Located in the Heart of Europe, it will be family-only, operate on European time zones and accept Euros as currency…

Looking to take a trip to Europe without the hefty price tag of a flight? Well, Dubai has the answer, as the first hotel in the Heart of Europe development, located on Dubai’s World Islands, is scheduled to open before the end of 2018.

Portofino Hotel will be a five-star, family-only resort located on Mainland Europe, one of six islands which makes up the Heart of Europe development.

The hotel features 489 suites, including an exclusive penthouse ‘Villa Adriana’ which occupies the entire top floor, five swimming pools, a theatre, private beach with watersports and dedicated kids club. To cater to children of all ages, the hotel is promising daily water ballet shows, family shows, concerts and movie screenings.

There’s a big focus on the surrounding waters as well. All around the island, Kleindienst Group, the developer behind the Heart of Europe project, aim to create the biggest coral nursery in the world. The group expects to produce 100,000 corals by 2020, and the lobby area will host 514 aquariums representing the 514 species of marine life to educate guests. Hotel Portofino also promises to facilitate snorkelling, swimming with exotic fish and turtles, and even plans to introduce pearl oyster diving for its guests.

For dining, there will be four restaurants and six bars which will all serve all-organic, Mediterranean cuisine.

They’re serious about making you feel like you’re in Italy. Arrival to the hotel will be by boat only (you can bring your own, or take the handy hotel shuttle), and once you’re the hotel will operate on European time zone. They’ll even accept Euros, so be sure to change your Dirhams ahead of arrival…

Having poured the first concrete in January of 2018, the hotel aims to break the Dubai record for the fastest hotel to soft launch less than a year after first construction commenced. Portofino Hotel aims to begin soft opening from December 2018.

A further twelve hotels are still set to open as part of the Heart of Europe development, with the full project expected to be completed by 2020.

We can’t wait to visit…

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