly opens up opportunities for customers to bring larger conferences to this area of Dubai — and, not surprisingly, the new hotel has 3,200 sq-m of conferencing facilities including 13 meeting suites and two interchangeable ballrooms to host a range of events. “With the proximity of the hotel to the trade district of Dubai as well as the idyllic views of the iconic Dubai Creek, the location is perfect for local and international events,” said Greppo.
Apart from the ballrooms and meeting suites, the hotel also presents the concept of a residential-style multi-event enclave, Al Manzil, which is accessible through its own private entrance. Based on the concept of a private mansion, Al Manzil is made up of a collection of six individually-styled rooms (The Loft, The Library, The Living Room, The Lounge, The Gallery and The Atelier), serviced by two interactive, open kitchens (The Kitchen).
For guests looking for pampering and wellness there is NYSA Spa which features the Water Temple, a traditional Hammam, state-of-the-art male and female gymnasiums and workout studios. An outdoor pool and eight spa treatment rooms complete the wellness facilities.
The dining options at the hotel include Sufra, a buffet-style restaurant providing a culinary journey through the areas surrounding the Levant region, Market24, a round-the-clock deli offering an authentic and modern approach to the classic pastry and coffee shop, the Lobby Lounge, the Pool Bar and the soon-to-open La Tablita, a Mexican-themed restaurant offering home-style cuisine. “A happy and positive chef enjoys his craft, cooks ‘happy food’ which in turn lead to happy diners. I try to assimilate flavours, quality ingredients and nature to showcase the natural beauty of each cuisine and its dining culture, ” said a beaming Carlos Hannon, the award-winning Mexican chef who helms the kitchens at the hotel.
While it is too early to say how Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek will fare in comparison to the iconic Hyatt Regency Dubai on Deira Corniche, there is no doubt the hotel has a lot going for it.
