Ritz-Carlton, the luxury hotel brand of Marriott International of the US, has no plans to develop further hotels in Dubai before 2020, the Dubai daily Gulf News today reported Ritz-Carlton global operations officer Bob Kharazmi as saying.
There are two Ritz-Carlton hotels in Dubai: one in the Dubai Marina area which is being expanded to 260 rooms from 130 rooms and the Ritz-Carlton in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Work on the Ritz-Carlton in the marina is due for completion by the end of September, Kharazmi said.
The third UAE Ritz-Carlton is in Abu Dhabi city.
“From now to six years, there could be different opportunities but no precise plans for a hotel in Dubai under The Ritz-Carlton,” Kharazmi was quoted as saying.
Marriott International says it aims to have 10,000 hotel rooms in Dubai by 2020 compared with 2,700 rooms at present.
Kharazmi told the Gulf News that Ritz-Carlton expects to reach agreements for three new hotels in the GCC this year. It plans to open five hotels in the Middle East and Africa by 2016. These will include new hotels in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.
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