Tourism and Hospitality
- The news you choose »
- Login to Add to Watchlist
Saudi warns pilgrims from bogus companies
A special toll-free number and website will be provided by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Haj for local pilgrims to protect them from bogus companies offering to take them on Haj, Saudi Gazette has reported. Accredited companies will be published on the Ministry of Haj's website. The toll-free number is 800-244-4480 and, once activated, will be operational from 10 A.M. to 10 p.m.
Minister: Lebanon to receive 2 million visitors in '09
Lebanon is on pace to receive two million tourists in 2009 for the first time in its history despite the global economic downturn, Dr Nada Sardouk Ghandour, Lebanon's director general for the ministry of tourism, told AMEInfo.com on the sidelines of the Middle East Tourism Marketing Summit 2009 today.
Unemployment, H1N1 pose challenges for tourism industry
The biggest hurdles that the global tourism industry faces on its path to recovery are high unemployment and a potential worsening of the H1N1 crisis, Geoffrey Lipman, Assistant Secretary General, United Nations World Tourism Organisation said today at the Middle East Tourism Marketing Summit 2009.
Aloft Abu Dhabi opens
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and its new destination sensation brand, Aloft Hotels, have announced the opening of Aloft Abu Dhabi, the first Aloft hotel to open in the Middle East and the only hotel in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec). The 408-room hotel is linked directly to the Adnec, and features the soon-to-open Re:lax@12 rooftop bar, Mai Restaurant and Bar and Dine Restaurant.
Middle East hotels eye expansion in India
UAE-based hotel firms Jumeirah and Rotana are among a growing number of hotel chains looking to expand in India, Emirates Business has reported. Jumeirah finds the growth of the Indian hospitality industry encouraging and sees the country as an opportunity to continue growing its global brand presence, Jumeirah's Executive Chairman, Gerald Lawless told the newspaper. Meanwhile, Rotana is currently negotiating with property owners to establish its brand in India, according to Amal Harb, Associate Vice-President Marketing and Communications. 'India is one of the world's most dynamic economies and a country that offers significant prospects for the development of hotels,' Accor Asia-Pacific Chairman and CEO, Michael Issenberg, told the daily.
New hotel planned for Jordan
Jordan's Dead Sea Development Corp. has signed an agreement with the Amazon River Company for Tourism Investment to build a 4-star hotel on the shores of the Dead Sea, Jordan Times has reported. The $45m hotel is expected to be completed within 34 months.
IHG opens two hotels in Abu Dhabi
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened two new hotels in Abu Dhabi, a Crowne Plaza hotel and Staybridge Suites, its first extended stay property in the Gulf region. The Staybridge Suites Abu Dhabi is located in the centre of Yas Island and offers a choice of 164 suites, ranging from studios to two bedroom suites, all with fully equipped kitchens and access to a 24-hour convenience store. Located on the banks of the Yas Creek, the 428-room Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi is the second Crowne Plaza hotel in the capital and features six restaurants, including a Pool Bar with outdoor dining, as well as full business facilities, a 25-metre part shaded pool, steam rooms, sauna and a squash court.
Rotana to open tallest hotel in the world
Rotana Hotels has announced plans to open the tallest hotel in the world in Dubai in mid December 2009. Opening under Rotana's alcohol-free 'Rayhaan' brand, the 72-storey Rose Rayhaan will rise 72 storeys, reaching a height of 333 metres. The hotel offer 481 rooms, suites and penthouses along with a range of food and beverage venues, eight meeting rooms, business facilities, a fitness centre, outdoor swimming pool, and sauna and steam rooms.
Hotel rates post big fall in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
According to data from STR Global, hotels in Dubai posted the largest average daily rate (ADR) decrease in the Middle East in October, Emirates Business has reported. ADR fell 8.3% to $175.62 (Dhs644), while the next largest decrease, a drop of 6.8% to $200.50, was in Abu Dhabi. The main reason for the price drop was due to an increase in the supply of hotel rooms, the data showed.
The Address Dubai Marina opens
The Address Hotels + Resorts has announced the opening of The Address Dubai Marina, catered as a five-star business and leisure hub. The hotel offers 200 rooms, including 28 suites. Apart from the hotel rooms, The Address Dubai Marina also has 442 serviced apartments.
Swissotel Makkah to open in Q1 2011
Swissotel Hotels & Resorts has announced it expects its first hotel in the Middle East, Swissotel Makkah in Saudi Arabia to open in January 2011. The new hotel is going to have 1571 guest rooms, including 88 suites, spread over 53 floors, with half of all the rooms and suites enjoying a view of the Holy Mosque. Additionally, Swissotel Makkah will have four restaurants, an Executive Lounge, two meeting rooms and a Business Centre.
Rezidor opens two hotels in Abu Dhabi
Brussels-based Rezidor Hotel Group has announced the opening of two new hotels in Abu Dhabi; the Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island and Park Inn Abu Dhabi, Yas Island. The opening of the Park Inn marks the launch of the firm's mid-market brand in the UAE. Featuring a combined total of 601 guest rooms, the hotels are positioned adjacent to one another on Yas Island.
Yas Hotel gets five-star classification
The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has awarded the new Yas Hotel a five-star classification. 'Properties such as the Yas Hotel and Emirates Palace are currently classified as five-star but obviously they go well beyond the requirements of that particular ranking,' Nasser Al Reyami, Tourism Standards Director at ADTA said. Scheduled to open to the public on November 3, a day after the final race of this year's Formula 1 season, the hotel is owned and operated by Aldar Hotels and Hospitality.
New hotel opens in Dubai Media City
The Media One Hotel in the Dubai Media City has received the official classification of a four-star hotel by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), marking the hotel's soft opening. The 260-room hotel occupies the first 23 floors of a 43-storey tower and offers food and beverage outlets, gym, outdoor pool and terrace. It also houses a fully equipped business centre and seven meeting rooms.
Rocco Forte to manage Shepheard hotel
The Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels has announced the appointment of The Rocco Forte Collection to manage The Shepheard Hotel in Cairo as a five-star hotel within their brand after assisting in the full renovation of the hotel. The Rocco Forte Collection team will assume temporary management of the 279-room hotel as of November 2009, running it outside of its main brand, after which it will close for total refurbishment and renovations. The hotel will be re-opened in early 2012.
It looks like you are using a Mac - check out our 
Web Feeds