Category Archives: Hotels

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,100 hotels across more than 95 countries, announces the reintroduction of direct franchising and management rights for its Ramada by Wyndham brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, replacing exclusive master licence agreements for the brand in the country. With more than 900 hotels globally, Ramada is Wyndham’s largest brand in Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA), with over 200 hotels in approximately 40 countries in the region, of which over 30 in the Middle East and Africa region alone. The move is aligned with Wyndham’s’ strategy to expand the brand in the wider Middle East and Africa region, where the Company’s development pipeline includes approximately 26 hotels, of which nearly 60% are under the Ramada portfolio. Dimitris Manikis, President EMEA, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said: “Ramada by Wyndham is not only our biggest brand in EMEA but also one of the most well-known brands by travellers around the world. This strategic move marks an important step in helping us further expand in a high-potential market like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where there is a significant need for high quality mid-scale hotels. We are committed to contributing to the development of the Kingdom’s tourism through the expansion of our mid-market and economy presence, to help bring even more accommodation options to suit all visitors to the Kingdom.” As part of the Company’s expansion plan in the Saudi Arabia, Wyndham has recently opened Ramada by Wyndham Riyadh King Fahd Road, its 13th hotel in the country. The new hotel boasts 189 rooms and suites, providing warm hospitality and comfort right in the heart of the city. Alongside contemporary …

Valor Hospitality Partners Middle East recently announced their highly anticipated partnership with the Hospitality & Leisure vertical of Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the principal investment arm of the government of Dubai, which manages a portfolio of commercial companies and investments. With the joint venture firmly in place, Valor Hospitality has commenced operational transition of 800+ keys across popular and established hotels in the Emirate, including Dubai’s first five-star property, the Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek and 3 Wyndham Deira hotels. These properties which will retain their existing brands,will be added to the portfolio of operating and pipeline properties Valor have in the region. Valor Hospitality operate 85+ properties globally and enjoy preferred status or close partnerships with global hotel brands, working closely with owners to develop their assets. “We feel honoured to manage these hotels that have been part of the Dubai landscape for varying degrees of time. We feel sincere accountability towards our hotel guests, hotel teams, and hotel brands during the transition processes” said Euan McGlashan, CEO and global co-founder of Valor Hospitality Partners. “We have a strong history of retention of team members during the process of assuming operational management and remain committed to growing employee culture, in addition to ensuring personal and professional growth” McGlashan continued. A spokesperson for ICD said “Valor Hospitality bring global knowledge of a business model unique to the region that we are excited to see unfold and develop. The agreement will help Valor expand in the region, strengthen its operations and implement its strategies with the addition of the 4 properties in the ICD portfolio.” “The Middle East, and Dubai in particular, continues to lead when it comes to …

IHG® Hotels & Resorts announced the signing of a management agreement with the Owners of Carlton Al Moaibed Hotel in Al Khobar, that was founded by the late ‘Abdulrahman Al Moaibed and the late George N. Frem back in 1977, in order to transform the hotel into Saudi Arabia’s first Vignette Collection Hotel. The new property will be refurbished and is scheduled to be rebranded by 2024. The Vignette Collection is a family of one-of-a-kind, exclusive hotels curated for guests seeking rich and varied stay experiences. Promising luxury with purpose, Vignette Collection hotels weave responsibility, community, and locality together, and exist to make a positive impact in every way possible. The brand also gives owners of world-class independent hotels the opportunity to retain their distinctive identity, while benefitting from IHG’s global scale and luxury and lifestyle expertise. The rebranded Vignette Collections Hotel in Khobar will join existing Vignette properties across countries including Portugal, Austria, Thailand and Australia. The signing of the 150-key hotel in the Eastern Province capital also marks another milestone in IHG’s over 40-year presence in the Kingdom and brings a fresh and compelling luxury experience to the most discerning of guests. The rebranded Vignette Collection Hotel will be a part of a luxury community village with entertainment facilities, 5 food and beverage outlets, sophisticated experimental spa and health club. The community village will offer an Olympic-sized outdoor pool among other premium sporting facilities. Business guests will be able to take advantage of the hotel’s five multi-purpose meeting rooms and convention spaces, as well as other MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) facilities that will accommodate up to 1,500 guests. The hotel is also strategically located just a …

The fifth edition of the Commercial Strategy Conference by Hospitality Sales Marketing Association HSMAI Middle East kicked off with TravTalk ME, TravelTV MiddleEast and Tourismbreakingnews as media partners. Almost 300 participants attended the opening day from all the leading hotel chains in the Middle East. In her opening remarks Mona Faraj, Managing Director of HSMAI ME welcomed everyone for the event, “this year we have created two stages – one the main stage for topical events and the other focused on trends and insights with topical content on marketing and communications. Last year, I was told Mona you’re not covering enough topical content across commercial disciplines, specifically marketing and communications, you know we are all marketers here whether we know it or not, but we don’t have the skills for it and what we did is that we created or formed the most active marketing advisory board that have put a lot of the content over the past two years. Every single year we listen to your feedback and try to deliver educational content that is more meaningful to you. We also did a lot of new content this year, so you will see later on we have a new rock star later on and you will hear why, we brought in the lightning round, now please make sure you attend all six of them, your up for a treat. 2022 was a year full of educational webinars, activities, events and exposure because it is important to maintain that social element within our regional organisational members.” She concluded saying that over the past year 29 events were hosted by HSMAI ME and that they look forward to make it 50 …

NH Collection Dubai The Palm announces its opening in February 2023 and will be the first NH Collection property to launch in the United Arab Emirates. The new-build 533-key property is located beside the lagoon of Palm Jumeirah with direct beach access and spectacular views across the Dubai skyline and is set to become a singular new location for exceptional hospitality in Dubai. The property features 227 hotel guest rooms and suites and 306 studios and apartments across 11 room categories. The bold, original décor of the interiors and accommodation reflect local colours and the vibrancy of the destination, something guests will feel each time they step into their elegant room or suite with captivating views of the Marina skyline and Arabian Gulf. Higher room categories, including the Premium Sea View Room, the One Bedroom Sea View Suite, and Superior One Bedroom Sea View Apartment, will feature exclusive access to the NH Collection Premium Lounge. NH Collection Dubai The Palm will have five distinctive dining venues, set to become favourites with guests, Dubai residents, and visitors. Maiora, where an abundance of dishes from around the world are served for all-day dining. Te-Lounge, for those who need refreshment after the gym or a light, healthy bite. Seven Sports Bar, where friends can catch up in an informal setting or watch the big event over classic snacks and drinks. Revo Café, a chic urban hangout where creative and healthy dishes are crafted, and SEEN, a modern multi-sensory rooftop venue with spectacular sunset views and expertly mixed cocktails. From the 45-metre rooftop infinity pool, fully-equipped fitness centre, kids’ club, and NH Collection Spa, to the selection of eclectic dining venues, when NH Collection …

JW Marriott announced its debut in Saudi Arabia with the opening of JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh. The highly anticipated luxury hotel welcomes guests for a transformative and elevated stay to nourish the mind, body and spirit. Spanning 349-rooms, the property is the ideal choice for travellers seeking a refreshing stay in the heart of Riyadh’s new commercial and residential district. “We are excited to debut JW Marriott, an iconic legacy brand,in Saudi Arabia with the opening of JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh,” said Bruce Rohr, Global Brand Leader, JW Marriott Hotels. “JW Marriott combines personalized, luxury service with principles of mindfulness that are integral to today’s business and leisure traveler. Those seeking a retreat from the hustle and bustle of this dynamic city will find JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh the perfect place for a modern, wellness-focused and balanced stay.” “The opening of JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh marks the brand’s long awaited debut in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Guests will be encouraged to experience every moment to the fullest at this luxurious new destination that follows      the JW Marriott’s philosophy to provide guests the ideal haven to recharge and reflect,” said Candice D’Cruz, Vice President – Luxury Brands, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. A sense of luxury is present from the first moment of arrival as guests are welcomed into a lobby adorned with an emerald-green wall accented by unique light fixtures and textured furnishings that give a nod to the aesthetic of a wadi environment. Leveraging the natural wonders of the local surroundings, the guest experience begins with a reception area inspired by the capital’s desert sand dunes, from the curved reception desk that reflects the movement of …

The ultra-luxury Raffles Doha and luxury Fairmont Doha – which herald the entry of the aspirational Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts brands to Qatar –are now open exclusively FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ guests and VIP delegation. The dual-branded five-star properties, housed within Katara towers, have welcomed their first guests while supporting the nation’s historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ by delivering exemplary service and truly exceptional experiences in both hotels. Seven outstanding food and beverage outlets and restaurants have opened to the public, four located within Raffles Doha and three in Fairmont Doha. Through advanced reservation only, non-stay guests can now book to enjoy next-generation gastronomic experiences at Raffles Doha’s Alba, which is the first overseas outpost for the celebrated restaurant by three-star Michelin chef Enrico Crippa; L’Artisan, which celebrates the art of modern dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner; Blue Cigar, a lounge which boasts 6,000 literary classics including some first edition classics as well as bespoke cigar collection; as well as Malaki Lounge, which spans the atrium lounge and ground floor and is the perfect venue for afternoon tea. Diners can head to Fairmont Doha to savour the progressive Indian cuisine at Masala Library, the concept by restaurateur, television host, and author Jiggs Kalra, and Latin American cuisine of Vaya, a vibrant restaurant with open kitchens and interactive service stations and where south American inspired dishes and drinks are prepared table-side. Guests can also choose to visit Dôme, a stylish chic Tea lounge that is the perfect place for afternoon tea and French-inspired bites and sips. Raffles Doha, an opulent 132-key ultra-luxury property and Qatar’s only all-suite hotel, offers an awe-inspiring suite experience and décor, …

At the recently concluded Switzerland tourism roadshow where they hosted over 100 trade partners recently as the final of their GCC roadshow with 18 key partners that showcased their offerings from tourism boards, hotels, Railways, cablecars, airline and DMCs, it was shared that they had achieved 20% more in terms of visitors than pre pandemic or 2019. Matthias Albrecht, Director Switzerland tourism stated, “This is the last roadshow for the year. Roadshows are very important as we meet people directly in their own home ground. As we all know there are many possibilities to book online and its important to speak to people on digital channels but we all know the big families, VIPs don’t want to stay online for many hours and compare they want the travel agents to organise, add additional rooms or connecting doors, especially in this region this will stay, these contacts are able to arrange everything for them, we are here to meet these contacts.” Speaking on the year that was, “it was a fantastic year, we had a great start, there was a survey conducted early 2022, it was asking many UAE residents and nationals about their favourite travel destination and Switzerland became third after Dubai and Abu Dhabi which are both within UAE which means Switzerland the most prominent and most popular destination outside the UAE which is a fantastic result and of course helped us a lot to advertise Switzerland throughout the year.” This summer proved to be good for most destinations, Albrecht shared, “there is one figure which we received from September comparing now to 2019, pre pandemic and we are 20 percent plus from the whole of GCC which is …

Marriott International, Inc. announced it has signed a deal with RDK Tourism Investment LLC to open four properties in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The signings are expected to further enhance the company’s footprint in Abu Dhabi and Dubai with the addition of more than 700 rooms across its Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Executive Apartments and Autograph Collection Hotels brands.  All four properties are expected to be converted from existing properties operated by RDK Tourism Investment. “We are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with RDK Tourism Investment and expand our portfolio of properties in the UAE,” said Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, Marriott International. “We look forward to building on this relationship and supporting the overall growth of the tourism sector in the UAE.” Rashid Darwish Ahmed Saif Al Ketbi, Chairman of RDK Group commented, “We look forward to further cementing our relationship with Marriott International as part of our aim to expand our hospitality portfolio in the region. The four properties aim to contribute to the local economic development of upcoming tourism destinations in the UAE, in line with our investment ambitions as a company to develop landmark projects that cater to guests at the highest international standards.” Marriott Mirfa Resort, Abu Dhabi The company’s flagship brand, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, is anticipated to open its first resort in Abu Dhabi with the Marriott Mirfa Resort, Abu Dhabi.  Situated on the coast of the Al Dhafra region in the historic fishing town of Mirfa, the resort will exemplify the brand’s continued evolution and feature contemporary and intuitive spaces. Projected to be completed in 2025, the 114-room beachfront resort is anticipated to feature views of the Arabian …

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, announced the opening of The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl Qatar. Perched in the heart of Porto Arabia and exclusively accessed by a private bridge, this new Mediterranean-style island seamlessly blends exquisite design, exceptional amenities, and the brand’s legendary Butler Service to create a majestic escape for local luminaries and global tastemakers. “We are thrilled to welcome The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl Qatar to our highly curated global portfolio of hotels and resorts. The opening ushers in a new benchmark for luxury hospitality and as our second St. Regis property in Doha, underlines the brand’s expansion and interest in this dynamic region,” said Satya Anand, President, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. “A new luxury landmark, guests can expect the modern glamour, cherished traditions and timeless legacy that St. Regis Hotels & Resorts is famed for globally. With this milestone opening, we are also delighted to strengthen our relationship with the Alfardan Group and thank them for their ongoing support and collaboration.” “The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island offers a distinct point of view in one of the most coveted cities in the region. We look forward to offering guests impeccable service, outstanding culinary venues and the exquisite experiences synonymous with the iconic St. Regis brand.” said Wissam Suleiman, Multi-Property General Manager for St. Regis Hotels Doha. The 193 all-suite hotel features a range of lavishly appointed accommodations in one-, two- and three-bedroom formats and private townhouses, each featuring large balconies boasting glorious views overlooking the glistening Arabian Gulf. The spacious suites offer large open bathrooms, walk-in wardrobes, living …