Category Archives: Hotels

Rotana has signed a hotel management agreement with Al Ibaa Company to operate a five-star property in Baghdad. It will operate the city’s famed Babylon Hotel under its new brand name Babylon Rotana Baghdad. With a prime location next to the high-security Green Zone, close to the banks of the famous Tigris River and just 30 minutes’ drive from Baghdad International Airport, Babylon Rotana will offer long and short-staying guests alike all the comfort required for a pleasant and memorable stay experience. Boasting avant-garde architecture, the hotel features 284 spacious and modern rooms and suites with stunning views of Baghdad’s skyline and the majestic Tigris River. Imad Al Yasri, Chairman, Al Ibaa Company, commented, “It gives us immense pleasure to partner with Rotana to operate our five-star property in Baghdad, and we are excited about the planned upgrade and refurbishment of the hotel. We are confident that the partnership with Rotana will present a compelling value proposition for our guests, employees, and stakeholders, and further drive our business growth. We look forward to working closely with Rotana to enhance the overall performance of the hotel, thereby contributing to the development of a thriving hospitality market in the capital city.” Guy Hutchinson, Acting CEO, Rotana, said, “At Rotana, we are delighted to have made a strong start to the New Year with the signing of the agreement to operate the Babylon Rotana Baghdad. This new milestone is closely aligned with our vision to further deepen our footprint in the region and cement our leadership position in the hospitality sector.”

Luxury residential and hospitality property developer Seven Tides has confirmed Barceló Hotel Group as the new operator of its five-star DUKES Dubai, located on the west trunk of Palm Jumeirah. The hotel will be rebranded as DUKES Dubai – A Royal Hideaway Hotel and will become the first property in the region under the Royal Hideaway Luxury Hotels & Resorts brand which features unique destination hotels connected with art and culture as well as authenticity, detail and discretion. The Spanish hospitality group assumed operations of the Palm Jumeirah hotel following the signing of a management agreement recently in Dubai between Abdulla bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides and Jaime Buxó, Chief Development Officer, Barceló Hotel Group. Commenting on the new agreement, Sulayem said, “Barceló Hotel Group has been appointed to manage DUKES Dubai because it is a dynamic and flexible hospitality company, operating 249 hotels across 22 countries, with a wealth of experience, running luxury international resorts and most importantly, fulfilling guest expectations. The group also has its own wholesale and retail travel division incorporating 700 travel agencies on four continents, so we are also confident that they will be able to develop new niche markets for DUKES Dubai, as well as optimising our position in the key international markets.” Barceló Hotel Group currently operates 54,000 rooms in 22 countries worldwide. Jaime Buxó, Chief Development Officer, Barceló Hotel Group, said, “Our partnership with Seven Tides further reinforces our growth strategy to expand our footprint across the UAE and indeed the Middle East over the next five years. The hotel is a stunning addition to Barceló’s growing luxury portfolio. Guests will experience first-class service coupled with exceptional facilities and vibrant surroundings on the …

Millennium Hotels & Resorts has launched the ‘TooMooH’ Internship Development tier as part of the ‘TooMooH’ programme, – a concerted programme to accelerate Emiratisation and promote regional talent and leadership development in the hospitality sector. This programme aims to integrate UAE nationals into the booming hospitality sector and boost their presence in the job market. According to Alpen Capital’s latest report on GCC Hospitality Industry 2018, the UAE hospitality market is expected to reach $7.6 billion by 2022 at a five-year CAGR of 8.5 per cent (2017-2022) and international tourist visits are expected to grow at a five-year CAGR of 4.3 per cent to 25.5 million while the hotel supply is expected to grow at a five-year CAGR of 6 per cent to 183,718 hotel rooms. These additional hotels will require a large hospitality professional talent pool. However, without the engagement and employment of local talent, hoteliers would find it difficult to manage such a large industry with just foreign professionals. The TooMooH Internship Development Programme (TIDP), part of the recently launched TooMooH initiative by Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA, is aimed at increasing local employment in the hospitality industry and the overall private sector and designed for UAE national undergraduate students to gain work exposure. The duration of TIDP could range from three to six months. As part of the initiative, Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA will partner with local colleges and universities to provide UAE national students with a comprehensive programme to support their enhancement of knowledge and skills, thus contributing positively to the hospitality industry and the country. “The Arabs are globally known for their warm hospitality tradition. However, the hospitality industry in the Arab world is …

AccorHotels has announced the soon-to-be-opened Grand Plaza Mövenpick Media City. As the first and only premium accommodation in Media City, within the upcoming Innovation Hub and in close proximity to Internet City, the hotel will appeal to professionals in search of connectivity and convenience, as well as the lifestyle requirements of leisure guests with opportunities to explore the vibrant urban city. Grand Plaza Mövenpick Media City features 235 guestrooms and suites starting in size from 46 square metres upwards to 94 square metres. The hotel also boasts a fully equipped convention centre, completely unprecedented for the area, with a resplendent ballroom that can cater upwards to 800 guests. Grand Plaza Mövenpick Media City is in close proximity to Sheikh Zayed Road, the longest road in the United Arab Emirates as well as Nakheel and Internet City metro stations, and business hubs such as Media City and Jebel Ali Free Zone. Guests will also enjoy the convenience of being close to the heart of the city’s commercial activity as well as renowned attractions such as the Mall of the Emirates and the Palm Jumeirah located just a short drive away. The property’s General Manager, Alfio Bernardini shares, “We are delighted to soon unveil the latest addition to the Mövenpick portfolio. Grand Plaza’s unique positioning, central location and exemplary facilities will serve to provide the best experiences for both business and leisure travellers. Every element of the property has been designed in line with our brand promise – ‘we make moments’.”

During a recent media tour, Christian Palacin, General Manager, Millennium Atria Business Bay announced that the hotel is set to welcome guests from February 14, 2019. Several members of the media had a sneak peek of the 347-room hotel apartments at the tour and were given a preview of the rooms, dining outlets and facilities including the infinity pool and gym located on the 25th floor. Millennium Atria Business Bay will offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedrooms, and duplex apartments that are designed by internationally-acclaimed interior design company YOO Studio. The 30-storey property is the first hospitality venture of Deyaar Development PJSC, a leading property development and real estate services company in the UAE. The opening will come in phases with the first six floors to open on February 14 and the rest in the next three months. Each apartment is fully furnished with views of the iconic Burj Khalifa, Dubai Stables or Dubai Water Canal. “We look forward to the opening of this property which is a nice addition to the Millennium brand in the UAE. The Millennium Atria Business Bay is an interesting product with an excellent location, good size of the apartment, unique design, top-class furnishing. We have been rated as a deluxe hotel apartment classification by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing,” noted Palacin.

Ethiopian Airlines has recently inaugurated a state-of-the-art passenger terminal and its Skylight Hotel in the presence of FDRE Prime Minister H E Dr Abiy Ahmed, African Union Chairperson H E Moussa Faki, ministers, high level government officials, Ethiopian Airlines’ Board Members, Ethiopian Airlines’ Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam, Executive Management Members and invited guests. After presiding over the ribbon-cutting event at the new Skylight Hotel, the largest in Ethiopia, Dr Ahmed, accompanied by AU Chairperson and other dignitaries, toured the hotel’s facilities including the spacious executive suites. At the passenger terminal inaugural event that ensued, Ahmed remarked, “Ethiopian Airlines is our national pride and a special icon among our companies as it carries our common name Ethiopia and our national flag. We would like all employees of the airline here and elsewhere to know that we speak of you with pride. The new hotel will enable us to attract tourists, and the airline’s offer for employees to own shares of the hotel is important as it boosts sense of ownership among staff, and will serve as a model for other companies to emulate.” Addressing the gathering at the inauguration ceremony, GebreMariam said, “This grand terminal building is further evidence of the development of Bole Airport as one of the largest and most convenient global aviation hubs. Ethiopian Skylight Hotel will enable the airline to offer packaged tour and travel programmes. Moreover, the hotel will enable Ethiopian Airlines to attract around a third of tourists out of the 6 million passengers transiting through Bole Airport to visit Ethiopia.” The new passenger terminal features the latest technology security systems, self-check-in machines, self-boarding system, comfortable lounges, duty free shops and other amenities. Ethiopian Skylight Hotel has 373 …

OYO Hotels has announced partnership with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. OYO will provide the ministry access to its technology suite, which includes OYO OS and Krypton technologies, to enable them to deliver an enhanced hospitality experience in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. With this initiative, the company has affirmed its commitment to support Saudi Arabia’s vision in 2030 to increase the number of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to 30 million annually, and leverage technology to help ensure that thousands of pilgrims have access to quality, affordable accommodations during their visit to the holy shrine. The MoU was signed in the presence of His Excellency Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten, Minister of Hajj and Umrah and Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO, OYO Hotels and Homes. OYO’s signature OS technology suite is an operating system that will assist the ministry in managing inventory, procurement, as well as, provide for express check-ins and check-outs in the accommodations under its purview. The OS further offers apps for housekeeping and audits while introducing solutions for multiple accommodation management aspects like expense management, staff training and engagement along with performance management for the hotel staff. All these facets come together to deliver technology-driven efficiency for living spaces. Krypton is OYO’s mobile audit app that enables the timely audit of properties while assuring an excellent guest experience. Under the MoU, OYO will work with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in enhancing, implementing and auditing the aspirational standards for affordable and quality accommodations in existing buildings in the holy city of Makkah, through the use of technology and proprietary applications. In the process, OYO’s technology …

IHG has signed a management agreement with Bougary Holding to develop Crowne Plaza® Makkah Beban. Scheduled to open in December 2019, the new hotel comprising 1200 rooms will be world’s largest Crowne Plaza and a landmark hotel for IHG. Located in close proximity to the Holy Mosque, the hotel will join the existing InterContinental® and Holiday Inn® in the city and cater to the influx of pilgrim visits expected as part of Vision 2030. IHG is the largest international hotel group in Saudi Arabia, both by number of hotels and number of rooms, and the latest signing is aligned with the company’s strategy to expand its footprint in the kingdom. Crowne Plaza® Makkah Beban boasts a host of facilities including two restaurants and a coffee shop, a business centre and three meeting rooms (3323 sqm in total) to cater to a range of meetings and events. Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG said, “Saudi Arabia offers great opportunities both in terms of domestic and inbound tourism and is central to our expansion strategy in the Middle East. We have a strong legacy in the Kingdom and are proud to collaborate with Bougary Holding, represented by Mr Loay Bougary, CEO, Bougary Holding, to bring the world’s largest Crowne Plaza to the country. This is a milestone signing for us in the Middle East and is testament to our commitment to the market. Crowne Plaza® brand is loved by travellers across the globe and is known to offer world-class amenities and excellent service to the guest; we are confident Crowne Plaza® Makkah Beban will be a popular choice amongst travellers visiting the holy city.” Loay Bougary, CEO, Bougary …

Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a 275-room property nestled in the heart of Sharjah’s financial district will be opening in Spring 2019. The first Waldorf Astoria city hotel to open in the UAE comprises 201 guest rooms, 46 suites and 28 residential apartments, and offers breathtaking scenes across Dubai’s skyline, facilitated by floor-to-ceiling windows in every room. Besides, elevated culinary experiences can be found within Waldorf Astoria DIFC, where three distinct dining options and bars are available. Bull and Bear restaurant is the hotel’s signature restaurant, while the rooftop lounge, St Trop and the brand’s iconic Peacock Alley Lounge and Bar will serve as meeting points for different occasions. Boasting a retreat through its state-of-the-art spa and fitness centre facilities, the hotel offers re-imagined meeting spaces, connected at lobby level for guest convenience. Featuring a dedicated Business Centre, Ballroom and Library among 3 other flexible meeting spaces, Waldorf Astoria DIFC provides an all-encompassing experience for the discerning business or leisure traveller. Waldorf Astoria DIFC combines an iconic environment and a bespoke anticipatory ‘True Waldorf Service’, supporting the guests’ desire to live in the moment and ‘Live Unforgettable’. Waldorf Astoria DIFC is located at Burj Daman on Happiness Street, just a stone’s throw from Dubai’s most iconic attractions, The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa, and 12 minutes from Dubai International Airport.

IHG has signed a management agreement with Arab International Tourism Investment Company to debut the voco™ brand in Egypt, with the development of voco Giza Pyramids. Part of a mixed-use development, including a high-end mall, the 17,000 sqm hotel is scheduled to open in 2022. Debuting in the Middle East in December 2018, the voco™ brand combines the informality and charm of an individual hotel, with the quality and reassurance of a global and respected brand. To cater to both business and leisure travellers, the 230-room voco Giza Pyramids will be situated in the prime locale of Pyramids Gardens in Giza, besides the Grand Egyptian Museum and the main entrance of the Pyramids. A 15-minute drive from the newly opened Sphinx International Airport, the hotel is conveniently located 30-minutes from the city centre, with easy access to the ring road connection to the New Administrative Capital, that is expected to become the new administrative and financial capital of Egypt. The new-build hotel will offer features that include an outdoor pool, a health club and spa, as well as 861 sqm of meeting space. There will also be multiple dining options available for guests to enjoy, from the pool bar to the hotel’s speciality restaurant. Commenting on the partnership, Ibrahim El Adawy, Managing Director, Arab International Tourism Investment Company, said, “We are proud to partner with a global player such as IHG®, to introduce their latest upscale offering to the Egyptian market. We are confident the brand’s freshness, combined with the world-class experience of IHG and the fantastic location, will make voco™ Giza Pyramids a popular choice amongst business and leisure travellers alike.” Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East & …