News

Dubai International Hotel, conveniently located within one of the world’s busiest spaces, the Dubai International Airport (DXB), has announced an extensive refurbishment and upgrade program. The 530-room hotel will undergo refurbishment of rooms in Concourse C, resulting in a more stylish and contemporary accommodation for transit passengers. The hotel’s renowned Food & Beverage outlets located within the premise of the bustling Airport are also scheduled for re-invention, with ‘Safar’ being transformed into an International Food Village with offerings from across the globe.

Dubai’s most loved ‘McGettigan’s Irish Pub’ will shift from its original location at Concourse C to the new Food Village and shall continue to welcome guests 24/7. ‘The Gallery’ is also scheduled to undergo a complete makeover and diners can now expect to soak into a cozy vintage vibe in a new hops bar.

Apart from the promise of world-class dining, Dubai International Hotel offers travelers an opportunity to rest and refresh at any of the 72 treatment rooms of the Timeless Spa, strategically located all across Concourses A, B, and C. The Airport Hotel’s Ahlan ‘Meet & Greet’ – Dubai International Airport’s premier Concierge Service, and award-winning Ahlan First Class and Business Class Lounges continue to offer travelers the friendliest and personalized welcome into Dubai.

Recognized as the ‘Best Airport Hotel’ 2016 by Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards, and ‘Regional Winner – Luxury Airport Hotel’ 2016 at the World Luxury Hotel Awards, Dubai International Hotel has a rich culture and offers a gamut of services for the discerning traveler. The customer-oriented Airport Hotel has bagged numerous awards in the recent past including ‘Recognition of Excellence’ 2016 by HotelsCombined, ‘Certificate of Excellence’ from 2012 to 2016 by Trip Advisor and ‘Best Airport Hotel in the Middle East’ 2011 by World Airport Skytrax Awards. Other recent accolades include top-notch current TripAdvisor ratings such as the Number 1-rating in the Spa & Wellness category and Number 2 in the Specialty Lodging – Hotels category. Ahlan First Class Lounge is also currently rated Number 1, while Ahlan Business Class Lounge follows closely at Number 2 in the Dubai Restaurants category. McGettigan’s Irish Pub is ranked at Number 3 and Asian specialty restaurant ‘Cho Gao Transit’ completes a formidable Dubai International Hotel Top 4 finish at Number 4.

Dubai International Hotel offers overnight as well as hourly rates for Rooms. Timeless Spa, Ahlan and F&B services are open to all passengers transiting through Terminal’s 1 and 3 of the Dubai International Airport.

France’s AccorHotels has announced plans for the largest Sofitel property in the Middle East in Dubai’s Wafi area.

The agreement, signed with development partner MKM Commercial Holdings, will see the property open in early 2019, adding to the existing 14 hotels in the brand’s regional portfolio.

Sofitel Dubai Wafi will feature 501 rooms, including 86 suites ranging from 55sqm to 526sqm, and an additional 97 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom serviced residences.

Dining options will include an Asian speciality restaurant, gastro pub, a destination restaurant, bar and lounge on the 43rd and 44th floors, a French lobby café, all-day restaurant and pool par.

A spa, gym, outdoor pool, private cabanas, kids club, 10 meeting rooms and a 1,115sqm ballroom are among the other facilities.

HH Sheikh Manna Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, chairman of MKM Commercial Holdings, said he was confident the property would complement the areas’ existing Raffles hotel, also managed by Accor following its $2.9bn acquisition of FRHI last year.

“Within the United Arab Emirates, we’ve established a strong presence with four operational hotels across landmark locations including Abu Dhabi Corniche, Downtown Dubai, the Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Residences, and now Wafi – a major shopping destination set to undergo a comprehensive retail and leisure expansion,” said Sami Nasser, COO, luxury brands, AccorHotels Middle East.

Accor has made a number of other hotel announcements in the region in recent months including the introduction of the Mama Shelter brand and the opening of the world’s largest Mercure hotel in Dubai.

Atlantis, The Palm and MasterCard are giving Dubai residents and visitors a mouthwatering offer across the resorts eateries. From 4th June throughout summer until 15th October, MasterCard holders will receive 25 % off their total food and beverage bill.

From creative cocktails in YUAN, Atlantis steak at Seafire, or fine dining at the resorts underwater restaurant, Ossiano, paying with MasterCard will take a huge bite out of the final bill. The fantastic offer will only be available to those on a table of eight or less and will be available across the resorts seven signature restaurants including YUAN, Seafire, Ronda Locatelli, Bread Street Kitchen and Bar, Nobu, Ossiano, and Ayamna. In addition, smaller eateries and outdoor dining venues are also taking part, including TBJ burger joint, Shawafel, Asia Republic and Nasimi beach.

Terms and conditions of the MasterCard offer:

The offer is not valid on brunches or Asateer tent dining
The offer is not applicable for banqueting or at any Aquaventure restaurant
The offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, promotion or discount.
Offer is valid for in-house and outside guests.
Payment must be made directly at the restaurant using your MasterCard
Offer must be paid in full using a valid MasterCard debit or credit card
The available discount must be requested by the MasterCard card holder. Discounts will not be granted automatically when paying with a MasterCard

Terms and conditions apply. To view all terms please visit https://www.atlantisthepalm.com/special-offers/mastercard

In another technology first, Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure business of Emaar Properties PJSC, has introduced panoramic, 360 virtual tours of its hotels in Dubai.

The 360 virtual tours, captured in high-definition photographs and videos, offer visitors the opportunity to experience the unique value propositions of each hotel, discover its myriad facets and make an informed decision – be it for booking hotel stays, restaurants or pampering oneself at spas.

The 360 virtual tours cover properties under the premium luxury hotel and serviced residences brand, Address Hotels + Resorts; the upscale lifestyle hotel and serviced residences brand, Vida Hotels and Resorts; and the new contemporary mid-scale hotel and serviced residences brand, Rove Hotels.

Olivier Harnisch, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “Introducing innovative digital experiences is part of our strategy to further enhance the guest experience. The 360 virtual tours open doors to the delightful and exceptional lifestyle offerings at our hotels, enabling visitors anywhere in the world to make informed decisions and plan their stay in vivid detail. We will continue to explore newer opportunities to strengthen our online engagement with our guests, underlining our commitment to provide value-added customer-centric experiences.”

The 360 virtual tours take visitors through the spectacular architecture that define properties under Address Hotel + Resorts, including Address Boulevard, Address Dubai Marina, Address Dubai Mall, Address Montgomerie, and Palace Downtown. The 360 virtual tours also take visitors through the exceptional ambience offered by Vida Downtown and Manzil Downtown, as well as the three Rove Hotels that are currently operational in central locations across the city – Rove Downtown, Rove City Centre and Rove Healthcare City.

To view, simply click on the hotel websites, which can be navigated via www.addresshotels.com; www.vidahotels.com; and www.rovehotels.com. The master-brand pages will take you to individual hotel sites, where you can take the interactive tours.

Each virtual tour, assembled through panoramic photography and videography, will provide all the features of the hotel in vivid details. From the exteriors to the interior, whether it is the lobby, restaurants, lounges, spas, event spaces, or the intricate details of rooms and suites, you can experience it all online.

The launch of the 360 virtual tours of all hotels is part of the ambitious digital transformation that Emaar Hospitality Group is bringing through several innovative initiatives. The objective is to enable visitors to become familiar with the hotels and understand the real value that awaits them. They can then simply make their bookings via the website itself, adding to their convenience.

The virtual tours can also be experienced over smartphones through the new native Apps that Emaar Hospitality Group has launched. Setting an industry-first, these Apps powered by Go Find It Technologies SA, enhance the digital lifestyle experiences of guests at Address Hotels + Resorts, Palace Downtown, Vida Hotels and Resorts, Manzil Downtown and Rove Hotels. The Apps of Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts, Palace Downtown and Manzil Downtown have gone live with the Rove Hotels App to go live shortly.

Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain have been rated by international tourists as their favourite attractions in the UAE,  according to the latest Arabian Falcon Holidays survey participated by 1,212 respondents.

More than 70 per cent of international tourists said they were keen to stay longer in Dubai and explore more. This clearly reflects Dubai’s fast growing popularity as an international tourist destination. The desire to stay longer is over and above the one to two weeks’ vacation they already booked in Dubai based on the AFH survey which included only non-residents.

Dubai’s shopping malls, Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, The Palm, and Dubai restaurants are the next favourites amongst the surveyed international tourists.

Al Mohannad Sharafuddin, Founder of Arabian Falcon Holidays (AFH), the largest independent timeshare player in the Middle East, said: “The strong vision of Dubai’s leadership has led the emirate to outpace global growth in tourism. Increased investments toward attracting tourists to Dubai, focus on ensuring happiness for all, alongwith 100 per cent customer satisfaction through initiatives such as the launch of Smart Happiness Index, make Dubai a highly attractive destination that offers an unmatchable experience to international tourists.”

“Speedy and comfortable procedures, starting right at the time you enter the airports, a friendly and efficient customer service in addition to a large number of unique destinations offering attractions for all age groups and interests, make Dubai the place of choice for families and businesses alike,” Sharafuddin added.

The growth in tourism has been particularly remarkable after His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE’s Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, approved the Dubai Vision 2020 for the tourism sector. This lays a strategic roadmap with the goal of attracting 20 million tourists (doubling the number welcomed in 2012) and AED 300 billion in tourism revenues annually by 2020.

To achieve this, Dubai will focus on three key areas: positioning the emirate as a leading family, event and business destination.

The preferences of international tourists, as revealed by the AFH survey, showed that family destinations top the list of favourites.

Dubai Garden Glow, Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah Mosque, Desert Safari, Burj Al Arab, Waterparks, Dubai Parks and Resorts and Global Village are also amongst the hot favourites for international tourists.

The AFH survey also brought out the emerging trend of preference for longer stays amongst tourists. Nearly 50 per cent of the tourists spent four to seven days in Dubai, while 23 per cent stayed up to two weeks and 8.5 per cent of international tourists stayed longer than two weeks in the emirate, according to the survey.

“With a clear vision and a strategic roadmap that focuses on various aspects to attract tourism, Dubai is setting exemplary standards in tourism. Through its numerous achievements Dubai has brought many dreams to reality, and at this pace of growth, we eagerly wait to see its further accomplishments by 2020,” Sharafuddin concluded.

Hospitality industry in Dubai recorded an increase in April across all key performance indicators, including the highest revenue per available room, as hotels across the Middle East North Africa region experienced mixed results.

In Dubai, hotels reported RevPAR of US$ 273, an increase of 18.7 per cent in April compared to the same 2016 period, and also posted the highest occupancy at 88 per cent and the highest average room rate of US$ 310, said EY in its MENA Hotel Benchmark Survey report.

“Numerous events such as the Arabian Travel Market and the Arabian Hotel Investment conference attracted visitors from across the Mena region and may have helped boost the city’s hotel performance,” Yousef Wahbah, MENA head of Transaction Real Estate at EY, said.

Across the region, higher occupancies at lower average room rates affected hotels’ overall revenue per average room. “With the start of Ramadan at the end of May, it can be expected that MENA cities will experience a softer performance until the Eid holidays at the end of June,” said the report.

Abu Dhabi’s hospitality market witnessed a drop in RevPAR by 4.8 per cent in April 2017, which can be attributed to the drop in ADR from US$ 133 in April 2016 to US$ 120 in April 2017. However, occupancy increased by 4.5 per cent in April 2017 when compared to the same month last year.

According to official data issued by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai’s hospitality industry is poised to enter a new growth trajectory with hotel rooms predicted to surge to 140,000-160,000 keys by 2020 from 93,030 as of January 2015.

As the UAE’s tourism and leisure sector, a key pillar to prop the nation’s post-oil economy, is projected to reach Dh 237 billion by year 2026, the Emirates hospitality sector is witnessing a big boom with nearly 100 hotel projects now under construction.

According to Market research firm STR, there are currently 99 hotels being built in the UAE, the highest in the region. The ongoing projects represent 17 per cent of the 556 properties in the Middle East that are either under construction or in the final and planning stages. The new hotels will boost the country’s supply by another 28,898 rooms. In 2017 alone, around 16,000 hotel keys are expected to be handed over in the UAE.

Mama Shelter, the global collection of authentic hotels, has announced plans to open a new location in Dubai. The property will be located in Dubai’s downtown Business Bay and is expected to open in 2020.

“We knew Dubai was the perfect destination for our eighth Mama Shelter property because the city embodies the MAMA spirit with its bustling excitement and international appeal,” said Mama Shelter Founder, Serge Trigano.  “Mama Shelter Dubai will not just be a place for business meetings and flythroughs, but a place to live, work, laugh, debate, celebrate, and at the end of the night, come home to MAMA.”

Designed by Franklin Azzi Architecture, Mama Shelter Dubai will have 201 rooms and 80 residences. The architect explains, “Mama will offer a unique tower to Dubai. A pure glass coat covering a wooden skin made by each rooms’ shutters.” The rooms are sanctuaries with the comforts of home coupled with all the needs of digital modernity, with spacious king size beds and high speed Wi-Fi. With 300 square meters of space set aside for collaboration, travelers will have room to gather, create or simply hang out.

Mama Shelter will also benefit from its proximity to landmarks such as the Downtown Dubai area, the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. Alongside the concentration of lifestyle hospitality projects across Business Bay, Mama Shelter will be positioned as an iconic destination with the presence of an additional five-star hotel within the same tower.

Pawan Kachroo, Managing Director of Khamas Hospitality said, “This project is reflective of a shared vision to bring desired diversity and delight in the regional hospitality industry with fresh innovation. Through the Mama Shelter Dubai Business Bay, we intend to energize the industry with competitive experience driven offerings.”

The Trigano Family, co-founders of Club Med, created Mama Shelter eight years ago with an inaugural location in Paris. Since then the family has expanded Mama Shelter all over the world in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro. In February, the company announced plans to open Mama Shelter Prague in early 2018.

RSG International, UAE-based business group, signed a management agreement with Rotana for its second Dubai hotel project announced this year.

The agreement for the new hotel was signed between Nasser Al Nowais, Chairman of Rotana and Raj Sahni, Chairman of RSG International, at a ceremony held at Amwaj Rotana in Dubai. Also present were Jasjit Singh Jaaj, Group CEO of RSG International, and Omer Kaddouri, President and CEO of Rotana.

The four-star Dh600 million hotel, located on Sheikh Zayed Road, next to UAE Exchange Metro Station, is scheduled for opening before Dubai 2020.

Sahni said the project marks the group’s second collaboration with Rotana this year, following the launch of the Sabah Rotana hotel in Dubai in March 2017. “The new hotel gives a further boost to the company’s plans to augment its hospitality portfolio in the emirate ahead of Expo 2020,” said Sahni.

“This is just one of the many potential projects that we have lined up keeping the Expo 2020 in mind. With the accommodation and hotel room demand on the rise already, property development definitely has our focus at the moment. RSG is known for delivering its projects on or before schedule, and we will live up to our reputation.”

Sahni, also known as Abu Sabah, made news when he bought the most coveted number plate ‘D5’ for around US$9 million from Dubai’s Regional Transport Authority in October 2016.

Addressing a press conference, Al Nowais said Rotana has a robust development pipeline in Dubai, with a clutch of new hotels scheduled to open in the city before the end of 2020.

“Hospitality demand in Dubai is expected to peak around Expo 2020, and Rotana is moving fast to fill the city’s need for additional hotel room supply and meet the anticipated surge in demand. Rotana will open eight new hotels in Dubai by 2020, which will have a combined a managed investment of more than $850 million. The new properties will add 2,668 keys to Rotana’s existing inventory in Dubai, taking the total room count to 6,151, while expanding its portfolio in the emirate to 21 hotels,” said Al Nowais.

Jaaj said Dubai’s hospitality industry has experienced a huge surge in the past decade with travellers from all over the globe flocking the emirate, and it is only expected to grow exponentially.

“It is our endeavour to align our vision with that of the Ruler of Dubai. This agreement with Rotana is a great opportunity for us to expand our hospitality portfolio and it has definitely come at a great time for RSG,” said Jaaj.

He said the new hotel, rising up 40 floors, would also have a well-balanced mix of hotel rooms and hotel apartments. “In total, the new property will feature 180 spacious rooms and 10 luxuriously appointed executive suites in addition to 300 hotel apartments, including 40 studio apartments, 240 one bedroom apartments and 20 two bedroom apartments,” said Jaaj.

The new Rotana hotel on Sheikh Zayed road, rising up 40 floors, will also have a well-balanced mix of hotel rooms and hotel apartments. In total, the new property will feature 180 spacious rooms and 10 luxuriously appointed executive suites in addition to 300 hotel apartments, including 40 studio apartments, 240 one bedroom apartments and 20 two bedroom apartments.

Kaddouri said Dubai, which is preparing to host 25 million visitors for Expo 2020, is estimated to require an additional 45,000 hotel rooms to meet anticipated demand during the six-month-long exhibition.  .

In addition to eight upcoming hotels in Dubai, Rotana will be opening five new hotels in Abu Dhabi in the next 3-4 years, bringing to 16 the total number of our properties in the capital, said Kaddouri.

RSG Group’s first hotel, Sabah Rotana, is also located on Sheikh Zayed Road. The 54-storey property has 533 rooms.