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Nakheel invests in Koh Samui resort
Nakheel has partnered with Thailand's Amburaya Hotels and Resorts investing in Thailand's Koh Samui Island to launch an integrated resort development of 17 private residences and a 75-key all-villa hotel. Targeting the upmarket, W Koh Samui Retreat & Residences will be one of the first W-branded residential projects in Asia set for completion in 2010.
City Tower Group launches hotel apartment in Dubai
City Tower Hotel Apartments, the hospitality arm of UAE-based City Tower Group, has opened a new property in Bur Dubai. The hotel apartment houses 126 units, including studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. City Tower Group also has one hotel apartment facility in Sharjah and one in Deira.
Cruise operators face challenging times
The economic downturn is causing many cruise operators to offer various incentives to attract passengers, including two-for one pricing, family packages in which children sail free, and home-port crusing that avoids the cost of an airfare to reach an exotic departure point, reported The National. The Norwegian Cruise Line has even offered a full fare refund if clients cancel their cruise because of job loss.
The Address launches 24-hour stay promotion
The Address Hotels & Resorts has introduced a 24-hour stay benefit across all its hotels. As per the new benefit, guests opting for Suite or Club room accommodations can enjoy the privilege of a total 24-hour stay without incurring late check-out charges. This service is currently available at The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai and The Palace - The Old Town, the two properties currently operated by the brand in Dubai.
Saudi's first Garden Inn Hilton to open wthin months
The Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya, the first hotel resulting from the management deal signed by Hilton and Al Hokair Group, will open in downtown Riyadh in the middle of this year. It is the first of 13 hotels expected to be built over the coming five years by the pair in Saudi Arabia, adding 2,500 rooms. The second, Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Al Muroj will open during the first quarter of 2010.
Starwood opens W Doha
Starwood Hotels and Resorts has announced the opening of W Doha Hotel and Residences in Qatar, the first W branded property in the Middle East. The company plans to open up to 100 further properties globally in 2009, including 50 in its Europe, Africa and Middle East division.
Sri Lanka targets Gulf visitors
Sri Lanka is planning to hold road shows in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to attract more tourists from the Gulf. The number of Middle East travellers visiting Sri Lanka grew by 24% last year, according to the country's tourism bureau Middle East office. The Middle East has become the fastest growing source market for Sri Lanka.
Grand Hyatt Doha opens
The 249-room Grand Hyatt Doha has announced its opening to guests. Offering as well 91 private residences, the hotel is directly located on a 400-metre beach in Doha's new West Bay Lagoon District, at the start of the causeway to the Pearl-Qatar project. The hotel has four restaurants and two lounges, including an open plan kitchen restaurant offering Thai cuisines.
Dubai hotel rates rose 12% in Q4 2008
While most hotels in the world were lowering prices due to the onset of the financial crisis, Dubai registered a 12% rise in rooms rates in the 4th quarter last year compared to the same period in 2007, according to a report by Hotels.com. The report said Dubai had the second-highest room rates in the world in the fourth quarter of last year, with an average rate of $260.
Delays hit Gulf hotel projects
Just 39% of hotel projects in the Gulf that were in the pipeline six months ago are still on target to open on time or with a slight delay, according to research by TRI Hospitality Consulting. Another 33% have been delayed by more than six months, while 13% are on hold, and 15% have been cancelled, the research said. Despite the delays, there are still an estimated 86,000 confirmed hotel rooms in the supply pipeline for the Gulf to 2011.
Egypt tourism may weather downturn
Although tourism is down in Egypt, the decline has not been as bad as hotels had feared, Ahmad al-Nahas, chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, told Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper. 'We were really worried,' al-Nahas said. 'But it looks like our drop will not be as big as originally anticipated.' He said revenue at hotels in Egypt between January and March were down only about 12% below last year, 'which was an exceptional year'. The hotels that have seen the biggest declines have been those in Red Sea resort cities Hurghada and Sharm El- Sheikh, where occupancy rates were down by up to 40% in recent months, though improving in March.
Travel spending in US plummets
Americans and foreign visitors have cut US travel spending to the lowest level since the terrorist attacks of 2001, despite huge discounts being offered on air fares, hotel rates, theme park admissions, new government and industry statistics show. The US Department of Commerce reported travel and tourism spending dropped in 2008, and plummeted at an annual rate of 22% in the last three months of this year.
Abu Dhabi to invest $230bn in tourism
In its efforts to diversify its oil dependant economy, Abu Dhabi is expected to pump $230bn in tourism projects over the next five years according to a government official. The investments are part of Abu Dhabi's long term plan to expand its non oil sectors. Azhari Issa, an economic researcher at the Department of Economy, said hotel earnings surged to Dhs4.3bn in 2008 from Dhs2.5bn in 2007.
Egypt suffers tourism slump
Egypt's tourism minister Zoheir Garrana said occupancy rates at Egyptian hotels have dipped to an average of about 70%. Egyptian investment bank EFG-Hermes has said occupancy could fall below 50% this year and tourists to drop by 18%.
Park Inn opens in Muscat
Park Inn has opened for service on March 19, along Muscat's main highway which links Muscat International Airport to Ruwi business district, minutes away from Shatti Al Qurum, Muscat's main diplomatic and commercial area.. The four-star hotel has 175 rooms, five meeting rooms and business centre, as well as two international restaurants. Park Inn is part of the Rezidor Hotel Group.
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