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Modern minimalistic designs.... the Hilton Dubai Creek.
The Hilton Dubai Creek, which opened its doors to the public last month, focuses on minimalism in design while maximising on the services it offers to its target clientele - the business traveller.
Developed by Abdullah A AlMoosa Enterprises (Arenco) Group, the modern-concept, five-star 'boutique' hotel is located in the Dubai Creek business district. It is managed by Hilton International.
The ground-plus-16-storey hotel, with a built-up area of 235,000 sq ft, consists of 154 rooms, including four large suites and 42 executive suites of which 24 are alcove rooms, says Sanjeev Ghulati, contracts manager for Arenco.
The hotel has three restaurants - one for fine dining (Verre), a brasserie (Glasshouse) and one Italian cafe (Issimo). It has two bars (one exclusively for members), a gymnasium, an executive lounge and a roof-top swimming pool.
Guestrooms combine stunning views of the skyline and the creek with hi-tech furnishings and finishes of unique design.
Describing the project, Issa Farah, managing director for Al Amar Engineering, main contractor on the project, says: "The hotel has three basement levels. The lowermost basement level is for services, cold storage, housekeeping and engineering office.
''The second basement level is reserved for a car-park and the first basement level has a computer room, accounts section, salons and a nursing station.
''The ground floor has the reception desk, a coffee shop and administration offices. Food and beverage outlets are conveniently located on the first floor while Level 2 has two outdoor terraces on raised hardboard flooring overlooking two glazed wall meeting rooms.''
The layout of other floors is as follows:
The hotel has two entrances and is served by three elevators and two service lifts.
"A special feature of the hotel is the twin suspended glass staircases, among the largest of their kind in the region, which form the focal point of the entrance lobby, says Ghulati. "Other features include a suspended glass ceiling and underlit glass flooring.''
Glass complemented by stainless steel is one of the key materials used throughout the hotel, from the twin sweeping staircases through to the restaurants.
''The interiors are dynamic, modern and uncomplicated, yet the designers have managed to keep an elegance throughout, and where other hotels have windows, we have walls of glass,'' says Robin Thessman, Arenco Interior Architects.
"All the construction materials were locally acquired and fabricated in accordance with international standards," says Ghulati. "All the materials used are of the highest standard. The granite is from Italy. We have used marine-grade stainless steel. Most of the finishes in public areas are in marble, granite, glass, stainless steel and veneer. The furniture is European.''
Al Amar started work on the project in late 1999 and completed work in July this year.
The building sits on a raft foundation, with the basement being 11 m deep.
One of the challenges faced during foundation works was the high ground water table which required a dewatering system to be designed to lower the water level.
The building has a reinforced concrete framing with facades clad in curtain walls and double glazed aluminium.
"The specifications for the project called for the highest standards of finishes," Ghulati adds.
Other finishes include plasterboard for false ceilings and granite or timber cladding for the walls. All walls and partitions are heat and sound insulated.
The attention to detail is evident from the moment of entry into the granite and steel lobby with the twin glass staircases complemented by two, flat water features with fibre-optic lighting.
On the walls are matching recycled wood artworks, commissioned by the architect, Carlos Ott, from a Brazilian artist. Ott, together with Arenco Interior Architects, designed the exteriors and interiors of the building.
Ott's themes are continued throughout every aspect of every room, maintaining a visually arresting mix of chrome, granite, steel, beech wood and black leather furniture by the Italian company, B&B.
Glasshouse, the brasserie, lives up to its name with a paned glass floor, huge skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the creek.
Verre, the hotel's signature restaurant, is dominated by a glass panel around the room lit with tiny coloured uplights to counter the minimalism of white linen, white china and silver cutlery.
All rooms have views of the creek. A glass-panelled corridor in the suites contains a wardrobe, shelves, safe and a guest bathroom. Tiny blue lights are placed at floor level, so that guests do not stumble out of bed in the dark at night. Every floor has a dedicated service area at one end.
The ultimate touch has been saved for the roof-top swimming pool with Internet connections in the sunbeds.
Guests at the Hilton Dubai Creek will also be able to enjoy the beach and facilities of the recently opened Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, which is also owned by Arenco Real Estate.
