t seems as if everyone in Dubai goes on vacation during the summer. At the Metropolitan Beach Resort, the 200 room hotel took advantage of the 'summer lull', to undergo a complete make-over.

"The Metropolitian Resort and Beach Hotel is the only property located right on the beach," said Keith Parker, manager of projects and developments at the Dubai National Investment Company (DNIC), the owners of the Metropolitan Group. "What we wanted to do was to create an ambience quite different from anything that is currently available here. That's why we chose to give an Andalusian feel to the resort while retaining the modern touches that are essential components of a modern five-star resort."

The 20 million dirham reworking saw a complete redesign of both the interior and exterior of the resort. The most obvious of these is the new look of the buildings themselves. The new rustic Italian tiles and soft rough hewn plaster combined with the peach beige colour of the buildings give the immediate impression of being on the Mediterranean coast. In fact, as Parker points out, almost everything has been redone in the Andalusian style. Aluminium, the hallmark of most modern buildings has been replaced here by natural hardwood and the entire resort has been painted in light pastel shades. "The idea was to take the light, relaxed colours of the beach and blend them into the fabric of the resort to create a warm and relaxed atmosphere for the guests," comments Parker.

Extensive landscaping has resulted in a veritable grove of date and coconut palms. The cool waterways and fountains that run along the meandering walkways build up the essential feeling of being away from it all, just a half hour drive from the bustle of the city.

If anything could be labelled the key facility in a resort, it would have to be the pool. At the Metropolitan Beach, the original olympic sized pool underwent a radical change to emerge as the closest thing to an aqua-fantasy land within a hotel, that has been seen in Dubai. "The central feature of the pool is the new water slide," says Parker. "Combined with the rock features, sophisticated fogging and misting equipment in the splash pool, and the two tunnels for the water slide, guests will experience something quite unique."

In addition are two new restaurants, one Italian and the other, a Mediterranean seafood outlet. With this expansion, the Resort will now appeal to people who are looking for an authentic beach resort rather than just a hotel with access to the sea. It's quiet elegance and relaxed atmosphere will make the Metropolitan Beach resort a unique experience.