Manzil Downtown Dubai is an interesting accommodation option for those new age global travellers who want to experience the quaint essence of traditional Arabian hospitality in a tech savvy setting. By Sudipta Dev
Manzil Downtown Dubai is an upscale lifestyle boutique hotel that showcases perfectly the essence of the land through its architecture, décor and service philosophy. The hotel is centrally located on Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard in the hub of Downtown Dubai, within walking distance to The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. Manzil Downtown Dubai along with nearby Vida Downtown Dubai is managed by Vida Hotels and Resorts, which is a newly launched brand of Emaar Hospitality Group. “We are one of the first boutique hotel providers in Dubai. Three years ago Emaar Hospitality took over the management of Al Manzil Hotel along with Qamardeen Hotel. The latter was closed first for full refurbishing and reopened as Vida Downtown Dubai which got a great response from the market. Al Manzil was Arabesque and extremely popular in Dubai. It was tricky to refurbish this hotel – to change it without changing too much. The name was Al Manzil and in order to make it more modern we slashed the Al and now it is Manzil Downtown Dubai managed by Vida Hotels & Resorts,” says Stefan Viard, general manager, Vida Hotels and Resorts. Viard was earlier hotel manager and acting general manager at The Address Dubai Mall, another Emaar Hospitality Group property.
For most guests the highlight of the hotel is its Arabesque design elements and the beautiful central courtyard. “The idea was to create modern Arabesque design with the infusion of Vida philosophy. We are a homegrown hospitality company, a part of Emaar one of the largest developers in the world. For us it was important to show where we came from. Manzil means home in Arabic. We try to create a home style feeling. There are a few touch points on the TV, the greetings, the wordings are different. We try to bring the culture to these guests who are not familiar with the local language,” mentions Viard.
While the hospitality elements are rooted in traditions, a lot of effort and investment has gone into technology aspects in the hotel. All the rooms have latest technology. There are media hubs, a sophisticated IPTV system, bring your own device system – as long as the guests can access the hotel Wi-Fi the services which they have on the TV are also there on the personal device. “When we started with brand development our partner for the TV system was a new company and we brought something new to the market,” mentions Viard.
The hotel has 197 rooms. There are 40 connecting rooms which are good for families. All rooms are non smoking. There is a pool and gym facility on the first floor. The hotel also offers meeting facilities. There are four meeting rooms and a boardroom, including two standing meeting rooms. “We have created a new concept of a lounge so anywhere in the meeting room whenever the delegates are hungry they can go to the refrigerator in the room and can take as much as they want and as often as they want,” informs Viard.
Popularity of F&B
Manzil Downtown Dubai has three F&B outlets – The Courtyard, which is located in the centre of the hotel is a popular Mediterranean restaurant and shisha lounge in the city. The ambience of The Courtyard is unique and has a great attraction for both in-house guests and local residents. “The Courtyard is the heart of Manzil operations. It was one of the most popular shisha areas in Dubai before and it remains popular,” says Viard.
The Boulevard Kitchen is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is a signature restaurant and serves cuisine from the Middle Eastern region, with particular focus on Levantine fare. There is an open show kitchen.
The sports grill Nezesaussi, short for New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, has been popular in the neighbourhood for a long time. It was refurbished and opened recently. Sports fans try out the food from these three countries while watching the game of their choice along with their family and friends. The entry to the sports grill is from the quaint little souk in the vicinity of the hotel. There is a small super market, a hair dresser, a pharmacy in Al Manzil Souk. It is the perfect place for guests to spend some time whenever they are free. Viard points out that Al Manzil Souk is a part of the community. It has always existed though there is no direct access from the hotel.
“All our restaurants are managed in such a way that it is attractive for residents of Dubai to come over. These are not typical hotel restaurants. While breakfast is important, the design of the restaurants is done in such a way that it works extremely well for lunch and dinner,” states Viard, adding that, in the evenings most of the restaurant guests are from outside. The restaurants are good value for money so those who live in the area come and enjoy a meal often.
Vida Hotels and Resorts had participated in India roadshow recently. “India is an important market for us. Indians like to travel. Manzil Downtown is perfect for families while Vida Downtown is suited for couples,” comments Viard, who represented both his properties at the roadshow.
Vida Downtown Dubai which is five minutes away is distinctively different from Manzil Downtown Dubai. The number of rooms there were reduced to make space for F&B outlets. “We are adding a residence component to Vida Downtown. It will be a 56 floor building and we will somehow be involved in the management of those residences. We are always looking for opportunities. We are also looking at GCC countries to find the right partners for managing properties,” informs Viard. The company is currently building a new project called Vida Hills in Dubai, it will take another two years for completion.
