Emirates has launched an additional privilege to extend the usage of its luxury lounges at Dubai International Airport to its Loyalty Programme members and their guests at a minimal fee regardless of their class of travel. The pay-per-visit access will be available to Emirates Skywards members and their guests travelling on Emirates. Business Class travellers now also have the option to pay an upgrade fee to access the First Class lounges. Dubai International Airport is home to seven Emirates lounges spread over three concourses – A, B and C. In each of the concourses there is a dedicated Emirates First Class and Business Class lounge. Eligible guests can access the Emirates Business Class lounges in Dubai for a fee of $100 and the Emirates First Class lounges for a fee of $200. Business Class customers can also upgrade to First Class lounge access for a fee of $100. Guests who have paid a fee for entry can stay for up to four hours. Currently, First and Business Class customers as well as Silver, Gold and Platinum Skywards members receive complimentary access to the lounges in Dubai. “Our premium lounges here at our hub in Dubai are some of the best in the world and we are pleased that more of our customers can now experience them. We made the decision to expand access to our lounges in Dubai based on our customer feedback, and after a careful review to ensure that the same quality experience can be maintained. We are pleased to see many of our customers appreciate the opportunity to be able to pay for their additional guests and access the lounge which enables them to enjoy a relaxing …

Central Hotels has announced aggressive expansion plans with 3 new hotels lined up for opening in Dubai in 2017. Ahmad Ali Al Abdulla Alansaari, Chairman of Central Hotels, stated, “2017 is a very exciting year for us with three exceptional properties opening in quick succession. This massive expansion will double our existing inventory of rooms from 524 to 1220 keys and reflects our commitment to serve the needs of our guests with great value in iconic locations such as The Palm and Business Bay. In addition to the existing development, our aim is to add another five hotels to our outstanding portfolio of properties by 2018 creating greater choice and opportunities for our guests, associates and stakeholders. We are in the midst of advanced negotiations for three fabulous projects in KSA as well as two hotels in the UAE. These accomplishments are designed to position Central Hotels for continued success in the years ahead.” Giving details about the new projects opening in 2017, Ammar Kanaan, General Manager of Central Hotels, said, “Bay Central located at The Burj Khalifa district features 284 keys and is expected to welcome its first guests in the third quarter of 2017 followed by two other hotels of 208 and 204 keys each in The Palm. All three properties are in the 4-stars category and progressing well towards completion. Central Hotels has very quickly established itself as a reputed hotel management group in the UAE with its flagship property First Central Hotel Suites located in Barsha Heights (TECOM) near Sheikh Zayed Road. Featuring 524 apartments equipped with top-notch facilities, it offers travelers the best of Arabian hospitality in the heart of Dubai. Building up on this …

Flydubai has announced its Full-Year Results for 2016 reporting a profit of AED 31.6 million ($8.6 million). It has reported total revenue of AED 5 billion ($1.37 billion) an increase of 2.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. The stronger second half, driven by increased passenger numbers, was impacted by downward pressure on yield leading to lower overall revenue growth reflecting a continuation of the same adverse factors reported in the first half. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, flydubai, said: “These results see flydubai report its fifth consecutive full-year of profitability.  In 2012, our third year of operation, we carried 5.1 million passengers. This year, we have carried 10.4 million passengers demonstrating that flydubai continues to help change the way both business and leisure passengers travel around the region.  An established tourism destination and global centre for business together with the UAE’s geographic location has supported the need for increased connectivity.” Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, reviewing the Annual Results for 2016, commented: “Over the last two years we have seen passenger traffic grow cumulatively by 52 per cent in terms of RPKM.  We continue to demonstrate that we gain loyal customers across our network who recognise the benefits of direct air links and enjoy our onboard offering.  The continuation of mainly lower fuel prices and ongoing cost management efforts are reflected in the 16% improvement in terms of ASKM over the last two years. We have however seen a difficult pricing and operating environment.” During 2017, flydubai will be the first airline in the Middle East to receive the new model Boeing 737 MAX 8 and the first of these aircraft will …

Ashiana made its re-launch debut at Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers on January 25 in celebration of Indian Republic Day which fell on the 26th day of the month. One of the first Indian restaurants in Dubai, Ashiana is well-known for authentic Indian cuisine from various regions of India and a warm and inviting atmosphere. Ashiana’s relaunch focused on food and entertainment with creative nitrogen presentations of delicious canapés and the live sounds of Ajmal Ali’s beautifully sung ghazals. The relaunch comes along under the direction of a new chef, Vipin Kala and a new menu featuring traditional Indian fine dining with a modern twist. Hotel Manager Hector Ladeveze had this to say about the reopening of the restaurant: “First-time visitors and return guests alike will be thrilled by the new Ashiana. We have a delectable menu lined up by talented Chef Vipin Kala and artful performances for special and new experiences with every visit.” Founded in 1978, Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers was one of the first 5-star hotels to arrive to Dubai. The iconic property offers great views of Dubai Creek and the Dubai skyline. Sheraton Dubai Creek is in close proximity to some of the most exciting offerings in the area including Grand Mosque and the historical Al Bastakiya district. The hotel’s five dining establishments include Creekside Japanese, Hatta All-Day Dining, Chelsea Arms Pub, Vivaldi By Alfredo Russo and Ashiana.  

The first dual International Air Transport Association (IATA) New Distribution Capability (NDC) Certified travel technology provider unveiled that it will be launching ihlah.com – Middle East and Africa’s first Travel Search Engine, by the second quarter of 2017.  ihlah.com is a travel search website accompanied by top-ranked mobile Apps for travellers living in the Middle East & Africa region. “Ihlah.com is Africa & Middle East’s Region’s first Travel Search Site targeting a market of 482 million Internet users in the region and 232 million passengers who travelled by air. We help travellers with a comprehensive browsing experience to compare flight and hotel options and pricing from various suppliers while keeping shoppers engaged in a single tab. Ihlah.com presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants both local and global and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book, whether from airline, hotel direct or with a third party aggregator website. Ihlah.com harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology based on IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airline, hotel and online travel agency websites,” said Praveen Kumar, Chief Technology Officer of TPConnects. For registered users, to search and compare travel products on ihlah.com will be offered as free of cost, while it works on a Cost Per Acquisition and/or Cost Per Click business model with airlines, hotels and online travel agencies.

This year’s Arab Health held from January 30-Feb 2, at Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, was attended by 4400 exhibitors, over 120,000 visitors and over 8000 delegates from around the world. Healthcare leaders from across the globe gathered on the final day at the “Leaders in Healthcare” conference held under the patronage of H.R.H. Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Many countries are currently offering a lot of support in order to make the health tourism sector stronger in keeping with the vision to have over 1.3 million medical tourists in Dubai. Speaking to Travel TV.News, Linda Abdulla Ali Ruhi, Consultant – Medical Tourism Council of Dubai Health Authority stated that they have seen an increased number of medical tourists especially from the African region since last year hence they will be having the first roadshow in order to promote Dubai as a medical tourism destination. Furthermore, the introduction of electronic gateways such as the Dubai health experience website, apps and you tube channel has received a positive response in terms of partnerships from 26 health care facilities to over 42 healthcare and even hotels.

Metropolitan Hotel Dubai, the four-star property, has reopened its doors after a three-and-a-half-year hiatus. Situated in a new location, in the heart of the city, on Sheikh Zayed Road near Exit 41 (Al Thanya Street), the elevated Metropolitan Hotel Dubai features 320 contemporary rooms including 18 suites and state of the art leisure facilities including a well-equipped gym, a rooftop swimming pool and a beautifully appointed spa. The elegant rooms feature modern amenities that are ideal for guests seeking contemporary comfort in the heart of the city.  Khalaf Al Habtoor, Chairman, Al Habtoor Group, said: “Today, I have kept and fulfilled my promise of rebuilding the Metropolitan Hotel to continue its legacy. The old Metropolitan had a very strong, loyal customer base. We look forward to welcoming them back at the new premises, where they will see the return of some of the best-loved outlets, and we look forward to welcoming new guests.” The original Metropolitan Hotel, which was built in 1979, was demolished in May 2013 to make way for Al Habtoor City, an urban resort incorporating three hotels and luxury residential towers on The Dubai Water Canal. The demolition of the Metropolitan also saw the closure of The Red Lion English pub, one of the oldest English pubs in Dubai and Don Corleone Italian Restaurant, another popular destination for residents of Dubai. Both The Red Lion and Don Corleone have been revived and incorporated into the new hotel.  Sanjay Luthra, General Manager, Metropolitan Hotel, said, “The Metropolitan and some of its establishments are part of the history of Dubai. When we closed The Red Lion English pub many of our customers were upset because it had played a …

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) signed a landmark $1 million agreement to increase tourism to Thailand. Under the new agreement, the Abu Dhabi-based airline and TAT will jointly promote travel to Thailand from priority markets including the United Arab Emirates, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Egypt and Kuwait. The agreement was signed by Etihad Airways Vice President Marketing,  Tim Burnell, and TAT’s Deputy Governor Tanes Petsuwan at a commemorative event in Bangkok at the Executive Lounge, Grande Centre Point Terminal 21. They were joined by Etihad Airways Senior Manager Marketing, Lamya Al Nuaimi. Burnell said: “Etihad Airways has a long and proud association with Thailand – in fact Bangkok was one of our first international routes. It continues to be one of the busiest in our network enjoying strong year-round demand, particularly from the UAE, GCC, Middle East, Africa and Europe. “With five daily flights to Thailand – four to Bangkok and one to Phuket – Etihad Airways has a significant investment in Thai tourism and the new agreement with Tourism Authority of Thailand supports and extends that commitment.Through innovative joint marketing campaigns, we aim to bring hundreds of thousands of first-time and repeat travellers from Europe and the Middle East to Thailand to enjoy this beautiful country and to experience the warm, friendly hospitality for which the Thai people are world-renowned.” Bangkok continues to be one of Etihad Airways’ busiest routes – around 800,000 guests travelled to and from Bangkok in 2016 alone. In all, more than 6 million guests have flown on the airline’s Thailand routes since 2007 and further growth is expected. Tanes Petsuwan said: “Europe …

Rove Healthcare City, the third property under Rove Hotels, has opened its doors following Rove Downtown Dubai and Rove City Centre. Dubai Healthcare City, the hub for medical enterprises, healthcare facilities and medical education, now has a new design-influenced, value-lifestyle hotel adjacent to it, which will appeal in equal measure to business and leisure guests as well as wellness tourists. The 286-room hotel, 30 percent of the rooms interconnected for the convenience of families, will also serve as a stimulating cultural hub, where the young and trendy can get together for a social evening, and for families to enjoy quality time with friends and loved ones. The unique selling proposition of Rove Healthcare City is its location, which is only 10 minutes from Dubai International Airport, Dubai World Trade Centre, Downtown Dubai and DIFC. In close proximity to the established neighbourhoods of Karama, Satwa, Bur Dubai and Deira, the hotel offers guests effortless access to a wide range of shopping and leisure options that are conventionally part of the tourist itinerary. Like all Rove Hotels, Rove Healthcare City’s elegant design and central location is further highlighted by hyper-connectivity – walking distance from Dubai Metro, easy access to the main motorway and a hop stop away from cinemas, Wafi Mall and Lamcy Plaza, and leisure attractions. The unique character of the location, away from the bustle of the city, yet centrally placed near major business headquarters, cultural clubs, hospitals, educational institutions and residential neighbourhoods makes Rove Healthcare City a destination of choice for tourists and for an evening out for local residents. Rove Healthcare City also serves as a venue of choice for business events and Continuing Medical Education (CME) training …

Dubai-based developer Nakheel and Thailand’s Minor Hotels have signed a management agreement for a new 372-room AVANI hotel to be constructed at Ibn Battuta Mall. Under the agreement, signed in Bangkok by Nakheel Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah and William E. Heinecke, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Minor International, the hotel will be managed under the vibrant AVANI Hotels & Resorts brand, which offers guests relaxed comfort and contemporary style in city and resort destinations. The 18-storey hotel is the second Nakheel hotel at Ibn Battuta and one of 16 in the developer’s hospitality project portfolio. Adjacent to the recently-opened Ibn Battuta Metro Link, which is directly connected to the mall, the hotel will feature a pool, spa, gym, all-day dining restaurant, coffee shop and parking. Minor Hotels’ portfolio currently comprises more than 20,000 rooms across 156 hotels, resorts and serviced suites in 24 countries under the Anantara, AVANI, PER AQUUM, Oaks, Tivoli, Elewana, Four Seasons, Marriott, St Regis, Radisson Blu and Minor International brands. Nakheel Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah said: “Today marks yet another key milestone in our commitment to enhancing and diversifying Dubai’s hotel offering by bringing new, reputable international hospitality brands to the emirate in line with the Government’s vision. We are delighted to welcome Minor and the AVANI brand to Ibn Battuta Mall, which, with over 20 million visitors a year, is one of Dubai’s leading tourist destinations.” William E. Heinecke commented: “We are very pleased to be partnering with Nakheel for the new AVANI hotel at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai. Having launched our upscale AVANI brand in the region last year, we are delighted to continue the brand’s expansion in the UAE with this new hotel …