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Dubai based hospitality operator, Hospitality Management Holdings, will expand its presence globally, including Africa. This will be a landmark year for the home grown hospitality company, which plans to open 20 new properties this year. Michael Noblet, CEO of HMH, said in a recent interview that the growth of engine in the foreseeable future will be in Africa. Three of the four hotels HMH recently opened were…
The acclaimed Jumeirah Beach Hotel has significantly reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by installing the ABB engineering technology. This has made the hotel more energy-efficient and environmentally responsible. The hotel has come a long way from the previously used HVAC system that used motors running on certain speeds. This system did not allow for any adjustments with regard to the changing power…
Marriott International is going to open its first luxury hotel, the JW Marriott in Aqaba, Jordan in 2013, making it the fourth hotel of the company. The deal was finalised under an agreement with Beaches for Hotels & Spas PSC’s Chairman, Nadim Muasher. The hotel will be situated on the Gulf of Aqaba Beach, adjacent to the Aqua Marina, thus connecting the city with the sea. It will provide access to Petra…
Dubai became the destination of choice for tourists around the world in 2009 as hotel prices in the city fell by 25 per cent. This annual Hotel Price Index released by Hotels.com showed a 14 per cent global drop in hotel prices last year. Meanwhile, the hotel rates in Abu Dhabi dropped by 17 per cent, thus increasing tourism in the city. While business travellers to Dubai went down significantly in the…
March 1: Jinan Hotels & Resorts has designed its new offices keeping in mind the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles. The eco-friendly establishment will be based in Abu Dhabi. The company hired the services of International Hotel Consultants to design the environment-friendly offices. “It is easy to harp about a company's green credentials, but harder to act on it. By designing our…
March 1: Acclaimed fashion designer Giorgio Armani has expressed concern that his first hotel project may appear dated once it opens this month. Aptly titled the Armani Hotel Dubai, which was developed in collaboration with Emaar Properties is located at the base of Burj Khalifa, has been in the pipeline for five years now. “I’ve been working on this for a while. I’m finally going to see what I designed,…
March 1: A study conducted by Deloitte, a business consultancy, and STR Global has revealed that hotels in the Middle East have had highest hotel occupancy in the world last year. According to the study, hotels in the region also have highest room rates and revenue per available room (revPar). Hotel occupancy in the Middle East hit 61.3 per cent in 2009 while average room rates and revPar were $202 and $124…
New Umrah terminals opened at King Abdul Aziz International Airport on Saturday, allowing the airport to take on extra numbers of Haj pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom. About 95 percent of the work has been completed on the new terminals, which cover an area of 90,000 square meters and allow for an influx of 3,800 passengers each hour during peak periods. The terminals have 18 gates and 136 passport…
The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) launched its first promotional campaign in Europe at the Westin Palace Hotel in Madrid. Fifteen state bodies, governmental institutions, agencies, and tourist offices will participate in the campaign, which will promote the image of Qatar as a tourist destination. During the launching ceremony, Al Nuami presented an overview of Qatar’s different tourist attractions and…
The annual Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) which ends today, (February 28th), has given a big boost to occupancy levels at leading hotels. Naeem Darkazally, area director of Sales and Marketing for Rotana Dubai, said all eleven of its hotels had big increases in occupancy rates during DSF 2010. Luxury hotel Kempinski Mall of the Emirates said they are receiving very good response to its F&B and shopping room…
Figures compiled by Lebanon’s Tourism Ministry show that the number of nights spent by visitors in hotels and furnished apartments in Lebanon increased 34.7 percent in 2009, compared to 2008. The number of visitors staying in hotels or furnished apartments increased 2.12 percent to 1,955,679 in 2009, compared to 2008. Visitors stayed an average of 2.54 nights per person last year, compared to 2.29 nights in…
Dubai based luxury hospitality group, Jumeirah, has announced it has officially partnered with Air China and its Phoenix Miles loyalty program. Jumeirah is a member of Dubai Holding. The number of Chinese guests staying at Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts in Dubai has increased substantially since the Chinese government granted the United Arab Emirates Approved Destination Status. The Frequent Flyer Partner…
Eight hotels in Qatar may be closed because they have not yet complied with the star classification requirements of the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA). A senior official of the QTA said the hotels have been asked to upgrade their standard security and safety systems in order to maintain their star ratings. If the hotels do not demonstrate compliance, their classification could be lowered to three stars, two…
STR Global published data on Wednesday showing Abu Dhabi suffered substantial drops in hotel revenue and occupancy rates in January 2010, compared to January 2009. Figures show that RevPar in the capital dropped 40 percent, occupancy rates fell 27 percent, and average daily rates (ADR) declined 18 percent. While the Middle East still has the second highest revenue per available room (RevPar) of all the…
The January STR Global Construction Pipeline Report shows that Dubai continues to lead in hotel construction, with 30,222 rooms in the total active pipeline and 15,563 rooms in the ‘In Construction’ phase. The figures for Dubai come even as industry experts express concern that there may be an oversupply of hotels in the emirate this year. The STR report shows that 14 new hotels with over 3,000 rooms have been…
has completed the first phase of the renovation of Al Bateen Wharf’s Fishing Marina, located in the oldest occupied area of Abu Dhabi. Renovation of the marina, which highlights Abu Dhabi’s rich heritage and seafaring culture, will give a boost to tourism in the capital. TDIC is the master developer of important cultural residential, and tourism destinations in Abu Dhabi. TDIC Director for Public Relations…
The world’s number 8 hotel operator, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, will open 49 hotels in 15 countries over the next three years. Hoyt Harper, Senior Vice President for Sheraton Hotels and Resorts said about 90 percent of the new hotels will be located outside of North America, including India, Taiwan, Poland, and 28 in China. Seventeen of the 28 Sheraton hotels planned for China will open in 2010. Harper said…
IFA Hotels and Resorts (IFA HR) posted a $17.37m (Kda4.96m, Dh63m) loss in the first half of the current fiscal year (July-December 2009) but expects better results in the second half of the year. The company registered a profit of KD25m for the first half of the 2009 fiscal year. IFA HR is a major player in the development of premium integrated and mixed use hotels and tourism projects. The company said…
