One of the greatest recent achievements of the Emirate of Dubai is its successful bid to host the Expo 2020, which was officially announced at the end of November 2013. It will be the first time that this reputable event will be hosted and organized in the Middle East and bears testament to the progress of Dubai and the world-class facilities it has developed in the last decade.
Olery, the leading provider of guest experience management tools for the hospitality industry, announced today that is has signed a deal with the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority to provide them with the technology behind their recently announced next step in in their hotel classification system.
A Jordanian national, Abusbaitan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management from the California Culinary Academy, San Francisco, USA and an Associate Degree in Accounts from the United States of America.
Tolga Lacin has been appointed complex general manager at the Westin Dubai and Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina. He brings with him over two decades of of knowledge in the hospitality industry. Lacin joined The Westin Dubai and Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina as complex executive assistant manager food & beverage in 2009.
Stewart Selbie is to leave his role as complex general manager of The Westin Dubai and Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina to take charge of the vacant GM position at the St Regis Saadiyat Resort, Abu Dhabi.
Belgian born hotelier, Stephan Vanden Auweele holds over 20 years of experience in opening and managing hotels around the world. In his role as General Manager of Sheraton Dubai Creek, Vanden Auweele will overlook the re-opening and operations of the hotel and also introduce new Sheraton brand concepts within the property.
Hotels in Abu Dhabi registered substantial growth in revenues and profits during the month of October 2013, according to the latest HotStats survey by TRI Hospitality Consulting Middle East. Abu Dhabi hotels witnessed a boost to key performance metrics in the wake of the Eid Al Adha holidays and the city hosting a number of internationally renowned events. Occupancy levels in Abu Dhabi went up by 8.4 percentage points to 79.6% and Average Room Rate (ARR) increased by 16.8% to US$182.37 during the month, boosting Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) by 30.6% to US$145.13. The growth in the top line performance caused a surge in profit levels during the month as the Gross Operating Profit Per Available Room (GOPPAR) reached US$117.43, up by 47.3% compared to the same period in 2012.
Karameh joins the team after spending two years at the Dubai sales office of Raffles Praslin Seychelles, where he was the assistant director of sales.
Leading hoteliers from Jumeirah Group, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Atlantis The Palm and Hilton Worldwide have congratulated the leaders of the UAE and Dubai on the emirate’s successful bid to host Expo 2020.
Leading Asian hospitality group Dusit International announces the latest addition to its growing Dubai-based Middle East and Africa Regional Sales Office team, Mr. Ahmed Talaat, to the position of Director of Sales.
has been appointed general manager at Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai. In his new capacity, he will oversee all daily operations of the 492 hotel rooms, serviced apartments and private residences. He moved to Dubai from Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta, where he also held the position of general manager.
The Atlantis Hotel resort on Dubai’s Palm Island is preparing to be sold by Istithmar, the investment arm of Dubai World, according to Construction Weekly. The Investment Corporation of Dubai is currently in talks to purchase the Atlantis as part of a bid by the government to buy off domestic assets in debt. While no price has been set for the resort, Istithmar took control of the property last year when it purchased a 50 percent stake in the hotel for $250 million, a stake previously held by Kerzner International.
Bench Events are delighted to release the preliminary outline of the programme for the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF). The Middle East and Dubai in particular is undergoing a massive growth in its dining sector particularly fine dining establishments which is linked with the boom of the hotel sector. The region is fast becoming a hub for concepts imported from all over the globe, and increasingly innovative locally created concepts as well. The Global Restaurant Investment Forum has already been hitting the headlines in The National Paper, UAE highlighting the significance and timeliness of this conference.
Wael El Behi has been appointed general manager at Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Dubai. In his current role, he will be responsible for directing the overall management and operation of this new city resort. Prior to this appointment, El Behi was general manager of Ramada Downtown Dubai.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel, part of Jumeirah Group, has announced the appointment of Goran Stojkovic as Director of Food & Beverage. A Serbian national, Goran joined Jumeirah in 2006 as a Restaurant Manager at Madinat Jumeirah and progressed to Assistant Food and Beverage Manager in both Madinat Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab. In his early career, Goran worked with Hyatt Regency in Belgrade, Serbia and the Coral Beach Hotel & Resort in Paphos, Cyprus.
Overlooking the Arabian Gulf, the four-star hotel has an inventory of 465 guest rooms, five food and beverage outlets, ten meeting rooms and a business centre, not to forget a host of leisure facilities. The Novotel Dubai Al Barsha, is the latest addition to Dubai's iconic skyline and is fast becoming a recognized beacon in the city.
Prior to joining Ramada Downtown, Arora was the resident manager of Vida Downtown and Al Manzil Downtown Dubai, where he served as executive assistant manager and front office manager before his promotion.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of the first international five-star hotel in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, one of the fastest-growing business bases in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai's newest district. The newly open Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Lakes Towers is a landmark in the dynamic residential and commercial quarter and is the sixth hotel inDubaito be managed by the upscale Swiss hospitality company.
To celebrate winning the Formula One Drivers' and Constructors' Championships for the fourth consecutive year, Infiniti Red Bull Racing ran one of its Formula One cars at one of the most recognised locations on earth, the Burj Al Arab helipad. Perched 210 metres above the sea, on a helipad 24 metres wide, Infiniti Red Bull Racing's 750bhp Formula One car became the first to run on the Burj Al Arab helipad. Usually reserved for on- track use, the car was involved in a spectacular show of burning rubber and tyre smoke, against a stunning backdrop of the Arabian Gulf, overlooking scenic views of Dubai's impressive skyline.
Jumeirah Group ('Jumeirah'), the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, announced today that it has successfully raised a US$1.4 billion unsecured syndicated loan priced at 2.75% above LIBOR due 2019. The facility was lead arranged by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, HSBC, Mashreq and Standard Chartered. Jumeirah Group was advised by Rothschild on the transaction. The loan will be used for expansion plans as Jumeirah continues to grow in the years ahead as well as for general corporate purposes, at the parent level, for Dubai Holding Commercial Operations Group.Gerald Lawless, President and Group Chief Executive Officer, Jumeirah Group said; "The pricing we have been able to achieve for this syndicated loan is a testament to the Company's financial strength and future prospects. This financing will support our focus on driving profitable revenues from the existing portfolio while giving us the headroom to continue our local and international expansion. This is the first time we have raised funds through a syndicated loan and we are pleased to be supported by the highest calibre of international and local banks."Year to date September 2013, average occupancy in Jumeirah's portfolio of hotels has increased by 8% globally, compared to the same period in 2012. In the same period the revenue per available room, an industry standard for measuring performance, rose by 15%. The performance data is based on hotels that had more than 18 months of operations under the Jumeirah brand.