Category Archives: Hotels

Dubai-based independent hotel management company, Aleph Hospitality, has signed a management contract with Congo-based Sokerico Group to operate Kertel Suites in Kinshasa. The boutique property, which is currently under development, is set to open in Q1 2023, and on opening the hotel will set a new benchmark for the hospitality sector in Kinshasa with its all-suites accommodations and state of the art food and beverage offerings. Aleph Hospitality’s portfolio now covers 12 properties across eight countries on the African continent. Located in the capital Kinshasa, in the heart of Gombe, a flourishing business centre and embassies area, Kertel Suites offers brand-new, contemporary accommodation. The hotel is conveniently located a 20-minute drive from the N’Dolo Airport. Popular tourist destinations in the vicinity include Picasso Beach, Central Station Square and the Jardin Zoologique. The premium hotel is positioned as approachable luxury with an elegant, classic design for a corporate lifestyle. Leisure facilities include an upscale rooftop resto-bar and a French bakery-bistro, a roof swimming pool, fully equipped gym and spa as well as three banquet halls. Bani Haddad, Founder and Managing Director of Aleph Hospitality said: “We are thrilled to have been entrusted with the management of Kertel Suites in Kinshasa and we are excited to be operating our first property in Africa’s largest city. It’s an interesting time to secure a presence in the heart of Africa, as The Democratic Republic of the Congo is currently investing in the hospitality sector, restoring historical sites and strengthening sustainability within their ecosystem. The development is quite unique in its location, and we look forward to bringing next-level hospitality experiences to the heart of Gombe.” Ritesh Hemnani and Kenny Rawtani, owners of Sokerico Group …

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), concluded its participation in the fourth edition of the Tourist Hospitality Initiative held in southwest region of Aseer. SAUDIA celebrated guests on flight SV1644, inbound from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, with a welcoming event and giveaways. Held under the theme of “1,000 Welcomes,” a phrase traditionally used as a greeting for visitors in the Saudi region of Aseer, and with direct support from the Governer of the region, the initiative is aimed at continuing to welcome a diverse range of visitors to the region. In recognition of the tourism campaign, the SAUDIA sales offices and the arrivals terminal at Abha International Airport were decorated with the initiative’s vibrant designs, highlighting SAUDIA’s role in connecting the capital of Aseer with the rest of the Kingdom. In addition to its scenic nature and charming ambiance, Abha contains a variety of ways to keep tourists interested. SAUDIA’s participation in the initiative is a continuation of the national carrier’s involvement last year and comes as part of its efforts to promote domestic tourism. The flag-carrying airline’s operations out of Abha are continuously being enhanced and scaled, with more seating capacity being made available as required by seasonal demand.

dnata Travel Group is enhancing its long-standing partnership with Club Med, the world’s leading provider of upscale, all-inclusive holidays, as demand for its travel experiences from the GCC countries increases. dnata Representation Services has been exclusive distributor for Club Med in the region since 2013. As local traveller demand soars for more comprehensive holiday packages inclusive of meal plans, activities, flights, and transfers, dnata is bringing Club Med experiences closer than ever to the region through exclusive rates, tailor-made packages, and a host of new resorts for 2022. Known for its ‘Sun’ and ‘Ski’ resorts in sought-after and unique locations worldwide, Club Med continues to grow with new openings, renovations and extensions annually. Its mountain escapes are popular with GCC travellers seeking nature-based holidays including new resorts in the French Alps (La Rosière) and Canada (Quebec Charlevoix) which launched in 2021. With the launch of 2022’s ‘summer mountain’ holiday season, Club Med offers a playground for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts with six resorts in Europe open until September. The popular hiking, trail, biking and yoga activities on offer are included as part of its all-inclusive concept, bookable in the GCC with dnata Travel. Highly-anticipated for the winter 2022/23 season are new ski resort launches in Tignes and Val d’Isère, the latter being the first of Club Med’s luxury Exclusive Collection Resorts to be located in the mountains. John Bevan, Divisional Senior Vice President, dnata Travel Group, commented: “We are growing our partnership of almost a decade with Club Med as we expand its presence across the GCC. Demand for travel is at a high, and local trends include a rise in popularity in all-inclusive offerings and nature-based retreats, making …

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Middle East is preparing to host the 5th annual Commercial Strategy Conference, an in-person event being held at the Conrad Dubai Hotel on 28th and 29th November 2022. Following the unprecedented events and challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event theme is “Accelerate Recovery”. Placing a strong focus on recovery and education, HSMAI has become a leader in identifying and communicating hospitality trends while acting as an influential voice within the hospitality industry, all while connecting its members with industry partners. A key highlight of the 2022 event is how the agenda comes together from the HSMAI Middle East commercial, revenue optimization and marketing advisory boards. The conference is put together by hospitality leaders for the hospitality industry and partners. The leaders in their respective field will share expert insights and knowledge to help boost the industry’s post-Covid recovery into a new era. Another key feature of the Conference is Curate, a unique executive insights forum exclusively designed to connect and discuss priority issues and emerging trends across areas such as hotel sales, marketing, revenue optimization, and distribution. The first ever Curate forum is set to take place on 29th November 2022. The invite-only event is unique in a way as it allows for cross-disciplinary discussions, that are highly beneficial to the growth of any hotel. HSMAI ME is offering an early bird offer for the Annual Commercial Strategy Conference between now and September 15th. Registrants will receive up to 35% discount on the price for all ticket categories. Furthermore, all group bookings of 10 or more will receive one complimentary pass with access to both days. With an aim …

The wide range of hotel establishments in Dubai presented yet another stellar performance across all hospitality metrics during the first half of 2022. Average occupancy for the hotel sector between January and June 2022 stood at 74%, one of the world’s highest, compared to 62% in H1 2021, a difference of 12 percentage points and just short of the 76% occupancy level registered during the pre-pandemic period of H1 2019. This is particularly noteworthy as it was achieved in spite of a +19% increase in room capacity over the same period in 2019. Dubai’s hotel inventory by the end of June 2022 comprised 140,778 rooms open at 773 hotel establishments, compared to 118,345 rooms available at the end of June 2019 across 714 establishments. Meanwhile, the total number of hotels in H1 2022 marked an 8% growth over H1 2021, highlighting continued strong investor confidence in Dubai’s tourism sector. The hotel sector outperformed pre-pandemic levels across all other key measurements – Occupied Room Nights, Average Daily Rate (ADR) and Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR). Dubai hotel establishments delivered a combined 18.47million occupied room nights during the first six months of the year, a +30.4% YoY growth, and a +18% increase over the pre-pandemic period of H1 2019, which yielded 15.71 million occupied room nights. In addition, the ADR of AED567 in the first half of the year surpassed the ADRs for both H1 2021 (AED382) and 2019 (AED444), with 48.5% and 28% YoY growth, respectively.  The robust performance of the hotel sector is also evident in RevPAR growth – a surge of over 76% compared to the first six months of  2021 (AED417 v AED237)  and an increase of 24% …

Rotana announced its foray into the Algerian market with Azure Rotana Resort & Spa. The resort in Algeria’s port city is set to open in March 2023 catering to diverse travellers. Located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Azure Rotana Resort & Spa is in close proximity to the city’s iconic landmarks including Fort Santa Cruz and Place du 1er Novembre. Combining authenticity and contemporary designs, the property will boast 185 spacious rooms and suites including eight sea view ambassador suites. Guests will enjoy a wide array of food and beverage options from five outlets including a lobby lounge, a shisha terrace, an all-day dining restaurant, a pool bar, and a specialty restaurant. Commenting on the announcement, Guy Hutchinson, President and CEO of Rotana said: “As we continue expanding our footprint in the region, Azure Rotana Resort & Spa represents a key milestone for us as our first hotel in Algeria. North Africa has tremendous potential, and we look forward to further growing our portfolio in the region. Setting new standards in design and hospitality, our new resort will ensure we deliver on our brand promise of “Treasure Time” and make for a great destination holiday for families and visitors to enjoy.” Furthermore, Azure Rotana Resort & Spa will offer a range of services and amenities including a state-of-the-art spa and treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna, and a kid’s club. The grand ballroom will cater for up to 300 people in addition to three fully equipped meeting venues and a business centre to answer any business need. Ali Saradjia, CEO of Chez Saradjia Group, owning company of Azure Rotana Resort & Spa, added: “Rotana is …

Royal Central Hotel The Palm posted a fantastic performance from January to June of this year, doubling its occupancy rate, with the highest being recorded at 96 percent in March compared to 45 percent for the same period last year. The luxurious property recorded a strong beginning of the year with significant demand from guests who visited the Expo, those who took advantage of the cool weather, and the ease in travel restrictions from neighboring countries and key markets. Visitors from France, Germany, and the GCC continue to dominate the number of hotel guests, but tourists from Italy are viewed as the new potential market for Royal Central Hotel The Palm. “We are very proud of our hotel performance for the first half of the year, and we are positive that we can keep the momentum till the end of the year. The impressive growth was from the momentum generated by the hugely successful Expo 2020, which brought immense attention to Dubai and the easing of travel restrictions worldwide. We are projecting the demand to increase during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and as we welcome the festive season, we can see a healthy 2022 for the hospitality industry,” noted Abdulla Alabdulla, Group General Manager, Central Hotels & Resorts. Occupancy rates in Dubai have averaged 74 percent throughout the first half of 2022, making the city the world leader for hotel occupancies, ahead of New York, London, and Paris, according to the recent tourism data revealed by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Dubai has welcomed 7.1 million international overnight visitors up to June 2022, a 183 percent YoY increase. The 74 percent occupancy figure was maintained from …

The Ascott Limited (Ascott) has opened 20 properties with more than 4,500 units in H1 2022, a 56% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in units. In addition, Ascott has recently completed its acquisition of Oakwood Worldwide (Oakwood) in July 2022, expanding its portfolio by about 15,000 units, to over 153,000 units across over 900 properties. Ascott is also acquiring a freehold asset in Tokyo, Japan via the Ascott Serviced Residence Global Fund (ASRGF), Ascott’s private equity fund with Qatar Investment Authority. The asset will be refurbished to introduce Ascott’s first lyf-branded coliving property in the city. The acquisition follows Ascott’s signing of over 7,500 units in H1 2022, a 32% increase compared to the same period last year. The 140-unit coliving property to be named lyf Ginza Tokyo is ASRGF’s fourth acquisition in 2022, deploying close to S$400 million across four countries in under five months. Slated to open in June 2023, lyf Ginza Tokyo is set to meet the lodging demand of conglomerates and start-ups located nearby and cater to leisure travellers visiting the capital city. With the acquisition of lyf Ginza Tokyo, ASRGF will hold 12 properties with over 2,300 units across 9  countries. Mr Kevin Goh, CLI’s Chief Executive Officer for Lodging, said: “Ascott has completed its acquisition of Oakwood, and achieved strong organic growth in H1 2022 with the addition of newly signed and opened properties across our brands. We have kicked-off the integration of Oakwood with Ascott, placing us in a stronger position to drive further growth, deliver higher returns to our property owners and offer better experiences to our guests.” “As a vertically-integrated global lodging business, Ascott is able to leverage its full suite of real …

Al Khoory Hotels announced the official opening of their latest 4-star property, Al Khoory Courtyard Hotel in Dubai. Centrally located on Al Waha Street, off Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, the property delivers a blend of quality accommodation, facilities and amenities twinned with exceptional value. Conveniently located in a central location, the Al Khoory Courtyard Hotel provides easy access to Dubai International Airport. For families, the location is close to a myriad of attractions in Downtown, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah, while business travellers will enjoy the short distances to hubs such as Business Bay and the forthcoming District 2020. The hotel comprises 158 rooms categorised into eight configurations, ranging from the superior and deluxe rooms to the premium and Courtyard suites. Guests can choose from four distinctive dining experiences, including the authentic Al Baha Levantine Restaurant. Guests can relax in the spa and rooftop infinity pool or explore the many attractions and shopping destinations on the hotel’s doorstep. Jeff Isaacs, Hotel Manager, Al Khoory Courtyard Hotel, said: “Al Khoory Hotels has seen incredible growth in recent years thanks to our strategic position in business and leisure hubs throughout Dubai. Each of our properties offers unrivalled connectivity, and the Courtyard Hotel is no exception. “Guests to the new property will have access to world-class amenities and excellent F&B outlets, emphasising quality at unbeatable value. Our popularity and growth as a company are in recognition of our superior service, with business travellers, leisure visitors and families returning year after year.”   The hotel is Shariah-compliant, and all rooms are non-smoking with connecting room facilities available, making the Courtyard the ideal choice for families. The management team has also focused on adopting local …

In a recent interview with Tracy Lanza Group Head of Global Brand Development at The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), shared that the development of The Red Sea Project will be in two phases, one to be completed by end of 2023 and second to be completed by 2030. She reiterated, “we’re looking forward to welcoming our first guests early next year. Following that, the first phase will be fully completed and operational by the end of 2023. It will include 16 resorts for a total of 3,000 keys, 18-hole championship golf course, luxury marina, and retail and entertainment facilities. Phase two is scheduled for completion in 2030, and will include 50 resorts with 8,000 keys, and 1,000+ residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites.” Commenting further that the work is on track in order to welcome guests, “We’re fortunate to be able to partner with some of the world’s most iconic hotel brands, including EDITION, St Regis, Fairmont, Raffles, SLS, Grand Hyatt, Intercontinental, Six Senses, Jumeirah, Miraval, Rosewood and Ritz Carlton Reserve. Some of these will be able to host their first guests by early next year, while others will open their doors in the months following.” In keeping with the Vision 2030 of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lanza shared, “The project supports the Saudi vision through the development of a brand-new tourism industry that has not existed in the Kingdom before. It will open the door for thousands of young Saudis to pursue new careers and opportunities. We expect to create up to 70,000 new jobs and contribute as a much as 22 billion Saudi riyals (USD 5.3 billion) to the nation’s GDP.”