ROVE EXPO 2020 NOW OPEN

Experience unmatched hospitality at the year’s most awaited event.

The wait is finally over. Dubai is set to play host to millions of visitors from more than 190 countries to join the making of a new world, with the Expo 2020 taking place from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022. Rove Hotels is excited to invite Rovers to grab the best seats in the house at the event’s only on-site hotel: Rove Expo 2020 – now open.

Located adjacent to Al Wasl Plaza, Rove Expo 2020 will offer guests from across the globe, the perfect gateway to regroup, recharge and rethink the future, complete with all of the Rove-brand favourites under one roof.

Rove has grown rapidly over the last couple of years, tell us a little about how it all started?

From the moment Rove Downtown opened its doors in 2016, Rove Hotels quickly gained popularity with our unique approach to hospitality, and our ever-expanding list of well-connected locations. We have not been afraid of taking risks and doing things differently, which has helped us getting noticed by residents and visitors alike.

We are more than just a hotel, we want to serve our community with forward thinking innovations like – region’s first co-working spaces, in-hotel cinema, private hotel offices, gaming rooms, fully equipped podcast studio, and #RoveWithNikon filming and photography studio.

In just 5 years, the brand now has over 5,000 rooms open or under development across the Middle East, including the new openings of Rove City Walk and Rove Expo 2020 this month.

It must’ve been an exciting yet challenging experience collaborating with a large-scale global event. What were some of the best or most taxing events or processes you had to go through as a team to ensure the hotel is ready for your guests on October 1?

The opening of Rove Expo 2020 has been quite different from the usual process. The hotel is located at the heart of one of the largest events in history, which is amazing, but at the same time it means that there are many more factors to take into consideration in regard to the hotel operations.

First-off, when we were appointed to manage the hotel at Expo 2020 Dubai, the hotel was already under construction. We worked closely with the Expo team to redesign it and we managed to increase the capacity by 40% by incorporating additional rooms to the inventory. Overall, Rove Expo 2020 has 4 room types including Rove’s first-ever suites – Al Wasl and Expo 2020 Suites.

There are also some differences between the opening of this hotel and traditional openings, which makes it truly unique. Rove Expo 2020 will not have a ramp-up period as it will open on very high occupancy, coinciding with the opening ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai making it operationally quite challenging. To manage that, we are ensuring that our team is thoroughly trained and that everything goes smoothly. There are very high expectations around Expo 2020 so our team strives to ensure we deliver an exceptional experience to our Rovers (guests).

Additionally, running a hotel inside a secure site such as Expo 2020 Dubai has great implications on our operations. From guest arrival and departure experience, to the delivery of supplies to the property, everything needs to follow strict procedures. We also need to maintain very fluid communications with our Rovers (guests) so that they don’t face any challenges once they arrive at the Expo site.

We are extremely proud to be part of such an incredible event. As a homegrown brand we are looking forward to showcase to the world what Dubai and the UAE are capable of.

Has being a part of the Expo brought about any new opportunities for Rove?

Definitely! We are very excited for the event to start. Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to bring 25 million visitors to the city over a period of just 6 months. Being the only hotel onsite, we are sure lots of visitors will get to discover and experience the brand for the first time, which is great.

We expect many visitors to attend the event and spend some additional days discovering everything Dubai has to offer. With 9 hotels in well-connected locations all across the city, we are looking forward to welcoming travelers from all over the world.

Currently, Rove has branches only in Dubai. Do you plan on expanding nationally or even globally in the future?

We have plans to continue our rapid expansion with more locations in local and regional markets. We have announced Rove Hotels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as other Emirates including Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah which will bring our overall number of keys over 5,000.

Rove has stood out in the industry by having a fun and fuss-free energy for the modern international travellers. Are there amenities / features that are exclusive to the Expo branch?

Being the only on-site hotel at Expo 2020 Dubai, as well as its amazing location adjacent to Al Wasl plaza make for very compelling reasons to drive many Rovers (guests) to stay with us.

From the refined design concept which combines references to past World Expos and hints to the future, to amazing facilities such as a stunning swimming pool and sundeck overlooking Al Wasl Plaza, Rove Expo 2020 takes the Rove Hotels concept to a whole new level, while maintaining the brand DNA.

Some unique facilities present at Rove Expo 2020 include suites – a first for Rove Hotels, multiple F&B outlets including The Daily restaurant – our signature concept, as well as a bar and a grab and go Rove Café. Additionally, the hotel will feature an outdoor event space and large co-working areas.

Sustainability is another aspect where Rove Expo 2020 shines. The hotel has been built following Expo 2020’s strict sustainability guidelines and it has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. Besides, we are applying all the environmental learnings acquired across other brand properties to Rove Expo 2020. Initiatives include 100% sustainable amenities, AI-powered food waste management system, in-property waste segregation, recycling and much more.

Rove Hotels have been awarded with the prestigious Green Key certification, as well as certified by DTCM’s Sustainable Tourism Initiative.