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Rezidor Hotel Group opened 36 hotels around the world in 2009, breaking its 2008 record when it opened 33 hotels. The new hotels in 2009 added 7,100 rooms to the markets in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Marko Hytonen, and executive with Rezidor, said the Middle East accounted for eight of the new property openings last year, including the launch of Rezidor’s mid-market Park Inn Brand with openings in Abu…
Dr. Naseer Aqeel Al Tayyar, a leading figure in the tourism industry, said the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia is growing at a robust rate of 30 percent. The volume of the Kingdom’s tourism sector is estimated to be 80 billion riyals, not including the fast-growing religious tourism sector. Dr. Al Tayyar, who is president and managing director of Al Tayyar Travel and Tourism Group, said the current 30 percent…
Armani Hotel Dubai launched its new online booking system yesterday, and bookings can now be made in real time at www.armanihotels.com Guests can use the booking system to search real time room availability, and book any room type, including the Armani Dubai Suite. This highly exclusive suite is located on level 39 of the Burj Khalifa, facing the Arabian Gulf, providing a beautiful view of the city and…
Vladimir Dabbah has been named vice president of global sales for Marriot International for the Middle East and Africa. Mr. Dabbah, who is based in Dubai, will provide strategic sales leadership for Marriot’s sales efforts in the region. David Townshend, Senior-Vice President, Global Sales, Marriot, said Dabbah will lead a team of 75 sales professionals to develop and implement business segment sales strategies…
Dubai’s Union Properties said Monday it may sell its luxury Ritz Carlton hotel for nearly AED 1.5 billion ($408.4 million). The company, which is the third largest developer by market value, said in a statement that “It could be sold for a price very close to that number”. The firm has been hit hard by the financial downturn. Khalid al-Jarwan, Union Properties General Manager, would not confirm if the Ritz…
The number of guests staying in Abu Dhabi hotels during 2009 increased 2%, to 1.54 million, according to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA). Guest numbers in the final quarter grew 16 percent year on year. Mubarak Al Muhairi, ADTA Director-General said “While the last 12 months have been challenging, as they have for all destinations, we believe growth is a very solid performance in the face of global…
Abu Dhabi has emerged as the top contender in the emirate to host the UAE’s first Club Med, beating out neighboring Dubai. Ras al Khaimah is also being considered. The French resort operator favors Abu Dhabi because of the wide availability of beachfront land, its environmental policies, and a tourism policy that emphasizes culture and nature. Club Med was once renowned for its mass marketed campaigns…
A recent online survey found that 35 percent of people will not take a holiday this year because they can’t afford to. 34.7 percent of respondents said they are ruling out luxuries like foreign travel. Only 14.2 percent said they will be able to get away for weekend breaks in and around the region, but these respondents said they will reduce expensive airfare costs by staying closer to home. The survey…
Dubai based hospitality firm Jumeirah Group has signed an agreement to manage a luxury hotel in the center of Bangkok. Gerald Lawless, executive chairman of Jumeirah Group, and Ben Taechaubol, MD of Country Group (Thailand) signed the agreement. The 305 room, five star luxury Jumeirah Bangkok will be located on the legendary Chao Phraya River, near the Sathorn Bridge and Bangkok’s Central Business District.…
D ubai hotels are considering new ideas and angles to create new business, following sharp drops in occupancy rates and revenues last year. Director of Sales at Samaya Hotel in Deira explained “There is a decline in demand for rooms, and a lot of new hotels have recently opened and therefore caused an imbalance in supply and demand.” STR Global reported that occupancy levels in Dubai hotels dropped from 77.2…
A team from the inspected the Armani Hotel Dubai in Burj Khalifa. The luxury hotel is scheduled to open in March. The DTCM team inspected the hotel rooms and services to make sure they are consistent with the hotels classification manual. CEO of Armani Hotels and Resorts welcomed them, explained the facilities and services, and highlighted the properties unique features. The hotel will begin a pre-launch trial…
Travelers are probably familiar with signs in many hotel bathrooms requesting that towels be re-used for the benefit of the environment, but less aware of the many steps some hotel chains are taking to improve their green credentials. Re-using towels can have a big impact because it cuts energy needed to power washers and dryers and reduces the quantity of detergents needed. Marriot International, which has…
Layia Hospitality and CAPM Investment initiated a joint venture agreement to develop five, three-star budget hotel properties under a new brand titled Day & Night Hotels. CAPM Chairman of Abu Dhabi based CAPM, Khaled Al Mass, said the first hotel under the Layia Abu Dhabi brand is expected to open within two years time in Abu Dhabi. The project will cost Dh500 million. There may be further expansion in the…
Victoria Beckham, formerly known as Posh Spice, was offered a deal to design a luxury hotel in Dubai. She would be paid £25 million or $40.5 million under the agreement, which would have her put her name to the hotel, and help with everything from room design to the make of the wardrobe and furnishings. An unnamed source told the UK’s Daily Mirror that “Even in these credit-crunched times, the fee offered to…
Dubai’s Al Habtoor Group is looking for opportunities to buy at least two five star hotels in Paris and London, and plans to build two new hotels in Dubai. Khalaf Al Habtoor, the company’s chairman, said the new hotels in Dubai will be located on Palm Island and Shaikh Zayed Road. Al Habtoor said “Our target is for the time being two properties. Maybe one in London and one in Paris, or two in the same country,…
Naeem Darkazally, area director of Sales and Marketing for Rotana Dubai and Northern Emirates, said he expects all eleven of its hotels in Dubai, representing 3,300 rooms, to be full during the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) which begins at the end of January. The DSF starts on January 28th and runs until February 28th. Naeem said Rotana will open two more hotels in the first quarter of 2010, adding 547 more…
Hotel chiefs said Saturday that the Ritz-Carlton, Dubai will begin an expansion project in April that will add 160 more rooms. The new project includes several new restaurant concepts and is expected to be complete in 2012. There are currently 138 sea view guestrooms spread over seven floors at the beachfront resort. The new plans will add a new wing, housing an additional 163 guestrooms, bringing the total…
Hilton Worldwide, the global hotel chain, announced plans to open its first branded hotel in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh in three years. The company said in a statement on Wednesday it plans to open the 830 room, new build hotel in the Saudi capital in the fourth quarter of 2013. Ian Carter, President of Global Operations, Hilton Worldwide, said “Our goal has always been to have a Hilton branded property…
