The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will operate Park Inn Dubai Airport Free Zone. The property featuring 312 rooms is scheduled to open in 2012. "With 32 airport hotels in operation and under development Rezidor is Europe’s leading airport hotel operator – we are delighted to extend this field to the Middle East now", comments Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. Besides the Park Inn Dubai Airport Free Zone the group also develops the Radisson Blu Hotel Cairo Heliopolis which will open in late 2009.

The new Park Inn will be located 1.8 km from Terminal 2 of Dubai International Airport, one of the fastest growing airports in the region and the world. It will be surrounded by the Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority – a zone established in 1996 with the aim to encourage foreign investment and to facilitate local and foreign business opportunities. Today 1,300 companies are present within the area and cover a wide array of firms; including aviation, pharmaceutical, logistics and IT.

Nasser Al Madani, Assistant Director General of Dubai Airport Free Zone, says: “Dubai Airport Freezone is proud to have signed on Rezidor as the operator of this hotel project as part of the East Land development in the zone. The partnership between our two companies embodies the quality that we aspire to, and at the same time enhances Rezidor’s portfolio in managing airport hotels.”

Besides 312 guest rooms and apartments the new Park Inn will offer a main restaurant with a unique market concept in which diners will be able to choose from a variety of cuisines, reflective of the multi-cultural city of Dubai. The banqueting and conferencing facilities of the property will be extensive and include a 575 square meters ballroom as well as eight additional meeting rooms totalling 465 square meters. For the leisure traveller, a spa, fitness centre and pool will be offered.

Park Inn is Rezidor’s young, dynamic and colourful mid market brand – growing since its launch in early 2003 to more than 130 hotels with more than 24,000 rooms across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Middle East just recently saw the openings of Park Inns in Muscat and Al Khobar, and remains in Rezidor’s focus for a further ambitious growth of the brand.