With the InterContinental and Crowne Plaza Festival City developments really starting to resemble the impressive statures they’ll become by summer 2007, the project’s Director of Engineering gives an insider’s view on what exactly goes into constructing world-class properties that will stand out even in five-star studded Dubai.
William (Bill) Carr has extensive international experience in hotel development and operation in a career spanning 28 years, having worked in the West Indies, North America, Canada and Europe before coming to the Middle East some 12 years ago with Holiday Inn Worldwide, now InterContinental Hotels Group.
Prior to joining the Dubai Festival City project, Carr was the Area Chief Engineer for InterContinental Hotels Group – Egypt, responsible for 11 properties as well as being the Chief Engineer for the InterContinental and Holiday Inn Citystars hotels based at the Citystars complex, Egypt’s largest shopping plaza.
As Director of Engineering for the InterContinental Hotels Group properties at Dubai Festival City, Carr is tasked with ensuring the highest level of both property and safety standards are adhered to at construction stage through to the opening and beyond.
While Carr’s experience is clearly extensive, the InterContinental Hotels Group properties at Dubai Festival City are a phenomenal piece of work and must have seemed a tall order even for Carr who stands at over two metres tall.
“This is the largest project I have worked on to date,” said Carr. “The Dubai Festival City project is an awesome feat and the InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotels as well as the InterContinental Residence Suites are set to become iconic fixtures at the heart of the development.”
While Carr’s height and credentials are impressive, the new InterContinental and Crowne Plaza properties present some awe-inspiring statistics of their own. Together they’ll take up almost three million man hours, use over 100,000 litres of water and require more than 40,000 light bulbs!
“We’re really proud of the water features currently taking shape at the InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotels – they are going to be spectacular,” said Carr. “Both hotel properties will have temperature-controlled outdoor spa pools and, at the Crowne Plaza, a unique water feature around the circumference of the hotel will be breathtaking.”
Other jaw dropping figures include a total of 60,000m3 of concrete and well over 1000km of cable which have been sourced to complete the projects. And these numbers do not even include materials required for the InterContinental Residence Suites also being built at Dubai Festival City, which will be a first for the group in the UAE market and are specially designed to cater to the needs of extended stay guests.
While Carr says modern construction materials withstand Dubai weather conditions easily, the InterContinental Hotels Group projects at Dubai Festival City properties are much heavier on air conditioning than hotels in other parts of the world and also incorporate a system to slow down the velocity of the air entering the properties to increase the efficiency of the cooling facilities.
At 35-floors high, the InterContinental property will boast over 500 exquisitely designed rooms, including 120 suites, three Presidential Suites and one Royal Suite. All rooms will have a choice of views including the Dubai Creek, the Festival Marina or a world-class shopping centre.
All bathrooms will feature panoramic views, as well as flat screen televisions, separate wet zone incorporating showers and free standing bathtubs. With technology services now playing a major role in enhancing the customer hotel experience, each of the rooms will be equipped with high speed broad band internet access, flat screen TVs, each with CD, DVD and VCD.
While the brand’s iconic Club InterContinental will be located on the 26th floor with capturing views of the creek and the city’s skyline, guests in search of relaxation will be able to pamper themselves at the new spa facility, the first massage and therapy spa to operate within the InterContinental Hotels Group portfolio of properties in the UAE.
On schedule and set for completion by summer 2007, the hotel’s meeting facilities include a 4,500sqm conference centre across two levels which can cater for up to 1800 guests.
According to Carr the level of construction and the high-specification of the hotels being built compare to no-where in the world.
“Dubai is recognised by all in the construction industry as leading the way in terms of sheer pace of development at present and the InterContinental Hotels Group properties are no exception,” commented Carr. “While the group’s properties at Dubai Festival City will retain the brand standards established over four decades in the region, they will also incorporate the latest in cutting edge design throughout the rooms, F&B outlets and leisure facilities.”
Carr is confident that the Crowne Plaza property will follow the InterContinental’s timely completion and will then become a real ‘place to meet’ in the city, especially thanks to its strategic location incorporating a state-of-the-art conference centre.
The 316-room property, including 26 suites, presents an ideal location for business travellers, with all rooms equipped with high-speed internet access and flat plasma TV screens. And for those who want to take a break from the business of the day, they will be able opt for a physical workout at the fully-equipped state-of-the-art gymnasium complete with sauna and steam rooms. Alternatively guests will have the option of enjoying the pool leisure deck area which will enclose the 25m swimming pool and outdoor spa pools and featuring equally stunning views of the creek.
The Dubai Festival City development within Middle East and the UAE particularly, is extremely important within the objectives of the InterContinental Hotels Group globally, with a company goal of a net organic growth of 60,000 rooms by 2008.
“My dream is to build my own ‘family run’ hotel one day in a nice, sunny place,” said Carr. “Hopefully having worked on the InterContinental Hotels Group properties, which I considered two of the most prestigious in the world, will stand me in good stead.”
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 3,650 hotels and 540,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with over 28 million members worldwide.
InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ichotelsgroup.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com.
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