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Jumeirah Beach Hotel Marina is without a doubt a hidden gem

A new era at

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Boat owner Me | september 2010 | 69

Nestled in one of the

oldest purpose-built

tourist locations in the

Middle East, Jumeirah

Beach Hotel Marina is

undoubtedly one of the region’s most

luxurious, quaint and best-kept secrets.

Offering more of an amphitheatre

surrounding than Dubai Marina – with

Jumeirah Beach Hotel to the back, Burj Al

Arab to the side, The Pavilion Sports Centre

on the other and the stylish 360 bar at the

entrance, what goes on in Jumeirah Beach

Hotel Marina certainly doesn’t stay there!

Now the recluse for large private yachts on

the new concrete-decked pontoon system,

the marina is a very different environment

than its early days. Marina Manager Kithsiri

Liyanage, has watched both the marina and

hotels develop around him, from launching

his first boats on the beach as Watersports

Coordinator at the former Chicago Beach

Resort, to the arrival of the dredgers and siting

of the first Walcon wooden dock system in

1997, and latterly the newly designed marina

arrangement around the Bellingham concrete

dock system by Septech.

“The one thing that has always set the

Marina here apart is its community feel,”

explained Kithsiri. “We have so many different

guests and families who come here for

leisure and yachting, and they always have

the time to stop, chat and call you personally.

How many marinas or places in the world can

you have that experience with your guests?”

However, from a small marina with

numerous private fishing charter and

pleasure yachts, the current multi-million

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52 | June 2010 | Boat owner Me

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Marina services• WirelessInternetaccess• Completefoodanddrinksservicedeliveredtothe

vessel, including private dining and personal chefs for dinner bookings and special occasions

• 24hrsecurity• Awardwinningconciergeservice• Berthingassistance24hrsaday• Businesscentreservices• Onboardmassageservicefromthehotel’shealth

club• CollectionanddropoffserviceatDubaiAirport• Pre-arrangedadvancedpostal/package

acceptance and storage facility • Groceryshoppingservice,deliveredtotheboat• Full housekeeping service, including fresh linen &

robes, cleaning, dry cleaning and amenities • Floristservices–deliveryofaselectionoffresh

arrangements to suit personal needs and requirements, direct to your boat

• Carrental• OnDockForeignFlagentrytotheUAEand

customs control via local partner, JPS shipping Services

• Spotcleaningofupholsteryandfabricrepairs• Localregistrationorganization• RYAtrainingandrefreshertrainingfornewboat

owners and captains on site • Supportservicesincludingpre-deliveriesofspares

and yacht accessories prior to arrival• Postalandcourierservices• Hullcleaningservicebyqualifieddivers• Basicchandlery• Organizationofre-fuelling• LiaisonwithlocalCoastGuardOffices

investment in new pontoon development has

created an exclusive berthing experience for

the largest yachts in the region.

After ten successful years we decided we

wanted a new look, and the ability to cater for

larger yachts with the same level of hospitality

the owners would expect if they were staying in

a Jumeirah hotel .”

Offeringfour100ftberthsandfour200ft

berths, the design of the Jumeirah beach hotel

Marina is certainly created with the view to larger

yachts both visiting and permanently resident.

However, this custom is not as prevalent as

Kithsiri would like:

“It’sgreatthatwearealreadytheMarina

of choice for large yachts visiting around the

time of major exhibitions and boat shows,” he

explains, and we hope the recent changes

we’ve made will encourage more large

yachts to visit our Marina and the Middle East

throughout the year.”

However, it is not through a lack of enquiries

that his marina is not full, more a reluctance on

the part of visiting owners and captains to follow

theUAEregulationsfornon-UAEflaggedvessels

–evenvesselsfromneighbouringGCCcountries.

Leaving aside the elusive catch of the transient

market, Jumeirah Beach Hotel Marina has

recently adjusted its berthing fees and the

minimum length of vessel it can accommodate –

visitor ProMotionAED20–30perfootdependingonLOA.OffervaliduntilendofSeptember2010

nowstartingatareasonable40ftfromthe60ft

minimumintroducedin2008.

A traditional resort marina in the sense of its

‘all-inclusive’ nature, unlike the more commercial

modernmarinasintheUAE,JumeirahBeach

Hotel’s Marina is not simply a place for boat

parking, it is an extension of the Jumeirah

brand and lifestyle. Taking a berth in the marina

includes a couple membership to the Pavilion

Sports Club, with its swimming pool, gym, squash

and tennis courts, and watersports facilities,

and provides discount at a number of the hotel’s

restaurants.

Former members who may have moved to a

different marina during the refurbishment are

being lured back by the prospect of no joining

fee on their return, but due to the fully inclusive

package of the berthing experience, don’t

be shocked when presented with the most

expensive berthing rates in the Middle East! But

for those who wish to sit alongside the most

expensive and sought after bars and restaurants

in the region, where better to offer a more

exclusive afterparty and voyage starting place,

than at the base of Burj Al Arab?