Category Archives: Hotels

Al Zorah, the 5.4 million sqm luxury and lifestyle destination in Ajman, is ramping up its tourism appeal with the launch of ‘Kayak Tours’ through its natural mangroves and lagoons this September. Offering visitors the opportunity to explore one of the region’s most prized natural mangroves, which has been officially declared as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention, the Kayak Tours will be conducted by ‘Quest for Adventure,’ an adventure sports company. Open to the public including students through a guided schools programme, the Kayak Tours are expected to catalyse the tourism scene and further establish Al Zorah as a must-visit tourist and lifestyle destination. Imad Dana, Chief Executive Officer of Al Zorah Development Company, said, “Al Zorah is a luxury destination in the Middle East built around an undisturbed ecosystem underlined by rich biodiversity. With the Ramsar Convention placing Al Zorah on the global map to highlight its immense environmental value, we are offering visitors, including students, the opportunity to explore the natural mangroves and creek through the Kayak Tours. The tours will open doors to memorable experiences with the promise of sighting a range of native and migratory birds. The serene ambience of the mangroves will be truly uplifting for every visitor.”

UAE-headquartered hospitality company, TIME Hotels Management has achieved Green Key status for all of its hotels and hotel apartments across the hospitality groups’ entire portfolio. A leading international standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry, the Green Key award is a voluntary eco-label that represents a commitment by hospitality and tourism establishments to adhere to the strict criteria as stipulated by the Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC). To qualify for the award, TIME Hotels had to pass an exhaustive audit, which recognised TIME’s contribution towards eco-friendly programmes, such as energy and water-saving initiatives, as well as waste management projects, all of which help to reduce TIME’s carbon footprint, limiting its negative effect on the environment. Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels, said, “The whole ethos of TIME Hotels is built on pursuing an active sustainability strategy that gain stakeholder traction, without whom, we would not be able to incorporate the various initiatives, events and programmes across our entire portfolio. We are no strangers to Green Key certification, but it is testament to the team that we refuse to rest on our laurels and continue to strive to become a more responsible corporate citizen.”

With an aim to add 250 rooms to the company’s UAE portfolio in 2020, Marriott International has entered an agreement with the Khamas Group of Investment LLC for a Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott in Dubai’s upcoming Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC). The two hotels combined will further strengthen the company’s regional presence in the mid-market segment. Courtyard by Marriott JVC will offer 150 rooms and Residence Inn by Marriott JVC will add another 100 rooms to the upcoming development. The interconnected hotel complex will share facilities including food and beverage outlets, a health and leisure club with a swimming pool and meeting spaces. “We are excited to work with the Khamas Group to open a new Courtyard and Residence Inn in the up and coming JVC Development which is strategically located and in close proximity to the site of the World Expo in 2020. Not only does this agreement illustrate our commitment to growing Marriott International’s portfolio in the UAE but it also reinforces the demand for mid-market hotel development in the market,” said Jerome Briet, Vice President – Lodging Development, Middle East, Marriott International. Commenting on the signing, Bader Mohamed Yousuf Bukhamas, Chairman of Khamas Group of Investment Companies said, “We are happy to partner with the best operator, Marriott International and looking forward to the opening of the Hotel.” Pawan Kachroo, Managing Director of Khamas Hospitality added, “The Courtyard and Residence Inn are both internationally renowned brands that offer guests not only quality hotel and residence products and facilities but also a high level of service excellence. Along with exciting food and beverage concepts, we look forward to bringing a refreshing hospitality experience in the …

Dubai Festival City celebrated its most successful Dubai Summer Surprises this year as it saw the number of shoppers that took part in its spend-and-win activity almost doubling as compared to the last year, and nearly 39% increase in footfall year-on-year. More than 90,000 people entered its Shop.Pop.Win virtual reality activity, where Festival City gave away 30,000 instant prizes from the mall’s retailers worth AED 1 million in value. Over 150,000 shoppers also visited Confetti Dome, the largest ever in the region. Steven Cleaver, Director Shopping Malls, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate, commented on the unprecedented popularity of its six-week campaign, “We continue to push boundaries and look for new and innovative ways in which to engage our visitors. Because of this, DSS 2017 has proved to be our most successful to date. Throughout the six-week campaign, we created more than 24 on-ground experiences, including hosting the region’s largest ever Confetti Dome and our hugely popular Shop.Pop.Win virtual reality game.” Commenting on the retailer partnerships, Cleaver said, “For Dubai Summer Surprises, the feedback from our partners has been incredibly positive as the activity we hosted gave them a platform to engage with their customers and has driven an uplift in footfall during the sales period.”

Dubai Parks and Resorts, Middle East’s largest theme park destination, has announced its new season line up, featuring the premiere of the Lionsgate zone at MOTIONGATE™ Dubai and a series of exciting events on the river at Riverland™ Dubai. The Lionsgate zone at MOTIONGATE™ Dubai features the world’s first rides and attractions inspired by the international blockbuster movie series ‘The Hunger Games’.Riverland™ Dubai, the themed dining, retail and entertainment district at the centre of Dubai Parks and Resorts has also announced its season line up of free events including Circus on the River in November and Pets on the River in December and a host of new events during public holidays. Effective from September 1, 2017, international visitors ticket prices have also been announced for the winter season, with day tickets ranging from AED 235 /Rs 4,100 per park or AED 285/ Rs 4,980 for two parks. The seasonal tickets will give the guests the opportunity to experience over 100 rides and attractions at the destination. Ticket prices are the same for adults and children, with kids below the age of 3 entering free. David Loiseau, Vice President of Sales & Distribution, said: “This is Dubai Parks and Resorts first full winter season and our focus is on delivering new experiences and competitive prices to bring visitors back time and again. This season, The Hunger Games fans from across the globe will be able to experience rides inspired by the blockbuster movie franchise that have never been seen anywhere in the world before. We are joining communities across the UAE to celebrate national holidays with free events along the river at Riverland™ Dubai. We have also created our very own …

Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure business of Emaar Properties PJSC, has announced the roll-out of its 28th upcoming hotel project – the Address Fashion Avenue. It is located directly opposite the iconic Burj Khalifa and linked to the Fashion Avenue in The Dubai Mall that is currently being expanded. Address Fashion Avenue, featuring the 167-room Address Fashion Avenue hotel and Address Residences Fashion Avenue with only 78 high-end residences, also marks the Group’s 20th hotel project under its premium luxury brand Address Hotels + Resorts, and the 12th Address project in Dubai. With two other hotel brands, the upscale lifestyle Vida Hotels and Resorts, and the contemporary Rove Hotels, Emaar Hospitality Group now has 11 operational hotels and 28 hotel projects in the pipeline in Dubai and international markets including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and Turkey. Address Fashion Avenue stands out for its spectacular location next to Burj Khalifa, and near the Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard. Linked directly to the Fashion Avenue, a veritable showcase of flagship outlets by the world’s leading fashion brands in The Dubai Mall, the project is one of the last developments in Downtown Dubai.

More than 100 human resources experts from Dubai’s hospitality sector attended the 2nd Dubai College of Tourism HR Forum organised recently by the Dubai College of Tourism (DCT). The Forum was designed to provide recruitment and training specialists in hotels the opportunity to get a better understanding of UAE’s labour laws and find solutions to various work-related challenges. DCT, an institution established by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism),  plays a key role in human resources development in the emirate’s tourism industry and serves as a crucial link between Dubai Tourism and the trade to further enhance the quality of tourism services and the overall visitor experience. During the event held at The Address – Boulevard Hotel, speakers from government and private sector entities addressed the gathering of human resources professionals, covering topics such as Emiratisation, labour laws, and recruitment of staff. The participants were able to glean useful information and get advice from experts during the Q & A session that followed each presentation. Olivier R. Harnisch, CEO of Emaar Hospitality praised the work done by DCT and highlighted the fact that its Emiratisation objectives align with that of Emaar Hospitality. Major Majid AlZarouni, Head of Licensing Department, Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA), a unit of Dubai Police that is responsible for the training of security guards, spoke on issues related to the hiring of security guards including their visas and salaries.

Leading supplier of hygiene products in the Middle East, Dhofar Global has recently announced that it has signed an agreement with AccorHotels, to supply world-class cleaning and hygiene products for its hotels. The deal supports Dhofar Global’s ongoing expansion into new markets, while adding to its increasing list of clients in the hospitality field. The Group operates in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and the Seychelles. Chandan Singh, CEO, Dhofar Global, said, “The new agreement signed with AccorHotels reflects Dhofar Global’s efforts to continuously broaden its horizons and infiltrate new markets all over the world. This is an opportunity for us to expand our dynamic international portfolio of hospitality clients, while reiterating our commitment to supplying our customers with only the highest quality cleaning and hygiene products. We are pleased to be working alongside AccorHotels to ensure the highest level of hygiene in its hotels across the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and the Seychelles.”

Emaar Hospitality Group has launched an innovative service culture programme that aims to transform every touch point of the guest journey in its hotels (Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts and Rove Hotels) into a genuine lifestyle experience. It focuses on employees and includes a series of workshops and training sessions to further enhance their ‘service mindset’. Developed by Performance Solutions and based on the ‘Reverse Thinking’ approach, the programme focuses on the desired guest experience for determining optimal staff behaviour, working climate and leadership. On the business level, the programme is expected to not only build guest loyalty but also drive long-term value creation. Olivier Harnisch, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group, said, “Service excellence is what sets apart hotel brands, and we are taking the whole ‘guest experience’ to the next level through our ‘service culture’ programme. At the heart of this innovative initiative are our employees, every one of them being a brand ambassador, who will bring add-on value to the guest experience at every touch point. As Emaar Hospitality Group expands its geographic footprint globally and focuses on digital transformation, lending an enhanced human touch is vital in ensuring that we deliver genuine value to our guests.”

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has recently announced that it will open two new properties in Dubai: Crowne Plaza Dubai Business Bay and InterContinental Residence Suites Dubai Business Bay. Both properties are in partnership with API Hotels & Resorts, and have prime locations, in Dubai’s Business Bay area, the planned business capital of the region. Expected to open in 2019, Crowne Plaza Dubai Business Bay will be situated on the Business Bay Canal, near Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall and other developing commercial and residential communities. With 290 rooms and suites, the hotel will offer its guests all-day dining options, as well as a gym and an outdoor infinity pool. It will also include a ballroom as well as several meeting rooms to host conferences and events. The InterContinental Residence Suites Dubai Business Bay will be situated on the Business Bay canal extension of the Dubai Creek, across from the Crowne Plaza Dubai Business Bay. This waterfront property will serve as an ideal residence for those seeking a home in the heart of Dubai’s luxury lifestyle hub, in close proximity to business areas such as Dubai International Financial Centre and Business Bay’s commercial centres. It will offer 30 studios and 60 one-bedroom, 60 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom suites. Jassim Al Ali, CEO of API Hotels & Resorts, added, “In order to maximize further growth opportunities in the Middle East, we believe that we need to add a global operator with an internationally recognized brand to our portfolio and IHG, as a market leader with over 5,000 hotels worldwide fits this profile perfectly.