Category Archives: Hotels

Millennium Hotel and Convention Centre rewards its guests this year with exquisite packages during ‘Hala February’. Organised by Rotana Production Company, Hala February kicked-off this year on February 6 starting with a huge concert for Mohammed Abdu, the renown Saudi artist, to be held in The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre (JACC), known as the Kuwait Opera House. During Hala February, guests can experience the true meaning of authentic hospitality when they book a standard room in Millennium Hotel and Convention Centre whether for individuals or families at very special rates, and they get in addition to the complimentary breakfast KD15 credit to be spent in any of the food and beverages’ outlet within the hotel including Shisha café. They can also avail 25 per cent discount on laundry and 25 per cent on spa treatments. Ahmed Serafi, General Manager at Millennium Hotel and Convention Centre Kuwait, said, “Hala February is being held every year in commemoration of the liberation of Kuwait, and it’s the right time to visit Kuwait and experience a blend of cultural events, shopping and entertainment. It’s the most important and joyful festival in the country, and we observe it as mandatory for leading hospitality providers to facilitate public occasion and celebrate with their guests their most special moments.” Fayad Emad, Director of Sales and Marketing in Millennium Hotel and Convention Centre Kuwait, commented, “We have been always keen to be the pioneers who create and design special packages that provide every guest with a personalised experience.”

‘Namaste’, Hilton’s guest offering designed to deliver a truly tailored experience for guests travelling from India to Middle East & Africa offers services for destination weddings, bollywood shoots and meetings. ‘Namaste’ is a one of its kind programme ideal for the up and coming Indian globetrotter. Wall-to-wall sunshine, a rich cultural history and massive investment in tourism have put the Middle East on the world tourist map. Across the Middle East, tourism is seen as one of the most viable tax-raising alternatives for oil-producing nations as those revenues start to decline. The United Arab Emirates, for example, is aiming to reduce the hydrocarbon sector’s share of GDP from its current 30 per cent to 20 per cent by 2021, predominantly by boosting income from tourism. Dubai and a few more cities in the UAE, besides Europe, the US and the UK, are among the top destinations for Indian tourists, according to tourism industry officials. Apart from the Middle East, South Africa is also targeting Indian tourists after relaxing its visa rules. The Number of Indian travellers arriving in South Africa has been on the rise over the years, with a surge of 21.7 per cent recorded during the previous years. The demographics too have displayed a noticeable curve, with more and more young persons below 30 years of age opting for South Africa as the destination for adventure tourism, replacing the earlier market of family vacations. “Direct flights to Johannesburg and visa on arrival have further improved the arrivals and the tourism industry in Africa, and we have already seen strong demand from India as a result,” said Jan Van Der Putten, Vice President Operations, Africa and Indian Ocean, Hilton.

Al Habtoor Group (AHG) is set to open a regional office in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, to service its existing European operations and scout for new investment opportunities. The group, with its wide-ranging interests in the hospitality, real estate, automotive, education and vehicle leasing sectors, plans to expand its enterprise reach in new European markets. AHG’s existing portfolio in Europe includes luxury hotels in London, Budapest and Vienna — Hilton London Wembley; InterContinental Budapest; The Ritz-Carlton Budapest; and Hotel Imperial, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Vienna — as well commercial and office properties Dorottya Udvar and Rumbach Centre in Budapest. The group has long considered the European market a sound investment destination, for its ease of doing business, risk-to-reward ratios and the vibrant economies of its various countries. In the past, AHG’s Founding Chairman Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor has praised the Hungarian and Austrian governments, crediting them with understanding the importance of foreign direct investment, provision of tax benefits and other incentives to both domestic and international investors. Along with its existing properties and operations in the UK and US, AHG now sees huge potential in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), thanks to its emerging economies, educated and skilled workforces, competitive costs, rapidly upgrading infrastructure, increasing consumer spending and lower inflation rates and corporate taxes. Al Habtoor, Founding Chairman, AHG said, “We have been very successful with our hotels and commercial properties here — which are prime and heritage assets — and look forward to upscaling our operations with other investments in the future. The less-explored markets in Europe are now gaining momentum, offering a competitive edge, an attractive investment climate and higher yield possibilities for foreign players.”

TIME Hotels debuts its TIME Express Hotels brand with the opening of a new property in Sharjah this month. The three-star TIME Express Hotel Al Khan comprises 55 keys in total, spread across five floors, including five suites which feature well equipped kitchenettes and 50 standard rooms. Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels, said, “Built with both business and leisure visitors in mind, this hotel is fully equipped with everything the modern, budget conscious traveller requires, delivering a fresh and stylish environment at unbeatable value for guests not looking to compromise on quality.” TIME Express Hotel Al Khan is located just 15 minutes’ drive from Dubai International Airport, 20 minutes from Sharjah International Airport and a 15-minute walk from Al Khan Beach. The hotel will feature Foodio, an all-day dining outlet which serves sumptuous international dishes as well as authentic Arabic cuisine, offering guests both buffet and a la carte dining options. Guests will also have access to a temperature-controlled rooftop swimming pool as well as a 24-hour fitness centre which is fully equipped with top-of-the-line equipment, a prayer room and underground car parking spaces. The hotel will also feature two multi-purpose conference rooms which are suitable for a range of different events, providing state-of-the-art equipment in an efficient and comfortable environment. Accommodating up to 30 guests, TIME Express Al Khan has an experienced conference and events team on hand to ensure a stress-free and successful delivery of all events.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced the debut of La Quinta by Wyndham in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa) market with the opening of the 404-room La Quinta by Wyndham Istanbul Gunesli, bringing the brand to travellers outside of the Americas for the first time.  La Quinta by Wyndham is a leading upper-midscale brand at over 900 hotels across North and Latin America, offering contemporary design, thoughtful amenities and friendly service. Wyndham acquired La Quinta’s hotel franchise and hotel management businesses in 2018, further building upon the company’s diverse family of hotel brands and offerings around the world. La Quinta by Wyndham Istanbul Gunesli is one of the latest additions to Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ presence in Turkey, where the company is the largest international hotel group with over 80 hotels all across the country. Dimitris Manikis, President & Managing Director for EMEA, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said, “We are thrilled to welcome La Quinta and its long-standing reputation for delivering quality, reliability and a great guest experience to the EMEA region, further expanding our offering of brands in such an important market like Turkey. With a record of over 13 million international visitors in 2018 alone and an incredible variety of historical, cultural and business sites, Istanbul is one of the world’s most attractive cities for travel, making it the perfect fit for La Quinta’s European debut.”

Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA announces taking over Al Dana Diamond Makkah and rebranding it as M Hotel Al Dana Makkah. Aligning with the robust expansion plan Millennium Hotel & Resorts MEA, this property will add 611 keys to its inventory of 3,240 keys in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Situated in Al Shisha – Aziziah district, at the heart of Makkah, 3.3 km from Al Haram, 2.6 km from Um Alqura, 3.2 km from Safwah tower and 75 km from King Abdulaziz international Airport-Jeddah, M Hotel Al Dana Makkah caters to both leisure and business travellers. The hotel comprises 611 rooms stylishly designed and equipped with the latest amenities. Last year alone Saudi’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah issued 7.6 million visas in the 2018-19 season and they aim to go up by 30 per cent, i.e. aim to issue 10 million visas this year. Commenting on this cherished accomplishment, Kevork Deldelian, Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Hotels and Resorts Middle East and Africa, stated, “We are fully committed to our strategic expansion plan in Saudi Arabia to extend our reach across the entire Kingdom. In the first phase, the plan includes the opening of 6 new hotels in Makkah, Madina, Tabouk, Jizan and Baha in addition to the recently opened Millennium and Copthorne Makkah Al Naseem hotels.” Closing 2019 with the opening of 11 new properties under various brands of the company, Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA has a robust strategy to operate more than 15,000 new keys in the Middle East within the next three years. Focusing on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a foundation stone for its strategy, Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA targets to operate …

Palladium Hotel Group celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and has chosen the Feria Internacional de Turismo (FITUR) to make the most prominent announcement of new president and CEO. Abel Matutes Prats will be the new president and Jesús Sobrino the new CEO of Palladium Hotel Group, Manager and Owner of the hotel brands. Sobrino has until now held the position of Deputy Director General, which will now go to Carmen Matutes Prats. After 50 years of experience in the tourism sector, Grupo Empresas Matutes is reforming its organisational structure to adapt to new times, with the company committed to the separation of real estate management and hotel operation. For his part, Abel Matutes Juan, founder and president of the company since its inception, will maintain the presidency of the holding company Grupo Empresas Matutes to which Palladium Hotel Group belongs. During the presentation of the company’s latest news, the president of Grupo Empresas Matutes, Abel Matutes Juan; the president of Palladium Hotel Group, Abel Matutes Prats; and the CEO of the hotel company, Jesús Sobrino, also presented a positive balance for 2019. It was the year in which Palladium Hotel Group managed a turnover that exceeded 752 million euros, representing a growth of 13 per cent compared to the previous year. In 2020, Palladium Hotel Group will continue to consolidate its expansion strategy with important openings. The first will be Palladium Hotel Menorca, a four-star all-inclusive hotel that will be one of the group’s most ambitious projects in the Spanish market and in which the company will invest 26 million euros for its renovation. Also in the Mediterranean, specifically in the north of the Italian island of Sicily, Palladium …

Marriott International announces signing an agreement to open a St. Regis in the New Administrative Capital of Egypt. In the second quarter of this year, the St. Regis Almasa is expected to occupy an existing luxury hotel at the entrance of the up-and-coming city that is slated to become the administrative and financial hub of Egypt. The owner of Almasa Royal Palace plans an extensive and phased renovation of the existing building. Almasa Royal Palace, which the owner has operated for the past year, is located adjacent to a 42,000-square-foot convention center that hosts official government conventions and events, as well as official foreign presidents’ visits. The hotel consists of 270 rooms, 90 suites, 60 apartments and 14 villas. Other facilities include outdoor and indoor swimming pools, a gym, spa, club house and 20 food and beverage outlets. When it opens, The St. Regis Almasa is expected to encompass the hallmarks of the brand such as its rich traditions and rituals, and signature St. Regis Butler Service.  Jerome Briet, Chief Development Officer, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International, said, “This signing further enhances the St. Regis brand portfolio in Middle East and Africa and underscores the tremendous momentum that our luxury brands have in the region.” Speaking on the occasion, Colonel Waleed Samy Salama, CEO, National Authority for Management & Investment commented, “The St. Regis Almasa will be positioned as the luxury hospitality hub in the New Administrative Capital and with the largest state-of-the-art convention center in Egypt, the hotel will be the ideal host to the country’s largest events, conferences and summits. We are confident that this deal signing will play a vital role in the development of tourism …

Millennium Hotels & Resorts Middle East announced the signing of its first Millennium Central property in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in partnership with Hasaad Real Estate, on stage at the Saudi Arabia Hospitality Investment Conference (SHIC), held in Riyadh from January 21-22, 2020. Following the opening of the first Millennium Central hotel in Downtown Dubai just six months ago, Millennium Central Jeddah will mark the brand’s debut in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is the fourth hotel in the Millennium Central brand portfolio. A four-star hotel with 210 rooms and suites spread across two towers, the Millennium Central Jeddah will feature three food & beverage outlets, a swimming pool, a health club, three meeting rooms and an event hall with outdoor area. Millennium Central is the group’s urban four-star brand in central urban locations featuring contemporary design fused with local influences including signature art in each of the properties. In December, Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA revealed its ambitious development plans for Saudi Arabia with a goal of operating 25 hotels kingdom-wide by 2025. The group is targeting strategic locations in every region across the country as it maps out its blueprint for growth over the next five years. Commenting on the signing, Kevork Deldelian, Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA, said, “The signing of the Millennium Central Jeddah represents our ongoing commitment to development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a market we have been operating in for five years.”

Avani Hotels & Resorts announces signing of the first Avani property in Kenya. The Avani Nairobi Suites is currently under development by Fedha Group, one of Kenya’s leading real estate developers. Scheduled to open by the end of 2020, the new-build 15-storey property will further strengthen the Avani brand’s presence in Africa, alongside its existing properties in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique and Lesotho. Avani Nairobi Suites will offer 120 keys, comprising of 90 one-bedroom, 20 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom serviced apartments. The all-suite property will be located in the heart of Westlands, a prime business and leisure district of Nairobi, with direct access to an array of multi-national corporations, restaurants and bars all just a 40-minute drive from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. “With Avani already present with six properties in Southern Africa in addition to a very successful resort in the Seychelles, this is a significant strategic step for the brand to debut in Kenya,” said Javier Pardo, Vice President Avani Hotels & Resorts. Ramine Behnam, Vice President Development for EMEA Minor Hotels, also commented, “We are thrilled to partner with Fedha Group for this new property in Nairobi’s strategic Westlands district, introducing the Avani brand in Kenya and bridging a strong existing leisure offering across East Africa.” “Minor Hotels are exactly the growing and forward thinking hotel group that we are proud to partner with – Nairobi is again deservedly in the news with a new facility worthy of its International City status.” said Dhruv Pandit, CEO of Fedha Group, the Developers.