The St. Regis Dubai at Al Habtoor City recently unveiled the Sir Winston Churchill Suite, a spectacular palatial apartment located on the top floors of the luxury hotel. Joanna Andrews was at the opening, which was attended by one of the former British Prime Minister’s great grandsons.
The are many superlatives to describe The St. Regis Dubai at Al Habtoor City. But few give it the justice it deserves. The St. Regis itself if full of history and colourful stories from the past. It’s not surprising then, that one of the suites at the lavish Dubai property now bears the name of one of the world’s most famous politicians - former British Wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
The Suite was unveiled at an event co-hosted by Al Habtoor Group Chairman Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and attended by Randolph Churchill, one of the great grandsons of inspirational statesman Sir Winston Churchill.
The sprawling three-bedroom suite is breath-taking. Spread over two storeys it is the largest of the hotels 52 luxurious suites, and measures 913 sq m making it even bigger than the spacious 800 sq m Astor Ballroom.
The Sir Winston Churchill Suite includes a master bedroom connected to a generously sized bathroom with an exquisite free-standing bathtub in the centre and adjoining separate male and female walk-in dressing rooms. Two additional bedrooms - one king bed and one twin bed - feature their own double vanity bathrooms. It also has a vast living room, a formal 12-seater dining room, elegant study, relaxing lounge area and a spacious majlis that is ideal for meetings. But, its pièce de résistance is a majestic in-room spiral staircase that leads into the central dome of the hotel, where a rooftop plunge pool reveal panoramic views of the landscaped gardens and surrounds.
Its grandeur is further enhanced by a series of paintings and art from the Churchill family’s personal archives. The collection, courtesy of the Churchill Heritage Ltd., includes 15 pieces ranging from paintings, portraits and photographs of the legendary statesman who led Britain to victory in the Second World War. It even houses a well-maintained Cuban cigar that once belonged to him from the private collection of Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, owner of the hotel, and the mastermind behind Al Habtoor City. The La Corona Cubano, dated 1949, is housed in a La Espana box and has a Colorado claro wrapper with a special label bearing Churchill’s name.
The Al Habtoor Group Chairman said, “I have always been a great admirer of Sir Winston Churchill. He was known as the greatest statesman of the 20th century. He was a great and effective leader with a strong personality.”
He added: “I purchased one of Sir Winston Churchill’s cigars for my private collection last year. He was very rarely seen without a cigar in his hand. It was his signature piece. Once the decision was taken to name this spectacular suite after the wartime prime minister then it seemed fitting to share this piece of history with the future guests of the Sir Winston Churchill Suite.”