Vacation time. We lazily awoke, had our breakfast, and were out to the pool. The temp here is perfect - a nice 80 degrees with a small breeze. I'm starting to understand why there are so many British people here (other then the mass advertising done in their country :)). With nothing to do except hang out at the pool, I spent the afternoon reading the local newspaper. Continuing the theme of extravagance, even the newspaper was of high grade shiny coated paper (they can do with nothing less then the best here). It was interesting to read the paper, and get the local views of Iraq, along with the local laws. It's strange being in a very strict Muslim country. Even though Egypt was 80% muslim, it seemed much more relaxed. Here in U.A.E., the impression I received from the paper and their editorials, along with some outside internet reading, is that this place is more hardened Islamic, with a government more strongly tied to the laws of the Quran than the government of Egypt was.
I guess what I felt, while in Egypt, was a lot of sympathy for the Muslim people, how wrongly personified they are in the media, etc. When reading the paper of Dubai, I began to understand how a faith could be misrepresented so harshly, as the thoughts and ideals here coincided more with the image that the western media speaks of. In the Egyptian papers, I read articles talking about the Iraq war, and discussing both sides more openly. In the Dubai papers, the articles are almost completely anti-US. I'm not for the war, but I'm also not for a one-sided opinion for or against. The Dubai paper obviously had a different view. They discussed how the west shouldn't get involved in the Afghanistan issue with the Muslim converted Christian (he should be killed or revert back). It's hard to understand that the Afghanistan constitution calls for freedom of religion, but then wants to use a different section to prosecute this guy. It just doesn't make sense to me - to force someone into a specific religion. Even crazier, is that others (obviously the Dubai paper), support the Afghanistan prosecution. It's a different world here. I guess what happens on both sides, is a dangerous use of actual facts. IE, the paper's anti-US article talked about how the US military has not built one single school. I can accept that has a hard fact, as that's not the military's job. But I do believe that the joint forces are helping disseminate funds from oil sales to have contractors build those schools. I also know that the Western media is stating cold facts too, but lost is the rest of the concept of Islam. Frustrating - as its easier to hate what we don't know than learn to understand it.
We spent time at the pool, and then just hung out, catching up on emails, internet, etc. We had dinner at the Thai restaurant at the hotel, and are hoping our Thai experience in another week matches this taste & quality :).
This Modern Air-Conditioned Hotel is Ideal For a Short Break. A Total of 80 Rooms Are On Offer To Guests and Facilities Include a Safe, a Currency Exchange Facility and a Lift. Continental Cuisine May Be Enjoyed in Susegad Goa, South Indian Dishes Are On Offer in Pandhal and Metro, It is Possible To Enjoy a Leisurely Drink in Barons Table, in Taxi Taxi or in Mayour, or an Array of Indian Offerings in Mehmaan and Various Snacks in Diwanekaas. The Room and Laundry Services May Be Taken Advantage of.
Location: Rating: Rooms: Floors: Travel info:
AL Rafaa Street - Dubai 3 star 80 5 Dubai International Airport 8 km..
The super deluxe Westin Dubai opened last night with a champagne reception and concert by the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra with special guest singers. But the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference this week saw a complete slump in new hotel projects in Dubai, with only one budget easyHotel launched in the Jebel Ali Free Zone.
The Westin Dubai is the latest addition to the glittering array of up market properties and its translucent interior design by Tuscan lead designer Habitalia Design Group in association with Studitalia is a triumph.
As is often the case in Dubai the designers have been able to work unmolested by a client, in this case the Dubai Government, and have delivered something really quite exceptionally beautiful: modern but not minimalist, rich but comfortable and ultra cool.
Credit crunch
On the same day the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference wrapped up it marathon three-day sessions with yet another record for attendance this year. However, the event was overshadowed by the global credit crunch which has slashed hotel transactions by 60 per cent with the biggest deals being axed by private equity groups unable to raise finance.
But even the Dubai hotel boom has run out of steam this year. There was only a small easyHotel launched, albeit part of a promised big chain in the region. Last year the Dubai Government’s Bawadi doubled the size of its 10-kilometre desert hotel strip from 31 to 51 hotels and upped the investment from $16.5 to $55 billion.
Perhaps there was just no way to top that! But it was intriguing to attend a session entitled ‘Will the Dubai hotel bubble burst?’ Everybody argued that it would go on for years, not making the obvious observation that in terms of new hotel project launches the bubble has burst.
Optimism rules
Of course there may be many years of new hotel openings like The Westin Dubai, a project where the owner will get its investment back within two years, and most of the bookings are already in hand.
This is what has fired the hospitality boom in Dubai where hotels currently have the highest occupancy levels in the world and rates to match. The economics of the hotel business are a license to print money with Dubai the flavour of the month for global business and tourism.
However, with plans afoot to raise the number of hotel rooms from 47,000 to 141,000 by 2015 this is going to feel like a hotel boom for many years to come, even if the new hotel launches have faded away. That will make the industry trade fair, the Arabian Travel Market which opens today a continuing success.
Every new mall is bigger than the previous one opened, every new hotel more luxurious than its competitor. The Burj Al Arab being probably the ultimatum of modern kitsch. As the Palm Jumeirah is taking shape, other hotels like the Atlantis by Kerzner Group is near completion, so others. Marina, Media City, Sports City and Al Bawadi, all are competing with sixty three other new hotel openings!
