INTERVIEW / ROSEWOOD ABU DHABI
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
The highly anticipated Rosewood Abu Dhabi will be a luxurious addition to the UAE capital’s booming hospitality sector. meetme talks to the project's leaders about its bid to capture a slice of the region’s dynamic meetings market
With a strategic location at the heart of an upcoming central business and retail district in Sowwah Square on Al Maryah Island, as well as its reputation for the ultimate in luxury, Rosewood Abu Dhabi is set to capi- talise on opportunities presented by the city’s growing business and leisure market. Construction of the 34-storey waterfront hotel, Rose-
wood’s fourth in the Middle East, was completed in early September, giving the 600-strong hospitality team ade- quate lead time to familiarise themselves with their new environment, says Managing Director Luigi Romaniello. "The months prior to Rosewood Abu Dhabi’s open-
ing in 2013 will be used constructively to train staff and fine-tune the scope of the hotel’s services," says Romaniello. When it opens, Rosewood Abu Dhabi is expected
to deliver an ultra-luxury service while emphasising the hotel brand’s customer-centric core value. With a staff- to-visitor ratio of 3:1, Rosewood is confident it can offer a peerlessly personal touch, where each of the guests in the hotel’s 189 rooms can expect to be pampered by the signature 24-hour butler service and in-room dining.
Apart from Middle Eastern-inspired artwork and
décor, every guest space will also feature a roaming iPad navigation system, offering visitors the option to control the lighting and temperature and even order room service from their bedside. Romaniello describes this as an “intuitive” approach to guest service. “We try to make our rooms very easy to use. I think corporate clients will very much enjoy that feature,” he adds. Meetings and events will also play an important
Above:
Rosewood Abu Dhabi Left:
Luigi Romaniello MD (left) and Roddy Gordon DOM (right)
Facing page:
Rosewood Abu Dhabi Lobby Lounge (bottom left); La Cava (top right)
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role in Rosewood Abu Dhabi’s operations, largely due to its location in a key business district. In its initial stages, Rosewood Abu Dhabi expects to receive more corporate than leisure guests, says Director of Market- ing Roddy Gordon. “There will be quite a heavy emphasis on the cor-
porate market in the beginning and the type of confer- ences and events will be predominantly related to the financial and healthcare sectors,” he says. This comes as no surprise as Rosewood’s next-door neighbours include Cleveland Clinic, the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange and a number of commercial towers.
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