Nakheel reaches key hospitality milestone as Avani hotel at Ibn Battuta Mall opens for business

Dubai: Dubai-based master developer Nakheel is marking a key milestone in its hospitality business strategy, with the opening of the Avani Ibn Battuta Dubai.   

The hotel was inaugurated today (Monday) by Nakheel Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah and William E. Heinecke, Founder, Chairman and Group CEO of Thailand’s Minor International, owner and operator of the Avani brand.

The new-build, 18-storey Avani is the second Nakheel hotel at Ibn Battuta Mall and one of several in operation or under construction in the developer’s hospitality project portfolio.

Located less than a minute’s walk from the world-famous mall and its 400 outlets, Avani Ibn Battuta Dubai has 360 guest rooms, including 15 suites, a pool deck with dining and recreational facilities, an all-day dining restaurant, a coffee shop, gym, meeting facilities and parking for 128 vehicles.  The hotel is also accessible via the Dubai Metro.

Nakheel Chairman, Ali Rashid Lootah, said: “Nakheel continues to play a key role in enhancing Dubai’s hospitality offering in line with the emirate’s economic and tourism goals, and we are proud to partner with Minor Hotels to bring the Avani brand to Ibn Battuta Mall.

“With more than 21 million visitors a year, the mall is a world-leading destination where quality accommodation is in demand, as is clear from the constantly-high occupancy rates of our first hotel here. The arrival of this new hotel comes as Dubai’s busiest time of year gets into full swing, and we look forward to a successful winter season – and beyond – at Avani Ibn Battuta.”

William E. Heinecke, Minor International Chairman, Founder and Group CEO, commented: “Minor Hotels is thrilled to officially inaugurate Avani Ibn Battuta Dubai today, which represents both a fantastic addition to the brand’s fast-growing portfolio and our first new-build Avani in the Middle East region. We are confident the property will be very well received in the Dubai market and look forward to working with our partners, Nakheel, to ensure Avani Ibn Battuta is a great success.”

Minor Hotels’ portfolio currently comprises almost 78,000 rooms across 536 hotels, resorts and serviced suites in 55 countries under the Anantara, Avani, Oaks, Tivoli, M Collection, NH Collection, NH, nhow, Elewana, Four Seasons, Marriott, St Regis, Radisson Blu and Minor International brands.

Nakheel’s hospitality portfolio features a diverse range of accommodation, including iconic, luxury projects on Palm Jumeirah, all-inclusive beach resorts at Deira Islands and mid-range hotels attached to the developer’s major shopping malls.  Its first hotel at Ibn Battuta Mall  – a 372-room Premier Inn – opened in 2016. 

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Media contact: Rebecca Rees on +971 4375 9702 ( Rebecca.rees@nakheel.com )

About Nakheel (www.nakheel.com)

Dubai-based Nakheel is a world-leading master developer whose innovative, landmark projects form an iconic portfolio of master communities and residential, retail, hospitality and leisure developments that are pivotal to realising Dubai’s vision. Nakheel’s waterfront projects, including the world-famous, award-winning Palm Jumeirah, have added more than 300 kilometres to Dubai’s original, 70km coastline, paving the way for the development of hundreds of seafront homes, resorts, hotels and attractions.

Nakheel’s current master developments span 15,000 hectares, accommodate nearly 300,000 people and provide a growing range of destinations, attractions and facilities for Dubai’s residents and tourists. They include Palm Jumeirah, The World, Jumeirah Islands, Jumeirah Park, Jumeirah Village, Al Furjan, The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Jebel Ali Village, Dragon City, International City and the upcoming Deira Islands – a new destination for tourism, living and leisure at Dubai’s oldest, most traditional trading hub.

Nakheel Malls, Nakheel’s retail arm, has 17 million sq ft of leasable space across 19 projects, including large-scale malls and souks, leisure destinations and community shopping centres. Operational assets, with six million sq ft of leasable space between them, include Ibn Battuta Mall, Dragon Mart, Nakheel Mall, Golden Mile Galleria, The Pointe and Club Vista Mare. Upcoming retail assets include The Night Market, Warsan Souk, Al Khail Avenue, Circle Mall, Nad Al Sheba Mall and Deira Mall.

Nakheel Hospitality’s project portfolio currently comprises 18 resorts, hotels and serviced apartment complexes, ranging from five star, luxury establishments to modest accommodation, with over 6,600 rooms and hotel apartments between them. Two are operational, with the rest at various stages of development. Working with international, reputable hospitality brands, Nakheel is bringing new concepts to Dubai in line with the government’s tourism vision. Joint venture partners currently include Spain’s RIU Hotels & Resorts and Thailand’s Centara Hotels & Resorts, with management agreements with Accor Hotels (Raffles), Marriott Hotels & Resorts (St. Regis), Minor Hotels (Avani) and Hilton (DoubleTree) also in place. Nakheel’s hospitality project collection also includes 24 community clubs, restaurants and lounges.

Nakheel’s residential leasing portfolio currently comprises 17,000 villas and apartments at The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Jebel Ali Village, Palm Jumeirah, Badrah, Veneto and International City, with more on the way at Nad Al Sheba, Warsan Village and other areas across Dubai.

© Press Release 2019