Mövenpick has signed a deal with the Civil Service Employees Pension Fund to operate its first property in Oman's capital city, Muscat. Part of a design-led upscale mixed-used development, the Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Al Azaiba Muscat will capitalise on its prime location in Muscat's commercial hub, the Ghala District, adjacent to the Sultan Qaboos Highway and close to the new international airport and Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Deutsche Hospitality is continuing on its course of expansion. Following the opening of the IntercityHotel Salalah in 2016, an agreement for a second hotel in Oman to be operated under the same brand has now been signed with Muscat National Development and Investment Company (ASAAS). An IntercityHotel will be developed at the heart of the capital city of Muscat by 2020. This is a move which will enable Deutsche Hospitality to strengthen the international presence of the brand, that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The Omani Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Bin Nasser Al Mahrizi, attended the conclusion of the contract for this new project.
Hilton today announced the official opening of Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa. The opening marks the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Jordan. Strategically located at the lowest point on Earth on the eastern shores of the Dead Sea, the 285-room contemporary hotel is an exclusive resort of choice for the discerning international and local traveler.
We recently launched a research study "The impacts of staff turnover on a hotel's Income Statement" which revealed that a 30% voluntary staff turnover rate could cause a potential loss of AED 8 million on the top-line and AED 6 million on the bottom-line. If your hotel is experiencing high number of departing staff, it would be advisable to take a step back to review your people strategy.
Al Bait Sharjah, the new luxury resort to be managed by General Hotel Management Ltd (GHM), is set to raise the bar for luxury hotel accommodation in the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) cultural city while adding interest and vibrance to the historic inner-city precinct in which it is situated, when it opens at the end of this year.
Central Hotels has confirmed its participation in Arabian Travel Market (ATM) taking place in Dubai from 24th to 27th April, 2017. Making the announcement, Mr Ahmad Ali Al Abdulla Alansaari, Chairman of Central Hotels, stated, "We are pleased to take part in ATM that is the region's leading travel fair and offers a fabulous platform to showcase our existing and upcoming hotels to both trade professionals as well as investors and developers. It also presents a unique opportunity to see the extensive developments taking shape world-wide in terms of hotels and related industries such as airlines, marketing and technology that are transforming our business."
Cristal Group has several projects lined up for opening that will be unveiled at Arabian Travel Market 2017 (ATM). Confirming the group's participation at the exhibition from 24th to 27th April, Mr Kamal Fakhoury, CEO of Cristal Group, stated, "ATM is the Middle East's premium travel and tourism show, and offers us the perfect platform to not only promote our existing properties but launch our upcoming projects. GCC and the Levant region remain the main focus of our expansion strategy where we have some fantastic hotels in development that will be launched during ATM. In addition, we also have some strategic new announcements to share with the local and international travel trade."
In an industry first, hotel asset management specialist TFG Asset Management has revealed the financial impact of high staff turnover on Dubai's booming hotel industry.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has announced that it has entered into a management agreement with Karan Gulf Services, for a new hotel within Saudi Arabia's Wa'ad Al Shamal industrial city. The 237-room hotel is planned as the largest hotel project within Wa'ad Al Shamal City, as well as the entire northern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The city itself, located about 30 kilometres from Turaif is being developed by Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden) and covers 450 square kilometres in Saudi Arabia's Northern Frontier. It will host approximately 100,000 residents. The city will tap into the region's significant phosphate reserves and will support and provide extensive opportunities to many upstream and downstream industries, which have already been anchored by major global players including Saudi Aramco, SABIC and SCECO. These companies will provide the infrastructure necessary to initiate the project and stimulate further activities relating to phosphate mining. The mineral industry is set to become the third pillar of the Kingdom's economy after oil and petrochemical, in line with the country's Vision 2030.Set to open in the second half of 2018, Mövenpick Hotel Wa'ad Al Shamal, whilst primarily targeting the corporate market, will also provide a resort feel. The property will offer three food and beverage outlets, extensive meeting and event space, male and female wellness areas as well as recreation facilities, designed to serve hotel guests, the community of Wa'ad Al Shamal and the northern region."We are proud to have been selected as the hotel operator for this fantastic project in the region" said Andreas Mattmüller, Chief Operating Officer, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Middle East and South Asia. "We firmly support the government's vision of economic diversification. Considering the current lack of upscale accommodation, we see the development of this hotel as strategically important to the continued growth of the city. Furthermore, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will be the first international upscale hotel in the northern region of Saudi Arabia and this new signing will consolidate our position as one of the strongest international hotel brands in the country and the Middle East."Abdulrahman bin Fahad bin Abdul Latif al Jabr, Managing Director of Karan Gulf Services stated, "We are extremely happy to be partnering with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, in our quest to develop the northern region of the country and support the local communities. Together, we will provide approximately 100 employment opportunities to male and female Saudi Arabian nationals living close to the project. The development of this hotel will have much a wider and far-reaching positive economic impact in the northern region, and will act as a platform upon which other businesses can grow. We are also extremely grateful to Ma'aden for giving us the opportunity to develop this project in a city that is destined to change the economic profile of the entire country." Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts already operates 11 hotels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Five more projects in the country will be launched in the next three years. They are Mövenpick Residences Al Khobar, Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Al Tahlia Jeddah, Mövenpick Hotel Financial District Riyadh, Mövenpick Hotel Heraa Jeddah and Mövenpick Hotel Wa'ad Al Shamal.
Chris Newman, Chief Operating Officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: "Address Boulevard is another statement of our ambition to set new industry standards. It is uniquely positioned as a city lifestyle resort - which integrates all the romantic charm of a resort with the convenience, amenities and appeal of a city hotel."
In this white paper, TFG Asset Management in collaboration with the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management analyse the hospitality labour market in Dubai and identifies the main challenges facing operators in retaining elite staff. We have conducted extensive research to assess the impact of staff turnover on a hotel's profitability, and as a result, developed relevant strategies to mitigate such challenges.
Hospitality industry experts shared their insights on trends, opportunities and challenges ahead of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2017 (AHIC), being held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai from April 25 to 27, in a series of exclusive webinars.
Rotana made its long-awaited debut in Africa with the official opening of Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The luxury five-star hotel was inaugurated by His Excellency the Governor of the city of Kinshasa, Mr. André Kimbuta Yongo, in the presence of prominent dignitaries and members of Rotana's senior management including Nasser Al Nowais, Chairman and Selim El Zyr, Vice Chairman.
The 270-room property designed in collaboration with Marcel Wanders is set to feature eight restaurants and bars, becoming Qatar's and the region's most luxurious lifestyle hospitality offering
It's a first! The Rezidor Hotel Group, known for its innovation in the hospitality industry and its iconic Radisson Blu® brand, introduces its first residence property in Dhahran, bringing Saudi Arabia to a new standard of excellence. With 92 stylish and sophisticated apartments, a restaurant and a gym, guests will find everything they need to feel at home at the Radisson Blu Residence, Dhahran. "We are delighted to open our first residences in Dhahran as we see the perfect opportunity to cater to the increasing demand from corporate and leisure guests looking for spacious and stylish serviced apartments on a short-, medium- or long-term basis. We are confident that the combination of high quality, serviced apartments and the globally recognized Radisson Blu brand will prove to be a compelling proposition and will be in popular demand," says Mark Willis, Area Vice President, Middle East & Turkey, The Rezidor Hotel Group.
Deutsche Hospitality is continuing on its path of expansion. The focus is both on tapping into new markets and on strengthening its brand presence at existing locations. In accordance with this strategy, the company has signed 14 contracts for new hotel on three continents over the past year. One particular milestone to mark the new year is the launching of the one hundredth hotel to operate under a Deutsche Hospitality brand.
Keynote speakers including Chris Nassetta, S ébastien Bazin and Pierre-Fr éd éric Roulot descend on Dubai to offer an international perspective on the dynamic Middle East hospitality industry
FORM Hotel, the upscale hotel brand in Smartotels Hospitality International's portfolio, launches today in the UAE. A pioneering "concept hotel" brand, FORM offers business and leisure travelers accessible premium hotel fundamentals with the flexibility of add-on service and amenity features in a technologically-advanced, design- forward and socially-responsible environment.
This year's Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) will focus on diversification in the hospitality sector in response to the challenges faced by the region, according to the conclusions of a regional briefing in Doha in the run-up to the event.
Hotel investors, owners, consultants and operators alike share a positive outlook for the Middle East hospitality industry in 2017, with strong market fundamentals in place and attractive investment opportunities on the horizon.