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Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates (MoE) occupancy rates reached 92 per cent for July 2009 and the first fifteen days of August 2009 This is a 4 per cent increase over the same period last year. The hotels general manager said “Special offers and activities during Dubai Summer Surprises at the hotel and adjoining Sky Dubai and Mall of the Emirate” contributed to the very healthy occupancy rate. Holger…
The latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index shows that the average price of hotel rooms around the world declined 17 per cent during the first six months of 2009 due to price falls on every continent. Room rates in June 2009 were over one sixth lower than they were a year earlier and only one per cent higher than in January 2004, the year the Hotel Price Index started. Dubai became a more desirable place to…
Associate Director for Tri Hospitality Consulting said smaller developers will continue to have difficulties funding hotel projects because banks are reluctant to lend for this asset class. John Podaris said “Life is hard for small developers. They will be looking to the private equity market – and the private equity market is particularly risk averse at this time.” He said liquidity will probably not filter…
Emmar Middle East is showcasing its diverse development portfolio at premier hotels as part of Ramadan activities. Emmar Middle East is a premier property developer that focuses on lifestyle projects in Saudi Arabia. They are sponsoring Ramadan events at the Sheraton Dammam and Jeddah Hilton, and set up special booths showcasing three important projects – Emmar Residences at the Fairmont Makkah, Al Khobar…
Market research company Pro Leads data shows that hotel owners and operators across the Gulf will spend over $1.25 billion (Dh5 bn) on kitchens and laundries for new properties. UAE will spend about $427 million of this amount but as new projects are completed spending will decline to $390m in 2010. Proleads forecast that kitchen and laundry budgets in new hotels in other GCC countries will continue to…
The Address Dubai Mall, a five star premium hotel directly linked to the Dubai Mall opened for its doors for guests today. The Dubai Mall is the world’s biggest shopping and entertainment destination. The Address Dubai Mall has a magnificent elliptical design that stands high near the mall and provides direct access to Sheikh Zayed Road. The Address Dubai Mall is the third address property in The Address Hotels +…
Under an agreement with Emirates, the Harbor Hotel & Residences at Dubai Marina will partner with Marriot International Portfolio on 15 September. The 52 story property will be rebranded the Dubai Marriot Harbor Hotel & Suites later this year. This is the second contract Marriot has finalized with Emirates, following an agreement to operate the 1,614 room JW Marriot Marquis Hotel Dubai, which is currently under…
Raddison Blu Hotel, Riyadh won a best business hotel award at the Middle East Business Travelers Awards. District director and general manager for the hotel said they are extremely proud to receive this recognition and it will help propel them to greater success. Mohamed Benamar said “Amid challenging times in this period of global recession, this acknowledgement confirms that we truly deliver our promise with…
Sharaf Travel is launching an online travel portal to tap into the increasing popularity of the UAE online travel business. Chairman of Sharaf Travel said they have gone the extra mile in “revamping the design and content of our online portal to make it user friendly and ensure it provides real value for money to our customers.” Salah Sharaf said UAE travelers can log onto the website, search for the best…
Accor Hospitality managing director for the Middle East said they plan to operate 44 hotels in nine Middle East countries by 2011. Christophe Landais, speaking at an iftar event at the Suitehotel Mall of the Emirates, hosted by the group said “We intend to further strengthen our position in the region by developing our core brands. The iftar even helped Accor promote the newly opened Suitehotel Mall, which has…
Germany’s Bavarian Hotels International (BHI) said they still plan to expand in the Middle East despite a delay in opening the regions biggest all suite hotel. The launch of the 2,100 Bavaria Executive Suites Dubai was postponed to March 2010 due to “prevailing market conditions”. The luxury hotel is billed as the largest all suite hotel in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. It was originally…
The first Fairmont hotel in Abu Dhabi will open in Abu Dhabi next month, increasing the capitals portfolio of luxury hotels. The 369 room hotel will feature the first Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill outside the UK, and a Frankie’s Italian Restaurant and Bar. The hotel will be located in the “between the bridges area”. The restaurants will open by the end of the month. The regional vice president…
Dubai hotel staff are increasingly accepting jobs in Yas Island hotels in Abu Dhabi as the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix event approaches. Seven new hotels will be opening and Dubai hoteliers report many staff are leaving for pre openings at the new Yas Island hotels. HR director at the Mina Sehayi Beach Resort and Marina complex said “We’ve certainly lost people to Yas Island; while it’s an element of the…
A new survey by Deloitte and STR Global shows that Middle East hoteliers have been ranked as the top performer for July, despite challenging times in the region. Revenue per available room (RevPar) increased .44 percent from June to July compared to a drop of 12.23 percent last year. The Middle East beat the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific with the highest RevPar of $126.90 for the year ending July 2009.…
According to a new report by the hotel research firm Lodging Econometrics Dubai hotels are, on average the biggest in the world, overtaking Los Vegas. The average project size for hotels in Dubai is 417 rooms compared to 402 rooms in Las Vegas. Many of the Dubai projects were planned when the hotel industry was booming and there was a shortage of rooms. A Lodging Econometrics report spokesman said “They…
Intercontinental Dubai Festival City sale and marketing director Christian Pertl said after many months of uncertainty, conference tourism and executive travel is increasing again. The hotel complex consists of the five star Intercontinental Hotel, Crown Plaza and Intercontinental Residence Suites, and has 1,026 rooms occupying 4,000 square meters of space. They had only modest sales the last few months that…
Thousands of new hotel rooms will open in Dubai over the next few months, giving travelers more options but putting more pressure on the hotel industry. These new rooms were planned when the Dubai hospitality industry was booming and a room shortage caused room rates to go up. The economic downturn has since caused revenues and rates to drop sharply as demand declined and hotels compete for guests. The…
Kerzner International is considering launching a second luxury product in Dubai – The Cove Atlantis. Last September the resort developed the $1.5 billion (Dh5.5bn) Atlantis The Palm. The Cove Atlantis would be located at the Atlantis site in Dubai and replicate the Cove in Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas. President and Managing Director of Kerzner International said they did a lot of planning on…
