President Bill Clinton, Founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States, will deliver the keynote address at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit which takes place in Abu Dhabi, 9-10 April 2013.
Radisson Royal Hotel Dubai has recently appointed Agnes Hlavacs as director of revenue management. Agnes, originally from Hungary, joins Radisson Royal Hotel Dubai from Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel Bahrain City Centre, where she served as pre-opening revenue manager for the 460-room hotel. Prior to her position in Bahrain, she worked in Radisson Blu Portman Hotel, London as revenue manager and held various positions in reservations and front office. With over 7 years of experience in the hospitality field, Agnes Hlavacs will lead the revenue management and reservations team for Radisson Royal Hotel Dubai. Agnes will be in charge of revenue optimization and pricing strategy to grow market share while overseeing the reservations department enhancing personalized and exceptional service delivery for the guests of the five star property.
The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM), one of the world's leading hospitality business management schools and a part of the global luxury hotel company, Jumeirah Group, has announced that 10 scholarships will be made available to potential students who wish to begin their studies in 2013.
Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, is delighted to announce the appointment of its first Emirati General Manager, Samer Khanfar, for Jumeirah Living World Trade Centre Residences in Dubai.
Moritz Klein's appointment comes at a crucial period of growth for the Anantara hospitality chain in the region and represents Anantara's continued strategic focus on the Middle East.
Mr. Cramer took over from former General Manager Thomas van Opstal who was in charge of the hotel from 2009 onwards. Prior to this role, Mr. Cramer held the position of General Manager at the Sheraton Muscat Hotel in Oman. He joined Starwood after his hotel management studies at the Sheraton Frankfurt, Germany.
Andrew Abram has been appointed General Manager of Raffles Dubai, with immediate effect. Andrew Abrams succeeds Peter French, who was promoted last year to President of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, having held the position of Regional Vice President - Europe, Middle East & Africa for Raffles Hotels & Resort as well as General Manager of Raffles Dubai. Mr Abram, who is British, joins Raffles from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, where he has held a number of positions since 2003. He was most recently General Manager of the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He joined the group as Resident Manager of The Excelsior Hong Kong, and went on to lead the renovation and reopening of the Mandarin Oriental Jakarta, holding the role of General Manager for eight years.
Minor Hotel Group is pleased to announce that it will expand its presence in the United Arab Emirates with the launch of its first hotel in Dubai. The Anantara Dubai Palm Jumeirah Resort & Spa is a five star resort on the crescent of Dubai's iconic Palm Jumeirah, and will open in September 2013.
Following the impact of the relapsing global economy in 2011, European economic woes persisted related to difficulties of weaker members such as Spain, Greece, and Italy. Output in the second half of 2011 was particularly weak, exacerbated by natural disasters such as the floods in Thailand. Contrarily, 2012 began on a positive note in terms of market sentiment and easing monetary policy in developing countries; this was reflected in the rebound of economic activity in both developing and advanced countries.
Moevenpick Hotels & Resorts has opened its fifth property in Dubai, becoming the first international hotel company in the city's Al Mamzar area of Deira. Moevenpick Hotel Apartments The Square opened on 20 January with 180 superior and deluxe rooms, as well as one- and two-bedroom hotel apartment suites. The property is close to the Al Mamzar Beach Park and other landmarks within Deira,Dubai's historical centre.
In November 2012, Mr. Michael Nugent was appointed as General Manager of the Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai. He brings more than 30 years of international experience in the hospitality industry and over 17 years at the forefront of the region's expanding hospitality sector, with executive level roles at Le Méridien and Mövenpick hotels in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Cramer will take over from former General Manager Thomas van Opstal who was in charge of the hotel from 2009 onwards. Prior to this role, Mr. Cramer held the position of General Manager at the Sheraton Muscat Hotel in Oman.
Following graduation from Assiut University in Egypt, Mohamed took advanced courses in English and Hotel Services at the American University in Cairo before embarking on a career in hospitality as a Reservation Agent at the Semiramis InterContinental Hotel in the city.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts debuts a new addition to its growing portfolio in the Middle East – Fairmont The Palm. The property is owned by international residential and resort developer IFA Hotels & Resorts (IFA HR). The luxurious resort is located in the heart of the iconic Palm Jumeirah, the world's largest man-made island shaped in the form of a palm tree. It is ideally located next to key leisure areas and business districts, major city landmarks and two 'world firsts' – Burj Khalifa, the tallest free standing building and The Dubai Mall, the largest retail development.
Kumar, who graduated with a Diploma in Catering and a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management from the Griffith University in Australia, took on the role of general manager of the Manila property following its extensive refurbishment and headed up the re- launch of the property. Prior to joining Dusit International, he was responsible for the pre-opening of Ascott Raffles Place in Singapore’s financial centre. He also worked for Raffles Group, Starwood and the Renaissance Group.
“May you live in interesting times!” They say this amiable-sounding invocation is in fact a Chinese curse, the implication being that the quiet life is preferable. Alas, we certainly do live in interesting times, with at least half the region in serious disarray. For hoteliers, the Arab Spring has cast serious doubts over Egypt, Bahrain and most of the Maghreb and the Levant countries as safe destinations in which to risk a business trip or a vacation.
Chris El Khoury was recently appointed to the position of Executive Assistant Manager for Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate. A Lebanese national, El Khoury joined Mövenpick Hotels since 2005 as Director of Sales & Marketing for the Mövenpick Hotel Doha and Mövenpick Bur Dubai.
Haidar joins Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels from the position of director of food and beverage at The Address Dubai Mall, where he ran 10 outlets including meeting facilities and managed 156 staff. He brings more than a decade of experience in the hospitality business, much of which has been spent in the UAE within Emaar Hospitality Group and other leading hospitality companies. In his new role, Haidar will be responsible for the F&B operation, administration and profitability of eight culinary outlets within the two Downtown Dubai hotels.
Chadi Gedeon, previously resident manager at the Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a in Kuwait, has been appointed general manager. He will be joined by Lebanese national Tarek Abou Zeinab as director of sales, Rami Saloum from Syria, who has been appointed as executive sous chef, and Rany Chammas, who joins the hotel as front office manager and will be in charge of rooms. Gedeon said: "We will provide an enjoyable stay with great service in our comfortable hotel apartments for all our guests. “Mövenpick Hotel Apartments The Square provides great facilities for families, executive travellers and long-term guests. We are the only international hotel company in Al Mamzar and will stand apart by providing the Swiss quality, value and five-star service which Mövenpick is renowned for.”
The real estate boom in Dubai is back on track: with amazing projects and the construction of numerous new top hotels, further glitter facades arise in the metropolis at the Arabian Gulf. In two years a replica of the famous Indian Taj Mahal monument will be inaugurated. Dubai's monarch Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum gave the go-ahead for the planning of the world's largest shopping mall, including a huge park in the centre of Dubai. According to TOPHOTELPROJECTS (www.tophotelprojects.com), the worldwide leading provider of global b2b hotel data there are currently 67 new first class and luxury hotels are in the pipeline, among them exclusive hotel brands such as Rosewood, Oberoi and Four Seasons.