UAE to transform six hotels into a single luxury resort

One of the largest property developers Aldar and international hotel chain IHG Hotels & Resorts have announced plans to redevelop six hotels on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and combine them into a giant luxury resort with beach access.

IHG Hotels & Resorts currently operates 33 hotels across four brands in the United Arab Emirates, with plans to open a further nine hotels in the coming years. The hotel chain will significantly expand its presence in the UAE through a strategic partnership with Aldar.

The partnership will result in the transformation of the six hotels of Yas Plaza into a single integrated Vignette Collection resort. The franchise agreement involves the refurbishment and conversion of the existing hotels into standalone properties as part of a new project called Straylight Yas, Vignette Collection.

A key element of the project is the opening up of private beach access to the complex. The modernisation will add 1,389 new rooms to the hotel group. The project will introduce a range of new facilities including villas, a beach club, an open-air theatre, restaurants and other leisure options.

The new resort is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2025. It will include an underground tunnel leading to the beach, shops, restaurants and bars, and will be connected to Yas Links Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

The partnership will also transform the 110-room Aldar Hotel in the Al Dhafra region, formerly known as Tilal Liwa. It will become a world-class resort and will operate under the Vignette Collection brand.

The luxury resort will get marquees with swimming pools, three restaurants, a world-class spa, a swimming pool, four meeting rooms, a children’s playground and a gift shop. The hotel will open at full capacity in the second quarter of 2025.

Source: Arabian Business