The National Investor has confirmed it will invest US$50 million into the Mafraq Hotel in Abu Dhabi, expanding the property from 121 to 250 rooms.

TNI also said the hotel will be rebranded and managed in house, a first for the group.

TNI vice president of real estate, Rob Rowell, said: “Being our first major foray into the hospitality sector we were tempted to lean on established brands to manage the operations.

“However, after careful consideration and the establishment of our own track record in operations, we decided to continue to leverage the Mafraq name to highlight the uniqueness of the property and strengthen its own independent brand.”

The Mafraq Hotel was purchased by TNI in 2007.

“There is no doubt that this exceptional asset has benefited from the close relationship between TNI as owners and the bolstered management team at the hotel,” added Rowell.

“Additionally, third party specialists from the hospitality industry have allowed us to utilise a wealth of local and international knowledge, the results of which speak for themselves.”

The property will open in November.

City.Mobi

Also in the United Arab Emirates today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Abu Dhabi.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

AbuDhabi.Mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.