The St. Regis Dubai at Al Habtoor City in Dubai has announced the official launch of the hotel’s Sir Winston Churchill Suite. The spacious two-storey suite was formally debuted in the presence of Mr. Randolph Churchill, the great grandson of the inspirational statesman, writer, orator and Prime Minister who led Britain to victory in the Second World War and Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Chairman of Al Habtoor Group.
Fittingly designed to meet the discerning eye of Sir Winston Churchill, the three-bedroom suite holds a meticulous attention to quality and detail, housing a collection of 15 paintings and art pieces from the Churchill archives that include portraits and photographs of the legendary statesman, paintings he mastered himself, and a well-maintained Cuban cigar that once belonged to him from the private collection of Chairman Khalaf Al Habtoor.
Spread across 913-square-metres, the sprawling suite is the largest of the hotel’s 52 luxurious suites and even bigger than the 800-square-metre Astor Ballroom. The suite features a vast living room, a formal 12-seater dining room, elegant study, relaxing lounge area and a spacious majlis that is ideal for meetings.
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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. The suite’s 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.
The suite also exhibits a La Corona Cubano cigar, dated April 1949, personally donated from the private collection of Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Chairman of UAE conglomerate Al Habtoor Group and creator of Al Habtoor City. Once owned by Churchill, Al Habtoor acquired the priceless piece late last year. The cigar, housed in a La Espana box, 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.”
Churchill was an accomplished artist who produced more than 500 canvases across 50 years despite being 40 years old when he discovered the pleasure of painting. His art quickly became his greatest hobby, and he even, exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Holding a strong connection with the Middle East, Sir Winston Churchill was responsible for the creation of a Middle East Department at the Foreign Office. It was also while he was in Cairo, that he rode a camel to the pyramids to paint them in the sunset.
Ignace Bauwens, General Manager of The St. Regis Dubai, said: “The St. Regis Dubai is honoured to display this collection of Sir Winston Churchill’s work and name our signature suite after him. We are proud to present our guests with this rare and refined opportunity to enjoy his art.”
