Enjoy Your Vacation Part II

Anantara Mina Al Arab, Ras Al Khaimah

Four Points by Sheraton Hurlingham, Nairobi

Marriott International’s Four Points by Sheraton brand has announced a new hotel in Nairobi’s bustling Hurlingham district. Designed by Areen Design’s hospitality division, the project will see a former Best Western Premier converted into a Four Points by Sheraton hotel comprising two upgraded F&B venues, and an entirely new lobby. The project required a design approach that preserved the previous hotel’s successful elements, but which brought the design in-line with Marriott’s expectations. “Areen Design’s concepts have dramatically improved the hotel space with a dynamic new addition to our food and beverage offering,” comments Vivek Mathur, General Manager, Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Hurlingham. “The new lobby feels so much more spacious with a sit down check-in facility for our SPG guests. “An upgrade of the all-day dining restaurant Pablo’s is also currently under way,” he continues. ”Whilst the delivery programme was undoubtedly demanding, by working closely with the Areen Design team, our deadlines were all met.” Four Points by Sheraton has also announced a second property in Nairobi: a 172-key hotel within the city’s international airport. Scheduled to open later this year, it features a reception with double-height feature wall, a lobby café with alternating display and swimming pool with views out towards Nairobi National Park. Andrew Linwood, Head of Hospitality Design, Areen Design, concludes: “With innovation being a key part of the Four Points by Sheraton offer, we want guests in both hotel projects in Nairobi to appreciate the quality and creativity of our interiors, whilst also respecting the culture and heritage of the locality.”

Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo

Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts has unveiled plans for a new business and leisure hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Set to open in late 2017, Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, boasts a prime location in the city’s thriving business district, and forms part of the new One Galle Face development that will see the construction of two residential towers, office space and a high-end shopping centre over the next three years. Singapore based architecture firm Chao Tse Ann & Partners will oversee the hotel tower’s design, comprising 500 guestrooms and 41 serviced apartments. LTW Designworks, meanwhile, has created the guestrooms, public areas, meeting venues and spa in a contemporary style that incorporates Shangri-La’s signature Oriental detailing. In keeping with its guiding theme of nature, the hotel has commissioned Chinese artist Man Fung-Yi to create an elephant sculpture to grace the hotel’s lobby and provide guests with a sense of place. Chao Tse Ann has a long-standing relationship with Shangri-La, most recently designing the brand’s Hambantota Resort & Spa, which opened in June 2016 on Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Whilst LTW Designworks has previously worked with the group on China’s Shangri-La Diqing and Shangri-La Lhasa as well as the flagship Villingili Resort in the Maldives. Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, will feature the largest and most extensive hotel conference and events facility in the region, with a 1,500-capacity ballroom showcasing artwork by Bea Valdes. With this facility at its disposal, the property is expected to become a magnet for conferences and events, enabling Sri Lanka to compete globally with MICE hotspots such as Bangkok and Singapore.

sources: Sleeper, 09-10, 2017