Kempinski Hotels & Resorts, the world`s oldest luxury hotel group, is to manage its first property in Kuwait. The five star Kempinski Al Julai`a Resort is situated in the up-market district of Julai, forty minutes south of Kuwait City, secluded amid landscaped gardens with a private beach, offering lavish accommodation comprising of 56 luxury hotel rooms and 50 individual villas. The resort is scheduled to open in Autumn 2002.

The hotel has 44 deluxe rooms, set over two floors in a circular configuration, with pool views. 12 suites have sea and pool views with enhanced room amenities. The interior design will draw on local culture and there will be a variety of restaurants including fine dining and traditional Arabic. The villas will be rented as part of the hotel operation and will feature several types of accommodation including four-bedroom beach-side villas and smaller garden villas. All will have private parking as well as fitted kitchens and deluxe amenities.

A designer health and wellness centre (600 m?) offering a gymnasium, treatment rooms, sauna and hamam, will be complimentary to guests with membership also available to local residents. Additional leisure facilities will include a PADI diving centre, water-sports, swimming pools, bowling and entertainment centre, squash courts, shops and land sports such as bicycles and quad-biking.

A comprehensive range of conference facilities is planned to fill the current gap in the resort market in this region. The proposed facility will be split into two areas: a multi-purpose event hall featuring a cinema and a selection of smaller meeting rooms (50 pax) customized with advanced training tools. Further halls, an open-air amphitheatre and a Ramadan-style tent will provide additional meeting space for events and themed banquets.

Kempinski Hotels & Resorts` portfolio includes over 30 distinctive properties in key destinations around the world. An existing resort in Ajman (UAE), recent signings in Marrakech (Morocco), Sahl Hasheesh and a Nile cruise ship (both Egypt) endorse the group`s emergence as a leading name in the Middle East. Further expansion is also planned in the region.

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