Category Archives: Hotels

The Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi marks the debut of global hotel group Millennium & Copthorne in Georgia. The official unveiling was conducted by Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development signalled the start of the festivities. With an unrivalled location on the famous Rustaveli Avenue, close to the banks of the River Mtkvari, The Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi is situated in the heart of the capital. Surrounded by chic designer boutiques, art galleries and a wealth of historical and cultural attractions as well as commercial and governmental buildings, the hotel is perfectly positioned for discerning travellers.

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has entered into an agreement with Mohammed Ibrahim Al Subeaei & Sons Investment Company (MASIC) to manage the 180-room Swissôtel Al Khobar in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With a planned opening in 2019, Swissôtel Al Khobar will be situated within the MASIC Business Park development, occupying an enviable location within the urban area’s commercial and residential district. Encompassing around 55,000 square metres (approximately 592,000 square feet) of retail and prime office space, this development will become a landmark in the Eastern Province. In addition to 180 guestrooms, Swissôtel Al Khobar will feature over 1,300 square metres (approximately 14,000 square feet) of meeting and conference space and a variety of food and beverage offerings from Café Swiss and Swiss Gourmet to a pool and grill restaurant. With an emphasis on vitality and fitness, the hotel will also feature the brand’s signature Pürovel Spa & Sport along with an outdoor rooftop pool. This mixed use property will also present 20 exclusive and contemporary luxury residential apartments, branded under the Swissôtel Living concept offering high-end amenities and round-the-clock service to residents.

Luxury operator Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of two new luxury hotel developments in Morocco and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two new projects include Fairmont Taghazout Bay, Morocco and Fairmont Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, which are both scheduled to open before 2020. Fairmont Taghazout Bay is scheduled to open in 2019, the project is situated in Taghazout Bay, a 615 hectare seaside resort located 18 km north of Agadir on the Atlantic coast. The hotel sits on 180,000 square meters (1.9M square feet), of beachfront adjacent to the 18-hole golf course designed by Kyle Phillips which was recently completed in 2014. Fairmont Taghazout Bay will feature 155 spacious guestrooms, with sea facing views, in addition to 52 Fairmont branded villas, to be released for sale later this year, which will be the first luxury waterfront villas of this kind in the country. The development of these properties will see Fairmont’s luxury hotel portfolio in the Middle East, Africa and India (MEAI) region increase to 20 hotels by 2020, more than doubling the regional pipeline and boosting the brand’s presence within two major economic and tourist hubs.   Fairmont Al Khobar currently in development and set to open in 2020, Fairmont Al Khobar will be situated in Al Khobar on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. This area, together with the neighboring cities of Dammam and Dhahran, form the Dammam Metropolitan Area, the capital of the Eastern Province. In addition to the 240 guestrooms and 12 serviced residences, the property will feature over 4,000 square meters (approximately 43,000 square feet) of meeting and conference space including the largest ballroom in the province. A variety of food …

According to news sources, the latest property to be completed under Taj Vivanta brand is expected to be completed by 2018 at the Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT). This 46 storied development will feature 201 hotel rooms with 130 serviced apartments. It is said to be the first development of its kind in the UAE launched in partnership with India’ s Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. More information is soon to be released in our print version.

Steigenberger Hotels with its head office in Germany, has announced opening its first IntercityHotel in the Middle East. The first IntercityHotel outside Europe is now opened in Salalah, located 1,000 kilometres to the South-West of the capital Muscat in Oman. This is the first international mid-market hotel in the city.The new hotel extends over eight stories and offers 70 rooms as well as a restaurant and a modern gym. Puneet Chhatwal, CEO, Steigenberger Hotels , commented: “Following our Steigenberger début in Dubai in November last year, we are now bringing our IntercityHotel brand to the Middle East for the first time. This represents a further important milestone for us.” The project was implemented in conjunction with the owner Al Sedra Real Estate of Oman, a subsidiary of the Golden Group of Companies, which is a multi-national operating in more than ten countries.

The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the serviced residence owner- operator, is continuing to expand its operations in Saudi Arabia by unveiling plans for ‘The Ascott Villas Riyadh’. The 92-unit 5-star serviced villas would be the group’s landmark and exclusive offering in the Saudi Arabian capital. Ascott, the service residence operator, and Bathel Alkhair Establishment for Trading and Real Estate, inked a management contract on Thursday 14th July, which puts the project on track to open by November 2017. It will also strength Ascott’s position as the leading serviced residence operator in Saudi Arabia, with 980 units in 7 properties across 3 cities. Located in the prestigious Hittin district, north of Riyadh, with easy access to the city’s key business and leisure landmarks, the property will boast a new type of serviced residence experience, combining luxuriously furnished villas with Ascott’s award-winning hospitality service. The Ascott Villas is located close to the upcoming King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), which has been billed as Riyadh’s new central business district and is the future home of the Saudi Stock Exchange, Capital Markets Authority and a host of other financial and professional services firms. Ascott has another property in Riyadh, the 234-units ‘Ascott Rafal Olaya Riyadh’, which is due to open in the latter part of 2016. Providing a brief introduction about the owners of the property, Miccolis said that the Bathel Alkhair Establishment for Trading and Real Estate, is a Saudi based establishment with the main activities in real estate and financial investments, including the development of residential and hospitality projects, and investment in capital and private equity markets. Currently, the group owns several residential properties and hotels in various cities in Saudi Arabia.

The United Arab Emirates’ capital, Dubai, is preparing to get its first Hard Rock Hotel, and company representatives say the new location could open as soon as late this year, or early next year. Dubai’s Hard Rock Hotel will inhabit the first 33 floors of the towering Marino 101 building that stands 101 stories tall. It’s a fairly middle-sized property in terms of Hard Rock’s chain, where hotel capacities vary from 150 to 2,000 rooms. The Dubai hotel will be a 288-room property with adjoining amenities, from a fitness center to a ‘rock and roll’ spa and restaurant areas. Just 31 kilometers from Dubai International Airport, Hard Rock Dubai will be within walking distance from Jumeriah beach areas and not far from other big attractions like Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall. Hard Rock Dubai is planning an exciting, unique program called “Sound of Your Stay” in which guests can get a variety of Fender electric guitars delivered to their rooms — or try their hands at the turntables with in-room DJ equipment services. “The Sound of Your Stay program has been a success since it was globally rolled out at all our hotels,” Hard Rock representative Josh Littman said. “We expect the program to be just as much of a success at Hard Rock Hotel Dubai.” With Sound of Your Stay, guests will choose from Hard Rock’s trademarked “Picks,” “Tracks” or “Mix” services: With “Picks,” guests choose a guitar from a variety of 20 Fender electric guitars, as well as headphones and a floor amplifier to play for free during their stay. Video lessons are also available. With the “Tracks” service, guests get curated playlists — hand-selected by celebrities and …

A recent survey by Emaar Hospitality Group conducted by YouGov stated that staycations are very popular during the summer. 63% of respondents voted Dubai as their preferred leisure destination with the staycation serving as a hassle-free, cost-effective option when looking for a quick getaway or a last minute weekend break. Staycations are most popular among Western expatriates with 80% polled stating they take one at least once a year compared to 59% Emiratis and 55% Asian expatriates. On average, 59% of UAE residents take a staycation at least once a year. 62% of over 35-year-olds opted for staycations compared with 55% of those below the age of 35. The word ‘staycation’ refers to a vacation taken in the country of residence. In the UAE, staycations are gaining ground as the survey, which was conducted ahead of the recent launch of the U By Emaar rewards programme, reveals. The survey also revealed interesting lifestyle habits of people relating to staycations with 68% choosing to take a staycation to spend quality time with loved ones, and 40% stating they take staycations with family. Some 32% take a staycation 4 to 6 times a year, while 21% take a staycation at least two times every year. Further, 34% of 18 to 24-year-olds take staycations to spend time with friends, while 36% females do so to pamper themselves. The top activity during a staycation is enjoying a dining experience according to 49% respondents, while 40% use the pool and sauna and 34% voted for visiting tourist attractions and going shopping. The key factors in choosing which hotel to stay, as well as choosing where to return, were value for money, special offers, and consistently …

A formal agreement to build the Novotel Sharjah Expo, an exclusive business hotel, was signed between Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Basma Group and Günther Hinterberger, Managing Director, Klampfer Middle East, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of United Investment, and Khalifa Al Shaibani, Director-General of United Investment. The Dh120 million Novotel Sharjah Expo is being developed under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and will serve as the official hotel of Expo Centre Sharjah. The upcoming hotel is being seen as a new milestone for business and MICE tourism in Sharjah. The Chairman of Basma Group said, “We in Sharjah are constantly striving, under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to improve our emirate in a way that makes it keep pace with changing times and represent a beacon of modernity and authenticity at the same time. It is this endeavor that spawned the idea to build Novotel Sharjah Expo.” The business hotel is the latest addition to Sharjah’s hospitality and tourism industry and will comprise 200 rooms that fall under three categories – standard rooms, club floor rooms and executive suites. The Novotel Sharjah Expo is strategically located close to Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Dubai, as well as to the vital leisure areas in Sharjah. The hotel will feature a business centre with workstations and two meeting halls including a large meeting-cum-function hall of approximately 200 square metres.

R Hotels has announced that its 253-key property at the Palm Jumeirah, scheduled to open next year, will be the first holistic health and wellness resort in the UAE. The group is expected to sign a partnership with a renowned global brand in developing the concept and providing the services. Sumair Tariq, Managing Director, R Hotels, commented, “People are more health-conscious than before and we have witnessed an increased demand for products which are designed for healthy lifestyle including leisure activities, food, and even gadgets. With this trend, our group is keen to introduce the region’s first health and wellness resort, by partnering with trusted brands.” The pre-opening of the property will be headed by Samir Arora, who is currently the General Manager of Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham JBR. The property, which is the first four star-rated hotel at The Palm, will offer not just spa and beauty treatments, but various wellbeing and lifestyle packages – from proper diet and nutrition, fitness classes and health treatments. The hotel will hire certified nutritionist and wellness coach for the programs such weight loss, both for kids and adult. Some of the fitness classes planned includes yoga, tai chi, Pilates and aerobics. The overall design concept of the property will be organic, with the use of earth colours and materials like wood, to imbibe a fresh, calm and soothing atmosphere. It will offer an Executive Lounge on the seventh floor, and Executive and Presidential Suites on the sixth and seventh floor, all boasting private terrace with exquisite views. In addition to trendy sun loungers, the pool area and private beach will have cabanas for families and groups to enjoy. There will also be …