Emirates Palace Company (EPCO) has announced that Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will take over management of the iconic Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, from the 1st of January 2020.
Upon signature of the agreement, His Excellency Mohamed Al Junaibi, Chairman of EPCO, commented “Since first opening its doors to guests, Emirates Palace has captured the essence of authentic Arabian hospitality and established itself as not only an exceptional hotel, but also as one of Abu Dhabi’s most iconic visitor attractions. We are delighted to enter this fresh chapter with Mandarin Oriental, whose operational expertise will further enhance the guest experience in line with our leadership’s example to continue striving for excellence and extending world-class hospitality to anyone visiting or living in the UAE.”
“The partnership with Mandarin Oriental represents an important milestone and aims to propel the property’s profile into a new era,” said His Excellency Sultan Al Hemeiri, Managing Director of EPCO. “We look forward to a mutually prosperous and fruitful relationship with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group,” he added.
The award-winning iconic property which opened in 2005, is one of the world’s most luxurious hotels and a symbol of exemplary hospitality excellence, boasting 302 rooms and 92 suites, with over 9 exquisite international restaurants and featuring state of the art leisure facilities. Known for hosting high profile guests, heads of state, foreign dignitaries and celebrities, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi has become the leading destination for international and regional conferences and events. The property will undergo a phased renovation to upgrade its facilities to an ultra-luxury level and further elevate the positioning of the property. During this period the hotel will remain open to welcome its guests.
“This is a unique opportunity to manage one of the most high-profile and iconic properties in the Middle East and will be an excellent complement to our other hotels in our portfolio,” said James Riley, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. “We look forward to bringing the Group’s exemplary service standards to Abu Dhabi and to introducing the brand to a new audience,” he added.
The decision to award the new management contract was based on a highly competitive tender process, managed by third-party firm JLL, global real estate and hospitality advisors.
