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Rotana announced yesterday that it will open the Rose Rayhaan by Rotana in Dubai, the world’s biggest hotel tower, by mid December. The soaring 72 foot structure is 333 meters high and is located on Shaikh Zayed Road in the center of Dubai, about 5 minutes from Dubai Mall. The hotel has 481 rooms, penthouses and suites with modern designs complementing Arabian culture. Each penthouse, suite or room will offer…
Staybridge Suites Abu Dhabi opened its doors for occupancy on Yas Island, within walking distance of the Formula 1 race at Yas Marinas circuit, and near the Abu Dhabi International Airport. Staybridge Suites was introduced in 1998 and is one of IHG”s newest brands, with 167 properties around the world and 147 more planned. A statement said “Bridging a gap between conventional hotels and serviced apartments,…
Hotel chiefs say the first female only hotel spa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, received preliminary approval and is set to open next year. Al Faisaliah bosses plan to open the Sense Spa just prior to the hotel’s 10th anniversary in May 2010. The Sense Spa will be the first female only hotel spa in Riyadh, and only the second in the conservative Islamic country. The hotel’s managing director, Peter Finamore, said…
Luxury hotel operator Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI) posted a 9 percent fall in Q3 system revpPAR, and said the Dubai market is still challenging. A statement on their Nasdaq Dubai website said “Trading remains in line with general market trends and despite the global economic challenges KHI’s hotel operations remain profitable and cash generative.” After adjusting for currency movements system revPAR for…
A senior official from the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) said all 16,000 hotel rooms are booked at 100 percent occupancy because of the Formula One race this weekend. The ADTA has set up new visitor centers at the race track and in shopping malls, and the ADTA now has a permanent site at the Abu Dhabi International Airport. ADTA’s strategy and policy director, Lawrence Franklin, said they have introduced…
The Rocco Forte Collection announced it will open its first hotel in the Middle East at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi by next year. The hotel company now has 13 luxury hotels in Europe including the Victorian-era Browns’ hotel in London and the Hotel Astoria in St. Petersburg. Both properties are historical buildings with modern décor. The Rocco Forte Collection focuses on providing an intimate personal…
Etihad Airways said Tuesday it will begin flight service to two Japanese cities in the first quarter of 2010 – Nagoya and Tokyo. These are the airlines first destinations in Japan. Etihad Airways will fly four times a week to Nagoya via Beijing beginning on February 1, and will increase to five times a week from March 27, subject to regulatory approval. The carrier will operate a five times a week direct…
Hilton Worldwide announced yesterday the appointment of five new executives to its senior management team for the MEA region – Middle East and Africa, in line with their plans to expand in the region. Jean Paul Herzog, President, Hilton Worldwide, Middle East and Africa, said “We are delighted to further strengthen our regional Dubai based-team” Marc Descrozaille has been appointed Senior Director of Brand…
The Rezidor Hotel Group opened two hotels on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi The Radisson Blu Hotel and Park Inn are positioned adjacent to one another on Yas Island with a total of 601 guest rooms. Park Inn is the company's first mid market brand in the UAE. Marko Hytonen, Area Vice-President for Rezidor Hotel Group, said “Abu Dhabi has emerged as one of the world’s premier hotel markets and is an important…
The five star 500 room luxury Yas Hotel is one of seven new hotels built for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Aldar properties built all seven of the hotels, and they will be full when their doors open for the first time. The Yas Hotel is perched above the Yas Marina Grand Prix circuit and has a connecting bridge with a VIP lounge over the racetrack. The Yas Hotel will be unlike any other in…
The Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) said the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Antara officially opened to its first paying guests today. TDIC is the developer of the five star resort project, which is located on the world’s’ biggest stretch of uninterrupted desert – the-Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali). The resort features a fort inspired design, and has 154 rooms, 47 villas, 10 royal villas, and is…
A senior executive with Emirates Hotels said they are moving cautiously forward with their expansion plans. Senior Vice President of resorts and projects at Emirates Hotels and Resorts explained a lot of brands make the mistake of setting a target of a certain number of properties, then, “What invariably happens is if you start saying you’re going to have 50 properties..then slowly you erode against the brand…
The Mirbat Beach project in Dhofar is scheduled for a soft opening on December 15 of this year. The RO1 billion project was developed by the Dhofar Tourism Company SAOG in Mirbat in Dhofar. Chief executive officer of the company, Sultanate of Oman, Osama Miriam, spoke about the project at a signing ceremony with Marriot International. He said the five star, 234 room Marriot Resort in Mirbat “is an important…
A senior official for Aldar Hotels and Hospitality said Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi will be full on F1 race weekend. The hotel straddles the F1 racing circuit in Abu Dhabi. Other hotels there are also full with very long waiting lists. Paul Bell, managing director for the hotel, said “We are full in the hotel over the race weekend; there are no rooms available in the hotel.” Mr. Bell said Aldar Developments had…
Marriot International signed a contract yesterday with Dhafar Tourism Company to manage the 234 room Salalah Beach Marriot Resort in Oman. The resort will open in December and be located about 75 kilometers from Salalah. It will be part of a mixed use beachfront development. The resorts dining options will include an all day restaurant, seafood outlet, English pub, and Arabic café. There will be a lounge and a…
The Geneva based Swiss company, Swiss Hospitality Holding, SA, has launched their first hotel in the Middle East. Dr. Christian Rey, President of the company, said they plan to have 20 Alps Hotels in the GCC in the next five years. Their first Alps Hotel is located in Ras Al Khamai, and is franchised to UniEstate, a master franchise in the Middle East and North Africa which covers 23 countries. The next two UAE…
The Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH) company is moving forward with aggressive expansion plans, mainly throughout the Muslim world, and plans to have 100 properties under development within the next three years. Michel Noblet, chief executive of the alcohol free chain, said they want to export the development beyond the UAE, and are targeting Asia and Africa as well. The hotelier’s brands include Coral…
The famous Hollywood Biltmore brand will be launched in the Middle East by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels. The company plans to open a Biltmore property in every city. The landmark Biltmore hotel was built in 1923 and many celebrities and presidents have been guests there on a regular basis. It has appeared in numerous movies including Bugsy, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Chinatown, and Ghostbusters. Ali…
