Minor Hotels (MH), a Thai hotel owner and operator, has signed a management contract with United Arab Emirates (UAE) master developer Nakheel to manage a hotel in Dubai.
William Heinecke (sitting left) signs the deal with Nakheel chairman Ali Rashid Lootah.
The 372-room Avani Ibn Battuta Dubai Hotel will be developed by Nakheel and is located adjacent to the recently opened Ibn Battuta Metro Link, which is connected to Ibn Battuta mall.
The 18-storey hotel will feature a pool, spa, gym, all-day restaurant, coffee shop and car park.
The mall is located in a strategic and rapidly developing area of Dubai and has 400 shops, restaurants and entertainment outlets across 1.5 million square feet of retail space. The new hotel will be part of the ongoing mall expansion and is scheduled to open in 2019.
At a recent signing ceremony in Bangkok, William Heinecke, chairman and chief executive of Minor International Plc, said it was pleased to partner with Nakheel for the hotel.
"After launching our upscale Avani brand in the Middle East last year, we are delighted to continue the brand's expansion in the UAE. With this new hotel, we are confident the brand will prove successful in this key market," he said.
Nakheel chairman Ali Rashid Lootah said its partnership with Minor Hotels diversifies Dubai's hotel choices by bringing in new, reputable international hospitality brands in line with the government's vision.
"We are delighted to welcome Minor and the Avani brand to Ibn Battuta Mall, which, with over 20 million visitors a year, is one of Dubai's leading tourist destinations," the chairman said.
Minor introduced its Avani hotel brand in 2011 to appeal to millennial travellers who appreciate quality and value. Avani has 17 properties in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Seychelles, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia and the UAE.
Minor Hotels operates 14 properties in the Middle East across four of its brands: Anantara, Avani, Oaks and Per Aquum. It has new properties under development in the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Tunisia.