IHG Hotels & Resorts is bringing the world’s first globally branded boutique hotel brand to the Kingdom with the signing of  Hotel indigo Riyadh King Abdallah Road. This development also marks the first hotel to be signed under the Master Development Agreement (MDA) between IHG and RIVA Development Company via its wholly owned subsidiary RIVA Hospitality for Hotel Services Company. No two Hotel Indigo properties are the same, and this stunning addition to the brand portfolio will have Riyadh’s cultural influences embedded in its DNA through a visionary design which captures the historical charm of local heritage as well as influences of nearby modern architecture. A new built property, Hotel indigo Riyadh King Abdallah Road will feature 228 design-led rooms and will open its doors to guests in March 2025. Offering authentic local experiences combined with a modern design, the hotel will also feature two dining options, a pool and a fitness center. Additionally, the hotel will offer 353 sqm of meeting and events space to cater to the demands of business travelers visiting Saudi Arabia’s capital city. Speaking on the announcement, Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG said: “We are pleased to announce the signing of a new Hotel Indigo in Saudi Arabia in partnership with RIVA Development Company, aligned to our robust expansion plans in the Kingdom over the coming years. Hotel Indigo is a unique brand that allows every individual property to draw inspiration from the local surroundings and offer an immersive and authentic experience to guests. As a result of the Saudi Tourism Development Strategy, there will be a rising wave of travelers coming to Saudi Arabia and seeking differentiated travel and …

flydubai has announced the start of daily flights to Warsaw (WAW) from 30 September. Warsaw will become flydubai’s second destination in Poland after Krakow (KRK) which currently operates with a twice weekly service. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we have been flying to Krakow in Poland since 2018 and by adding Warsaw to our network we are providing our passengers with more options for travel to and from Poland. We look forward to creating travel and trade flows with our daily service.” Warsaw is Poland’s capital and is famed for its eye-catching architecture, green outdoor spaces and a wide variety of cafes and restaurants. Located on the Vistula River, Warsaw is a great option for those looking for a historical city break. Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: “we are pleased to see our network in Europe grow further with the start of operations to Warsaw. With daily flights to Warsaw, and more countries lifting restrictions on international travel, passengers will have the opportunity to explore more destinations on the flydubainetwork.” With international travel restrictions gradually easing, flydubaihas grown its network to over 90 destinations including several seasonal summer routes such as Batumi in Georgia, Bodrum and Trabzon in Turkey, Mykonos and Santorini in Greece, Naples in Italy, Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Tivat in Montenegro. flydubai’s network offers passengers the chance to explore a range of cities rich in culture, heritage and activities such as Baku, Bucharest, Budapest, Istanbul, Ljubljana, Tbilisi, Tirana and Yerevan. In addition to the city breaks, flydubai also offers flights to some of the best beaches and tropical hotspots in the world including the …

TIME Hotels held the soft opening of its much-anticipated TIME Asma Hotel in Dubai’s Al Barsha ‘shopping’ district yesterday, Tuesday 15 June. The new four-star property has a remarkable feature – its management team consists entirely of women, including the hotel manager Alexandra Kelner and 80% of the hotel’s employees. Commenting, TIME Hotels’ CEO Mohamed Awadalla, said: “It has always been integral to our corporate strategy to diversify our workforce and offer equal opportunities to all members of staff. “Under the leadership of Alexandra, all areas of the hotel operation will be managed by women, from HR to sales, F&B, finance, front office and housekeeping – even our executive chef is a woman. “I am sure that this talented all-female management team will provide inspiration to all women who want to carve out a successful career in hospitality,” added Awadalla. “Once regional and international travel restrictions are relaxed, more women will be travelling on business than ever before. Many women may well be travelling alone and I believe it will be comforting for them to have the option of staying in a hotel where 80% of the staff are women, with dedicated floors and in-room amenities,” said Alexandra Kelner, Hotel Manager, TIME Asma Hotel. “With the summer heat approaching, TIME Asma is ideally located for a weekend of retail therapy,” said Kelner.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Riyadh Qurtuba, is the newest addition within the Radisson Hotel Group’s portfolio. The hotel boasts a mix of suites and private villas as well as various dining options and flexible meeting room space, which covers over 600 square meters.  The opening of Radisson BluHotel, Riyadh Qurtuba brings the group’s portfolio to over 45 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments in operation and under development in Saudi Arabia, accelerating Radisson Hotel Group’s leading expansion across the Kingdom. “We are delighted to expand our Radisson Blu brand in the city of Riyadh, especially during these times.  In line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, we are excited to further grow our presence across the Kingdom, and work together to make Saudi Arabia a must-visit destination. Despite the challenges, due to the current circumstances, Radisson Hotel Group has started moving towards normality with a host of expansion and opening announcements over the past months. The Kingdom remains a key development area and our ambitions across the region have remained the same,” says Tim Cordon, Area Senior Vice President, Middle East and Africa, at Radisson Hotel Group. Fabrizio Bigi, General Manager Radisson Blu Hotel, Riyadh Qurtuba, commented, “No matter if for business or leisure, with our dedicated team and modern facilities, we aim to create more meaningful and memorable experiences for our guests. With a mix of rooms, suites and villas we offer something for everyone. Our three bedroom villas are the ideal way for families to explore the city while remaining in their own comfort and privacy.”

Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) has appointed Deveekaa Nijhawan to lead the International PR and Communications team, to assist in marketing the destination in key markets as part of the country’s strategy to become a world-leading tourism destination. Deveekaa’s remit covers key markets including India, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and United Arab Emirates with a focus on engaging and penetrating travel trade and consumer media. Deveekaa is a senior PR professional with over 10 years’ experience in PR & Communications in the hospitality sector. Deveekaa said: “I am very excited to join QNTC and embrace this new challenge. I am looking forward to developing and implementing a holistic integrated PR and Communications strategy to position Qatar as a popular tourist destination, while promoting the country’s rich cultural heritage and diverse offerings.” As part of the national strategy, Qatar National Vision 2030, QNTC is on a journey to welcome six million visitors a year by 2030, by improving and expanding the country’s tourism proposition with visitor experience at its core. Deveekaa will support the international marketing strategy, while Qatar continues to grow and improve tourism assets, enhance the end-to-end customer experience and invest in service excellence across every touchpoint. Deveekaa will execute QNTC’s tailored global communications campaigns, with a focus in key markets. Chief Operating Officer of Qatar National Tourism Council, Berthold Trenkel, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Deveekaa to the team. She will play a pivotal role in delivering our ambitious tourism development strategy. Her extensive PR and Communications experience and knowledge of global markets will help us engage with travellers as we prepare to welcome tourists back to Qatar.”  

Ishraq Hospitality, a division of Mohamed & Obaid AlMullaGroup, one of the most dynamic and prominent business houses in UAE, appoints Alexander Suski as Acting Chief Executive Officer. Mr Suski is moving up to Acting CEO from his role as Group Director, Commercial and Business Development, IshraqHospitality, where he was overseeing commercial operations and strategic expansion of seven hotel properties under InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG Hotels & Resorts) and Wyndham franchises. In addition, he was responsible for driving short- and long-term commercial strategies for the portfolio and developing Ishraq Hospitality’s well-recognized Hospitality Advisory Services for investors or hotel owners. Suski has over 18 years of industry experience that spans Europe and MEA, with more than a decade of strategic development in sales and marketing in the region’s hospitality industry. He was Associate Vice President Sales and Marketing, Millennium Hotels and Resorts Middle East and Africa, overlooking a portfolio of 48 properties and over 40 future openings in the region. Prior to that, Suski was Area Director of Sales and Marketing Egypt and Bahrain, Kempinksi Hotels, moving to UAE as Director of Sales and Marketing at Kempinski Hotel Ajman and Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates. In this role, he reinvigorated sales and marketing strategies, market share, profit expansion and hotel brand repositioning to accelerate growth. Suski’s more than a decade-long valuable experience in Europe is integral to his vast understanding of the hospitality sector.  He has worked with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts (IHG) in Warsaw, Sofitel Luxury Hotels (Accor) in Bruges-Ghent-Brussels-Luxemburg-Amsterdam, Crowne Plaza (IHG) in Brussels and De Dikke Van Dale (Fletcher Hotels) in Holland. His leadership capabilities, customer-focused approach, communication skills, matched with innovative thinking and a thorough understanding …

Travelport announced a strategic, long-term collaboration with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) to use advanced cloud technology to accelerate the digital transformation of retailing in the travel industry. The collaboration, which unites globally renowned expertise in travel technology, cloud technology, and hyper-personalized retailing, will focus on optimizing Travelport’s recently launched next-generation platform, Travelport+. It will also drive innovation in travel merchandising with the launch of a new accelerator program that will incorporate talent from the tech startup community. “The travel industry has struggled to keep up with the pace of change in digital retail,” said Greg Webb, Chief Executive Officer at Travelport. “This landmark collaboration is specifically designed to address just that. AWS’s retail heritage makes them uniquely qualified to optimize digital retail platforms, simplify complex environments, and enable game-changing innovation in the travel retailing space. With AWS as our preferred cloud partner, we are going to create a simpler, smarter, and better future for travel retailing.” “Travelport is using the flexibility, scalability, and reliability of the world’s leading cloud to provide the speed and insights needed to put the customer first,” said Adam Selipsky, Incoming CEO of Amazon Web Services, Inc. “By leveraging the broadest and deepest set of cloud capabilities and AWS’s proven global infrastructure, Travelport can enhance the performance of its platform and continue to develop new ways to simplify the travel booking experience. With people around the world beginning to return to travel, we look forward to working with Travelport to help the travel industry continue to innovate.”

Kandima Maldives has announced an incredible Kool Escape offer for the long weekends, giving travellers from the Middle East a chance to enjoy the perfect combination of adrenaline-packed crystal water adventures for groups of friends, family staycationers and dreamy experiences for couples or solo travellers. Offering something for everyone, Kandima Maldives is perfect for guests looking for breath-taking Maldivian waters, exotic culinary dining, perfect wellness experiences, abundant marine life to explore along be it diving, snorkelling unlimited water sports and even a skydive or just exploring the 3km long private piece of paradise. Kandima Maldives is a picture-perfect haven for a getaway, especially among travellers across the GCC. Spend your festive holiday at the uber kool, vibrant, modern and trendy resort in Dhaalu Atoll – featuring spacious and stylishly decorated Aqua Villas over the water or the Ocean Pool villas that overlook the breath-taking views of the rolling Indian Ocean or vibrant tropical trails. From adult only bar to one of the largest kids’ entertainment zone. Kandima boasts of ten extraordinary restaurants and bars that offer genuine Maldivian hospitality with a human touch keeping the much-needed health & safety measures in place – not to mention Kandima’s playful spirit! Neeraj Seth, Director of Marketing and PR at KandimaMaldives said, “This festive period is a great time to take a holiday for a change of scenery and some much-needed rest and recreation. Our Kool Escape package offers Middle Eastern guests the ultimate hassle-free holiday in the Maldives, ideal if you want to combine exotic beachside relaxation, scrumptious dining and an abundance of exciting activities within the safety norms.”

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has announced the introduction of a new service to Trabzon in Turkey with direct flights from Abu Dhabi starting on July 13, 2021. The new service offers greater connectivity and value-for-money options making it easier and more convenient for customers to travel between the two countries. Resting on the bank of the Black sea, Trabzon is a city filled with historical significance. Featuring a unique coastal backdrop, this picturesque city is known for its mystical architecture and bazaars. The new service represents the 14th route for Air Arabia Abu Dhabi since the launch of the carrier’s service from Abu Dhabi International Airport on July 14, 2020. Customers can now book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Trabzon by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies. Ensuring the highest standards of safety at every step of the journey by following all health and safety protocols, Air Arabia has also added to the convenience and confidence of passengers by introducing free COVID-19 insurance coverage. The insurance is automatically included as part of the booking and no additional documents are required from passengers.  

The stunning beachfront hotel under Palladium Hotel Group’s luxury brand BLESS Collection Hotels, announces its much-awaited re-opening which took place on 28 May for summer 2021. The property is located in one of Ibiza’s most beautiful coves, Cala Nova, on the island’s east coast. This reopening is a different way to experience the island of Ibiza and with that, a new understanding of the perspective of life. From the original flavours of Martin Berasategui’s haute cuisine, the evocative aromas of the Mediterranean, to the unmissable Ibizan sunsets at EPIC Infinity Lounge, the hotel brings back a unique luxury concept. Etxeko Ibiza, a space dedicated to haute cuisine at BLESS Hotel Ibiza, brings the original flavours of San Sebastian to the Balearic island with a nod to local specialities. The most sublime selection of raw ingredients from the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean are transformed into gourmet bites by the expert hands of Martín Berasategui, who has been awarded 12 Michelin stars, and his excellent team.  Guests can also pamper themselves at the Magness Soul Ful Spa, where they will leave feeling empowered and energised,while following a visit to Rossano Ferreti and his emblematic beauty salon, guests will be ready to enjoy fine dining and their evening ahead. To enjoy safety your holidays, guests will have at their disposal an on-demand COVID testing service that includes antigen testing with results in less than an hour and PCR testing with results in less than 24 hours.