Category Archives: Hotels

Dubai Parks and Resorts, the region’s largest theme park destination announced the introduction of a special summer pass for visitors to enjoy access to the destination and four other attractions across Dubai. The dxbpass offers guests the chance to tour the world class theme parks at Dubai Parks and Resorts — Bollywood Parks™, MOTIONGATE™ Dubai, LEGOLAND® Dubai and LEGOLAND® Water Park, as well as Hub Zero, Mattel Play! Town, Green Planet and Splash Pad, along with a 20% discount on selected restaurants at Riverland™ Dubai and Lapita™ Hotel. The pass was introduced for purchase on June 4 and will be valid from June 15 to August 31. It can be booked online, on its website. In addition to the dxbpass, Dubai Parks and Resorts is also organizing a two-week edutainment Summer Camp, allowing children to play, explore and experience unlimited fun at Dubai’s best attractions. This two-week Summer Camp offers endless opportunities to engage children’s curiosity as well as boost their confidence and creativity at locations across the city. Experiences vary from treasure hunts at LEGOLAND® Dubai and Green Planet to indoor dance classes at Bollywood Parks™ Dubai and MOTIONGATE™ Dubai as well as movie experiences at Roxy Cinemas.

The Elaf Group of Companies, a SEDCO Holding Group company and a leading provider of travel, tourism and hospitality services, has announced the opening of its latest five-star hotel in Jeddah. The latest addition to Elaf Group’s growing portfolio of hotels is part of its recent implementation of a strategic expansion initiative, aimed at further reinforcing its leading presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s booming tourism and hospitality segment — in line with the goals and objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to support the national economy and to promote tourism, particularly tourism for religious purposes, as a key contributor in the efforts to achieve a non-oil economy. Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, CEO, Elaf Group, said, “The new hotel is being expected to help address the demand for more hotel rooms in Jeddah, which clearly demonstrates the country’s rapidly thriving tourism industry — ably reflected in its continuous Year-on-Year (YoY) growth. Rest assured, we remain steadfast in our commitment to provide the highest quality of services to offer an unforgettable experience in our hotel and exemplary service to our guests.

Swiss-Belhotel International (SBI) has entered into a management agreement with Omniyat Real Estate to operate two fantastic properties in Kuwait. Both Swiss-Belboutique Bneid Al Gar and Swiss-Belresidences Al Sharq are under development and expected to open in 2018. Swiss-Belboutique Bneid Al Gar will be a comfortable and stylish address for both business and leisure travellers offering a home-away-from-home experience. Featuring 58 rooms equipped with top-notch facilities, the hotel enjoys an exceptional location in Kuwait City with no other international hotel brand having a presence in the area. Included in its facilities will be two superb restaurants, lobby café, spa, health club and swimming pool. Swiss-Belresidences Al Sharq will serve as a great base for corporate travellers being strategically located in the business district near Souq Sharq. It will offer guests a choice of 68 one and two bedroom hotel apartments with fully-equipped kitchen facilities. The hotel will also feature an all-day-dining restaurant, a deli corner in the lobby, and a swimming pool. The steady growth of tourism in Kuwait, with a vision to welcome 440,000 visitors annually by 2024 is fueling the demand for quality hotels.

Schon Properties and Al Hamad Group announced a joint venture to develop iSuites, a massive Dh3.2 billion ($870 million) home-grown hospitality portfolio that will see the development of 2,550 hotel apartments at a single site within Dubai Investment Park – close to the World Expo 2020 venue. The entire complex includes 21 buildings – comprising 2,550 hotel suites, 52 restaurants and outdoor cafes, 125,000 square feet shopping mall, all surrounded by a manmade beach and a lagoon spread over 5 acres– all to be delivered before the historic Expo 2020 begins in the fourth quarter of 2020. Al Hamad Group is investing equity to finance the construction of the project and acquire a substantial stake in the 2,550 unit development while Schon Properties will retain a substantial number of units for recurring income, while some inventory is offered to select investors for sale. Al Hamad Group will be responsible for construction via their contracting arm, Dubai Civil Engineering. iSuites is being jointly developed by both companies and will be managed by Schon Properties. The branded hotel apartments will be managed by international hotel operators to offer greater comfort to visitors. Part of the iSuites inventories will be offered to investors that offers a high return on investment. Sales of the iSuites are currently on as investors and buyers could now purchase a hotel suite or a service apartment that will be managed by international branded chain hotel operators and offers buyers a higher income of 12-15 per cent per cent.

Global real estate developer Crowngate International makes a foray into the hospitality business with its highly anticipated $50 million project, the 225-key AVANI Resort on Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah. Set to be fully operational in Q3 2019, the AVANI managed resort will address the rapidly increasing demand for hotels in the affordable luxury category and is the first 4-star project on aspiring tourist haven Al Marjan Island. The launch ceremony was on held on location on May 21, 2017, and was attended by Abdullah Rashed Al Abdooli, Managing Director of Al Marjan Island LLC, and Haitham Mattar, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. The resort will rise from an impressive beach-front plot on View Island – seen as the heart of the man-made Al Marjan Island, an archipelago which extends 4.5 kilometres into the sea and is a key area of growth. With white sandy beaches as well as spectacular views of the neighboring islands and the Ras Al Khaimah coastline, the resort is set to appeal to local, regional and international leisure travelers. In addition to premium facilities such as two pools, spa, gym, and kids’ club, the resort will host upscale all day dining and poolside restaurants, and offer meeting and event spaces with a 200-people capacity. Recently, Crowngate International also announced that MINOR Hotels will manage the property under their luxury AVANI brand.

Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand-based hotel operator continues to expand internationally with the opening of a four-star, 152-room hotel in Muscat, its fifth hotel outside Thailand and first of three planned for the Middle East. The Centara Muscat Hotel is ideally located in the Omani capital’s bustling Ghala Heights business district, close to the convention centre, Royal Opera House, and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. It is conveniently midway between the airport and historical district, about 15 minutes from each. The hotel is a modern new building featuring three restaurants, a spa, and a rooftop pool and terrace with views out over the Gulf of Oman. Its premium lounge, banquet and meeting facilities, complimentary Wi-Fi, plus proximity to Muscat’s shopping and historical sites, are designed to serve both business and leisure travellers. Centara is known for combining appealing Thai qualities, such as graceful service and pampering spa treatments, with expertly-prepared Thai and international cuisine. The new Muscat hotel follows this blueprint. Akdeniz, an authentic Turkish restaurant, features fine coffees, Middle Eastern snacks and mezzes, plus meats and fresh fish seared on a traditional Ocakbasi grill. Tip-tara restaurant serves Thai dishes and international choices, while The Roof offers a relaxed venue for barbeques and private events. Centara’s signature SPA Cenvaree offers a variety of therapies and treatments, plus Thai herbal spa products.  The rooftop pool is complemented by a children’s pool and fitness centre.  The hotel’s 237-square-metre banquet hall is large enough to accommodate cocktail receptions of 280 people. Three smaller venues include a boardroom which can be adjusted to fit a range of  uses. Another conference room, along with the pleasant rooftop terrace, can accommodate up to 80 people – …

Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton’s midscale brand, and RAK National Hotels LLC opened Hilton Garden Inn Ras Al Khaimah, marking the brand’s entry into the northern most Emirate of the United Arab Emirates. The hotel joins five other Hilton properties operating in the Emirate and 22 across the UAE. Located in the heart of the Al Nakheel area, just steps from two major shopping malls and minutes from the souks and historical sites of the old city, Hilton Garden Inn Ras Al Khaimah features 240 modern and comfortable guest rooms, including 10 family rooms and eight suites, with sweeping city, creek and garden views. Commenting on the opening, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAKHH and RAKNH, said: “Hilton Garden Inn Ras Al Khaimah is a very strategic asset within our portfolio of hotels. It presents a significant opportunity for us to satisfy the needs of travellers who visit Ras Al Khaimah from all around the world. We have seen a shift in recent years towards the mid-market segment, which goes in hand with the growing importance of the emerging modern traveller. The hotel therefore, is the right choice for us and for Ras Al Khaimah. We look forward to seeing it grow and succeed.” Hilton Garden Inn Ras Al Khaimah guests will be treated to numerous amenities and services, including complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the property, a 24-hour business center, two tennis courts and a state-of-the-art fitness center open all day. The property also offers an outdoor pool, a separate shaded pool for children, and access to the beach facilities at Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa via complimentary shuttle. For conferences and other events, …

A joint venture between Nakheel and Spanish hospitality group–RIU Hotels & Resorts–has moved a step closer with the release of a construction tender for an 800-room, beachfront resort and water park at Deira Islands. With an investment value of AED670 million, the resort – RIU’s first in the Middle East and one of the biggest in Dubai in terms of hotel rooms – is set for delivery in Q4 2019. The RIU resort at Deira Islands will bring a new hospitality concept to Dubai, offering mid-scale, family-orientated, all-inclusive beachfront accommodation. Located at a prime beachfront plot at Nakheel’s new, 15.3 sq km Deira Islands coastal city, the resort will feature seven F&B outlets, three swimming pools, a fitness complex, children’s club and water park. Several new attractions, including Deira Mall, Deira Islands Night Souk and Deira Boulevard, are nearby. The joint venture is one of 18 projects in Nakheel’s AED5 billion hospitality expansion programme, which will deliver 5,800 new hotel rooms and apartments across Dubai in line with the Government of Dubai’s tourism vision for 2021. RIU Hotels & Resorts has almost 100 hotels, with around 45,000 rooms between them, in 19 countries. Together, these welcome over four million guests a year and provide jobs for nearly 27,000 people. RIU is one of the most popular hotel chains in the Caribbean and the second largest in Spain in terms of revenue. Nakheel has already awarded over AED7 billion worth of contracts at Deira Islands, with more on the way. The waterfront city, which is expected to have a population of 250,000 and to create 80,000 jobs, will add 40 km of coastline, including 21km of beach, to Dubai.

UAE-based RSG International has signed a management agreement with Rotana for a new 4-star hotel in Dubai, at a prime location on Sheikh Zayed Road, Jebel Ali Central. The project marks RSG International’s second collaboration with Rotana this year, following the launch of the Sabah Rotana hotel in Dubai in March 2017, and gives a further boost to the company’s plans to augment its hospitality portfolio in the emirate ahead of Expo 2020. Located on Sheikh Zayed Road, the 54-storey, 533-room five star Sabah Rotana will include 210 spacious, well-appointed rooms in addition to 10 executive suites and 2 ultra-luxurious presidential suites. The hotel apartments meanwhile will include 260 one-bedroom and 52 two-bedroom apartments. Sabah Rotana will also feature an impressive array of food and beverage venues and world-class business and recreational facilities.

Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya will open doors for travellers on September 1, 2017.  Located in one of the city’s most architecturally striking buildings in the heart of its government and business areas, the hotel will welcome international business travellers, weekend getaways and local clientele with its chic dining options and extensive event space. The hotel boasts 284 guest rooms and suites, five restaurant and lounge concepts, the city’s most elegant and well-equipped event spaces, and numerous leisure facilities, including a two-story spa and fitness centre, and indoor and outdoor pools. To welcome its first guests, Four Seasons has announced a special introductory offer featuring 20 per cent savings on the regular room rate, as well as an attractive Bed and Breakfast package “It’s an exciting time as we prepare to introduce Four Seasons signature luxury and personalised service to Kuwait for the first time,” says Didier Jardin, General Manager.