Sofitel has agreed to develop the largest Sofitel property in the Middle East with development partner MKM Commercial Holdings. Expected to open in late 2019, Sofitel Dubai Wafi in the United Arab Emirates will be added to the luxury brand's growing portfolio of 14 hotels and 4,400 rooms in operation and under development in the Middle East.
Sofitel Dubai Wafi will have 501 guestrooms. Dining outlets include an Asian specialty restaurant, gastro pub, a destination restaurant, a bar and lounge on 43rd and 44th floors, a French lobby café, an all-day restaurant and a pool bar. Guests will have access to the SoSpa, the gym, outdoor pools, private cabanas and a kids club. Business travelers will have access to 10 meeting rooms and a 3,658 square-foot ballroom.
Sami Nasser, COO of luxury brands, AccorHotels Middle East, said in a statement, "The development of this property is aligned with our strategy to operate one of our leading luxury brands across strategic locations in the Middle East. Within the United Arab Emirates, we've established a strong presence with four operational hotels across landmark locations including Abu Dhabi Corniche, downtown Dubai, the Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Residences, and now Wafi—a major shopping destination set to undergo a comprehensive retail and leisure expansion."
Sofitel Dubai Wafi will be near Wafi Shopping Mall, downtown Dubai, Business Bay and the Dubai International Airport. Corporate clientele will have access to business and exhibition centers, including the Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Healthcare City and the Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Center. Next to the iconic Raffles Dubai, both properties will form a luxury cluster within Wafi offering guests a range of shared amenities and services.
"Sofitel operates luxury hotels and resorts across key destinations in the Middle East, including the Sofitel Beirut Le Gabriel, Sofitel Jeddah [Saudi Arabia] Corniche, Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah and the Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa. Through the development of the region's largest Sofitel, we look to strengthen AccorHotels' luxury offerings and cement our position as a leading luxury hotel operator," Nasser said. Over the coming years, Sofitel will also open the Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara in Malaysia, Sofitel Singapore City Centre in Singapore, Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbor and Sofitel Mexico City Reforma.
AccorHotels has 39 existing properties in the UAE, in addition to 23 others under development. In the Middle East and Egypt, AccorHotels currently operates 95 hotels encompassing 28,800 rooms across the luxury to economy segments. The group's regional network is expected to double in number, bringing over 25,000 additional rooms and nearly 2,400 branded residences to the Middle East.