Category Archives: Hotels

Marriott International has officially unified the Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards programmes. For the first time since Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 2016, the programmes now operate under one set of unified benefits and one currency spanning the entire loyalty portfolio of 29 brands and more than 6,700 participating hotels in 130 countries and territories. Members are able to seamlessly earn and redeem across the entire loyalty portfolio and achieve Elite status faster with new Elite tiers. Members can now combine their separate program accounts into one at Marriott.com or SPG.com to take advantage of everything Marriott International’s loyalty programmes offer worldwide. Together, the unified programs are richer. Members now earn on average 20 percent more points per dollar spent and have their Elite status recognized consistently at every hotel as they indulge in the elevated benefits they’ve earned. Additionally, members now have the added convenience to book stays throughout the portfolio on Marriott.com, SPG.com, and the Marriott and SPG apps, or by contacting customer engagement centers. “This is an exciting time for our loyalty members who now have endless inspiration to travel and experience the world to create memories that will last a lifetime,” said David Flueck, Senior Vice President, Global Loyalty, Marriott International. “We merged the incredible earning and redeeming power of Marriott Rewards with the phenomenal Elite benefits of SPG to create one of the richest travel loyalty programs with the most extraordinary global portfolio of hotels – from overwater bungalows, to mountainside ski resorts, to iconic urban landmarks.”

Al Raid Group has announced that the construction of Al Araimi Boulevard (ABLVD) mall is well underway and will open in September. Al Araimi Boulevard is a venture of the Al Raid group, one of the leading pioneers in developing futuristic shopping malls and leisure destinations in Oman. This one-of-a-kind mall combines cutting edge technology, design and emerging concepts, to create a world-class, state-of-the-art facility. Classified among the top 25 new malls in the world, Al Araimi Boulevard draws inspiration from the beauty and diversity of Oman and has been designed for families and those young at heart. With 70,500 sqm of space to be leased out, Al Araimi Boulevard will accommodate fashion stores of all kinds offering something for everyone-trendy, ubercool and everything in between. The finest collection of labels from around the world will keep shoppers coming back for more. Entertainment options at this mall will be of another level, with its cine screens, a unique interactive wall and mesmerizing kinetic lighting displays, not to mention the largest Kid’s World of its kind in Oman. Sheikh Raid Abdullah Al Araimi, Vice Chairman of Al Raid Group said, “Al Araimi Boulevard will set new standards in the retail sector. It is being built on a completely futuristic design and concept, that will redefine the way people shop, relax and get entertained. The mall has plenty of room for more fashion brands to make their presence felt. Al Araimi Boulevard is expected to generate over 2,000 direct and indirect job opportunities to the local workforce and will be a one-of-its-kind experience for anyone and everyone.”

Kleindienst Group, developer of The Heart of Europe, a cluster of six islands on The World, unveiled the first Sweden Beach Palace at Sweden Island in Dubai. The Sweden Beach Palaces will consist of nine luxurious palaces, plus one super-sized version, set in the beautifully landscaped Sweden Island. Each property will have its own private section of beach, and unique to the palaces, a fully-owned piece of the marine area plot, including a private coral reef. The properties have been designed as second homes, Dubai’s first purpose-built luxury area for UAE residents to own a holiday property in their own country. Josef Kleindienst, Chairman, Kleindienst Group said, “Catering to residents and visitors who are looking for a dynamic, cultural experience, our developments at The Heart of Europe will boost tourism in the UAE. It will also offer investors the opportunity to choose from a range of high quality holiday properties that will be part of a vibrant touristic destination that includes hotels, restaurants and world-class attractions. Our journey to date has taken us to the unveiling of the Sweden Beach Palaces, one of the most luxurious freehold second homes in the UAE.” The first Sweden Beach Palace features seven plush bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bathroom. Five of the palaces will be fitted out with Bentley Home interiors, while the remaining properties will be bespoke to the individual owners.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has introduced IHG Business Edge, a comprehensive programme designed to enhance the corporate travel experience for small and midsize enterprises (SMEs). Prior to launch, 1,500 companies have already signed up as members, eager to benefit from a program designed to streamline the negotiation process, reward loyalty, and consolidate data, content and booking into one easily accessible customer portal. IHG Business Edge has been in development for the past year, and was built based on the insights of 2,100 global SME customers, and then piloted with 300 companies across 17 countries. Through this process, the companies made it clear they wanted to benefit from some of the competitive advantages traditionally enjoyed by large enterprise customers, and were looking for a partner that understood small business and could provide them with meaningful resources and content that they couldn’t get on their own. Derek DeCross, SVP, Global Sales, IHG, said, “We knew that there was an unmet need for a travel buying program specifically designed for SMEs – a group of customers who can often be underserved by the industry. We worked together with SMEs to design the program and they told us that a discount program alone is not compelling enough to drive their loyalty and engagement. They didn’t want lengthy negotiations – but rather a rich discount they could count on, reliable reporting and insight into the latest information, as well as access to a diverse corporate network of other “similar” organisations.”

The team of Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, part of AA Al Moosa Enterprises, recently participated at the Dubai tourism roadshow in India. The team joined the delegation headed by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) that visited the cities of Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad and Mumbai and met with potential partners and buyers, in a move to further boost the overall number of Indian travellers to Dubai. According to DTCM, visitors from India have increased by 7 per cent in the first quarter of 2018. Mohammed Khoori, General Manager, Golden Sands Hotel Apartments said, “We are very keen to get a share of this growing market so we met with several partners who can promote Golden Sands Hotel Apartments to travellers from these four cities. We received great feedback from tour operators and travel agencies who informed us that Indian travellers coming to the UAE are choosing Golden Sands as their preferred accommodation.” The team focused on meeting travel agents and tour operators who are selling the destination to family and individuals as well as niche segments such as small family group, golf, wedding and luxury. Representatives from hotels, airline heads, opinion leaders and heads of key travel trade associations along with travel operators were invited to attend the four-day roadshow.

Radisson Hospitality is set to announce the signing of its first Radisson hotel in the Middle East at Dubai’s Damac Hills. Under construction already, and due to open in Q4 2019, Radisson Hotel, Dubai DAMAC Hills will feature 481 rooms, including one and two-bedroom suites. Two restaurants will cater to guests’ dining needs, while leisure facilities such as a gym, spa, kids club and an outdoor swimming pool will also be available. The hotel’s extensive meeting space will be built over an area of 600m². The property will be within a rapidly growing area of Dubai and surrounded by new residential and business districts such as Dubai Motor City and Dubai Investment Park, while the site of Expo 2020 will be just 11 km away. Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Radisson Hotel Group, said, “We’re delighted to enter into partnership with DAMAC Properties and we appreciate their commitment and vision to develop such an exciting project. We’re further delighted to introduce our new upscale Radisson brand that delivers its own Scandinavian-inspired hospitality to the region.” “DAMAC Hills is one of Dubai’s newest communities and is already home to more than 1,000 families,” said Hussain Sajwani, Chairman, DAMAC. “Our partnership with Radisson Hotel Group for this unique hospitality product will cater to the ever-growing number of tourists and business travellers who visit the emirate.”

Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman has trained and hired employees with speaking and hearing disabilities as part of its continuous commitment to reach out to the community and provide equal opportunity for different members of the society. Under Ajman Tourism Development Department’s Zayed Day for Humanitarian Initiative, in cooperation with the Ministry of Community Development, Ramada Ajman provided training and internship to Musab Abdul Raheem Jaber Saleh. A deaf and mute Jordanian national, he worked with the front office department as bell boy cum valet parking driver for a month. The programme aimed to train and employ people of determination, in order for them to integrate in the community and to be qualified to work in the government and private sector in the future. Early this year, the property also hired Rizwan Uddin, a deaf and mute Pakistani, as a ken fix-it technician. As part of the engineering department, his skills include carpentry, painting and masonry. Iftikhar Hamdani, General Manager of Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman, commented, “We are extremely proud to support and offer opportunities to all the deserving people of determination. Their perseverance and dedication inspire us that nothing should stop us from being productive and contributing to our community. We will continue our efforts to help such individuals and groups as part of our corporate social responsibility initiatives.”

Four Points by Sheraton has announced the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Makkah Al Naseem in Saudi Arabia – the brand’s largest property globally. Adding over 1,100 rooms to the Holy City, the hotel is situated in the Al Naseem district and is in close proximity to the centre of Makkah and the holy Masjid al-Haram. “The trajectory for religious tourism into Saudi Arabia continues to grow, resulting in a strong demand for hotels in the Holy Cities,” said Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director – Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. “We are delighted to open our fifth property in the Holy City of Makkah. Four Points by Sheraton Makkah Al Naseem offers pilgrims the brand’s excellent service and a comfortable hospitality experience in the Holy City. With this opening, we now operate 24 hotels in the country and are on track to double our presence in the Kingdom in the next five years.” Four Points by Sheraton Makkah Al Naseem features 1,136 spacious and modern guest rooms including 121 suites, offering unmatched views of the holy city of Makkah. Reflecting the brand’s promise to provide what matters most to today’s independent travellers, the hotel offers the brand’s defining touches including complimentary bottled water in all rooms, fast and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and an energising breakfast with fresh coffee. The hotel includes four dining concepts, Al Sharq, Asia House and two Lobby Cafés.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has launched a new global initiative, Mindful Meetings by Mandarin Oriental, designed to enhance and energise meetings and conferences with creative solutions that are based on five key dimensions of wellness: nourishment, movement, stillness, connections and wellbeing. Emily Snyder, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s Vice President of Global Sales said, “Our aim is to support meeting planners by providing a unique offering, that will ensure all participants leave a Mindful Meeting feeling refreshed, motivated and ready to implement new ideas, information and connections. Mandarin Oriental is renowned as a leader in global wellness, with more Forbes Five-Star Spas than any other hotel brand. By extending and utilizing this expertise in the meeting space, we can provide participants with a truly enhanced environment, that is conducive to success.” Examples of wellness enhancements include healthy and energising menu choices, yoga sessions, guided meditations, digital wellness and jet lag tips, massage and movement breaks, custom spa events, expert health talks and group exercise activities. All options can be customized and made available for participants either in or out of the meeting room. To celebrate the launch, a ‘Mindful Meetings Promotion’ is available for every new event or group booking made between 6 June and 30 September 2018 at all Mandarin Oriental destinations worldwide. By inserting the term ‘Mindful Meetings Promotion’ in the initial meeting request, meeting bookers can select one of the following benefits: Energizer welcome shots upon arrival for all participants, 30-minute guided wellness activity such as meditation, yoga for participants in the meeting space, Mindful in-room amenity for all participants; of course terms and conditions would apply.

Emaar Hospitality Group has announced creation of more than 5,300 jobs in the hospitality sector in the next five years across the UAE including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Significantly, the group is focusing on hiring and nurturing the talents of UAE Nationals for jobs in the hospitality sector, and has put into place ambitious strategies and plans to drive Emiratisation across all functions within the Group. These goals will also be achieved through partnerships with key government entities and departments that support Emiratisation within the hospitality industry. Emaar Hospitality Group is creating jobs across the entire breadth of the hospitality and leisure supply chain – from guest facing and heart-of-house functions to administrators, marketing, sales, finance, HR, logistics, and other professionals. An equal opportunity company, the Group welcomes professionals from across the world who are passionate about building a long-term career in the hospitality sector. Aseem Kapoor, Corporate Director of Human Resources at Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “We are emerging as one of the largest providers of jobs in the hospitality sector in the UAE. With hospitality professionals from across the world working with us, we take pride in offering a world-class work environment that enables them to progress in their careers. While we will continue to promote and nurture a multi-cultural work environment, one of our focal points will be to attract more Emirati and National talent to the industry – given the superb value they can deliver, with their local knowledge and skills – and we are committed to ensuring that our team members achieve professional and personal success.”