Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA announced the opening of its second property in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Grand Millennium Gizan.  The hotel was inaugurated by His Royal highness Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Governor of Gizan Region, in the attendance of His Excellency Dr. Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sheikh, Minister of Education and Chairman of Higher Education Fund, and His Excellency Dr. Marie bin Hussein Al-Qahtani, president of Gizan University and the Secretary-General in charge of the Higher Education Fund Turki Al-Zamie and the Deputy Emirate of Jazan Region, Dr. Abdullah Al-Sager and a number of officials. Hamid Sidine, Chief Operating Officer of Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Middle East and Africa, said: “We are thrilled to open this new hotel in Gizan in line with Saudi vision 2030. We at Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA are always keen on our expansion plans in the region and we trust that we are filling a market gap with Grand Millennium Gizan.” Jalal Nasser, General Manager of Grand Millennium Gizan, said, “We look forward to welcome our esteemed guests in our new hotel right in the heart of this new fascinating area. And with the offerings we have, we are confident that we will be the hotel of choice for family and business travellers alike.” The new hotel is conveniently located on the beach within the Gizan University Complex. Those traveling between the hotel and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Airport can enjoy a 20 minute drive along a straight road. The hotel is also only 10 minutes away from the shopping centres in the city. Grand Millennium Gizan will be the biggest hotel in the vicinity …

Dubai Airports launched an exciting new customer proposition, set to revolutionise the DXB guest experience. DXB&more is a regional first mobile food, beverage and retail ordering service that provides a smooth, convenient alternative to dining in or waiting for an order to go, without the need to download an app. The development of DXB&more has been in partnership with US-based Servy, an enterprise self-service platform for hospitality which launched in 2015 as an airport digital commerce solution. The company provides technology which aims to enhance the hospitality experience, not replace it, and has been adopted by a number of companies including airports, railway stations and sports arenas across North America. For Dubai Airports, the creation of DXB&more was in direct response to the ever-evolving needs of the busy traveller, providing a convenient alternative to shopping and dining before a flight. The service is available to guests of DXB’s Terminal 3 and can be accessed via the WiFi landing page, through QR codes around the airport or by visiting DXBmore.com. Plans to extend the offering to the airports other terminals are in place and will be announced in 2022. Eugene Barry, EVP Commercial at Dubai Airports, who championed the implementation of the proposition said; “At Dubai Airports, we are focused on improving our guests’ experience across all physical and digital touchpoints through DXB. Clearly, the events of the past 18 months have accelerated key consumer trends and raised customer expectations around choice and convenience.   He continued; “Our objective is to create and test new ways of communicating with travellers before, during and after their journey with us, and raise awareness of the full range of shopping, dining, and hospitality experiences …

Club Med announced its return to Spain after over 20 years, with its new resort, Club Med Magna Marbella. The property, which will be nestled at the foot of the Sierra Blanca Mountains, will open its doors to guests on May 14, 2022. Conveniently located near Spain’s south coast, in the region of Andalusia, which is often referred to as “the garden of Europe”, Magna Marbella is just a 20-minute walk from both sandy Mediterranean beaches and Marbella’s city centre. It is also just a one-hour drive from Gibraltar, Ronda, and Malaga or two hours from Granada, Seville, and Cadiz, making it the ideal base to explore the rich Arab-Andalusian history and natural wonders of the region, including the Doñana Natural Park and Caminito del Rey. Club Med Magna Marbella boasts 14 hectares of lush garden, five swimming pools including a family waterpark and adult-only Zen Zone, two restaurants, Suenos and the Tierra Gourmet Lounge, and three bars for guests to try local food and drinks. The resort will also offer Club Med’s world-class children’s clubs for all ages (from 4 months to 17 years of age), where kids will be able to enjoy Andalusian inspired art and culture activities. The Family Fun Zone will feature water games, a playground, mini-golf and a zipline with Magna Marbella offering a wide array of activities, including golf, archery, tennis, flying trapeze, and more. Six padel tennis courts will be available within the resort’s grounds. For those looking to relax and unwind, a wellness area with 14 treatment rooms, including a double indoor-outdoor relaxation room and steam room, will feature treatments at Spa by CINQ MONDES. Guests will also be able to enjoy fresh …

Qantas and Emirates have announced they will extend their cornerstone partnership for another five years, meaning customers and frequent flyers of both airlines will have access to an expansive joint network, and millions of reward seats to travel across Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the UK. The agreement was signed by Emirates President Tim Clark and Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce at the International Air Transport Association Annual General Meeting in Boston. The airlines have existing approvals from regulators to operate a joint business until March 2023. Qantas and Emirates will seek re-authorisation from relevant regulators, including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, to continue the core elements of the partnership including coordination of pricing, schedules, sales and tourism marketing on approved routes until 2028. The deal includes an option to renew for another five years beyond that. Together, both airlines are making millions of reward seats available for frequent flyers to access more than 100 destinations to using their Qantas Points or Skywards Miles, which many have been stockpiling throughout the pandemic. For Emirates customers, the deal provides access to over 55 Australian destinations that Emirates does not fly to, and Qantas customers are able to fly on Emirates to Dubai and access over 50 cities in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, that Qantas does not fly to. As Qantas and Emirates recover from the impact that COVID-19 has had on their respective businesses, the partnership will continue to deliver financial upside for both airlines. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, said: “The extension of our partnership with Qantas is testament to its success. It also reflects our commitment to ensure customers travelling to and from Australia, a market which we …

Qatar Airways in partnership with Discover Qatar has launched the World’s Best Value Stopover packages consisting of up to a 4 night stay in Doha, Qatar. The packages allow vaccinated travellers to purchase the World’s Best Value Stopover with Qatar Airways, for a chance to experience the World’s Best Airline and Qatar’s renowned hospitality, before continuing on to their final destination from the World’s Best Airport, Hamad International Airport (HIA). Starting at 14 USD per person per night, travellers can now experience Qatar’s famous hospitality by staying in a selection of luxurious 4-star and 5-star hotels, and make their journey even more memorable. The themed stopover packages are designed to cater to different interests: Travellers can experience a thrilling desert safari, disconnect and enjoy luxurious resorts, spas and restaurants, admire museums, galleries,  and various public art installations in the country’s thriving arts scene. Additionally, stopover passengers can witness the country’s exciting preparations to host the much anticipated FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, as the entire population gears up for the world’s most prestigious sporting event. Further details on how to book stopover packages can be found at www.qatarairways.com/stopover. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “With our great value stopover packages, we look forward to welcoming visitors to experience Qatar’s unrivalled hospitality from anywhere on our global network. Working closely with Discover Qatar, we have designed unique and personalised experiences for travellers to enjoy two holidays in one journey, where we aim to showcase our world renowned service and authentic culture to the world. As our passengers plan their journeys across our network of over 140 destinations, we hope this exciting opportunity enriches them with a combined …

The wait is finally over; with the Expo 2020 taking place from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022, Rove Hotels is excited to invite Rovers (guests) to grab the best seats in the house at the event’s only on-site hotel: Rove Expo 2020 – now open. Located adjacent to Al Wasl Plaza, Rove Expo 2020 will offer Rovers (guests) from across the globe, the perfect gateway to regroup, recharge and re-think the future, completed with all of the Rove-brand favourites under one roof. Bookings can be made via www.rovehotels.com, or by calling +971 4 561 9999 and are inclusive of Expo 2020 tickets, which can be used for the full duration of the stay. Funky interiors, sustainable amenities, and fuss-free hospitality entails the entire #RoveExperience. Rove Expo 2020 features 312 king, twin and accessible Rover Rooms, as well as 19 Rover suites. It will also boast of several dining and social outlets, including The Daily, a grab&go Rove Café and The Bar, along with a rooftop swimming pool and sundeck overlooking Al Wasl Plaza. Hosting a District 2020 space showcasing the future of the Expo 2020 Dubai site and the MENASA Emirati design platform featuring contemporary design products. Rovers can expect 100% sustainable in-room amenities, late check out times, self-service locker rooms, and much more. Recipient of the prestigious Green Key certification, Rove Expo 2020 has been built with strict environmental guidelines as well as the latest technologies in energy efficiency, food waste reduction solutions and so much more – all in line with Rove’s strong spirit of #sustainability. Connectivity as a cornerstone of the brand, The Expo 2020 Dubai site is very well connected to the rest of …

BTB Tours celebrates its fifth anniversary this month. With tailored group and individual tours facilitates leisure travel in UAE, Czech Republic, Turkey, Egypt and Azerbaijan. Since the inauguration in 2016 in Dubai by Salih Gozcu, the company welcomed around 300,000 guests coming from 23 countries. BTB partners with 500 hotels and resorts in the UAE alone and over 2,000 hotels across the all other destinations. Even during the challenging times of the pandemic, BTB Tours welcomed 150,000 guests that position themselves as the no. 1 inbound producer to the UAE.  Next year they are planning to bring 200,000 guests, as BTB Tours is entering two new markets – Hungary and Israel. In just five years, BTB Tours has bagged the prestigious Arabian Travel Awards as Best Innovative DMC and The Face of the Future award for their chairman, Salih Gozcu. Salih Gozcu, Chairman of BTB Tours, said: “Here at BTB Tours, we celebrate diversity and are inspired every traveling season by the seemingly limitless creativity of the people we welcome to the UAE from around the globe. That’s why we want to ensure that we celebrate our 5th anniversary with the best travel packages that we will offer our guests. As part of the celebrations, BTB Tours has launched new offerings to accommodate the continuous increase of the travel demand to the UAE” In the last year during the pandemic, BTB Tours growth rate was by 300% and to expand their team to 150 employees across all their 5 offices worldwide. To add to the celebrations, BTB Tours has announced the launch of “BTB Luxury” to cater to high-end guests to Dubai and the UAE.

Qatar Airways resumed services to Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Medina starting 1 October 2021 with four weekly flights. The Medina services will be operated by the airline’s state-of-the-art Airbus A320 featuring 12 seats in First Class and 132 seats in Economy Class. The resumption of services will enable passengers flying from and to Medina to enjoy seamless connectivity to over 140 destinations of the airline’s extensive global network in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas via the best airport in the world, Hamad International Airport. Qatar Airways flight QR 1174, will depart from Hamad International Airport at 01:00, arriving at 03:15 to Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport. Qatar Airways flight QR1175, will depart from Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport at 04:15, and arrive to Hamad International Airport at 06:25. The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 140 destinations. Qatar Airways also features flexible booking policies that offer unlimited changes in travel dates and destinations, and fee-free refunds for all tickets issued for travel completed by 31 May 2022. A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2021 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. It was also named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’. The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having now won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and now 2021). The airline’s hub, Hamad International …

Centara Hotels & Resorts will expand its global collection of world-class resorts with the opening of Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai on 14th October 2021, a fantastic new family-friendly destination which is inspired by mythical Thai and Arabian adventures and promises fun-filled, activity-packed stays for all ages. The new resort – a joint venture with world-leading master developer Nakheel, creator of the award-winning Palm Jumeirah and the new Deira Islands waterfront city – will bring a new concept in hospitality to Dubai, in line with the emirate’s tourism strategy. To celebrate its launch, Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai has created an opening offer with rates starting from just AED 499++ per night, including daily breakfast. Up to two children stay and dine for free when ordering from the kids’ menu. Nestled in a prime waterfront setting on the Deira Islands, overlooking the Arabian Gulf just 30 minutes from Dubai International Airport and just minutes away from the newly opened Souk Al Marfa seafront souk and marketplace, this brand-new themed resort offers 607 rooms and suites, ranging from Superior, Family and Mirage Rooms to Junior and Two-Bedroom Suites with 32 to 95 square metres of bright, contemporary space and panoramic city or sea views. Mirage represents Centara’s themed family resort concept, where the whole family’s, and especially the children’s, happiness is at the heart of the experience. Parents can rest assured that their youngsters will enjoy unforgettable, inspiring stays, with a wonderful water park, multiple kids’ clubs, a colourful candy-themed children’s spa, and the dedicated Mirage Family Lounge, a club lounge experience for all the family. The rooms are perfectly suited to families, with flexible bedding options including bunk beds that …

Etihad Airways announced three new quarantine-free destinations for the coming winter season. This November, the airline will begin flying to Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, and the beautiful Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar. The new additions to Etihad’s network mean the UAE’s national carrier will be operating to 70 destinations across 47 countries. Etihad Airways has launched a sale on fares to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Zanzibar, valid until midnight on 6 October 2021. Available on a first come, first served basis, guests can enjoy return fares starting from AED 995 in Economy and AED 3995 in Business class. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad, said: “We’re proud to be launching Etihad’s newest destinations in Africa this winter and we’re confident our guests will find they are all incredible places to visit. “Johannesburg is an important route on our network and offers vital connectivity to and from the southern African region. On the southern coast, Cape Town is a breathtaking part of the world, with something to offer the most discerning traveller. Likewise, the beautiful island of Zanzibar will complement our network to the Maldives and Seychelles offering more choice for leisure travellers looking to enjoy the glorious Indian ocean. “We are also thrilled to offer connectivity for travellers from both countries to visit our home the UAE over the winter months. With the world’s greatest show, Expo 2020, opening now there has never been a better time to visit Abu Dhabi and the UAE.” Etihad will start flights to Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city, from 25 November. At the same time, Etihad will launch its operation to the stunning coastal city of Cape Town. Both destinations …