Gulf Construction Online - Two InterContinental hotels rise at the DFC

Hotels, Palaces & Luxury Villas

Major projects ... the new properties.

Two InterContinental hotels rise at the DFC

01 November 2006

The InterContinental and Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City developments are starting to take on the impressive statures that they will have by next summer.

By that time, 60,000 cu m of concrete would have been poured, well over 1,000 km of cable placed, and the two hotels together would have taken up three million man-hours and consumed more than 100,000 litres of water.
And these numbers do not even include materials required for the InterContinental Residence Suites, also being built at Dubai Festival City, which will be a first for the group in the UAE market. These suites are specially designed to cater to the needs of extended stay guests.
“This is the largest project I have worked on to date,” says William Carr, director of engineering for the InterContinental Hotels Group properties at Dubai Festival City. “The Dubai Festival City project is an awesome feat and the InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotels as well as the InterContinental Residence Suites are set to become iconic fixtures at the heart of the development.”
The piled foundations for the 126-m-high InterContinental and the 68-m-high Crowne Plaza hotels are 40 m and 35 m deep respectively. Over 1,850 men are working on the prestigious projects and 90 companies are together in some way or the other involved in the two hotels projects.
It takes a different kind of engineering expertise to build hotels, palaces and luxury villas and constructing these two world-class properties in an already five-star studded Dubai required just such expertise.
“There is a difference [in building hotels],” says Carr. “The physical size of the structure, the cooling loads, the fire life safety requirements, etc, all call for a different kind of expertise, and the design team that has been hired by the owning company has the skill and expertise needed to meet the high specification the construction these buildings demand. There have been challenges along the way but the most complicated element has yet to happen. And that will be opening of the hotel when all individual systems are integrated and work together as one.”
As director of engineering for the InterContinental Hotels Group properties at Dubai Festival City, Carr is tasked with ensuring the highest level of both property and safety standards are adhered to right from the construction stage through to the opening and beyond.
“We’re really proud of the water features currently taking shape at the InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotels – they are going to be spectacular,” says Carr. “Both hotel properties will have temperature-controlled outdoor spa pools and, at the Crowne Plaza, a unique water feature around the perimeter of the hotel will be breathtaking.”
Cutting-edge design
The InterContinental Hotels Group projects at Dubai Festival City properties are much heavier on air-conditioning than hotels in other parts of the world and also incorporate a system to slow down the velocity of the air entering the properties to increase the efficiency of the cooling facilities.
“The quality of the construction and building material in Dubai is very good, but what really amazes me is the speed of construction,” says Carr, while adding that with escalating costs, the right choice of materials such as concrete, cables, cooling systems and other tools can help conserve energy, save time and cut costs.
“A specialised design and engineering team will be handling the cooling at the design drawing stage, and as far as are concerned, we will provide the chilled water from a centralised site wide station,” says Carr.
At 35 floors high, the InterContinental property will boast more than 500 exquisitely designed rooms, including 120 suites, three Presidential Suites and one Royal Suite. All rooms will have a choice of views including of the Dubai Creek, the Festival Marina or a world-class shopping centre. With technology services now playing a major role in enhancing the customer hotel experience, each of the rooms will be equipped with high-speed broadband internet access, flat screen television, each with CD, DVD and VCD. All bathrooms will feature flat screen televisions, separate wet zone incorporating showers and free-standing bathtubs.
While the brand’s iconic Club InterContinental will be located on the 26th floor with captivating views of the creek and the city’s skyline, guests in search of relaxation will be able to pamper themselves at the new spa facility, the first massage and therapy spa to operate within the InterContinental Hotels Group portfolio of properties in the UAE.
The hotel’s meeting facilities include a 4,500 sq m conference centre across two levels, which can cater for up to 1,800 guests.
According to Carr, the level of construction and the high specification of the hotels do not have a parallel anywhere else in the world.
“Dubai is recognised by all in the construction industry as leading the way in terms of sheer pace of development at present and the InterContinental Hotels Group properties are no exception,” comments Carr. “While the group’s properties at Dubai Festival City will retain the brand standards established over four decades in the region, they will also incorporate the latest in cutting edge design throughout the rooms, food and beverage outlets and leisure facilities.”
Carr is confident that the Crowne Plaza property will follow the InterContinental’s timely completion and will then become a real ‘place to meet’ in the city, especially thanks to its strategic location incorporating a state-of-the-art conference centre.
The 316-room property, including 26 suites, presents an ideal location for business travellers, with all rooms equipped with high-speed internet access and flat plasma TV screens. And those who want to take a break from the business of the day can opt for a physical workout at the fully-equipped state-of-the-art gymnasium complete with sauna and steam rooms. Alternatively guests will have the option of enjoying the pool leisure deck area, which will enclose a 25 m swimming pool and outdoor spa pools.
The Dubai Festival City development is extremely important within the objectives of the InterContinental Hotels Group globally, which has a goal of a net organic growth of 60,000 rooms by 2008.