Category Archives: Hotels

Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai, has announced the completion of phase one of its AED70 million extensive renovation programme which has been undertaken across its public areas including the Lobby Lounge and Dunes Café. The renovation project, which began in June 2016, has taken over 5.5 million minutes of man-time from the start to the end of phase one.  Phase two includes the renovation of 302 rooms and suites to be completed in 2018. A stunning ‘wave’ chandelier designed by bespoke chandelier designers, Lasvit, hangs in the entrance of the hotel weighing the equivalent of over 700 bags of sugar. Another spectacular chandelier hangs in the two-storey staircase connecting the lobby and dining outlets. In the lobby itself, plentiful flashes of gold and ruby red detailing reflect the jewels of traditional Arabian souks. In addition, 4,212 hand-cut, blue, tiger’s eye stone tiles have been pieced together to form the entry walls to the six lobby elevators. The stone is also featured on the tables in the Lobby Lounge. Tiger’s Eye is a semi-precious stone believed to hold soothing qualities and has been introduced to bring a further sense of calm to the surroundings.

Lapita Hotel officially opened its doors to receive its first guests. A part of Dubai Parks and Resorts, the region’s largest integrated theme park destination, Lapita is an exotic Polynesian themed resort hotel with 504 rooms, including 60 suites and 3 private villas. Room tariff may range from AED 1400 to AED 4500. Drawing its inspiration from the exotic Polynesian tropical landscapes, the hotel features colourful flowers, lagoon style pools, luxurious guest rooms and themed children’s activities. It is centrally located and easily accessible from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and only 63km from Dubai International Airport, 69km from Abu Dhabi International Airport and 23km from Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport. Within walking distance, hotel guests can have access to three department stores, family attractions, international dining and over 125 brands.

Langham Hospitality Group announced an agreement with Advanced Hotels Company to manage a luxury urban hotel in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Langham, Jeddah will feature extensive banqueting and meeting space totalling in excess of 3,500 square metres. These will include a 480-seat grand ballroom that is linked by a private elevator to a 380-seat ballroom that is located directly above the former (both outfitted with private pre-function areas for added exclusivity), a variety of adaptable conference rooms with the latest in audio-visual equipment, prayer rooms, and three dedicated bridal and groom suites.Strategically located within the downtown core directly across a new shopping complex and with a 360-degree view of the city and Corniche, The Langham, Jeddah is expected to open in the summer of 2018. The agreement was signed in the presence of H.E. Mohammed A. Al-Amri, General Manager, Jeddah, Makkah Province for the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage. Robert Warman, Chief Executive Officer of Langham Hospitality Group said, “We are delighted to introduce the Langham brand to Jeddah as we have been searching for the ideal location in the Kingdom to add to our portfolio. The creative design of the hotel’s façade and interiors along with the luxury facilities of The Langham, Jeddah, underlined by our legendary award-winning service, will provide an exceptional destination for our guests.” Mohammed Yousef Al Hasan, Chairman and Founder of Advanced Hotels Company stated, “We are proud to partner with Langham Hospitality Group to bring the impeccable service standards and unrivalled heritage from Europe’s first grand hotel to the city of Jeddah.” Guests who prefer to live the high life may choose to stay in the opulent two-bedroom Royal Suite …

DUKES Dubai has opened doors on December 28. “Once complete, DUKES Dubai will consist of 273 guestrooms including 64 suites, with a ladies-only Liberty Duchess floor featuring 20 rooms, as well as 227 fully furnished hotel apartments and six distinctive dining experiences,” said Abdulla Bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides. The five-star hotel is located on the west trunk of Palm Jumeirah. It is the first international property for DUKES, which has been popular with GCC visitors in London for decades. The soft opening of DUKES Dubai comes at a time when Dubai’s popularity with British nationals continues to rise. In 2015 Dubai welcomed 1.2 million visitors from the UK, representing the emirate’s third largest source market. That is in addition to approximately 240,000 UK nationals that are estimated to be resident in the UAE. “Dubai is an increasingly popular destination for travellers from the UK, especially during the Christmas and New Year period and having the opportunity to begin our soft opening period on 28th December, we didn’t hesitate to open our doors,” said Debrah Dhugga, Managing Director, DUKES Dubai and DUKES London. Initially for the soft opening, bedrooms on the first six floors of the 15-floor property will be in service, as will the hotel’s signature outlet Great British Restaurant (GBR) and DUKES Bar.Serving modern British brasserie-style cuisine, GBR will operate under the culinary direction of executive chef Martin Cahill, serving quality British produce in a dramatic setting overlooking the Gulf. The meticulously planned menu of much loved dishes includes cod and chips, Lancashire hot pot, Colchester Oysters and Dover sole, with calorific sweets taken straight from the kitchens of the Home Counties. For lighter bites and drinks, guests …

Eagle Hills, an Abu Dhabi-based private real estate investment and development company, has announced the award of its contract for marine and grading works on The Address Fujairah Resort and Spa and The Address Residences Fujairah Resort and Spa, to BATCO Group, a general engineering and contracting company. The project is located in Sharm in Fujairah, famous for its landscape of mountains and sea views, and is situated south of Al Aqah beach and only 21 kilometres south of Dibba Al Fujairah, offering uninterrupted sea views. The mixed-use development will offer the emirate’s residents and visitors a holistic experience of hospitality, leisure and entertainment. It comprises The Address Fujairah Resort and Spa hotel, and The Address Residences Fujairah Resort and Spa. On completion, the five-star hotel will include 198 keys, five beach and five garden villas, four residential buildings with central courtyards, adding to a total of 170 branded and serviced residences. Commenting on the signing with the contract, Low Ping, CEO of Eagle Hills, said: “The awarding of the marine and grading contract to BATCO Group on The Address Fujairah Resort and Spa and The Address Residences Fujairah Resort and Spa emphasises our aim to provide our customers with modern, sustainable, and innovative solutions. This is the important milestone towards our commitment to deliver the project; Fujairah’s ultimate leisure and lifestyle destination with a 500-metre promenade.The awarded marine and grading contract signifies the beginning of the exceptional and exclusive destination Fujairah has yet to offer. Through following innovative approaches and taking into consideration sustainability measures, we are enhancing the existing site while protecting the beachfront promenade to be enjoyed by all visitors alike. We, along with our development partners, …

Targeting the honeymoon travellers from the GCC/UAE Hurawalhi Resorts recently announced the new opening at an exclusive event in Dubai. Just a 40-minute seaplane flight from Male offers 90 Villas including 60 Ocean Villas and 30 Beach Villas, Hurawalhi Island Resort is a sanctuary of serenity for grown-ups who are seeking luxury and innovation. 60 per cent of the island runs on sustainable solar energy with the majority of the villas being powered by solar panels. No plastic bottles – the island has its own water bottling plant and sustainable energy throughout; Best Diving in the Maldives with nearby Manta Rays, Nurse Sharks and world-class dive sites; Largest underwater restaurant, ‘5.8 Undersea’ – 5.8 metres under the sea; Adults-Only sanctuary on pure white sand on a crystal blue sea and Duniye Spa uses only organic, preservative and chemical free products. All guests can enjoy either sunrise or sunset panoramas. And with dining options that include on the beach, over the water, and even under the water, the philosophy here is that nothing is impossible.

International Roundtable Conference by Future Leaders with the topic Climate Change – A sustainable thought of our future leaders was organised and facilitated by Iftikhar Hamdani, Cluster General Manager of Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman and his efficient team at the Penthouse, Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman. At the opening Sumair Tariq, Managing Director of R Hotels stated the high value placed by R Hotels in its Corporate Social Responsibility and the reason behind this roundtable to engage the younger generation by discussing the impact of climate change, conveying the importance of sustainable actions and generating ideas on how they can play a part in protecting the planet. Hamdani, Cluster General Manager of Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman reiterated that the outcome and suggestions by the future leaders will be finally collated as a white paper and passed on to the relevant authorities for action. Chief Guest for the event His Highness Sheikh Dr.Abdul Aziz Bin Ali Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Green Sheikh shared thoughts on the environment by engaging the future leaders in conversation as well. A very good initiative by the dedicated team at Ramada Ajman, R Hotels and their partners.

Hotels.com has recently refurbished and improved the functionality of its Middle Eastern websites, in both English and Arabic, to improve both usability and performance. Hotels.com already serves millions of customers globally through 89 localised websites in 39 languages, and is continuously building its portfolio of properties with the latest hotel deals for popular destinations like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Hotels.com offers an unsurpassed hotel booking experience and unbeatable Secret Prices to Hotels.com™ Rewards members, making it ideally positioned to cater to the hotel booking needs of the regional market. “We know that speed is important to our customers and we want to provide fastest booking experience possible in all languages on desktop and mobile. In fact, one in every three bookings on Hotels.com globally is now made on mobile. Speed and convenience are crucial to delivering unsurpassed experiences for our customers,” commented Michael Korkia, Senior Marketing Manager EMEA for the Hotels.com brand.

R Hotels and Wyndham Hotel Group have announced an agreement to open the first Wyndham Garden in United Arab Emirates. The Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche is expected to open by Q4 2017.  The 17-storey, four-star hotel will feature 179 guest rooms, including 138 standard rooms and 41 suites, as well as an executive lounge on the top floor with panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf. Additional facilities will include two restaurants, an outdoor swimming pool, gym and spa, separate health clubs for men and women, and a kids’ play area. Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche, with a total investment of AED200 million ($54.5 million), will be the fifth collaboration between R Hotels and Wyndham Hotel Group in the United Arab Emirates, and the third in Ajman. R Hotels presently owns two Wyndham-branded hotels in the emirate: Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman and Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman. Sumair Tariq, R Hotels’ Managing Director, commented: “The group is fully on track of its development and expansion plan, with the opening of our seventh property. The country’s hospitality sector continues to grow and our group set sights on capitalising on these developments and increasing our portfolio. The franchise deal cements our long-standing partnership with Wyndham Hotel Group and R Hotels is honoured to pioneer and set the standards for the Wyndham Garden brand in the UAE.”

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a luxury brand within the AccorHotels portfolio looks forward to welcoming its newest entrant in the United Arab Emirates – Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort scheduled to open in January 2017. The property’s inauguration ceremony held on December 15, was attended by H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan; advisor to H.H The President of the UAE. and H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi; member of the supreme council and ruler of the Emirate of Al Fujairah. Enveloped by panoramic vistas of the marina and the Gulf of Oman, this luxurious 180 room property will be the region’s first art inspired hotel highlighted by spacious and light filled spaces. Upon opening, it will join a distinctive collection in the United Arab Emirates which includes Fairmont Dubai, the brand’s original flagship hotel in the Middle East, Fairmont The Palm on the largest manmade island in the world, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi and Fairmont Ajman, located in the emirate of perennial sunshine. An approximate 90-minute drive from the hyper-charged metropolis of Dubai and set against the majestic backdrop of the Al Hajar Mountains and deep blue of the wide Indian Ocean, the luxurious retreat will serve as an idyllic getaway for local UAE residents and international guests.