Hyatt International opens its first City Conference Resort today, the Grand Hyatt Dubai, in United Arab Emirates.

The 674-room, 5-star resort offers 4,340sq m of conference space within a resort environment.

'Grand Hyatt Dubai is a complete move away from the traditional, often sterile feel of a conference hotel,' said general manager, Peter Fulton.

The conference facilities have the capacity to cater for 2,800 delegates within its Baniyas Grand and Almeera ballrooms. Both rooms can be split for smaller conferences and there are also 11 meeting rooms and two boardrooms.

Marketing director, Roddy Gordon, said: 'Being halfway between Asia and Europe, Dubai is a very accessible place for holding worldwide conferences and is set to be a major player in the market.'

The hotel is set in 37 acres of tropical landscaped grounds consisting of water features and walkways, along the shores of the city's historic Creek. The multi-level lobby boasts a tropical forest where seven streams run under bridges, over waterfalls and into rock pools. Unlike most hotels there is no central kitchen, but 15 food and beverage outlets offering international cuisine, each with its own kitchen and indigenous chefs.

The resort also includes the Grand Spa. There are four treatment rooms using products supplied by Italian skincare company Comfort Zone, but treatments can also be taken in guest rooms or in the gardens.

There is a Technogym-equipped gym, a 20m indoor lap pool with underwater sound system, two squash courts, a dedicated tennis centre with four courts and instructors, a 450m running track and a juice bar.

The outdoor leisure pool, one of the largest in the city, is complemented by a children's pool with games and slides and a toddler pool with shaded canopy. Details: www.grandhyattdubai.com