Wednesday, March 29, 2006

End of an era

Radisson to acquire management of InterContinental Hotel Dubai
Staff Report
Dubai: Radisson SAS Hotels and Resorts will take over the management of the InterContinental Hotel Dubai, the first five-star hotel built in the emirate, on October 1.

Since the property opened more than three decades ago it has been operated by InterContinental Hotels and Resorts and is a landmark on the Deira Creekside.
The hotel has 287 rooms, including 39 suites, 16 food and beverage outlets and several meeting and exhibition facilities.
Gulf News

The InterCon is where I had my very first meal when I arrived in Dubai for the first time, in 1977. In the ground floor coffee shop, which in those days was designed like a dhow with masts and rigging everywhere. It had very uncomfortable seating too; because the whole place was shaped like a dhow's hull the seats were curved & tapered and very cramped.

It was the only international hotel here and wasn't nearly enough to meet the demand of visiting business people, so there was a ship moored on the Creek nearby which was used as a hotel. It had a good bar too. Sharjah had a moored ship also being used as a hotel.

Hard to believe? Here's a photo I took in 1977:

2 comments:

nzm said...

Now we just have a ship in The Palm serving as quarters for the labourers, I think.

Bet they don't have a bar!

Good pic of old Dubai, Seabee!

Anonymous said...

A huge percent of the old Dubai property are used for the rebuilding new Hotels and Resorts. Cause it's much cheaper than building a new ones.