Category Archives: Hotels

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) is continuing its commitment to world-class hospitality in some of the region’s most striking areas of outstanding natural beauty with the launch of the Mleiha Fossil Rock Lodge. The project is 60 percent complete and will officially welcome its first guests by the end of this year. This modern luxury facility, adjacent to its namesake, the Fossil Rock, nestles within the Mleiha Archaeological and Eco-tourism Project, offering a unique experience for desert adventurers and nature lovers. The Fossil Rock Lodge can accommodate up to 10 guests, guaranteeing complete serenity and privacy. Also, it will entail an upscale café, with 42 indoor and outdoor seats, allowing visitors to take in the breath-taking natural scenery and magnificent desert landscapes while enjoying their sumptuous food and beverages. HE Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of Shurooq, says, “Eco-tourism is becoming increasingly popular with visitors from around the world. We are committed to catering to this demand, not only as a highly desirable investment, but also as part of our own social responsibility and our philosophy of retaining our natural surroundings.”

Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC, announced the launch of their new hotel project named Vida Dubai Mall, which would be directly linked to The Dubai Mall, with direct views of Burj Khalifa. This marks the tenth upcoming hotel project of Vida Hotels and Resorts in the UAE and international markets. Vida Dubai Mall would be a two-tower development, with the 195-room Vida Dubai Mall hotel and 614 serviced residences under Vida Residences Dubai Mall. One of these towers will be 55-storey high, including the hotel and 380 serviced residences, while the other one will be 38-storey high, with rest of the serviced residences.

Emaar Hospitality Group has partnered with Global Hospitality Services (GHS) to expand its brand reach and customer base in the key strategic markets such as the Americas, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, India and China. Global Hospitality Services will showcase Emaar Hospitality Group to the leisure and corporate segments in these key markets, underlining its service standards and innovative lifestyle products. Emaar Hospitality Group has been the leading provider of innovative lifestyle travel products, through its three hotel brands – Address Hotels + Resorts; Vida Hotels and Resorts; and Rove Hotels. Linda Bekoe, VP of Global Sales at GHS supported this as she commented, “At GHS, we utilise the power of collaboration and collective capability to open doors and give a global voice to our hoteliers. We are proud to work alongside Emaar Hospitality Group and assist its brands to further penetrate the market on a global level.”

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced the opening of its new Holiday Inn in Mutare, Zimbabwe. The franchised property, owned by African Sun Limited and located in the heart of the city, features 96 rooms, an outdoor pool and a meeting room capable of seating 250 people. Commenting on the opening of the new hotel, Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG, said, “We’re thrilled to announce the opening of a new property in Mutare as we believe that it will further support business travel between the Middle East and Africa. We are especially proud to continue working with established partners such as African Sun Limited that also owns several other properties with us. We are excited to begin welcoming guests to Holiday Inn Mutare.”

Investment conglomerate Dubai Holding and Saudi Arabia based Jabal Omar Development signed an agreement to develop a five-star hotel in the holy city of Mecca, named Jabal Omar Jumeirah Makkah Hotel, which is scheduled to be operational by early 2019. Managed by Dubai Holding’s subsidiary, Jumeirah Group, a brand in the luxury hospitality sector, the hotel will be walking distance from the Holy Mosque and comprise four towers with stunning views of Masjid-al-Haram. It will include 1033 guest rooms, along with 93 villas, and offer a variety of foods and beverages, meeting facilities, executive lounge, gymnasium, and over 90 retail units throughout the complex. Edris Al Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Holding, said, “Dubai Holding takes great honour in announcing the addition of this unique property to the Jumeirah Group portfolio. As the company embarks on its next phase of growth, adding such a strategic and large hotel to the portfolio is a key milestone in our ambitious international expansion strategy. Jabal Omar Jumeirah Makkah Hotel will significantly boost its growth in the coming years. It will also mark the Group’s first presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Makkah, one of the holiest sites in the world and the highest in real estate value.”

The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel, the newest addition to AccorHotels’ distinctive MGallery by Sofitel collection of contemporary boutique hotels, has become a member of the esteemed Healing Hotels of the World. With this membership in Healing Hotels of the World, this invite-only ‘club’ will be globally recognised to be featuring beautiful accommodation and architecture, cutting-edge holistic healing therapies achieving visible results, caring and thoughtful services, healing cuisine and a natural stunning location.

AVANI Hotels & Resorts announced the development of its first hotel in Mauritius along a stretch of the island’s unspoilt south coast by 2021. The 150-key beachfront AVANI Bel-Ombre Mauritius Resort & Spa will offer the best of both worlds – stylish accommodation coupled with an untouched beach paradise. Only 30 minutes from the international airport, AVANI Mauritius Bel-Ombre Resort & Spa will comprise 150 guest rooms, including 134 Standard Rooms and 16 AVANI suites. The new upscale resort will offer a specialty restaurant as well, along with an all-day dining restaurant, a large, multi-functional meeting space catering to MICE and weddings, an AVANI spa and an AVANIFIT gym, an AVANI pantry, AVANI kids club, a beach activities centre and two swimming pools.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts recently signed a new agreement to build a five-star property on Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, in partnership with SuperCasa Development Limited. Operating under the Millennium brand, the 339-key beach resort is scheduled to open in 2020. The resort will be situated on a 75,000-square-foot plot on Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah’s first man-made island project. Located only 30 minutes from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and 50 minutes from Dubai International Airport, Al Marjan Island is set to redefine Ras Al Khaimah’s hospitality sector, with large-scale developments comprising hotels, villas and residential units, in addition to marinas, retail and recreation facilities. Boasting a unique and iconic design, the Millennium resort will enjoy panoramic views of the Arabian Peninsula and access to a private beach. World-class facilities include two swimming pools, a fitness centre, treatment rooms and meeting and event spaces. The resort will also host all-day dining, poolside restaurant, specialty restaurant and a sky bar.

Thailand-based hospitality company Dusit International has signed a hotel management agreement with Al Manzil Hospitality Group to operate dusitD2 Seef Bahrain, its contemporary leisure and business hotel, scheduled to open in Manama 2018. The new hotel will be the company’s first hotel in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The opening will help to position Dusit for further expansion within the GCC region, where it already operates five hotels, with another five confirmed in the pipeline. Located in close vicinity of Bahrain International Airport, the contemporary upscale hotel will comprise 195 spacious units with sea view. Amenities will include meeting facilities, a kids’ club, an expansive health and fitness centre with spa and rooftop pool and a multitude of restaurants.

Thomas Cook is set to open its first own-brand hotel in UAE, the smartline Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort, on November 1, 2017. It will be a contemporary beach resort featuring 253 chalets, a 700-metre private beach, three pools, four bars, a coffee shop, a buffet restaurant, a spa with sauna and Jacuzzi, inclusive of WiFi. Apart from this, Thomas Cook and Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority have extended their major co-operative marketing agreement which aims to raise the profile of the UAE emirate as a premier leisure destination for European tourists. The partnership, which started in 2016, enters its second phase in August 2017 and seeks to further develop Ras Al Khaimah as a year-round destination for holidaymakers through inspiring marketing content delivered via Thomas Cook’s multi-channel media offering.