Category Archives: Hotels

A special report by Chestertons MENA focussing on Airbnb highlighted the growth and popularity of the online platform with investors and holiday makers in Dubai since 2015. Revenues for properties listed on the online hospitality platform during August 2015 and August 2017 increased by 421% to top US$3.3million, with listings nearly tripling to 3,249, as released by a special market report by Chestertons MENA, a leading international property agency. Chestertons research has revealed, rather than competing with Dubai’s hospitality sector, the Airbnb concept is complementing the hotel offering within the emirate by providing an alternative travel experience, with average occupancy levels topping 57% during Dubai’s peak season. “In April 2016, a new Executive Resolution No. (1/2016) concerning the second edition of ‘Dubai Holiday Home Rental Regulations’ was introduced, resulting in the relaxation of the rules surrounding holiday home rentals. This has, in turn, increased the number of listings and created alternative accommodation options to achieve the emirate’s 2020 objectives,” said Ivana Gazivoda Vucinic, Head of Advisory and Research, Chestertons MENA.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) signed a management agreement with Kingston Holdings International Limited to develop a new Holiday Inn & Suites at Dubai Business Bay set to open in 2021. The signing complements IHG’s hotel pipeline in the area and includes a Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza and an InterContinental Residences. Holiday Inn & Suites Dubai Business Bay will be centrally located in Dubai’s commercial and lifestyle hub and in close proximity to major attractions such as Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. With 350 rooms, the hotel will offer guests two restaurants and a ballroom as well as one floor of dedicated meeting rooms to cater to business travellers. Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG said, “We are delighted to partner with Kingston Holdings International Limited to further expand our presence in Dubai, a city that continues to offer excellent growth opportunities for our hotels. Business Bay is the fastest growing district in Dubai and this agreement is in line with our strategy to grow the popular Holiday Inn brand in emerging epicentres.

Expanding its presence in the UAE, Hospitality Management Holding (HMH) signed the management agreement to operate the Coral Dubai Al Barsha Hotel. The five-star property (formerly the Auris Plaza Hotel) is located in the heart of Al Barsha within walking distance from the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai and features 337 well-appointed rooms equipped with world-class facilities. Brett Schafer, Chief Executive Officer of Faisal Holding, the owning company of HMH together with Manafa, stated, “We are delighted to welcome the Coral Dubai Al Barsha Hotel to our portfolio of hotels and truly grateful to the owners of the hotel for having given us this fantastic opportunity. The UAE is a strategic market for us and this new development will reinforce our position as a market leader in the dry segment while offering greater choice to our guests.”

Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, part of A.A. Al Moosa Enterprises launched its redesigned website www.goldensandsdubai.com. Featuring an upgraded design, innovative booking engine, with vibrant photos of the property and its facilities, the new look and feel of the website gives a true reflection of what awaits visitors. Mohammed Khoori, General Manager of Golden Sands Hotel Apartments said, “We are proud to launch our newly redesigned website, a result of extensive research conducted on the latest trends in the travel and hospitality industry. The site offers an easy and user-friendly online booking system for both leisure and business travellers. We invite you to visit the site to get a feel of your “home away from home” destination.” The fresh platform allows users to book rooms by individual unit or by category and checks availability with just a few clicks. Viewers can see special promotions, book and receive immediate confirmation. The website can be accessed using your desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone.

MYSK Al Mouj, a flagship hotel of the MYSK by Shaza is to be launched in Muscat this month. With special focus on Arabian lifestyle and culture, MYSK by Shaza is part of Taameer Investment, a leading company in investment and real estate development in the Sultanate of Oman, and part of Golden Group Holding. H.E. Sheikh Salim Al Ghazali, Chairman of Golden Group Holding, commenced the event by stating, “With its strategic location at Al Mouj marina, Mysk by Shaza Hotel will be an added value to the hospitality sector in Oman and an important icon in our group’s portfolio. In terms of tourism developments and investments, our projects are advancing steadily with 3-4 and 5 star hotels in the pipeline.”

Dubai Gourmet, a Meraas company, announced the opening of its new boutique hotel at Qasr Al Sultan. The Qasr Al Sultan Boutique Hotel combines palatial luxury with a style of architecture and décor inspired by the region’s ancient monarchs, or Sultans. Each of the 12 100 sq.m. Royal Suites will have their own private jacuzzi and garden. Distinctive and traditional, the boutique hotel will be a short walk from the bakhoor-scented majlis, traditional souk, food bazaar, library, playground and the historical Dukan Zaman exhibition that have captivated visitors to Qasr Al Sultan since it opened in February, 2017. The boutique hotel is expected to have a similar impact, while showcasing the culture and heritage of the UAE. Abdin Nasralla, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Gourmet said: “Since we first launched Qasr Al Sultan in February, our guests have been captivated by the experiences we’ve created, ensuring that the destination has become a place full of novelty and intrigue for residents and visitors to the UAE. We’re delighted to be expanding Qasr Al Sultan through the Qasr Al Sultan Boutique Hotel, and the Royal Suites we’ve created will add another layer to our cultural offering, which is inspired by traditions that have not just shaped our customs but also our cuisine, art, attire, and lifestyle.” The Qasr Al Sultan Boutique Hotel features natural elements taken from the Dubai landscape, and an interior style designed to create a comfortable and relaxing ambiance. Privacy is at the forefront of the design, with suites boasting exclusive entrances, parking and a private garden for guests to bask in the sun. Guests will also be able to take advantage of room service and a personal butler that …

Abu Dhabi witnessed a double digit increase in the number of hotel guests during August compared to the same period in 2016, helping to drive the total number of guests staying in the emirate to more than 3.1 million for the first eight months of the year. Figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism, formerly known as Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, reveal that 426,912 hotel guests stayed at the emirate’s 166 hotels and hotel apartments in August, a rise of 13 per centover the same month last year. The total number of hotel guests so far in 2016 is up 7 per cent in comparison to the comparable time frame in 2016, with occupancy standing at 68 per cent. H.E. Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism, said: “We are encouraged by August’s figures and the increased growth, during a month which is traditionally a quieter time of the year for hotel guests. Our annual Abu Dhabi Summer Season, which ran from July 20th until August 20th, once again proved highly popular with domestic visitors and we saw key international markets all show notable growth during the month due to concentrated promotional and marketing campaigns locally, regionally and internationally. “As the year moves on, we expect to see further progress, not least due to the highly-anticipated opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi on November 11th which has rightly attracted huge interest from across the world. We still have some opportunities to increase length-of-stay at our hotels and maintain revenues, but we are actively addressing these things as we constantly strive to improve our destination’s appeal with concerted international marketing campaigns in tandem with our 11 overseas offices.”

With an aim to attract high-end travellers, Marriott will open doors of its 300-room Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai, on October 15, offering a clear view of the iconic Burj Khalifa. This will be followed by the debut of The Bulgari Resort & Residences Dubai slated for December, 2017. W Palm is scheduled to open early next year and the second W in Amman Jordan by Q1 next year. The St. Regis Cairo is the next big property to open by December and the sophisticated Edition Hotel Abu Dhabi will see the light of day next year, reveals Neal Jones, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. In terms of mid-scale brands, two Aloft properties will come up one next to Deira city center and the other at the Palm.

According to the latest Middle East and Africa Hotel Construction report by Top Hotels Projects, commissioned by The Hotel Show Dubai 2017, the UAE has been identified as the busiest country for hotel construction in the Middle East and Africa and 83 hotel projects are set to open next year. The region currently has more than 200 hotel projects in the pipeline, with Dubai (164 projects), Abu Dhabi (25 projects) and Ras Al Khaimah (12 projects) seen as the busiest areas for hotel construction in the UAE. Some of the most anticipated hotel openings include Dubai’s Rosemont Hotel and Residences, Curio Collection by Hilton (730 rooms) and Fairmont Abu Dhabi Marina Hotel & Residences (812 rooms).

Luxury Swiss hotel, part of Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort, is looking forward to welcoming first Middle East guests to the new five-star luxury Bürgenstock Hotel, in Switzerland, as it opened its doors. The newly-built hotel, with its modern architecture and contemporary design, boasts 102 rooms and suites and is sure to prove popular with travellers from the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on stunning luxury. In Switzerland, tourism from Gulf countries represents US$ 430 million.Amenities at the stunning hotel include the Spices Kitchen & Terrace, Bürgenstock Terrace, Lakeview Bar & Lounge, Lakeview Ballroom, Cigar Lounge, cinema and private dining and Sky Boutique. Further surrounding buildings inaugurated include the Grand Residence Suites, Panorama Residence Suites, Diamond Domes (event and tennis) and an outdoor tennis court. Bruno H. Schöpfer, Managing Director, Bürgenstock Selection, says, “We are delighted to welcome our first guests to the Bürgenstock Hotel. The hotel is perfect for travellers from the Middle East, with luxury at the very heart of everything we offer.”