Dubai-headquartered Jumeirah Group has opened its first hotel in Saudi Arabia’s city of Makkah.
Jumeirah Jabal Omar Makkah is part of the second phase of the city’s flagship Jabal Omar project, designed by Foster and Partners.
Located a short walk from the Great Mosque of Makkah, the hotel has a total of 1,121 keys including rooms, suites and residences.
The hotel has opened initially with 507 rooms and suites across two high-rise towers with views over the city and the Great Mosque of Makkah.
A further 526 rooms and suites will be added in phases across two more towers, accessible via express elevators. Hotel guests will also have the option to book entire floors, which feature 14 rooms and suites per level, to ensure the privacy and exclusivity during their stay.
The hotel also hosts 88 residences, which sit across the podium of the four towers of Jumeirah Jabal Omar Makkah. The residences offer spacious terraces, allowing guests to join the group prayers at the Great Mosque of Makkah from the comfort of their own accommodation.
The hotel will have a total of eight dining destinations. These include Mediterranean restaurant Patras and a lobby lounge which are currently open. Soon, six more restaurants will open in the East and West towers, featuring a regional Arabesque restaurant alongside Middle Eastern, South-East Asian, and Indo-Pakistani restaurants, as well as a café.
Jumeirah Jabal Omar Makkah will also have three meeting rooms and event spaces accommodating between 10-70 people.
Katerina Giannouka, chief executive officer of Jumeirah Group, said, “We are proud to have opened the first Jumeirah hotel in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in such a significant location, in partnership with Jabal Omar Development Company. Jumeirah Jabal Omar Makkah will deliver the exceptional service that Jumeirah is known for, enabling an enhanced experience for all who are visiting Makkah.”
Two other large scale hotel openings were announced in Makkah over the last few months. IHG Hotels and Resorts recently opened its voco Makkah property which it says is the largest hotel within Makkah. The 4321-key hotel has rooms that can accommodate between two to four guests. The property is part of the Maad Hospitality Towers Development in Makkah, a mixed-use development that includes restaurants, lounge areas, and event halls. Voco Makkah is located close to Mina Valley and Mount Arafat, and is 1.5km from Masjid al-Haram (City Centre).
In July last year, Address Hotels and Resorts also announced the opening of Address Jabal Omar Makkah. That property features 1,484 rooms and suites and was at the time of its opening the tallest structure within the Jabal Omar development. The towers of Address Jabal Omar Makkah span over 5,000 sqm of prime space.
