CONSTRUCTION work has kicked off on a luxurious 324-room hotel on the Palm Jumeirah Island in Dubai, following the decision by its developer Al Habtoor Group to relaunch the project.

The group has also partnered with Hilton Worldwide to manage the Dh1-billion ($272 million) hotel, which will be the first luxury resort by the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand in Dubai.

Previously known as Habtoor Island Resort and Spa, the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah on the breathtaking man-made island will include some unique elements to match the creator’s ambitious vision.

“We wanted to add something very special to this beautiful place and took our time to create this vision. My faith in our country’s economic strength and its resilience has always been strong and I believe that now is a suitable time to move vigorously forward and re-launch this hotel project,” says Khalaf Al Habtoor, chairman of the Al Habtoor Group.

Lifestyle experience ... the hotel will combine elegance with top quality across the board.

With the foundations laid, the enabling works completed and construction resumed, the project is slated to welcome its first guests before the end of 2013.

Surrounded by the waters of the Arabian Gulf and overlooking the Burj Al Arab, the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah will offer breathtaking views of Dubai. Al Habtoor Group was one of the first to reserve a piece of land on the iconic island when the initial “reclamation of land” started in 2001. “We were very excited when the Palm project was first launched and we hurried to book our plot of land. I was happy when we secured one of the best locations on the crescent,” says Al Habtoor.

The resort will reflect both contemporary and old-world designs, creating pleasing and unique aesthetics. Not just a hotel, but a ‘lifestyle’ experience, it will combine contemporary elegance with top quality in every sphere.

The hotel will have 324 rooms, including 60 suites. The Royal Suite will bridge the top of the building and will offer its occupants stunning views of the Arabian Gulf waters on one side and The Palm on the other. Its facilities will include a unique five-star serenity spa, providing modern health and beauty treatments, a health club housing a state-of-the-art gym, as well as a number of luxury swimming pools and tennis and squash courts, in addition to its private beach.

The resort hotel will also feature four signature restaurants, two bars and a 600-capacity ballroom. With 70 per cent of the landscape allocated to an elegant garden filled with lush greenery, the project aims to provide a real feeling of space and serenity.