Metropolitan Hotel reopens in new location

The Metropolitan Hotel Dubai, one of the city's oldest hotels, has reopened in a new location on Sheikh Zayed Road after a three-and-a-half-year.
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, founding chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, said the original Metropolitan Hotel, which was built in 1979, was demolished in May 2013 to make way for Al Habtoor City, an urban resort incorporating three hotels and luxury residential towers on The Dubai Water Canal. The construction cost of the new four-star property, which is situated near Exit 41 (Al Thanya Street), has not been revealed.
"I fulfilled my promise of rebuilding the Metropolitan Hotel to continue its legacy," said Al Habtoor said at a Press briefing held at the hotel. The Metropolitan Hotel Dubai features 320 contemporary rooms including 18 suites and leisure facilities including a well-equipped gym, a rooftop swimming pool and a beautifully appointed spa. The elegant rooms feature modern amenities that are ideal for guests seeking contemporary comfort in the heart of the city.
"The old Metropolitan had a very strong, loyal customer base. Since we opened we have welcomed back both old and new customers. We look forward to continuing the legacy of this hotel, which was one of the first hotels in Dubai."
Two old-favourite outlets have made a revival in the new hotel - The Red Lion, one of the oldest English pubs in Dubai, and Don Corleone Italian restaurant, another popular eatery. The Metropolitan Dubai is also home to other culinary outlets including Al Safa, an all-day dining restaurant serving international cuisine, Al Sheif Lounge, serving Arabic cuisine, and the Tropicana pool bar.
"We have come a long way since 1979. We are proud to bring back the Metropolitan Hotel Dubai. The success of the hotel has helped shape our growth in the hospitality sector. As a group, we have grown in unison with the economy of the UAE. We have 14 hotels around the world; seven in Dubai and seven internationally," Al Habtoor said.

Revival of hotel
Sanjay Luthra, general manager, Metropolitan Hotel, said the hotel and some of its establishments are part of the history of Dubai. "When we closed The Red Lion many of our customers were upset because it had played a big part in their lives. With the revival of the hotel it only seemed natural that the most-loved outlets made a comeback, with a modern twist."
The Red Lion has been re-built to look as similar as possible to the original premises, with the same layout and elements, offering the informal yet traditional pub atmosphere. The new pub features the original oak bar, which is now 33 years old.
Hotel construction activity in the Middle East continues to gain momentum despite a slowdown in the hospitality industry across the region with Dubai and Makkah driving the building boom, new data released on Sunday shows. While Dubai has 20,451 rooms in 69 hotel projects under construction, Makkah has 23,060 rooms in 14 hotel projects underway, according to STR's December 2016 Pipeline Report.
Dubai's buoyant hospitality sector, which surpassed 100,000th room milestone with the opening of The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City, in 2016 is set to witness a sustained boom as the overall room supply remains on track to hit 134,000 by the end of 2018. Industry experts expect occupied room nights in hotels and hotel apartments to reach 35.9 million, representing a 10.8 per cent compound annual growth rate from the end of 2015 to the end of 2018.
Al Habtoor Group's hospitality unit incorporates several hotels in the UAE apart from the Metropolitan Hotel Dubai. These include The Habtoor Grand Resort, Autograph Collection; The Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah; The St Regis Dubai; W Dubai - Al Habtoor City; The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City; and The St Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club.
Overseas, the group owns The Ritz-Carlton Budapest; InterContinental Budapest; Hilton London Wembley; Hotel Imperial, a Luxury Collection, Vienna; President Abraham Lincoln Springfield, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel; The Hilton Beirut Habtoor Grand; and Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace Hotel. - issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com