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Interior contracting company Depa finalized an AED207 million contract to fit out all guest rooms, suites, and public areas in the Conrad Hotel, Dubai. The luxury hotel is scheduled for completion in 2012 and will be built on Sheikh Zayed Road. The contract includes work on all 500 guest rooms, suites, lobbies, executive lounges, two ballrooms, 11 meeting rooms, and a business center. Depa chief executive…
The Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh, a Rosewood Hotel will introduce a month long Canadian Food festival, featuring Canadian meats and seafood every day. The festival will be open for dinner between October 5-15 at the hotels Crystal restaurant. A Canadian night will be offered every Wednesday and Friday at the Brasseire, The Canadian food festival is the first of its kind in the Kingdom giving Riyadh…
Six Senses Hotels and Resorts will develop its first resort in the Middle East – a 44 room villa near the Zighy Bay resort on the Musandam Peninsula in Oman. General Manager Rochelle Kilgariff said the spa will be developed on a plateau above Sense on the Edge fine dining restaurant. The restaurant is situated in the mountains surrounding the resort. The restaurants executive chef said if the project goes ahead…
Lifestyle hotels, a new generation of properties emphasizing modern design and a less formal approach, are planning to expand in the Middle East. Industry executives say the region is becoming a significant market for the new lifestyle brands. Spain’s Fuenzo “has two projects confirmed in Beirut and Damascus. The group is negotiating projects in Jordan, Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and…
A new report by STR Global shows the UAE accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the planned new hotels in the Middle East and Africa. There are a total of 468 planned hotels (pipeline) which represents 126,464 rooms, and 47 per cent or 59,543 of these are located in the UAE. STR Vice President for content management Duane Vinson said “In the Middle East, the UAE is exploding on the scene with four times the…
Hoteliers in Dubai are seeing a brighter future as the summer season comes to an end. Monarch Dubai director of business development said “Hopefully for Dubai, summer is a turning point, and Marriot Middle East and Africa sales director Jeff Stracchan said “We believe there is room for optimism.” The Atlantis Resort on The Palm Island in Dubai doubled their rates last week from a promotional offer of Dh800 per…
The Elaf Group of Companies announced they will build four new five star hotels in Abu Dhabi – two in Jeddah and one each in Makkah and Madinah over the next three years. The company’s president, Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, said they currently have 15 hotels and plan to double that number in the short term. He said “the kingdom remains a significant growth market and an important consolidating force in the region’s…
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, based in Canada, will operate the new Dh800 million luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi when it opens on 1 October 2009. A source close to developments said “It’s a five star property, owned by the Al Fahim Group unit Rmal Hospitality.” Fairmont is seeking to establish a presence in one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi aims to have over 26,000…
A top Kerzner International official said plans for the $1.5 billion Atlantis Dubai on Palm Jumeirah are still in the pipeline and will move forward after economic conditions improve. Managing Director Alan Lieberman said he is very comfortable about prospects for 2010, but noted that it is difficult to make predictions because “Our business continues to be very, very short term”. He said consumers tend to wait…
The hotel industry in Saudi Arabia will expand massively over the next few years as the Kingdom’s multi pronged initiative to boost tourism revenues is implemented. The Elaf Group of Companies has announced they will build an additional four five star hotels in the Kingdom over the next few years. The ambitious plans by Saudi Arabia’s pioneering tourism company are another indication that “the worst is over”…
The Sharjah compliant five star all suite Tamani Hotel in Dubai Marina is flourishing during the economic downturn because of its Sharia niche. The 240 suite hotel doesn’t serve alcohol, all food is halai, and there is a floor reserved exclusively for woman and only female staff are allowed to enter. The female staff are dressed conservatively and consistent with Islamic tradition. General Manager for…
The hotel industry believes customers will be more loyal if there is value added to their stay with courses like language classes, golf lessons, and culinary arts training. An increasingly common mantra among those in the hospitality industry is there should be focus on the basics and enhancing people’s skills. Executive Chairman of Jumeirah Group said he believes that there is a clear change in hotel guests…
Dubai Hotels are promoting their brands and increasing business by using social media websites. Revenues have dropped due to the slowdown in international travel and more competition, so hotels are looking for less expensive ways to attract guests. The Monarch Hotel used the twitter social networking website to launch its Eid promotion this month, and this was responsible for around 12 per cent of its…
Dubai Hotels are getting ready for the Eid holidays by offering special packages after the number of holiday makers declined between 20 and 25 per cent during Ramadan. Dubai is attempting to bring holiday makers back with the best hotel room bargains combined with discounts on food, beverages, and complimentary offers for children. Dusit Thani Dubai’s Eid Festival package, valid between September 20 and…
Dubai based luxury hospitality company Jumeirah Group will manage the Jumeirah Marrakech Golf & Polo Resort. Jumeirah Group recently signed an agreement with SGTM Immobilier to manage the new luxury resort, which is located seven kilometers south of Marrakech at the side of the Atlas Mountains. SGTM Immobilier is a subsidiary of Societe Generale des Travaux du Maroc (SGTM). Executive Chairman for Jumeirah…
The newly opened Elaf Jeddah Hotel, located in the Red Sea Mall complex, held its first event on Sunday – an Iftar party for media. The hotel is Elaf Travel, Tourism, & Hotel’s 11th property. The Elaf group is part of SEDCO. They have eight other hotels in Makkah and two in Madinah. The company’s General Manager for Business development, Ehab A. Eid said they plan to add an additional 2,400 rooms within…
The Millennium & Copthorne Hotels signed their first hotel in Yemen, the Millennium Gold Mohur Beach Resort Aden, and a five star hotel fronting the Gulf of Arabia. CEO and President of Millennium & Copthorne Middle East Holdings Limited – Mr. Ali Hamad Lakhraim Ezaabi signed the agreement at the Grand Millenium Dubai with Dr. Abdullah Ahmad Al Kathri - Chairman of Al Kathiri Investment Group and the owner of…
Hotel occupancy rates in Dubai could be boosted by transit passengers if they are encouraged to pause their travels for a break in Dubai. Managing Director of Premier Inn said that while Dubai Airport is bucking the trend with big increases in passenger traffic, the challenge is “to encourage more people who transit through Dubai to spend a few days in the city.” Darroch Crawford said hotels must work with…
