International Hotels implement measures to accommodate Arab customers

So says Tim Ananiadis, General Manager of the prestigious Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, Greece - the city's oldest and most elegant luxury hotel.

Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2009, taking place from 5 to 8 May at the Dubai World Trade Center, Anandias explained the reasoning behind the hotel's participation in the premier exhibition:

"In this day and age, with the changes brought about by globalization, we are all having to pay closer attention to the customs of people from all parts of the world - particularly those of us involved in the hospitality industry."

"One of the effects of this increased awareness is that many hotels and facilities in the west are realizing the importance of making accommodations and implementing certain measures in order to provide visitors and guests from the Arab world with the facilities and amenities that are necessary to them for their culture and religion. This is particularly true since the global financial crisis, as now people have less money to spend on travel and tourism, and hotels are having to compete to retain existing customers, as well as attract new ones," said Ananiadis.

The Hotel Grande Bretagne was built in 1862, and boasts 321 rooms and suites offering spectacular views of major Athenian landmarks, including the Acropolis and the Parthenon. In March 2003, the hotel reopened its doors after undergoing extensive renovations and refurbishment, at a cost of $100m.

According to Ananiadis, part of the renovation process involved adding facilities and making provision for services required by visitors from the Arab world.

"As part of the renovations for Hotel Grande Bretagne we implemented a number of important measures to help us retain our reputation for excellence, luxury and comfort, and for ensuring that our guests have everything they could possibly need."

"For our Arab guests, this includes providing a compass, prayer mats, notification of prayer times, Arabic cuisine, Arabic-speaking staff, and Arabic radio and TV channels available in all rooms and suites, as well as a selection of Arabic newspapers and magazines available in our gift shop. We will also be adopting the iftar and suhoor concepts during the month of Ramadan to ensure that our guests are fully accommodated at all times of the year," Ananiadis said.

"Since the hotel's reopening in 2003, we have been looking to not only retain our existing customer base, but also attract new clientele, particularly those from new and previously untapped markets. ATM 2009 presents a great opportunity for us to unlock business potential within the Middle East and pan-Arab Region, and to promote the Hotel Grande Bretagne to the Arab market, particularly the steps that we have taken to ensure that our facilities are suited to Arab travellers," he added.

In addition to the magnificent rooms and spectacular views of major Athenian landmarks, the Hotel Grande Bretagne features banquet areas, numerous restaurants and bars, an impressive SPA and wellness centre with an indoor pool, rooms for beauty and relaxation treatments, and a fitness centre, featuring the latest sports equipment. All of the hotel's staff have been fully trained in understanding Arab culture in order to better serve their guests.

ATM is the industry´s leading travel and tourism exhibition dedicated to unlocking the business potential within the Middle East region, and brings together key market players from six continents for four days of intensive meetings, seminars, press conferences and social networking opportunities. Since its launch in 1994, the event has grown to become the industry´s leading travel and tourism exhibition. This year's event is expected to welcome over 2,000 exhibitors and more than 20,000 attendees from over 100 countries.