Hilton Worldwide, an American company that owns and operates hotel and resort chains around the world, is considering opening a new hotel in Abu Dhabi under one of its Waldorf Astoria brand names.
The hotel operator, which owns brands such as Waldorf Astoria, Embassy Suites and Hampton Inn & Suites and a number of others, plans to double its presence in the Middle East region, as its importance for the Hilton Worldwide network and its activities increases every year. “Yes, we would love to open the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Abu Dhabi,” said Christopher Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton Worldwide. According to Mr. Nassetta, the hotel operator is not negotiating at the moment, however, discussions on expansion are always ongoing. Recall that Hilton announced the opening of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Dubai as part of a deal with the large emirate conglomerate Al Habtoor Group. This resort complex will be located on the artificial island Palm Jumeirah in Dubai and is expected to receive its first guests in 2013. The cost of this project is estimated at 1 billion dirhams (US $ 272 million).
It should be noted that this hotel will be the second in the UAE under the brand name Waldorf Astoria. The first under the same name will be built and opened in late 2012 in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.
With more than 3,600 hotels worldwide, Hilton Worldwide has recently been stepping up its presence in rapidly growing markets such as Europe, Asia and Latin America. This year, she signed 18 contracts for the construction of new hotels in the Middle East and North Africa, thereby bringing the total number of her hotels in this region to 40.
