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March 29- The five-star Movenpick Hotel has opened its second property in Dubai on the Jumeirah Beach Residence Walk. The hotel has 294 rooms and suites along with three restaurants. "The Movenpicks Hotel & Resorts brand is all about reliability and attention to detail. We are confident that this new hotel will do very well here and will attract guests from the local communities as well as from our main feeder…
Doha – Saturday 27 March, 2010: The Middle East portfolio of Six Senses Resorts & Spas will participate in Earth Hour 2010, a global environmental awareness event organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) aimed at raising awareness about climate change and global warming. Six Senses will demonstrate its continued commitment to environmental responsibility by turning all lights and non-essential electricity off…
March 28- Salalah Marriott Resort, the first Marriott Hotel in Oman opened with a bang at a ceremony at Mirbat Beach on March 24. Sheikh Mohammed bin Marhoon bin Ali Al Maamari, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar region, was the chief guest at the occasion. "With the launch of Salalah Marriott Resort, we are proud to announce the development of the Mirbat Beach project which will be the finest and most…
QATARI DIAR Real Estate Investment Company, in an agreement with Tsogo Sun Holdings, one of South Africa's most successful entertainment and hospitality groups, has acquired a 50 per cent stake in the MAIA Luxury Resort and Spa in Mahé, Seychelles. The agreement was announced at a signing ceremony today at the Intercontinental Hotel Paris Le Grand during the Fifth Finance and Investment in Qatar Forum. Speaking…
Singapore-based Frasers Hospitality opened Fraser Suites Seef Bahrain on Thursday, making it the first of five properties that will be opened in the region in the next two years. The building of the property has 19 storeys and has penthouses as well as bedroom suites. Each floor accommodates just eight suites for greater privacy and security. It is the only international-class accommodation with direct access to…
The market for luxury residences in Doha is growing, said Kempinski Residences & Suites, Doha General Manager, Emel Atikkan. "The State of Qatar is expected to see further development across various sectors, which will have positive effects on hospitality and residential property. For Kempinski -- which is anticipated to open its doors in April -- Qatar is one of the primary growth markets in the Middle East,"…
, a major luxury hospitality operator, plans to open five new properties in the Middle East, and nearly double its total international portfolio to 41 properties by 2013. Mandarin will manage its first regional property on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island by August 2013. Christopher Mares, Director of Operations in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, said “The Abu Dhabi property will feature 160 hotel rooms, 35 serviced…
Global hotel operator Frasers Hospitality, which currently manages 31 properties in 19 cities around the world, said in a statement on Thursday it is planning to expand further in the Middle East. CEO of Frasers Hospitality, Choe Peng Sum, said “The Middle East remains a most exciting growth area for business and tourism and, strategically for Frasers Hospitality, an important pillar in our global…
Dubai hotels registered a 15 percent increase in occupancy rate in February, the first increase since the global economic downturn began impacting its tourism sector. The capital’s hotels recorded a 15.9 percent increase in occupancy rate to more than 86 percent in February, the biggest increase in the Middle East and Africa. The February increase in Dubai comes despite concerns by some industry experts that…
Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest man made structure, will turn its lights off for Earth Hour 2010, between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm on March 27th. The 828 meter tower is joining tens of thousands of iconic buildings and landmarks across the world to participate in Earth Hour this year. Other global landmarks turning their lights off for the event include the three tallest towers in the world after Burj Khalifa: CN…
Three beachfront hotels located on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah will open this year, thus strengthening the island’s position as a popular tourist spot. Located along Palm Jumeirah's trunk and crescent, the hotels from a series of operators and developers will join Atlantis, The Palm, currently the only hotel there. "While much of the recent attention has focused on the impact of the downturn on the hospitality…
Hotel and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts on Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai, will turn off their lights for an hour (8.30pm to 9.30pm) on March 27 to observe Earth Hour 2010. This is a global event that sends a strong message regarding the battle against global warming. Four Points Sheraton will observe it on 43rd floor rooftop, together with its more than 130 hotels in Starwood's Europe, Africa and Middle East region.…
Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), in partnership with Ishraq Gulf Real Estate Holding, officially opened the Holiday Inn Express at Dubai Airport. The 381 room hotel is the eighth Holiday Inn Express across the Middle East and Africa, and the fourth in Dubai. CEO of IHG, Andy Cosslett, said “IHG opened its first hotel in the UAE 35 years ago and we have continued to invest in the UAE and build on this rich…
The Dubai municipality today said an apparent ban on food containing alcohol, announced last week, was a misunderstanding. The municipality explained that it’s circular, which clearly stated alcohol in food was strictly prohibited, was misunderstood, and that this is allowed provided these foods are separated from other foods and clearly labeled. The circular prompted an outcry from the hospitality industry…
Chief executive of , said plans to build 20 Holiday Inn Express budget hotels in the Gulf for as much as US$3 billion (Dh11.01bn) have been postponed because of the global economic downturn. Samil al Ansari made the announcement at the opening of its $40 million 381 room Holiday Inn Express at Dubai Airport on Sunday. Ansari said “How fast we can develop these hotels is really down to the market needs,…
March 22- Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plan to open six new five-star hotels in UAE and GCC, it was learnt on Sunday. The new properties will add over 2,000 rooms to the hospitality sector in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Makkah and Oman. Of the six new properties to be launched in the year ahead, two will be in Abu Dhabi, one in Dubai, Makkah, Oman and Aden in Yemen, Rey Alcocer Vice President Operations said. The…
March 22-Ramada Hotel’s latest chain in Fes, Morocco, was inaugurated on Saturday by the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Morocco Mohammad Al-Thwayekh, Tameer Board Chairman Abdelwahhab Al-Haroun, the Moroccan Ambassador to Kuwait Mohamed Belaich and a host of dignitaries and tourism officials and figures. The project achieved completion because of the investment and capital provided by Kuwaiti Tameer Real Estate Investment…
March 19- 'Sammy' the female whale shark has been released into the Arabian Gulf by the Atlantis Resort, Palm Jumeirah, after being in captivity for 18 months. The shark was on display at the resort’s aquarium since 2008 when it was captured. Sammy was captured off Jebel Ali on August 27, 2008, causing outrage from animal rights groups, including the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Former…
