Dubai, UAE – 8 December 2017 –
Luxury lifestyle hotel brand, ME by Meliá, has announced its debut property in the Middle East with the launch of ME Dubai at the end of 2018. Designed by late architect, Zaha Hadid, ME Dubai is set to become a legacy hotel. It is the only hotel project where she personally designed all of the interiors and exteriors, showcasing her vision of ‘interconnectedness’.
ME Dubai will take residence in the breath-taking, 95 metre-high, Opus building, which is the newest architectural icon in the Dubai skyline. Situated in the heart of the upcoming Burj Khalifa district in Downtown Dubai, The Opus building is managed by leading Middle East real estate developer, Omniyat.
ME Dubai will consist of 93 rooms and suites, across 19 floors, the ultra-luxurious ‘Suite ME’, as well as 98 serviced apartments. The property will feature dramatic, signature furniture in the lobby, vertical café, lounges and reception area, which were either designed or personally selected by Zaha Hadid.
The lifestyle hotel will offer 15 restaurants, including ROKA, the contemporary Japanese robatayaki restaurant. Founded in London in 2004, ROKA was created by Rainer Becker following the huge success of Zuma London. Hamish Brown, Group Executive Chef for ROKA Restaurants internationally, since March 2013, has successfully spearheaded the team who have created some of ROKA London’s most iconic dishes, including the yellowtail sashimi with yuzu-truffle dressing and lamb cutlets with Korean spices. To complement the food from the robata, a selection of expertly prepared sushi and sashimi will be available, alongside dishes from the main kitchen.
The interior of ROKA Dubai showcases the collaboration between Rainer Becker and esteemed designer, Noriyoshi Muramatsu of Tokyo’s Studio Glitt. Located in the centre of the restaurant amongst diners, the robata grill is the focal feature of the ROKA experience and also brings with it the energy that ROKA is famous for.
With awe-inspiring originality, Hadid’s design reinvents the balance between solid and void, opaque and transparent, interior and exterior. The Opus spans 250,000 sq ft, comprising of two separate towers that connect in the form of a cube but with a ‘carved’ central void where the centre of the building provides unexpected and dramatic views of the exterior.
There are currently ME by Meliá hotels in Miami, Milan, London, Ibiza, Mallorca, Madrid and Cabo, with further openings in Sitges in 2018 and Barcelona in 2019.