Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi is now open

Europe’s leading luxury hotel brand opens its first landmark property in the Middle East

7 November 2011 - Abu Dhabi’s new landmark, Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi, today opened its doors to guests. Representing the company’s most architecturally bold property to date, the visually striking eleven-storey curved glass structure is the company’s first hotel opening outside of Europe. Blending a European sophistication in design so synonymous with the group, with Arabic elements and sensibilities, guests at the new luxury hotel can expect continuity of the brand’s high levels of personable service and quality throughout.

Situated in a prime location close to the downtown area, the exhibition centre and Yas Island, Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi offers 281 spacious, well-considered bedrooms and suites, as well as a dedicated executive floor and lounge, seven diverse and compelling options for dining and recreation, a generous spa, traditional Hammam and wellness centre and some of the UAE’s most sophisticated meeting and events spaces.

“Rocco Forte Hotels has had a significant reach into the Middle East during the last 15 years, as travellers from this part of the world make up a strong proportion of our guests in the UK, Germany, Italy and other destinations. Our design and interiors, meeting spaces, dining outlets, and especially our service approach have all been created to satisfy the discerning traveller.  The Middle East is a vitally important destination to our company and the Rocco Forte Hotels flag proudly flying outside the now-open hotel represents a historic development for us,” said Sir Rocco Forte, Chairman and CEO of Rocco Forte Hotels.

Four years in the making, the stunning green and blue wave-shaped glass building was masterminded by architects WS Atkins and Partners and developed by UAE’s Al Farida Investments Company in conjunction with Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), the master developer of tourism, cultural and residential destinations in Abu Dhabi.

Inspired by the rolling sand dunes of the surrounding desert and waves of the Arabian Gulf, Olga Polizzi, Director of Design for Rocco Forte Hotels, together with KCA International have created the city’s most stylish address.  During Olga Polizzi and Sir Rocco’s visit to the hotel last week, the final flourishes were added to the property. The hotel interiors feature the use of abundant glass, marble and mosaics complemented by modern Middle Eastern art and accessories, to give the hotel a real sense of place.  Guest bedrooms have spacious living areas, complete with ipod docking stations and Nespresso coffee machines and generous bathrooms complemented by artwork from Arab artists.

Stand-out attractions of the new Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi include a spacious 2,000sqm spa with separate male and female facilities, indoor swimming pools, traditional wet and dry Hammam, fully-equipped gymnasium, 15 treatment rooms, a yoga/pilates studio and a 25m outdoor swimming pool.  Hotel guests have the choice of seven elegant bars and restaurants to choose from including the art deco-inspired Martin Brudnizki-designed Oro Italian restaurant; the Oceana Grill, a speciality seafood restaurant; Rouge, serving contemporary Japanese and Chinese cuisine and Brown’s Tea Lounge.  There will also be Noche, a Latin-American-inspired bar to open in December, complete with South-American music and international DJ sets.  Pre or post-dinner drinks can be enjoyed in Blue, a stylish cocktail bar housed in the suspended sixth floor of an eleven-story glass atrium, boasting incredible views over the city.

To celebrate its expansion into the Middle East market, Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi has a special *introductory offer from 1,200 UAE Dirhams ($330 USD) per room, per night including breakfast and a 15 per cent discount on all bars and restaurants in the hotel, valid until 31st December 2011.

Following on from its Abu Dhabi property, Rocco Forte Hotels will open a 159-bedroom hotel in Jeddah in 2013, a 90-all suite golf and spa resort in Marrakech in 2014, a 275 bedroom property in Cairo in 2014 and an 82-bedroom hotel in Luxor in the same year.

For further information on the Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi or to book a room, please call +971 2617 0000 Email: reservations.abudhabi@roccofortehotels.com or visit www.roccofortehotels.com

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*The opening offer is not valid during the Formula 1 Grand Prix from 11-13th November.

Notes to Editors

Photos are available at www.roccofortehotels.com/photographs

Rocco Forte Hotels

Rocco Forte Hotels is a family of 13 individual hotels and resorts. Each property has a unique style, reflecting its nationality and location, but all share Rocco Forte Hotels’ trademark attention to detail, high quality and immaculate service.
 
Established by Sir Rocco Forte in 1996, Rocco Forte Hotels comprises: Hotel de Russie, Rome; Hotel Savoy, Florence; The Balmoral, Edinburgh; The Lowry Hotel, Manchester; Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg; Hotel Amigo, Brussels; Brown’s Hotel, London; Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt; Hotel de Rome, Berlin; The Charles Hotel, Munich; Augustine Hotel, Prague; Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily; Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi. Future openings: Jeddah 2013; Marrakech 2014; Cairo 2014; Luxor 2014.

www.roccofortehotels.com
The Middle East is currently the 4th largest outbound market for Rocco Forte Hotels which has a loyal customer base in the region.

Media Enquiries:

Anna Martin/ Natasha Berg
Rocco Forte Hotels
Tel:  +44 (0)20 766 3107/3113
Email:  pressinformation@roccofortehotels.com