EMIRATES Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area in Australia will be rebranded a One&Only property, a coup for the Kerzner International brand but a possible death-knell for Emirates Hotels & Resorts, the airline’s hotel subsidiary which has not been making headway on its intention to expand globally.
Emirates Hotels & Resorts’ website, emirateshotelsresorts.com, has been rerouted to the Emirates Wolgan Valley website. Earlier, Emirates’ Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, the forerunner conservation project from which the Wolgan property took a leaf, was also spun off to Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ The Luxury Collection.
Emirates could not be contacted for comment at press time on whether it has disbanded Emirates Hotels & Resorts.
In a press statement regarding the rebranding, Emirates Airline’s president, Tim Clark, said: “We are proud of all that the resort has achieved, but now we feel that it is time to work with a partner to expand the Wolgan experience and take the resort to new heights. We are confident that Kerzner International, under the One&Only brand, is the perfect partner for Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa. They not only have the same high service quality standards that we demand of ourselves, but are also innovation-driven, and most importantly, they share the same vision for the resort as we do.”
Clark added: “I recall all the support that we received in Australia – from the federal government down to the grassroots – when we first conceptualised and began operations in Wolgan Valley. I would like to reassure all stakeholders that the conservation and community principles that the resort began with, will stay unchanged.
“Although we will no longer directly manage the resort, Emirates remains firmly committed to Australia, and we will continue to do our part to support tourism through our flights that link Australia to major cities around the world, and our sponsorship of key attractions such as the symphony orchestras, and iconic events such as the Emirates Melbourne Cup.”
The move brings the number of properties One&Only manages in Australia to two, following the successful rebirth of One&Only Hayman Island in July. The Wolgan rebrand will be from early 2015. Emirates will continue to retain full ownership of the resort.
