First St. Regis Polo Resort to Debut in Dubai

 St. Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club

Followers of the long-standing association between St. Regis and polo will want to take note: the company has announced the debut of its first-ever St. Regis polo resort, The St. Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club, in Dubai in 2017.

Developed in partnership with Al Habtoor Group LLC, the 136-room hotel will be the centerpiece of a six-million square-foot equestrian sports complex in Dubai.

The St. Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club will have 136 guestrooms, 24 St. Regis branded bungalows and various culinary venues. In addition, there will be a further 138 residential villas within the resort, alongside a polo club, a state-of-the-art polo academy and a riding school with 500 stables. Guests will also have access to the polo academy, which will offer a wide range of programs including dressage, riding and show jumping for riders of all ages. The resort will also be home to four world-class polo fields, which will reinforce Dubai’s role on the global polo circuit.

The St. Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club

Led by British architects WS Atkins & Partners, the design of the resort will be inspired by Andalusian architecture. The St. Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club will be part of Dubailand, a project on Emirates Road 25 minutes from Dubai International Airport. Aimed at becoming a regional and global tourism hub, Dubailand will feature various sports, leisure, entertainment and shopping attractions, and is expected to attract an additional 15 million tourists to Dubai annually once completed. 

The history between polo and St. Regis began at the turn of the last century when polo matches on Manhattan’s Governors Island were the highlight of the New York social calendar and where St. Regis’ founding family, the Astors, were a prominent fixture. As St. Regis continues to grow globally, the brand expands its polo presence: this year, hosting polo matches and marquee events in  Aspen, Buenos Aires, Bridgehampton, and the United Kingdom. St. Regis recently participated in the Sentebale Polo Cup, which took place in Abu Dhabi and featured Prince Harry and St. Regis Connoisseur Nacho Figueras. The match raised funds for the Sentebale charity benefiting the children of Lesotho.

“The UAE is our largest market in the Middle East, and we continue to see opportunities to grow our brand portfolio across the country,” said Bart Carnahan, senior vice president, acquisitions and development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East.