The Centaurus 5

L'Hotel
This former pavilion d'amour was built in the 19th century , when st-Germain boasted a large park used by the French aristocracy - and all that fresh air evidently encouraged fervid thoughts of exercising their collective droit de seigneur. Interior designer Jacques Garcia was responsible for the redecoration of the 20 highly individual rooms. Our favourite is the art deco Suite 36, which was the stripper Mistinguett's choice, while Oscar Wilde expired amid the splendid Victoriana of Room 16 .
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Lonely Planet review

Paul Smitz
Lonely Planet author
You're unlikely to see a taller atrium in Asia than the Pan Pacific's dizzying 35-floor centrepiece space. A ride up in one of the lifts, which sparkle with multicoloured lights, is definitely not for vertigo sufferers. Harbour facing rooms are de rigueur here for their spectacular views, private balconies and king-size beds.
Rooms and suites are stylish but understated, refraining from any overbearing extravagance: the views do all the talking. The Pan Pacific's lobby received extensive renovations at the end of 2004, transforming it with a mixture of swirling retro-style carpets and a salubrious cafe-bar framed by alien-green neon lights. The pool, however, is somewhat bland and the plastic plants ringing the atrium balconies don't contribute much visually either. The pick of the in-house restaurants is the Cantonese eatery Ha Tien Lo on the top floor. The ground surrounding the Pan Pacific is being torn up for an MRT extension, which will take several years to complete, but the hotel is conveniently linked via aerial bridges to nearby shopping complexes

W.S. Atkins

W.S. Atkins - Trump Hotel, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai (Copyright W.S. Atkins) (click-2-enlarge)

Donald Trump To Build Tulip-Shaped Hotel In Dubai

U.S. real estate and gambling kingpin Donald Trump is joining forces with top Emirates developer Nakheel LLC to build a tulip-shaped hotel on a man-made island shaped like a palm tree (Nakheel)The deal that Nakheel announced Wednesday October 5th brings together two of the world’s flashiest developers, and marks Trump’s first foray into the Middle East.Update :Looks like the tulip design is no good! Nakheel and The Trump Organization have unveiled a new design for the Trump International Hotel & Tower, the centerpiece of The Palm Jumeirah.

Dubai Real Estate And Property

Well first up is the news that Dubai real estate developers are now starting to openly admit that all is not well in the real estate market! What really! I know a shocking revelation, but it was only 6 months ago developers were trying to paint a picture of a rosy property market, that would recover in the 1st quarter of 2009, and than no job cuts would be necessary etc. You get the general idea. But now, they seem to have actually come around to the fact the fact the market is in a bad state. Whereas previously developers would dart around questions to do with development progress and property demand, now they are responding more honestly to questions, and are giving more information on project problems and setbacks. This enhanced communication can only be a good thing for the market where we are seeing a lof of Dubai distress villas sales and apartments.Also this week, one of the parties involved in the construction of the Burj Al Alam, the Fortune Group, has come out and said the project is on course for a 2012 completion date. Once completed, the tower will be a rather substantial 510 meters tall, with some 108 floors, making it the tallest commercial tower in Dubai. It will also feature 27 floors of serviced apartments and a high end hotel. Completion was originally planned for 2010, but construction work has currently been places on temporary hold. Hopefully come 2012 Dubai can enjoy the towers beautiful architecture.And finally it seems land costs in Dubai have decreased substantially recently. With land prices typically accounting for 25% of a projects total costs, this should see large savings made by developers. The Dubai Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) has recently introduced changes when it comes to purchasing land, with developers now forced to own and pay for 100% of the land if they want to sell of plan property. Add to this legislation that has curbed speculative land purchases, and the result is falling land costs, in many areas to 2005 prices, and in some areas prices have even fallen below the original asking price. With prices still expected to fall yet further, now looks like a prime time to invest in Dubai land plots.

Shark Attack

But the 13-foot whale shark is apparently a juvenile and a protected species and environmentalists have been waging a campaign against the hotel’s state-owned developers to have her removed. Newspapers, radio stations and schools joined the fray and there was even a petition on the social network, Facebook, signed by 8,000 people.
The hotel has maintained that it rescued the shark off the Dubai coast and that it’s been nursing Sammy back to health. However, former employees have told the local press that capturing a whale shark was always part of the hotel’s plan to provide an added tourist attraction.
Now, the UAE’s Minister for the Environment, Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad, has stepped in, saying the shark will be set free and returned to the sea.
Local journalists say the decision to release Sammy came as a surprise to even her staunchest supporters, highlighting how local sensibilities in the UAE are changing. This is in part because Dubai is attracting growing numbers of expats concerned about the environment.

Economic difficulties sees Dubai’s first soup kitchen

 

One hotel in the glitzy Gulf state has come up with a novel idea to counter the economic crisis and attract more customers – opening up a soup kitchen for those who have lost their jobs.
The scheme at Arabian Park Hotel simply requires the unemployed to show up with their lay-off letter in order to receive free meals.
General manager Mark Lee, explained: “A lot of people are finding themselves in a very difficult situation right now. Being made redundant at this time of year is no fun at all, and we’re trying to give a little bit of festive cheer back.”
The initiate comes as Dubai, famed for its wealth and extravagant architecture, struggles to deal with the economic slump which has resulted in hundreds of job losses in recent weeks.
State-company Nakheel, which was responsible for building the palm-shaped islands, recently announced that it was laying off 15 per cent of its work force.
On Thursday publicly traded investment company, Shuaa Capital, also said that it had begun shedding 9 per cent of its Dubai-based staff.