TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
Strategically located in a multicomplex connected to Al Wahda shopping mall and office tower, residences within walking distance to Al Wahda stadium, Grand Millennium Al Wahda is one of the few properties which enjoys both leisure and business clientele.
Shehara Rizly
The iconic Grand Millennium Al Wahda Abu Dhabi with 844 rooms and apartments, state-of-the-art meeting room facilities, a health club and spa, internationallythemed restaurants catering to the leisure and business guests is truly a unique property. For family and leisure travellers, the property’s proximity to the mall with over 1000 high-quality branded shops makes it a complete shopper’s paradise.
The iconic Qasr Al Hosn, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, and Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) are just about 20 minutes away from the hotel and apartments. For dining, they operate an All Day Dining – Al Wahda, Porter’s English Pub, Level One Bar and Lounge and Sky Lounge offering stunning views of the Abu Dhabi city. Very soon they will add three more new restaurants including an Asian, Brazilian ‘churrascaria,’ and Tex-Mex.
Grand Millennium Al Wahda also holds Abu Dhabi’s best kept secret – the Zayna Spa; the hidden gem that provides a sanctuary for those seeking relaxation through extensive and premium spa services featuring Elemis products. They claim to also have the city’s finest health clubs with private fitness centre just for women that incorporates a state-ofthe-art Technogym.
Clive Smith, General Manager, Grand Millennium Al Wahda Abu Dhabi, is an experienced hotelier who started off his career in the UK having worked in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow and made a foray abroad into Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he set up refurbishments for InterContinental Hotels. Thereafter, Smith moved to Africa, Hong Kong, Iraq, and Turkey and also established a hotel in Iraq for the Turkish brand, Divan. Subsequently, he moved to Azerbaijan where he was the opening General Manager of Pik Palace Hotel and Park Chalet Hotel. In 2014, he became the Cluster General Manager for Boulevard Hotel and Intourist Hotel in the capital city of Baku.
“We have a strong and healthy mix of travellers from the GCC, Asia and Europe. Location is a key factor to attract the GCC travellers as it connects to one of the largest shopping malls in Abu Dhabi housing over 1000 shops. The connection to the offices and being centrally located, close to the exhibition centre brings in many business guests to the property,” Smith notes.
“Travel agents and tour operators work very closely with us and we have many interesting deals and packages to suit the needs of leisure and business travellers alike. We are continuously trying to build stronger relationships with travel agents and tour operators to get more groups into our hotel. We look at various platforms in promoting our property – print, radio or social media and via exhibitions and trade shows. However, we are looking at getting more active on the social media front currently aiming at the millennials which is a new source market for us. We will be participating in a group level at ATM as it is beneficial for us to be visible and provides us a good platform to network, discuss business with our current clients and meet new potential businesses,” Smith concludes.
