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Hilton rebrands
Hilton Worldwide, formerly Hilton Hotels Corporation, has announced launch of its new corporate name and logo. According to the group, Hilton Worldwide signifies the company's global reach, and the logo incorporates key design elements reflecting Hilton's heritage, vision for the future and commitment to excellence in service. 'The changes have also been mirrored by the internal launch of a refreshed company vision, mission, values and key strategic priorities, which are intended to communicate more clearly how Hilton conducts business and plans to achieve company goals,' the company said in a statement.
Millennium to open five new hotels in UAE
Hospitality firm, Millennium and Copthorne Hotels is planning to open five new properties in the UAE to increase the number of hotels it runs in the country to 11 by 2012, Emirates Business has reported. The five new hotels include two in Abu Dhabi, one of which, the Abu Dhabi Grand Hotel, is regarded as one of Abu Dhabi's biggest with 850 rooms and is due to open in March. Six out of the eight hotels currently run by the chain in the MENA region are in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The other two are in Qatar and Kuwait, the company said.
Dubai World to hire 12,000 for Las Vegas project
Dubai World and MGM Mirage have announced that they plan to hire 12,000 staff for their joint CityCenter hotel and leisure project in Las Vegas, The National has reported. The recruitment drive for jobs at ARIA Resort and Casino, Vdara Hotel and Crystals retail district would be the 'single largest hiring effort in the nation', the company said. The jobs range from bartenders and cooks to prop handlers, slot operators and manicurists.
Fairmont to manage Abu Dhabi hotel
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts will manage a newly-built five-star hotel in Abu Dhabi when it opens on October 1, Gulf News has reported. The Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, which is owned by the Al Fahim Group unit Rmal Hospitality, is located near the Abu Dhabi International Airport and has 369 guest rooms, a variety of restaurants, in addition to a private beach, two outdoor swimming pools, a fitness centre and a spa.
Oman's Muscat Festival cancelled due to H1N1
Oman has declared the cancellation of its annual event Muscat Festival due to fears about H1N1 swine flu, according to news reports. The month-long festival is due to be held in January and attracts foreign visitors every year. Oman has reported nearly 2,000 cases and 18 deaths from the H1N1 virus so far, Reuters has reported.
Abu Dhabi approves TDIC projects
The Abu Dhabi Executive Committee has approved two project proposals presented by the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC). The proposed projects include the construction of a conference centre and a diving and water sports centre at Sir Bani Yas Island near the Desert Islands Resort.
Millennium Hotels debuts in Yemen
The Millennium & Copthorne Hotels has signed its first hotel in Yemen. The five-star Millennium Gold Mohur Beach Resort Aden hotel, with 124 rooms and suites, is located on the shore of the Gulf of Aden with private beach and recreational facilities as well as a variety of food and beverage outlets.
Marriott expands in Dubai
Marriott International, which operates six hotels in Dubai, is planning to further expand its presence in the emirate, The National has reported. The company has signed agreements with developers to operate two hotels at Lifestyle City, one in the Marina, one on Sheikh Zayed Road, another two at Healthcare City, one at Jebel Ali and two at Motor City, across its portfolio of brands including Courtyard and Renaissance, according to Jeff Strachan, the area director of sales and marketing for Marriott, Middle East and Africa. Most of the hotels are expected to open between next year and 2012, but construction on those in Jebel Ali and Healthcare City has yet to begin as the broader developments remain on hold.
Dubai room rates drop 26% in H1
Room rates in Dubai hotels fell by 26% in the first six months of 2009 for guests paying in US dollars, according to a new report by Hotels.com. Globally, hotel rates fell by an average of 17% in the first half of the year, compared to the same period in 2008, the report found. For UK visitors paying for hotel rooms in pounds sterling, room rates in Dubai dropped a more modest 4% year on year.
GetThere rolls out in Middle East
GetThere, an online travel procurement solution, has launched in the Middle East, through Sabre Travel Network Middle East (STNME). GetThere has self-booking deployments in 76 countries and generates more than $9bn in business travel bookings alone. The latest GetThere release contains 15 enhancements, now available to clients using GetThere either directly or via a travel agency reseller, including live hotel availability and mobile access to trip and flight status information on any WAP-enabled device.
Oman to see 2m tourists in 2009, says official
The head of development at Oman's tourism ministry said he expects the country to see an increase of about 11% in tourists this year, taking it to the two million mark for the first time. 'The global crisis has forced Gulf nationals to travel closer from home and Oman is hugely benefiting from it,' Khalid al-Ghassan told Reuters.
H1N1 clearance required for Hajj Visa
The UAE's General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments has said that this year's pilgrims will need to furnish a health certificate to show they are free of the H1N1 virus in order to obtain entry visa for Hajj, Khaleej Times has reported. 'The authority will not allow any person to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this season without submitting this certificate,' Mohammed Obeid Al Mazrouie, head of the UAE Official Haj Mission and executive director of the authority said.
Work begins on Bahrain Sri Lankan six-star JV hotel
Sri Lanka's Department of Government Information has said that work on the island nation's first six-star hotel - a joint venture with Bahrain - has begun in the northern Kappitiya area. It is expected to begin operations from November 2011, Xinhua news agency reported. The hotel will cost $130m to develop, have 420 rooms and aims to be environmentally friendly.
Bahrain Hawar resort to open after Eid
Bahrain's refurbished Tulip Inn Hawar Beach Resort on Hawar Islands will re-open to tourists after the Eid holiday. The resort was due to restart operations on September 15 before a formal opening during the Eid holiday. "We still cannot say how long it will take, but hope to open shortly after the Eid holidays," Tulip Inn operations manager Mustapha Chatila said told Gulf Daily News. "There are some issues that we are working on in consultation with the contractors. These will be finalised soon."
Saudi issues guidelines for Haj pilgrims
A guideline for Haj pilgrims has been issued by the Saudi foreign ministry in the context of swine flu, The Peninsula has reported. The guideline requires pilgrims to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza before their departure to Saudi Arabia, with a certificate as a proof for vaccination and should have been administered within a period that does not exceed more than two weeks prior to their departure. If the vaccine is made available before the pilgrimage, pilgrims are also required to get vaccinated against H1N1 virus.
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