Tag Archives: Dubai

The newest addition to the Dubai Marina is the new five-star Stella Di Mare Hotel to be completed by Q1 in 2018. The property will comprise 252 king rooms, 72 twin rooms and 45 suites. All rooms will be fully air-conditioned, with high-speed Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV, personal safe, mini-bar and 24-hour room service. It will feature three restaurants offering a range of dining experiences including Italian, Mediterranean and international buffet. Three bars in the hotel would include a lobby lounge Orphic Bar providing snacks and Italian coffee, the pool bar providing daily refreshments and the signature rooftop bar Skyland, located on the 31st floor of the property with spectacular views of Dubai Marina. The 550 sq m spa will offer a variety of treatments, including massages, facials and beauty therapies. There will be separate male and female saunas, steam room, indoor jacuzzi and swimming pool. The health and wellness options will also include an indoor gymnasium with a range of high quality equipment, plus a salon offering hair, nail and other beauty treatments.

An introduction conference ‘Beautiful China Amazing Ningxia’ held at JW Marriott Marquise in Dubai was organised by Tourism Development Commission of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and prepared by China Travel Service of Ningxia, representatives from Dubai Tourism Bureau, Chinese and foreign travel agencies along with news media attended the event. Qiu Weining, Senior Executive, International Operation Department, Dubai Tourism Bureau began the conference with a welcome speech. “Dubai creates as world travel destination at all times and welcomes other tourism bureaus from all over the world to promote themselves with inclusive attitude. Ningxia is a very beautiful place and worth to pay visit”, he said. Hu Ling, Vice President, Chia Association of Travel Services, Chairman of Ningxia Travel Agency Association, then delivered a speech. She said, “Ningxia with its abundant scenic spots and traditional Hui folk culture, is one of the world’s 46 best places to visit, according to The New York Times.”

The 7th edition of Arab Aviation Summit held in Dubai was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group. Themed on ‘Time to Transform: Addressing sustainability challenges and opportunities for the regional aviation sector”, the summit was attended by more than 200 industry participants from 15 Arab countries. Welcoming the delegates, Adel Al Ali, Arab Aviation Summit Chairperson and Group CEO, Air Arabia, said, “We gather every year to debate the ever-changing state of the aviation industry and its complexities. Arab aviation is highly affected by the evolving geo-political situation, global economy, technological developments and others. Today, we address the sustainability of our industry and the challenges and opportunities it faces in the short and long term.” The summit delineates how market forces are driving the further evolution of Arab aviation and how greater collaboration between public and private sectors can be achieved to unlock the region’s potential.

Taking ziplining to the extreme, XDubai launched the new XLine, the world’s longest, steepest and fastest urban zipline. Set in Dubai Marina, the new XLine measures an astonishing 1 kilometre, with a travel of an average of 80 kilometres per hour. Building on the earlier archetype, the new XLine literally goes the distance, doubling in length and offering daring duos the ability to experience it together – swiftly yet safely – through two concurrently running ziplines. Also new is the superman style harness, which allows zipliners to channel their inner superhero with an electrifying flight-like experience as they zip from one of the Amwaj towers in JBR, 170 metres in the air, weaving through skyscrapers and across water, down to the terrace of Dubai Marina Mall, landing in close proximity to amazed bystanders. Building upon the success of the original XLine, the new version will also be open to both visitors and residents of Dubai for a limited time with public bookings open now.

Rose International Hotels Management launched Rose Park as the new addition in the Al Barsha area. The 168-key four-star hotel is located a few steps from Sharaf DG metro station. “We are excited to bring Rose Park Hotel Al Barsha to Dubai’s travel and tourism landscape,” said Thamem Razick, Director of Sales & Marketing, Rose Hotels & Hotel Apartments. “We want locals, expats, guests and tourists to enjoy our exceptional hospitality services and feel at home with us during their stay.” The property comprises 168 contemporary guestrooms, including 24 suites, all equipped with high speed internet and LED TVs. Business travellers may book a meeting room with a maximum seating capacity of 25 guests as well as access a business lounge. Guests can benefit from complimentary access to the hotel’s health and leisure facilities, such as the swimming pool on the roof deck with a view of Dubai landmarks such as the Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa, as well as the hotel gym, sauna and steam room.

International hotel bookings are up by 35 per cent compared to domestic bookings for UAE National Day Weekend, according to recent data analysis by Hotelscombined. The most popular international destinations for the holiday weekend include Muscat, Mecca, London, Medina and Istanbul. Amer Alhalabi, Regional Manager MENA, HotelsCombined said, “The UAE local or expat population love to take advantage of long weekends or holiday breaks. Their target destinations are always planned on the basis of offers or air fare. Be it a domestic or regional holiday arrangement, planning and booking of these trips are usually done in advance to secure availability and good prices.” HotelsCombined also analysed the top international hotels for the UAE National Day Weekend, looking at bookings from November 30 to December 3. Al Areen Hotel Apartment in Oman is the most popular, while Golden Tulip Resort Dibba and Hormuz Grand Muscat ranked second and third.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) announced the winners of the inaugural Dubai Sustainable Tourism Awards at a ceremony held at The Westin Dubai Al Habtoor City. Comprising 17 different categories, the Awards celebrate the role of Dubai’s hotels and tourism companies in advancing sustainability within the emirate’s tourism industry. The event was attended by His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Tourism; His Excellency Ahmad Butti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Yousuf Lootah, Executive Director – Tourism Development & Investments, Dubai Tourism and over 600 players within Dubai’s hospitality and travel sectors. The Dubai Sustainable Tourism Awards received 151 entries from tourism and hotel establishments ranging from five-star hotels and resorts to guest houses and desert camps. In addition to the 17 winners, Dubai Tourism also honoured the Awards’ three Strategic Partners – Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. The special ‘Sustainability Champion’ award was won by Abdul Quddus Sheikh of Armani Hotel for its sustainability leadership.

Expedia Lodging Partner Services (LPS) hosted its Annual Wanderlust Summit in Dubai. Over 300 delegates and partners across Expedia’s network in the Middle East attended the event. The summit was hosted by Johan Svanstrom, President of Hotels.com and Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN), Ait Voncke, Vice President Europe Middle East Africa Market Management and Paula de Keijzer, Senior Director Market Management – Middle East, Africa, Greece and Turkey. Expedia presented the latest technologies to their hotel partners through Expedia Partner Central that allow them to connect to customers. This toolkit of technology, marketing and data offerings is designed to help hotel partners drive knowledge and efficiencies to grow their business through the leveraging of data to optimise revenue. Paula de Keijzer, Senior Director Market Management Middle East, Indian Ocean, Africa, Greece and Turkey at Expedia said, “We are thrilled to host our annual Wanderlust conference in the presence of our Dubai hotels partners. With the sharing and exchange of knowledge we believe we can help our hotel partners better leverage trends and plan to anticipate and respond to travellers’ needs.”

Dubai has been chosen by Crystal Cruises as the location for the company’s flagship liner to make its maiden voyage in the region. The decision to make Dubai the location for the regional debut of the liner’s sophisticated new look further cements the emirate’s position as the region’s leading cruise destination. Despite Dubai’s cruise industry only really gaining momentum in 2001 with the opening of the first cruise terminal in the Gulf, the city has been instrumental in pioneering cruise tourism in region. The emirate is now serving over 20 world-class cruise lines, including Crystal Cruises, the world’s most awarded cruise line. DP World was also present to welcome Crystal Symphony on her maiden voyage to the region. “The choice of Dubai by Crystal Cruises reinforces the emirate’s reputation as one of the world’s leading cruise destinations. DP World is committed to providing all forms of support to cruise liners that call at Dubai’s cruise terminals, as part of our group’s comprehensive strategy to boost the growth of the emirate’s cruise industry.” said Mohammed Al Mannaei, CEO, P&O Marinas and Executive Director, Mina Rashid – DP World.

In leveraging the latest in digital technology to provide superior guest experiences, Emaar Hospitality Group marked its industry leadership with the addition of Apple Pay, a new way to pay. A transformational leader in mobile payments, Apple Pay is an easy, secure and private way to make transactions that are fast and convenient. The new service is available for guests across all three hotel brands of Emaar Hospitality Group, covering all 11 operational hotels and three serviced residences in Dubai. Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When guests use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device or on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is securely stored in the Secure Element on their device. Guests using Apple Pay at check-in can simply use an iPhone or Apple Watch to pay at the contactless reader at the front desk. There will be no additional need to provide a physical credit card upon check-in.