Damac Hills (Akoya) Area Guide
If there were two companies and/or people that love to slap their logo on the front of buildings, it is Donald Trump Jr, and Damac Properties. The former has somehow managed to trick the world to pay it to put its brand on buildings, DAMAC still happily pays for its own promotion.
DAMAC clearly gets the value or return a good brand can bring. However the jury is out on whether its use of the Trump name on the 18 hole, PGA Championship level course has been a good investment given the maelstrom of all that is Trump. Currently it is likely to repel more people than it attracts.
Trump golf courses do have a pretty solid reputation, so at least the Trump International Golf Course is a project where, one hopes, the Donald was able to impart a little intellectual value add. The course opened in February 2017
As a community, Akoya, or Damac Hills as it has become (let's not lose an opportunity to slap the Damac name on something!), is still fairly embryonic but villas started to be released to their owners in 2015.
Many of the newer villas still have that barren feel that all new development have until the plants, grass and trees bed in and nature has had time to soften the edges.
The developer claims the area will become the Beverly Hills of Dubai, very much still an aspiration. When complete Damac Hills will have over 4,000 luxury villas and 7,500 condominiums in addition to hospitality, luxury shopping, spa and wellness facilities and leisure, along with food and beverage components.
The area has one school of note, but oh what a school. Jebel Ali School relocated to Damac Hills in 2016, and has managed to retain its culture, and many of the attributes that made it Outstanding.
The area will, eventually, feature The Drive, a 2.5km retail walk inspired by Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles. Damac says it will be larger in size to The Walk in Jumeirah Beach Residence and will be home to premium retail, restaurants and cafés, putting greens, childrens’ entertainment, outdoor cinema and an outdoor ice-skating rink all nestled around a cluster of hotels and hotel apartments.
A second retail precinct called The Catwalk will include fine dining restaurants and cafés, supermarkets, a pharmacy, laundry services and other conveniences.
As more developments come online so we would relook at our current ratings.
Damac Hills (Akoya) Ratings
