Dohwntown In Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates will soon be home to a funky five star hotel which will more than likely become somewhat of an landmark on its flourishing skyline.

Located in the downtown area of the City, the hotel named the Grand Corniche Hotel will rise to 35 storeys and is designed by Singapore based architects Surbana Consultant Pte Ltd.

The design harks back to Abu Dhabi's maritime heritage - the sleek tower is reminiscent of a stately racing dhow, the traditional Arab sailing vessel that dominated the Persian Gulf for over a millennium.

Set on a rectangular podium, the tower will be made entirely of glass and curves upwards to a crescent shaped peak, Adding to the busy feel of the top of the building is a spire crammed through the crescent.

During the day intricate detailing on the 'sail' will be visible while at night it will appear to fade into the gloom whilst illumination from within will give the tower the appearance of an encased pearl, a reference to one of the Emirate's traditional industries.

The hotel, for which an operator is yet to be named, will have 349 rooms and 90 suites, 144 serviced apartments with a mix of one and two bedroom units and 3,600 metres of shopping heaven set on a retail podium, four basement floors will house parking space for residents and patrons.

The hotel which will be of the five star persuasion will offer the usual facilities people don’t have at home such as a lobby bar, two pool bars, swimming pools, spa, gymnasium and meeting and banqueting facilities to cater to up to 1,000 guests as well as four restaurants one of which will be atop the tower giving diners spectacular views of the surrounding area.

The hotel will be an extra step forward in bringing Abu Dhabi into the tourist market as well as onto the architecture stage and is expected to be completed in December 2009.