Category Archives: Hotels

Radisson Hospitality is set to announce the signing of its first Radisson hotel in the Middle East at Dubai’s Damac Hills. Under construction already, and due to open in Q4 2019, Radisson Hotel, Dubai DAMAC Hills will feature 481 rooms, including one and two-bedroom suites. Two restaurants will cater to guests’ dining needs, while leisure facilities such as a gym, spa, kids club and an outdoor swimming pool will also be available. The hotel’s extensive meeting space will be built over an area of 600m². The property will be within a rapidly growing area of Dubai and surrounded by new residential and business districts such as Dubai Motor City and Dubai Investment Park, while the site of Expo 2020 will be just 11 km away. Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Radisson Hotel Group, said, “We’re delighted to enter into partnership with DAMAC Properties and we appreciate their commitment and vision to develop such an exciting project. We’re further delighted to introduce our new upscale Radisson brand that delivers its own Scandinavian-inspired hospitality to the region.” “DAMAC Hills is one of Dubai’s newest communities and is already home to more than 1,000 families,” said Hussain Sajwani, Chairman, DAMAC. “Our partnership with Radisson Hotel Group for this unique hospitality product will cater to the ever-growing number of tourists and business travellers who visit the emirate.”

Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman has trained and hired employees with speaking and hearing disabilities as part of its continuous commitment to reach out to the community and provide equal opportunity for different members of the society. Under Ajman Tourism Development Department’s Zayed Day for Humanitarian Initiative, in cooperation with the Ministry of Community Development, Ramada Ajman provided training and internship to Musab Abdul Raheem Jaber Saleh. A deaf and mute Jordanian national, he worked with the front office department as bell boy cum valet parking driver for a month. The programme aimed to train and employ people of determination, in order for them to integrate in the community and to be qualified to work in the government and private sector in the future. Early this year, the property also hired Rizwan Uddin, a deaf and mute Pakistani, as a ken fix-it technician. As part of the engineering department, his skills include carpentry, painting and masonry. Iftikhar Hamdani, General Manager of Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman, commented, “We are extremely proud to support and offer opportunities to all the deserving people of determination. Their perseverance and dedication inspire us that nothing should stop us from being productive and contributing to our community. We will continue our efforts to help such individuals and groups as part of our corporate social responsibility initiatives.”

Four Points by Sheraton has announced the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Makkah Al Naseem in Saudi Arabia – the brand’s largest property globally. Adding over 1,100 rooms to the Holy City, the hotel is situated in the Al Naseem district and is in close proximity to the centre of Makkah and the holy Masjid al-Haram. “The trajectory for religious tourism into Saudi Arabia continues to grow, resulting in a strong demand for hotels in the Holy Cities,” said Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director – Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. “We are delighted to open our fifth property in the Holy City of Makkah. Four Points by Sheraton Makkah Al Naseem offers pilgrims the brand’s excellent service and a comfortable hospitality experience in the Holy City. With this opening, we now operate 24 hotels in the country and are on track to double our presence in the Kingdom in the next five years.” Four Points by Sheraton Makkah Al Naseem features 1,136 spacious and modern guest rooms including 121 suites, offering unmatched views of the holy city of Makkah. Reflecting the brand’s promise to provide what matters most to today’s independent travellers, the hotel offers the brand’s defining touches including complimentary bottled water in all rooms, fast and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and an energising breakfast with fresh coffee. The hotel includes four dining concepts, Al Sharq, Asia House and two Lobby Cafés.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has launched a new global initiative, Mindful Meetings by Mandarin Oriental, designed to enhance and energise meetings and conferences with creative solutions that are based on five key dimensions of wellness: nourishment, movement, stillness, connections and wellbeing. Emily Snyder, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s Vice President of Global Sales said, “Our aim is to support meeting planners by providing a unique offering, that will ensure all participants leave a Mindful Meeting feeling refreshed, motivated and ready to implement new ideas, information and connections. Mandarin Oriental is renowned as a leader in global wellness, with more Forbes Five-Star Spas than any other hotel brand. By extending and utilizing this expertise in the meeting space, we can provide participants with a truly enhanced environment, that is conducive to success.” Examples of wellness enhancements include healthy and energising menu choices, yoga sessions, guided meditations, digital wellness and jet lag tips, massage and movement breaks, custom spa events, expert health talks and group exercise activities. All options can be customized and made available for participants either in or out of the meeting room. To celebrate the launch, a ‘Mindful Meetings Promotion’ is available for every new event or group booking made between 6 June and 30 September 2018 at all Mandarin Oriental destinations worldwide. By inserting the term ‘Mindful Meetings Promotion’ in the initial meeting request, meeting bookers can select one of the following benefits: Energizer welcome shots upon arrival for all participants, 30-minute guided wellness activity such as meditation, yoga for participants in the meeting space, Mindful in-room amenity for all participants; of course terms and conditions would apply.

Emaar Hospitality Group has announced creation of more than 5,300 jobs in the hospitality sector in the next five years across the UAE including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Significantly, the group is focusing on hiring and nurturing the talents of UAE Nationals for jobs in the hospitality sector, and has put into place ambitious strategies and plans to drive Emiratisation across all functions within the Group. These goals will also be achieved through partnerships with key government entities and departments that support Emiratisation within the hospitality industry. Emaar Hospitality Group is creating jobs across the entire breadth of the hospitality and leisure supply chain – from guest facing and heart-of-house functions to administrators, marketing, sales, finance, HR, logistics, and other professionals. An equal opportunity company, the Group welcomes professionals from across the world who are passionate about building a long-term career in the hospitality sector. Aseem Kapoor, Corporate Director of Human Resources at Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “We are emerging as one of the largest providers of jobs in the hospitality sector in the UAE. With hospitality professionals from across the world working with us, we take pride in offering a world-class work environment that enables them to progress in their careers. While we will continue to promote and nurture a multi-cultural work environment, one of our focal points will be to attract more Emirati and National talent to the industry – given the superb value they can deliver, with their local knowledge and skills – and we are committed to ensuring that our team members achieve professional and personal success.”

Marriott International and Al Habtoor Group, have agreed that Marriott International will no longer manage or otherwise be associated with The St Regis Dubai, W Dubai Habtoor City and The Westin Dubai Al Habtoor City, with effect from July 31, 2018. These hotels will no longer be part of the St Regis, W Hotels and Westin Hotels global brand portfolios. This is a mutual decision reached amicably between the parties. After July 31, 2018, the management of these hotels will be transferred to the owning company. The parties are working closely together to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for associates, clients and partners. “Al Habtoor Group continues to be an important partner of Marriott International. We value the relationship and thank them for their partnership, wishing them all the very best in their future endeavors,” said Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. The UAE continues to be a key growth market for us and our momentum of growth in this market demonstrates the trust owners have in our compelling brands and their interest to tap into Marriott International’s distribution, network and globally recognised loyalty programme. As a company we continue to explore and discuss opportunities that are in line with our overall growth strategy.”

Emaar has announced landmark developments that will further strengthen UAE-China relations. To honour Chinese expatriates in the UAE and further bolster business ties with China, Emaar will develop the Middle East’s largest Chinatown within the retail district of Dubai Creek Harbour, its six-square-kilometre mega-development, only 10 minutes from the Dubai Internal Airport and the iconic Burj Khalifa. The retail precinct will occupy a central location within Dubai Creek Harbour – a destination which will be home to the world’s new icon, Dubai Creek Tower, and encompass vibrant lifestyle elements. Set by the Dubai Creek waterway, elegantly designed homes in Dubai Creek Harbour will offer spectacular views of the city’s dramatic skyline, the waterfront and the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary – home to over 450 animal species and migratory birds, including pink flamingos. Further strengthening Emaar’s outreach to China, the company also announced that it will open three dedicated pavilions in China – Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, all cities served by direct daily flights to Dubai on Emirates Airline. The three offices will promote tourism, education, trading and investment between UAE and China. In a third significant announcement, Emaar will expand its premium luxury hotel and serviced residences brand, Address Hotels + Resorts, to China. Discussions are ongoing to develop and operate Address branded hotels in key cities in the country, given the strong appeal and familiarity that the brand enjoys among Chinese tourists.

Rotana has announced the inauguration of three new global sales offices in Paris, Milan and Amsterdam. These will complement the company’s existing offices in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Germany, India, Russia, the UAE and the United Kingdom, to help support Rotana’s expansion plans and drive business from these key markets. Declan Hurley, Rotana Corporate Vice President – Sales, declared, “The main responsibilities of these new offices will be to grow our client base, introduce our brands to new clients, promote market, and sell our properties based outside of their physical location. Taking into consideration the huge potential of these markets, which have seen a growth of 16 per cent to our hotels across the Middle East, Rotana has appointed Aviareps as its GSA, owing to their experience, reputation, and presence across Europe. We are pleased with how our relationship has got off the ground and we have compiled a solid sales and marketing plan with a wide range of sales activities to roll out during the remainder of 2018 and throughout 2019. Our plan is to have more offices across key markets within the next 24 months. This is in line with the overall expansion of Rotana properties and our growing market segment.”

Swiss International Hotels & Resorts and IDS Next Business Solutions Pvt have announced that they have entered into a global agreement in which,  IDS Next Business Solutions will provide its hotel ERP technology solutions to Swiss International Hotels & Resorts. With its solid presence in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, Swiss International has 15 hotels currently in operation with a healthy pipeline of new hotels under development across these regions. IDS Next’s hotel ERP solution will facilitate in streamlining operations, in managing the distribution and managing the revenues efficiently, while improving both the guests’ and the hotel users’ experiences for the hotel chain. Binu Mathews, the CEO of IDS Next said, “We are delighted to welcome Swiss International to the IDS family. With Swiss International’s experience in hospitality and IDS Next’s rich technology expertise of 30 years, we are confident that we have a winning partnership for both of our organizations. With our presence in the Middle East, Africa and Asia regions, we see the partnership contributing to our growth potential globally.” “We are pleased to enter into the agreement with IDS Next, a company which we have recognized as one of today’s leading hospitality technology provider”, said Mr. Henri Kennedie, the President & CEO of Swiss International. “With IDS Next’s complete and integrated solutions, we are confident of offering superior guests’ experiences and improve the overall operational efficiency for our hotels.”

Marriott International has launched Tahseen, a unique hospitality training programme in Egypt, developed in response to a growing need for talent within the industry. Created in partnership with Helwan University and Professional Development Foundation (PDF), the programme is focused on fast tracking the next generation of hospitality leaders from Egypt by providing them with firsthand experience and a springboard to launch successful careers in the industry. The company unveiled the programme at a signing ceremony graced by His Excellency Khalid Atef Abdul Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Egypt. Also present at the occasion was Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International, who is on a three-day visit to the country. “Marriott International is a company that believes in putting people first and we are committed to giving our associates the world class training and the opportunity to grow and reach their potential, both personally and professionally. Our vision is to develop future leaders, empowered with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to be successful within the hospitality industry, both regionally and globally. Building a sustainable and robust hospitality education program like Tahseen, that nurtures and builds national talent, is indeed key to our success,” said Sorenson. “Over the last four decades we have worked hard to consciously develop local talent and prepare them to become future leaders in hospitality,” said Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. “Today we employ over 10,200 associates across our hotels in Egypt with 99% of them being local Egyptian nationals.