Seven Yas Island hotels nearly sold out for F1

By Rebecca Bundhun  www.thenational.ae

The seven hotels on Yas Island are almost fully booked for this year’s Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, as they gear up for bustling activity after a subdued year so far.

The Yas Hotel. Stephen Lock / The National

“All of the hotels on the island are virtually full now [for the November F1],” said Stephen Banks, the director of sales and marketing at Aldar Hotels and Hospitality. “It’s obviously a very busy time for us. People want to be right on the track.” Mr Banks said the Yas Hotel, the five-star property that bridges the racetrack, had offered only a few rooms to the public. Most of the rooms would be occupied by people involved in the event.

The hotels are charging the same prices as last year, Mr Banks said. Yas Hotel’s room rates will be Dh3,500 (US$952) a night. There are more than 2,200 rooms on the island.

Other hotels on the island, including the Radisson Blu and Rotana Yas Island, said only a handful of suites were still available.

The hotels were demanding a three-night minimum stay, with money paid upfront and non-refundable.

The Radisson Blu and Rotana said all of their standard rooms, costing Dh2,500 a night, were fully booked for the F1 that runs between November 12 and 14.

But hotels were unlikely to cap rates this year because of new properties in the market, Mr Banks said.

“Indications are that with the extra rooms in town there won’t be a cap,” he said.

The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority at the start of this year said the need for rate caps was “virtually redundant” because the new hotels created enough competition to keep prices in check.

Hoteliers on the island are also eagerly awaiting the launch of the Ferrari World theme park, scheduled to open on October 28 on Yas Island, hoping it will drive more business their way. The theme park, which is mostly indoors, is to include the world’s fastest roller coaster and about 20 other rides.

“We do not provide forecasts for prospective visitor numbers. However, we are confident in our feasibility studies, which indicate that there is a huge appetite for attractions of this nature in the region,” said Claus Frimand, the general manager of Ferrari World.

“We expect that a high percentage of visitors to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will come from the local market – families in the GCC and wider Middle East.

There is a huge gap in the market for top-of-the-range family-oriented leisure options in the summer months.”

The theme park and hotels are linking up to offer special packages.

“We are obviously working very closely with Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and a number of hotels operating in Abu Dhabi, including of course those on Yas Island, to develop an exciting package for overseas visitors,” said Mr Frimand.

As the island takes shape, the master developer Aldar Properties last month announced work was about to start on a vast water park with more than 40 rides and attractions, including scuba diving, cable water skiing and a lazy river. The park’s opening is planned for 2012.

The Yas Links golf course recently opened and more development is planned for the island, which covers 25 square km, including a shopping mall and a Warner Brothers theme park.

“Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is one of several entertainment and leisure attractions [that] will make Yas Island one of the primary leisure and entertainment destinations in the region,” said Mr Frimand.

rbundhun@thenational.ae