IPL teams to stay in the most luxurious hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

By K.R. Nayar

The UAE has some of the world’s most luxurious hotels and some of them have been booked by the Indian Premier League (IPL) teams to ensure a safe stay during the league. Players and officials of the IPL will be put up in these hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and they will have to remain in a bio-secure environment.

St. Regis in Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi to be home for Mumbai Indians

The Indian Premier League players will be staying in some of the best hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi during the 13th edition of the league to be held from September 19 to November 10. As the teams get preparing to arrive from August 20 in the UAE for pre-event camps, all teams have been booked in hotels that can be safe as well as comfortable.

Some of the hotels here have confirmed that they have been approached and that the deal has been finalised. According to information, Waldorf Astoria in Dubai will be home for the Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore team. Waldorf Astoria, Dubai, is located on the Palm Jumeirah Island. They have two outdoor pools and a private beach, and most of their rooms are sea-facing.

Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore set to stay at Waldorf Astoria, Dubai

The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, is where the Kolkata Knight Riders will be put up. It has one of the world's largest beachfront and is located near the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.  Spread over 57 acres of lush gardens and shimmering pools, it has 10 Venetian-inspired buildings as part of the property.

St. Regis in Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, is set to be the home for Mumbai Indians.  It is a luxurious, Mediterranean-style beachfront hotel set over eight floors, and all its rooms are bright and breezy with an ocean view.  An 18-hole golf course is situated adjacent to The St. Regis.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will be staying at The Ritz Carlton. It also has a waterfront location with access to a private beach.  This Mediterranean-style hotel with lush gardens has world-class amenities. Kings XI Punjab is said to have finalised Sofitel The Palm Resort in Dubai. This is a resort with the feel of a Polynesian island, and its lobby is fitted with a green wall filled with 170 types of plants from France. This property also boasts of a private beach.

Kings XI Punjab set to stay at Sofitel The Palm Resort in Dubai

Mahendra Singh Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings team has preferred the Taj Dubai. It has a panoramic view of the Burj Khalifa and is located in the heart of the city. It is said to house some of the best Asian restaurants, especially Indian cuisine. The Oberoi Dubai will be the official hotel for the Board of Control for Cricket in India where all IPL officials will be staying. It has spacious rooms and suites with an uninterrupted view of the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai cityscape.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings opt for Taj Dubai

As per the Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) handed over to all teams, players as well as the support staff will not be allowed to visit dining areas or restaurants in the hotels, and they will have to order food to their rooms. Some teams have expressed their desire to book the entire hotel during the period of stay. For teams that will not be booking the entire hotel, they will have to be allotted rooms in a separate wing of the hotel that has a separate centralized air conditioning (AC) unit compared to the rest of the hotel.

All teams arriving in the UAE will have to first undergo a 96-hour quarantine. Once that is completed, everyone will have to remain in the bio-secure environment. It is not yet clear whether team owners will opt to stay in the bio-secure environment. If they plan to stay out of the bio-secure environment, then they will not be allowed to meet their players.

Unlike in the past, domestic cricket bowlers will not be allowed to bowl for teams at the nets. Most teams are flying in their own net bowlers. Breach of any bio-secure Environment protocols by players and team support staff will be punishable under the IPL Code of Conduct Rules.  




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