Dubai-based developer Nakheel is planning a new partnership with Austria’s largest independent hotel chain, Vienna House, to create a $160 million, 600-room beachfront resort at Deira Islands.
It is the first Vienna House project in the Middle East and comes as Nakheel seeks to boost its hospitality operations across the emirate.
“Our ongoing strategy is to being new, highly-reputable hospitality brands and concepts to Dubai as part of our commitment to supporting the government in realizing its tourism vision,” said Nakheel Chairman, Ali Rashid Lootah.
The pair plan to build a unique beachfront holiday complex – Vienna House Deira Beach – at Deira Islands, a reconfigured mega-project that was originally conceived as another reclaimed palm-shaped artificial island.
The planned Vienna House partnership is Naheel’s third hospitality joint venture at Deira Islands.
The developer already has 1,400 rooms under way through joint ventures with Spain’s RIU Hotels and Resorts and Thailand’s Centara Hotels and Resorts.
In total, Nakheel has more than 3,600 keys at Deira Islands through existing or upcoming joint ventures or hotel management agreements, the developer said.
Vienna House is the largest independent hotel chain in Austria and has 30 hotels across nine countries.
Nakheel has launched an aggressive expansion into Dubai’s hospitality sector, under which 18 hotels – including five star, all-inclusive and value-for-money concepts – are planned for Dubai.