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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…
Kuwaiti based Jazeera Airways announced it is expanding further into Syria, adding non-stop flights to Latakia from December 15th. This is the airlines fourth destination in Syria. Jazeera Airways will fly four times a week from Kuwait to the popular Mediterranean resort of Latakia. The new service to Latkia is part of the airline’s recent network expansion, including a twice daily service to Abu…
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…
Sri Lankan Airlines announced it is adding a fourth weekly flight to its Columbo-Damman route beginning on Wednesday, which is the start of the new winter schedule. The new flight departs from Colombo at 1840 on Wednesday and lands in Dammam at 2130 on the same day. The return flight leaves Dammam at 2240 and arrives in Colombo at 610 on Thursday. Sri Lankan Airlines Sales Manager, Prather Bal Krishnan…
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…
Chief Executive for Air Arabia, Adel Ali, said the swine flu virus is not having a major impact on air travel in the region and customer concerns have subsided. He said airline travelers have learned more about how to protect themselves from the virus and are more confident. Mr. Ali said “I think H1N1 has been contained. We have seen people who panicked…gain confidence.” In August Air Arabia said many…
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…
Abu Dhabi can look to Bahrain to understand the benefits and costs of hosting the annual Grand Prix event this year at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Bahrain has been hosting an early leg of the annual racing event every year since 2004. Bahrain International Circuit hosted the fourth leg of the F1 championship in April, and its chief executive, Martin Whitaker, said the Grand Prix generated nearly US $600 million (Dh…
Chairman of Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority said the country is on track to open its new $14bn international airport. Qatar is the world’s biggest gas exports and is looking for ways to stimulate employment and diversify government revenues. Adul Aziz Al Noami said “The new $14bn airport will be over 22km and open in 2011.” Qatar is competing with Dubai and Abu Dhabi to become a transit hub for the Gulf, and…
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) banned a Sudanese operator of a Boeing 707 cargo plane from UAE plane, following its crash in Sharjah, which killed all six crew members. The plane was transporting air conditioning units, computers, auto parts, and exploded on impact. GCAA said that Sharjah Airport operations and infrastructure were investigated and do not appear to have contributed to the…
The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) and Singapore Hotels Association (SHA) have made an agreement to work together in order to develop the hospitality industry. SCTDA Director General A. Al No’man and SHA Executive Director finalized the agreement at a meeting attended by hospitality experts from Singapore and the UAE. Al No’man said “This meeting is a bridge that will strengthen…
A senior executive of Rotana Hotels said they expect to see 100 per cent occupancy for two hotels it will open on Yas Island in time for the Formula One race on November 1. General Manager of Centro Yas Island and Yas Island Rotana said “It’s taken around 20 months and 3,000 workers at any one time to create these properties, the Yas Island Rotana and Centro Yas Island.” Both Yas Island Rotana and Centro…
