Emirates Palace launches Marina
Dh900m facility, to be manned by Art Marine, can accommodate over 160 vessels
A new marina is now open in Abu Dhabi and its first yacht is expected to glide into the bay next month.
Emirates Palace, one of the most luxurious hotels in the capital, announced yesterday the soft launch of its new marina called Yachts Marina.
Located in the bay of the Emirates Palace, the Dh900-million project, will be managed by Art Marine, a marine hospitality company which offers marina management services in the region.
It will be able to accommodate more than 160 yachts with lengths ranging from 12 metres to 90 metres.
It will have separate areas for yachts under long-term contracts and for short-term guests.
The rental rates at Yachts Marina has still not been finalised. Its management said that while it wants to maintain a competitive edge, its in no rush to see the marina full.
No just parking space
"It's not just a parking space," said Constantinos Constantinou, President and Chief Executive Officer of Art Marine.
For Constantinou it's more about maintaining exclusivity by offering "a level and quality of service that is unparalleled". "Our price is not just about the bay. It will be associated with so many other facilities," said Sultan Al Hamiri, Managing Director of the Emirates Palace Company.
"We are going to offer services that are tied into the hotel. For instance, any guest onboard the yacht, whether it's the owner or one of their guests, can enjoy all the services that a hotel guest would enjoy, anything from booking restaurants to getting tickets to events," Constantinou said.
"We want to make sure the pricing also reflects the facility and the kind of services that one can get."
Constantinou said that Art Marine already has a long waiting list for those interested in Yachts Marina.
