Debrah Dhugga to head up new Dukes Oceana hotel in Dubai
Managing director of Dukes hotel group, Debrah Dhugga, is to take over as managing director of the new Dukes Oceana hotel in Dubai, set to open officially in early 2016.
The new five-star, 273-bedroom hotel, on the Palm Jumeirah, will be the first international property for the Dukes Collection brand.
Dhugga will remain as managing director of the five-star, 90-bedroom flagship hotel Dukes London in Mayfair, and split her time between the UAE and London.
Seeking to provide a "quintessentially English flavour" to the city, the new hotel is being developed by property developer and holding company Seven Tides, with Abdullah Bin Sulaymen as chief executive.
It is set to have a private beach, indoor pool, outdoors infinity pool, new gym, and six restaurants and bars, including the Great British Restaurant (GBR) serving modern British brasserie-style cuisine; a traditional fish and chips café; a top floor Asian restaurant; the Dukes cocktail bar; the Champagne lounge serving afternoon tea or light dining; and the al fresco cigar and coffee lounge.
It will also have 185 studios and 42 one-bedroom apartments adjacent to the main hotel site, which will open on 14 April this year and are targeted at investors.
Commenting on the news, Dhugga said: "We couldn't be more thrilled to bring the Dukes brand to an exciting city like Dubai, which is rich in culture, art, and sophistication. There is a missing piece in the Dubai hotel market for something quintessentially British and Dukes is a British gem which will certainly fill this gap."
Seven Tides was established in 2004 and now has a global portfolio of commercial, residential and resort properties, including Dukes London.
Think again - Debrah Dhugga, general manager of Dukes Hotel, London >>