Category Archives: Hotels

Qatar-based Al Sawari Holding, with interests across hospitality, real estate and education sectors has signed an MoU and management agreements to mark its entry into India. The collaborations were formalised on the occasion of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Qatar. The MoU was been signed by H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of Al Sawari Holding and Al Faisal Holding and Vivek Nair, CMD, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. Under this agreement, the Al Sawari Group will purchase a 6 acre site from The Leela Group in Agra to develop a hotel complex. This will include two hotels – a-100 room Leela Palace Hotel and a 150-room Aiana Hotel on the same plot. Al Sawari Holding has also entered into management agreements with both the Leela Group as well as Aiana Hotels and Resorts to operate the respective hotels. The land is located less than one kilometre from the Taj Mahal. “Qatar has a long history of bilateral relations with India and there is a lot of synergy between the two cultures. We are delighted to enter into these landmark agreements with The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts and Aiana Hotels and Resorts during the historic visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Qatar. We are confident that Al Sawari Holding’s foray into the Indian hospitality industry will further enhance the economic and culture relations between the two countries”, said Thani. The two new hotels will offer a host of signature restaurants and lounges along with spacious banquet halls and state of the art health centres and spas. Both hotels will cater to the upmarket leisure tourists and the MICE segment. Construction is expected to …

Wyndham Dubai Marina, the first Wyndham Hotels and Resorts hotel in the UAE has launched its premium casual grill restaurant and bar, Range. The new southern style grill restaurant is set to make a significant addition to the Dubai Marina social scene with its extensive Louisiana and TexMex menu, lively atmosphere and a number of themed nights to choose from. Range offers a selection of the finest beef cuts all the way from Green Bay in the State of Wisconsin in America and Margaret River in Australia. Sourced from the highest quality breed and grade of beef, cuts range from Texas T-bone steak, New York sirloin steak, Tomahawk steak to Australian tenderloin fillet. Those with a sweet tooth can indulge in a number of treats from the Sweet Temptations menu. Desserts include the key lime pie with passion fruit sorbet, mouth-watering marbled pineapple cheesecake served with cinnamon wafers and clotted cream and a delicious warm sticky toffee pudding filled with chocolate croquants accompanied with sweet butter-scotch sauce. Range showcases an innovative menu for meat lovers as well as those who prefer seafood or lighter dishes. Not only is this restaurant an ideal spot for in-house guests, it also takes prime position in the Dubai Marina for the local community looking for a new eatery.

Millennium Plaza Hotel Dubai, along Sheikh Zayed Road, announced that the 65-storey tower will undergo renovations of its lobby, which is expected to be completed in September. The new lobby design will feature understated luxury with modern amenities and warm interiors that exude a relaxing welcoming to guests. Guests will be welcomed by new decor and design elements as they enter the lobby. Each zone of the lobby such as the main lobby area, welcome desk, and restaurant area will be intended to create an inviting space that ultimately promotes socialization. The new lobby also offers different seating options to meet a variety of needs. Family and friends can find new gathering areas to socialize, while business travelers can find a quiet corner to check emails and return calls.

Eagle Hills, an Abu Dhabi-based private real estate investment and development company, in partnership with The Address Hotels and Resorts,  has announced the official launch of sales for The Address Residences Fujairah Resort and Spa. Premier serviced and branded apartments of The Address Residences Fujairah Resort and Spa are now available for purchase, including two-, three-, and four-bedroom options with varied spaces of 102 to 325 sq m. All units have sea views, while all ground floor apartments include private gardens. The apartments are ideally situated at the centre of the development, a short walk to the beach and waterfront promenade. Residents will have full access to the hotel’s amenities. On completion, the development will include a five-star hotel with 196 keys, 10 beach and garden villas, four residential buildings with central courtyards, adding to a total of 170 branded and serviced residences. The Address Fujairah Resort and Spa was recently unveiled as the first development for Eagle Hills in the United Arab Emirates. The development is set to be completed by mid-2019.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced the signing of Four Points by Sheraton Ras Al Khaimah with Hamarain Real Estate LLC. Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2019, the hotel will be Starwood’s first property in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and the fourth Four Points by Sheraton in the United Arab Emirates. Neil George, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Africa and Middle East, says, “This deal is in line with the strong demand for affordable yet modern accommodation in the UAE and also underlines Ras Al Khaimah’s plan to enhance the destination and diversify its hotel portfolio. We look forward to working together with Hamarain Real Estate to introduce our first property in Ras Al Khaimah.”

A Green Key Workshop was organised by Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority to promote sustainable practices in hospitality sector. Green Key certification will be a priority area for Sharjah in developing the emirate’s hospitality sector and enhancing its position as a leading tourism destination in the region, said His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA). Addressing a Green Key Workshop organised by the Authority in Sharjah, HE Al Midfa said: “The UN World Tourism Organisation forecasts 1.6 billion tourists by the year 2020. In order to minimise the negative impacts of this growth and harness its power to help make positive change, sustainable tourism must become a reality for all tourism stakeholders.” HE Al Midfa called upon the hospitality industry to enhance awareness among hotel staff for the successful implementation of sustainable practices across the industry. “We must work together to create tools and training to boost sustainable practices and meet the demand for sustainable tourism products and services,” he added.The Green Key Workshop was organised to spread awareness about the most efficient methods of sustainable hospitality and waste and energy management practices in Sharjah. The workshop demonstrated the emirate’s commitment to promoting sustainable tourism and green economic growth. The workshop highlighted the economic and socio-cultural benefits of sustainable practices to the over 50 staff and clients from the tourism and leisure industry. Calling on the industry for efforts to prevent climate change by facilitating sustainable economic growth, the workshop pointed out that responsible energy usage, and waste and resource management will enable the industry to reduce operational costs. The participants were given a step by step approach to engage hoteliers and staff for a …

Aimed at reinforcing their presence in the Indian market, Ramada Downtown Dubai and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Jumeirah Beach Residence inked an exclusive partnership with Hotel Representation and Development Services (HRDS) Global in India. Under the agreement, Ramada Downtown Dubai and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham officially appoint HRDS Global as their exclusive sales, marketing and public relations partner in India. HRDS Global will negotiate with tour operators, corporate entities and third party agents on behalf of the hotels, and will represent them in relevant exhibitions and trade shows across the country.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) and Airbnb, the community-driven hospitality company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help promote responsible hosting and help grow and diversify tourism in the emirate. It follows the introduction of enhanced regulations last month that make obtaining a ‘holiday home’ license more streamlined for individual tenants and homeowners who want to rent their homes to guests.The MoU will bolster collaboration between the two parties and help enhance and diversify the emirate’s holiday home sector, boosting competition through a safe and transparent holiday home segment. Under the agreement, Airbnb will cooperate with Dubai Tourism on preventing breaches of the regulation by informing all host members of the Dubai Tourism regulations via its website and through email reminders of the rules. The two parties will also explore joint marketing and promotional activations for Dubai as a tourism destination. The MoU agreement states Dubai Tourism and Airbnb will work together to help grow and diversify tourism in Dubai, and promote innovative forms of tourism; Airbnb will raise awareness on the positive impacts of the Airbnb community by sharing aggregated, anonymised data about short term rental hosts; Airbnb will help promote responsible sharing of holiday homes by creating a “Hosting Page” on its platform, informing hosts of the rules and linking to official information and Airbnb will send regular reminders to its hosts in Dubai to remind them of the rules around responsible home sharing Airbnb is an increasingly popular way for guests from around the world to experience Dubai by staying with local hosts. There are almost 3,500 Airbnb listings in Dubai. This number and the number of guests choosing Airbnb when …

Marriott International has revealed the details of the United Arab Emirates’ first Renaissance Hotel. It is set to open at the end of 2016; the Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai will be a 298-room luxury hotel aimed at business and leisure travellers who seek both authentic and unexpected experiences. Details of the brand’s UAE debut come as the travel company plans to open an additional four hotels in the country throughout 2016. Amongst the 2016 openings are Abu Dhabi’s first Marriott Hotel, the 315-room five-star Marriott Hotel Downtown Abu Dhabi as well as the 64-suite Marriott Executive Apartments Downtown Abu Dhabi. Further strengthening Marriott International’s luxury lifestyle offering, scheduled 2016 openings also include the 86-room La Ville Hotel CITY WALK Dubai, Autograph Collection, the 68-suite La Ville Apartments CITY WALK, Dubai and 500-room Lapita Hotel, Autograph Collection, all set to open by the fourth quarter of this year.

In line with its aim of attracting new markets, Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman and Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman will take part in the roadshow in East Europe organised by UAE National Council of Tourism and Antiquities. The week-long roadshow will cover the cities of Prague, Czech Republic; Warsaw, Poland; and Budapest, Hungary. The delegation seeks to reinforce the UAE’s position as the leading travel destination in the Middle East, by showcasing the diverse offerings and attractions of the seven emirates. Iftikhar Hamdani, Cluster General Manager, Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman and Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman, commented that they are keen to diversify the guest nationality mix by tapping tourists from East Europe in their properties. As these markets have excellent potential; they have seen an increase in arrivals from Hungary and Poland in 2015, and they have already started to sign contracts with some tour operators for the summer period.  Currently there is a robust competition within the hospitality sector therefore they will continue to explore new markets to maintain their strong performance.