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In recent years, the Middle East's dramatic architecture and visionary, if at times controversial, hotel projects have attracted thousands of tourists.
Dubai in particular is famous for having the courage (and investment dollars) to take architectural dreamscapes and turn them into realities.
However, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Ras Al Khaimah all boast current and upcoming projects that go beyond the simplistic notions of tallest, fastest, best' and instead offer genuinely unique design elements, blended with a practical consideration for mixed-use functionality.
Hotel owners and operators are increasingly working with designers, architects and facilities management professionals to create efficient and sustainable projects, while still wowing their global audiences.
Dusit International regional vice president Sam-Erik Ruttmann believes that architecture offers hotel brands the opportunity to showcase how service and quality is translated into an iconic landmark.
"It is our rule of thumb to ensure partnership exists between the extension of service and design," he says.
"As times change, hotels are becoming more involved in creating synergy at the conceptual stage and interior designs to enliven the extension of hospitality."
Architectonics International designer Dinesh Doshi, who is based in New York, is currently developing an ambitious new project on Dana Island in Ras Al Khaimah.
"The Middle East has seen tremendous growth in recent years and will continue to do so because of its attitude towards architecture, design and aesthetics," says Doshi.
"The understanding that design gives the client a competitive edge allowing for greater returns on investments is essential in their growth as the economy slows and the availability of investors and money dwindles."
However, Doshi explains that as a firm, his company must look beyond aesthetic values to consider environmental concerns.
"We continue to encounter clients with grand visions and ideas for their projects and it has become our responsibility to explore renewable, recycled green products and incorporate sustainability into their vision," he says.
"Attaining sustainability is how these new projects will stay on the cutting-edge," adds Doshi.
He says the architects of the future must become more innovative, creative and have greater intellectual prowess than their predecessors in order to set projects apart for their clients while ensuring they remain financially successful.
Over the next few pages, Hotelier Middle East highlights some of the more ambitious recent and upcoming projects.
The W way
Starwood's W brand, the "New York wonder", has arrived in the Middle East with the opening of W Doha in Qatar.
United Designers of London took inspiration from local art, architecture and culture during the year-long conceptual design process.
"This unique framework led to the creation of a W that is architecturally unlike any other," says United Designers supreme leader Keith Hobbs. "It is architecturally pure, clever and experimental."
W Doha's general manager Safak Guvenc says modern guests have very definite ideas about what they need and want from a hotel, both in terms of service and design.
"They need the design elements and design philosophy of their hotel rooms to really work for them," says Guvenc.
"All hotels strive to provide a superior guest experience, but at the W we are more creative and imaginative, concept-wise, regarding our rooms and their design."
Lean on me
The Capital Gate tower project in Abu Dhabi was recently awarded the 2009 Cityscape Middle East Commercial and Retail Development Future' of the Year Award - and is now on course for a Guinness World Record for "most inclined tower".
The project is an Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) development and was designed by RMJM architects.
Upon completion, the 160-metre, 35-storey-tall Capital Gate will act as an iconic gateway' into Abu Dhabi, reflecting the national identity and values of the country through its unique past and futuristic design.
The tower will be connected to the grandstand at ADNEC and will form a vital part of the planned AED 8 billion (US $2.2 billion) Capital Centre development; the world's first exhibition lifestyle destination.
The structure will offer 20,000m of office space and be home to the five-star "Hyatt at Capital Centre" - Hyatt Hotels and Resorts' first hotel in Abu Dhabi.
ADNEC chief executive Simon Horgan says Capital Gate will "honour the past and celebrate the future, providing Abu Dhabi with one of the world's greatest commercial mega-structures".
"This award is a tribute to the government's support throughout the design and development of Capital Gate," he says.
"It also acknowledges the dedication of the development team and partners."
The building's distinctive 18 incline was made possible with an innovative "slanting core" concept that has never been used before, according to ADNEC.
Big rigs
Morris Architects, a US-based firm with an upcoming hotel project in the UAE, have hit on a multi-award-winning concept to refit abandoned oil rigs and turn the Gulf of Mexico into "America's Dubai".
The Oil Rig Resort, Spa and Aquatic Adventure project is pitched as a self-sufficient, eco-friendly, high-end resort and leisure experience.
The resort will offer more than 300 guest rooms and luxury suites, conference and event facilities, a helipad, high-end shopping, nightly entertainment, under-sea excursions and a host of water-based activities.
Director of design Douglas Oliver explains: "In a twist on the symbol of oil dependence, the rig is transformed from obsolete industrial infrastructure into a vibrant component of the biosphere's ecosystem and a destination for discerning travellers."
In addition to attracting adventurers and luxury travellers, the destination resort also pitches itself at conferences, business retreats and a port of call for cruise ship itineraries.
The concept won grand prize in the Radical Innovation in Hospitality international design competition and also received the SARA National Design Award of Excellence - awarded by the Society for American Registered Architects.
Tilted towers
Architectonics International has expanded its consumer and retail focus to create the vision for Z10 Towers on the man-made Dana Island in Ras Al Khaimah.
The design concept comprises a seven-star hotel, luxury residential apartments and satellite offices for business travellers and residents.
The engineering requirements for the project are ambitious, to say the least. Z10's angled towers will require counter-balanced foundations; all vertical transportation is inclined or tilted. The outer skins of the buildings will be thermal protected and the towers will offer 360 views of the Gulf.
Raised walkways will extend throughout the project and public spaces will include sunrise and sunset parks; private elevators and party terraces; and pool areas.
Green light
Implementing environmentally-friendly measures at the design stage will save money and reduce utility bills, according to Marafeq Facilities Management general manager Mick Dalton.
DEWA's new Green Building regulations require properties to install low energy light bulbs, solar panels, energy saving modules for air conditioning units, low-flow taps and dual flush water systems.
Dalton says that to ensure sustainability goals are met, there must be a collaborative approach by management, technical and general staff - beginning in the initial planning stages of all new hotel projects.
"I believe it is essential that facilities management experts are consulted at the building design stage to increase the lifecycle of the building and present a better return on investment for the building owner," says Dalton.
"Savings on utility bills alone can more than cover the installation and maintenance costs over a period of time and in that sense they are self-financing.
"All too often the knee-jerk reaction to additional expenses in the past has been simply to put up service fee - this is not an option anymore."
Louisa Theobald of Streamline Marketing Group, organisers of the upcoming FM Expo, adds that facilities management costs can be more than five times those of initial building costs - making it crucial for owners and designers to take a long-term perspective on regulatory issues.
