Grand Heights Hotel Apartments is open and ready to welcome guests seeking the convenience of modern hotel-apartment living. Grand Heights Hotel Apartments has officially opened in Dubai’s dynamic Barsha Heights district, making an exciting new addition to hotel-apartment living in the heart of the city. Ideally located close to Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road and major transport services, including the Dubai Metro, Grand Heights Hotel Apartments features 184 fully equipped studios and one-bedroom apartments. Each generously sized apartment boasts modern furnishings and amenities. A refrigerator, electric hotplate, microwave and washing machine can be found in the kitchen, while the living space offers flat screen TVs and a comfortable seating area, making the apartments ideal for guests who appreciate home conveniences. Managed by property developer, The First Group, Grand Heights Hotel Apartments is ideal for guests seeking affordable high-quality accommodation in a prime location. Guests will enjoy convenient access to Dubai’s major attractions and key business districts such as Media City and Internet City which are just minutes away. “Grand Heights Hotel Apartments is perfect for individuals that want to have all of the comforts of home in a prime, central location. Whether guests are planning a short trip to Dubai or are looking for a place to call home for the long term, they will enjoy unrivalled convenience and value with us. Recently, we have seen an increase in demand for fully serviced apartments, with individuals moving away from traditional yearly apartment leases and opting for the convenience of hotel apartment rentals that include all utilities as well as flexible payment options,” commented David Thomson, Vice President of TFG Hotel Management Company.

Oman Air has debuted its new website, which delivers a smooth, simple experience for everyone. The refined user experience makes it effortless to create journeys and learn more about appealing destinations in Oman, special offers and travel-related information.The new site, which features a fresh, contemporary design and user interface, provides simplified access to flight options and payment alternatives, along with state-of-the-art security. Mobile users will enjoy an experience which is fully optimised for Apple and Android devices and provides the same ease of use which is accessible via laptop and desktop computers. Content has been expanded and refined to provide improved information in more than four languages including Arabic and English Arabic, about Oman Air’s activities, news and more. To ensure that guests travel safely and efficiently, omanair.com is regularly updated to provide the latest information about travel requirements related to the coronavirus. The new site, which features a simple, effective user interface and an attractive white, gold and blue style, will also increase brand awareness, sales and guest retention, in addition to attracting new guests.

Atlantis, The Palm announced that it will be offering all its global guests who stay five nights or more the opportunity to claim back the cost of their respective countries’ departure PCR test from now until 30th April, 2021.With many travellers still required to conduct a PCR test before arriving into the UAE, Atlantis, The Palm is giving back the full cost of the tests for two guests per room staying five nights or more to spend as in-resort credit. This means that for a PCR test that costs up to US$190 (AED 700) each, two guests will receive the full amount of the test back to spend on anything in-resort including food and beverage, spa or marine and waterpark experiences. Speaking about this latest development, Timothy Kelly, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Atlantis Dubai, said, “We are continuously evolving to meet the needs of our customers during this challenging time. We would like to continue to make the travels of our international guests easier by giving back the cost of their home country’s departure PCR test to spend on a range of amazing in-resort activities and experiences. We hope this will continue to reduce any travel inconveniences and encourage more guests from across the globe to visit Dubai’s premier entertainment destination.” Kelly added, “We look forward to our guests relishing every moment of their time spent at Atlantis, The Palm as we strive to implement innovative ways to welcome them in a socially responsible way. To further ensure this, Atlantis, The Palm has been granted the internationally certified safeguard label by Bureau Veritas as well as issued the safety seal of approval by the Dubai government – the …

CommonPass, or a COVID-passport, is a technology framework that can be used by apps to verify an individual’s health status. It is being trialled by two airlines across a few sectors in the world. The system hopes to become a fail-safe way to verify a traveller’s health status and tally it against local entry laws. If it works, it could inspire governments to drop bans and quarantines.

Marriott Bonvoy is kicking off a Week of Wonders from October 8 – 15, 2020. The celebration is aimed at bringing members joy and happiness by encouraging travel and providing an opportunity to experience the pleasures of travel in their own homes. Each day this week will feature a different Wonder with themes such as inspiration, comfort, discovery, rejuvenation and delight. These Wonders will include great travel offers globally at renowned brands that are part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels and Autograph Collection.  “We are all yearning for the time when we can freely travel again and explore the world,” said David Flueck, Senior Vice President, Global Loyalty, Marriott International. “With Week of Wonders, we are bringing our best offers, content and experiences across the entire Marriott Bonvoy portfolio to inspire travellers to dream of travel or recreate their favourite travel experiences at home.”

Future Hospitality Summit is set to take place live from Riyadh and around the world, on from October 26-27, 2020. Organised by the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and G20 Saudi Secretariat, as part of The International Conferences Programme, honouring the G20 Saudi presidency year 2020, Future Hospitality Summit will be powered by Bench Digital. The event, which promises to be one of the most impactful gatherings of the world’s hospitality community, will be delivered on Bench Digital’s tried-and-tested, cutting-edge, digital event platform – providing an immersive live experience, including a virtual exhibition, one-to-one video networking, and integrated chat features for all participants. “As a country that is at the forefront of the tourism sector’s response and recovery plans through the G20 Presidency, Saudi Arabia is leading the conversation on the future of tourism and will provide an international platform to bring the industry together at the Future Hospitality Summit. Together, we will map out the rebuilding of the tourism and travel sector and strategically plan a sustainable future for stakeholders at every level,” says Mahmoud Abdulhadi, Deputy Minister for Investment at the Saudi Ministry of Tourism. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & Founder of Bench Digital, adds, “During this difficult time, it is vital that hospitality professionals across the globe come together as a community to work towards the recovery of our industry. Future Hospitality Summit will not only provide a powerful platform to network virtually, showcase best practice and demonstrate thought leadership, but it will also prove invaluable in ensuring that the industry emerges stronger as a whole from these unprecedented challenges.”

Aleph Hospitality announced its entry in to the Middle East market with the signing of its first hotel in Dubai.The 386-room five-star hotel, located on Sheikh Zayed Road adjacent to the museum of the future and minutes away from the Dubai World Trade Centre, is set to open in the second quarter of 2021 and will be internationally branded. The property has a full floor of meeting rooms as well as two restaurants, a pool and spa facilities. Commenting on the news, Bani Haddad, Founder and Managing Director of Aleph Hospitality, said, “We are very excited about the signing of the management agreement for our first hotel in the UAE and look forward to announcing the brand soon. After considerable success growing rapidly in Africa, we are now adding the Middle East to our focus. The strong demand we’re witnessing – even during the Covid-19 global pandemic – has proven that our model and the services we provide are the right solution for hotel owners and international brands alike.” “Given the current growth and our healthy pipeline, we are confident of achieving and very likely exceeding our target of 35 hotels by 2025,” added Haddad.

Xtreme Zone has announced reopening of its premises in Abu Dhabi. The centres are now ready to welcome all guests, who can have fun and thrill of a variety of activities in a safe and healthy environment. Xtreme Zone is operational in The Galleria, the super-regional mall in Al Maryah Island and the new age Abu Dhabi Mall in the heart of the city, adding a breath of fresh air to entertainment of kids and families in the city. The centres offer an experience of leisure combined with fitness and recreational options, maintaining all the safety protocols to families and children to make them get active again. Commenting on the reopening, Fahad Al Othaim, Vice Chairman of Al-Othaim Leisure and Tourism, said, “We have started welcoming our guests back to their favorite ‘sports based entertainment destination in the city. All our centres are sanitized as per the official guidelines, and our staffs are trained to ensure a healthy and safe environment for our guests. Now we are bringing back all our special campaigns for families across these centres. This will help families to participate in special fun activities, rides, games and trampoline activities.” “Social distancing and other preventive measures against COVID-19 are always being followed across all its outlets. Our dedicated and specially trained and experienced staffs ensure that safety guidelines and regular maintenance of equipment help customers to achieve an enhanced experience upon every visit,” he added. “Your boys and girls can blow off some steam in the trampoline park and also learn and try active climbing which is a lot of fun. With the strategic locations of Xtreme Zone, parents shopping with their children may look for an …

Sojern announced its Co-Op Marketing Program designed to help Destination Marketing Organisation (DMOs) drive traveller demand in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Europe. The program, which first launched in North America in September 2019, is also expanding in scope. Marketers at DMOs and their partner organisations can now reach customers directly with multichannel digital advertising across video, display, native, Facebook and Instagram. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on travel and tourism. This program enables collaboration on digital marketing campaigns between the DMOs, hotels and attractions, to support market recovery together. Early adopter, Linn Totland, Head of B2C Marketing, Fjord Norway, said, “As a DMO, we have been looking for a solution that would make us better equipped to measure the direct impact of destination marketing on the bottom line for the tourism businesses in our region. The tourism industry has been massively affected by Covid-19, and now, more than ever, we need to make sure that our marketing budget is spent wisely and is generating a positive ROAS.” Venessa Chen, Regional Consumer Marketing Manager, Asia at Tourism New Zealand, said, “What sets Sojern apart from other display channels is its strong remarketing capabilities to drive conversions. During tactical campaigns, Sojern effectively remarkets to our audience, pulls them down the purchase funnel and delivers the highest conversions for us and our airline partners.” “With the industry now seeing some early signs of recovery as some destinations gradually re-open travel both domestically and regionally, coordinated cooperation between all industry stakeholders is needed now more than ever in order to build a more resilient, responsible, and sustainable travel and tourism industry,” said Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association …

In a bid to ease the passport renewal process for Philippine nationals living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), The Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs and VFS Global have signed a contract to provide Passport Renewal services in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar. All three centres have started to accept passport renewal requests from Saturday to Thursday between 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM. This is the first time The Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs has outsourced its passport renewal process in KSA. Prior to this, Philippine residents in the KSA had to visit the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah or the Embassy in Riyadh for passport renewal. With the opening of the new ePassport Renewal Centres, customers will have an additional avenue to complete the process. Chris Dix, Head of Business Development, VFS Global, said, “We would like to thank The Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs for their faith in us. Our Passport and Consular services have been growing from strength to strength, and we look forward to bringing those best in class services to the Philippines nationals here in the Kingdom.”