DUBAI, Oct 12(The National): Staff at a hotel in Media City took an unexpected delivery at lunchtime yesterday as one of their guests gave birth in the lobby.

The girl was born at about 12.45pm in the reception area of the Grand Midwest Tower Hotel to a mother who is believed to be from Russia.

"It happened very quickly, in around 25 or 30 minutes," said Inaam Ullah, the hotel's frontline manager. "I received a call and when I came downstairs, I saw the situation."

An ambulance was called but the baby had already been born by the time medics arrived. Zafar Shah, the chairman of the hotel, said mother and baby are doing well. He plans to name their room after the child and she can stay at the hotel free of charge anytime she wants.

"It's fantastic," he said. "The staff really did a great job. I have been told by the management on duty that the husband and wife were on their way to the hospital as the mother had labour pains. Immediately she sat down on the couch in the lobby and asked for assistance."

The staff closed off the area and helped deliver the child.

"They weren't expecting it - it is a miracle," Mr Shah said. "Because of the environment not being clinically sterilised it was important to then get the family to the hospital."

Mother and child were taken to Al Wasl Hospital, and Mr Shah is hoping the couple will return to the hotel soon and, with their permission, he will throw a party in their honour.

Hotel staff were elated by the event yesterday, saying it was one of the most exciting and moving things they had ever been a part of. "It was an amazing thing," said one member of staff, who did not wish to be named.

"She was coming down in the lift; I was told that she was giving birth, and then I saw her on the couch and she had the baby."

Mr Ullah said this was the first time he had experienced such a thing at a hotel where he worked, and praised the efforts of all staff present who tried to make the new mother as comfortable as possible.

"It was the first time I had helped in such a thing but we have gone through many documentaries and education films about this in college and at school so we advised them [as best we could]," he said.

"The mother was very calm. We called for the ambulance but the moment arrived. It was really a moment of great excitement