Starwood increases Dubai hotel portfolio

Starwood Hotels and Resorts has added a Dubai hotel to its Middle East portfolio.The company will manage the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, which will be renamed the Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai.

Emirates will retain the property with Starwood overseeing the day-to-day operations of the resort – which could appeal to people taking flights to Dubai.

Al Maha was one of the first eco-hotels in Dubai when it was built over a decade ago. It has 42 suites with marbled bathrooms and private decks.

“A pioneer in the area of luxury conservation-based hospitality in the Middle East, Al Maha will be a valuable addition to The Luxury Collection,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline.

Starwood currently manags, franchises or owns a total of 992 properties that offer 298,500 rooms worldwide.

Written by Ruth Norris.