Katara Plans Extravagant $1.6 Billion Hotel in Qatar

A New York based architectural firm has unveiled plans for a 1000 room stunning hotel rising out of sea and ready for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Silver Pearl Hotel will be developed by Katara Hospitality and will have more than 1000 rooms. It will be located 1.5 km off the coast of Doha and the project is set to cost $1.6 Billion.

The Hotel has been designed by the Architectural firm M Castedo architects and the unique look of the hotel is meant to showcase the culture of seafaring and pearl diving history.

The design, still pending approval, will envision a building consisting of two 30-story semicircle towers connected by a vaulted climate controlled atrium over the gardens with an ocean view. All rooms will face outwards onto the ocean with the common areas furnished and decorated in the spirit of Arabian Tradition. A conference and exhibition center will be contained adjacent to the main building, while a recreational roof deck will be located above a multi-storey parking facility.

The Silver Pearl Hotel will be one of several “icons” constructed in the country for the upcoming international football tournament. The visitors to the hotel would access the hotel through a four lane elevated causeway, by private yacht or helicopter.

The number of hotels planned and under construction in Qatar is growing rapidly as hospitality operators prepare for the spike in demand driven by the World Cup.

Official figures show the volume of visitors to the Gulf country is also quickly increasing. The country attracted a record 1.5 million guests in the first half of the year, a 7-percent jump.

Qatar’s hospitality industry is currently dominated by high-end, luxury offerings. The country’s hotel room inventory has grown by an average of 13.4 percent annually and reached approximately 13,600 rooms by the middle of the year, according to professional services Deloitte.

Accor Targets Over 30000 Rooms In Middle East By 2020

Accor HotelServices Middle East, one of the world's leading hospitality groups, announced its intention to double the size of its operations in the Middle East to over 30,000 rooms by 2020.

Sébastien Bazin, The Group's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer revealed the ambitious new target as the company celebrated reaching the major milestone of 100 hotels in operation (16,000 rooms) and approximately 9,000 rooms under development in the Middle East.

Mr. Bazin said, that "Our presence in the Middle East, which stretches back 35 years, has expanded significantly in response to the dynamic growth taking place in the region and reaching 100 hotels is a significant achievement.”

“Our commitment to double in size by 2020 is a bold statement of our confidence in the future of the region, the support of our partners who work closely with our experienced and localized teams here in our three offices in Dubai, Jeddah and Cairo, and the strength of our portfolio of brands that continue to deliver operational excellence and compelling returns."

He also explained the growth potential in the region by pointing out that there are on average only two rooms per 1000 inhabitants in the Middle East, compared to 10 and above in more matured markets.

Accor is seeing a rising demand for development of hotels across all segments, from luxury to economy, and that is why they have launched three new brands in the region, including Adagio serviced apartments, Majlis Grand Mercure and ibis Styles. Bazin also mentioned that they expect the growth to increase with improvement in infrastructure and delivery of key events in the region, Dubai’s Vision 2020 and 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and Saudi Arabia’s target to attract 20 million visitors to holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. 

Photo credit:  www.wikimedia.org

Stellar Performance by Abu Dhabi Hotels In September

The Abu Dhabi hotel market continues to gain momentum with four to five star hotels reporting positive gains in performance levels for the month of September compared to last year, according to the latest HotStats report by TRI Consulting. Abu Dhabi has been having challenges over last couple of years because of the increase in new supply which had an impact on the average room rates.

However, in the last two to three months the average room rates have started to increase and bottom out. The September data from HotStats reports shows that YTD performance for Abu Dhabi hotels is actually increasing; the Average Room Rate (ARR) increased by 4.2% to US$128.96 while occupancy grew by 6.6 percent points to 76.6%, resulting in revenue per available room (RevPAR) rising 14% to US $98.76.

There is a marginal increase compared to 2013 which is great news for Abu Dhabi because the city is attracting a lot more visitors which in turn has resulted in very strong occupancy levels and it has helped the hoteliers to turn that corner and start yielding more effectively when it comes to room rates.

The hotel profitability is relatively strong in Abu Dhabi but the rates are still comparatively lower than the hotels in Dubai, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. This difference in rate is because of huge influx of supply and a weak demand for a last couple of years. So, the hoteliers resorted to drop their rates to get people into their bedrooms but now that the demand has shifted and a lot of people have started coming through, the rates have started coming up. In fact it is projected that in the next couple of years the Abu Dhabi hotel rates will be on par with Dubai.

The biggest source market for Abu Dhabi is India. The Secondary market is with the UK and US but surprisingly Abu Dhabi doesn’t attract a large proportion of Saudi Arabian visitors. Saudi Arabia is the largest source market in Dubai yet it doesn’t register in the top 5 markets in Abu Dhabi.

A lot of new real estate, retail, leisure and entertainment projects are in the pipeline to cater to the growing needs of the visitors. In fact, Macy’s and Bloomingdales, two of the biggest departmental stores in the US, are planning to set up shop at the capitals Al Maryah Island and with Yas mall opening in November Abu Dhabi will attract more regional visitors because it has a greater retail offering. Retail drives the people and if you look at the Saudi visitors, their biggest motivation is leisure and shopping.

Abu Dhabi is also building up the level of demand to attract large groups of 90+ but they don’t have the infrastructure. ADNEC has the capability to cater to large groups but they don’t have the driving force. Abu Dhabi is trying to position itself as a destination to attract international visitors but Dubai is still leading the way.

Having said that, the hotel occupancy will continue to grow in Abu Dhabi as it gears up for world class events like Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and opening of retail space in the near future.

MEA Hotel Occupancy Up By 13.1% in September

The Middle East/Africa region reported positive performance during September with a 13.1 per cent increase in occupancy to 65.5 per cent, a 1.3% increase in ADR (Average Daily Rate) to $145.12 and a 14.5% increase in RevPAR to $94.99, according to STR Global Data.

Elizabeth Winkle, managing director of STR Global said that “It is positive to see consistency in performance in spite of instability leading to uncertainty in certain countries.”

“Amongst the high performers, Saudi Arabia is one of the region's strongest in September as the country was gearing up for Hajj, which took place the first week in October”, said Winkle. “Cairo, whilst still in recovery mode, achieved occupancy levels of 51.8 percent with significant year-over-year growth of 107.5 percent”.

Some of the key trends from the regional key markets for September 2014 include:

• Egypt recorded 138.3% increase in occupancy to 60.8 %, and a 15.6% increase in ADR to EGP 523.76 and a whopping 175.4% increase in RevPAR to EGP 318.49.

• Saudi Arabia reported an increase of 26.7 % in Occupancy to 66.3%, a 28.1 per cent increase in ADR to SAR 858.62, and a notable increase of 62.3% in RevPAR to SAR569.12

• In UAE, Occupancy decrease by 0.1% to 72.9 %, ADR was down by 3.3% to AED 575.83, and RevPAR decreased by 3.4% to AED 419.85.

Four markets achieved double-digit or more RevPAR growth: Cairo (+133.9% to $55.82); Beirut (+68% to $82.99); Jeddah (+21.9% to $216.34); and Doha, Qatar (+12.2% to $127.50). 

Photo credit: www.evolo.us

Booking.com, Hilton, Emirates and Etihad - World’s Most In-demand Employers: LinkedIn

LinkedIn recently announced the 100 most attractive employers its members would like to work for, and a few renowned companies from the Hospitality business, online Travel & Tourism, and Aviation industry made it to this list.

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network on the Internet, announced the rankings at its 2014 Talent Connect conference held recently in San Francisco. Booking.com was ranked as the 68th most in-demand employer among other notable companies, including Google, Apple and Unilever.

The companies on the list represent 17 countries, 59 cities and 33 industries. While the top 3 represented industries on this list were Tech, Telecom and Media, Retail & Consumer Products, and Oil & Energy.

Among the Travel and Tourism industries that make the top 100 list are booking.com (68^th), Airbnb (60^th) and Expedia (65^th).

Booking.com was one of the top tech disruptors to enter the attractive employers list as they were not featured in the 2013 list. Booking.com is owned by Priceline and the parent company (Priceline) has acknowledged that retaining Booking.com’s motivated and capable management allowing the brand to operate independently and offering Booking.com’s breadth of hotel supply have contributed to its phenomenal growth. The tech developers at booking.com make decisions based on real time data by analyzing the behavioral patterns of consumers and by using these search results they tailor their offering to the consumers. Employees at booking.com work hard and play harder. The work environment at booking.com is friendly, supportive and casual. They have a dynamic task force that contributes towards their success which makes it a very popular employer in the online travel and tourism category. 

Among the hospitality business, Hilton Worldwide came in 55th place, while Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts came in close behind in 59th place.

The UAE’s two major airlines, Emirates (52) and Etihad (82), also made it to the Linkedin rankings.

The ranking is based on the analysis over 35 billion interactions between companies and members on LinkedIn. The way companies are ranked boils down to LinkedIn member awareness of a company (e.g. how many people have viewed an employees’ profiles within the past year) and engagement on LinkedIn (e.g., how many members have followed a company’s Company or Career Page within the past year). Higher talent brand awareness and engagement among members on LinkedIn equal a more effective talent brand and a higher InDemand ranking.

'The Hotel Show' - MENA region's Number One Hospitality Event Opens in Dubai

The 15^th edition of the Hotel Show, the premiere event for the trade and hospitality industry opens in Dubai on 28^th Sept 2014.

The three day event will attract over 600 participants suppliers of the latest products and leading global brands. The show brings together industry players from a range of services, including hospitality and leisure, design and restaurants, etc.

In 2013, 16,700 hotel and hospitality partners visited the show where deals worth almost $4 billion of business were sanctioned for the following 12 months.

The Hotel Show will feature conferences, awards, and unique networking opportunities for industry professionals.

“The Middle East is recognized as having some of the fastest growing economies in the world - with forecasts of up to 3 per cent growth before 2016 — and we are delighted to be able to offer real business opportunities to all who participate”, stated Christine Davidson, Event Director at The Hotel Show.”

The key highlight of the show is the Vision conference, where Issam Kazim, The Chief Executive of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Marketing (DCTCM) will deliver a key note speech. Other sessions of the conference will cover trends in the hospitality and leisure sector, the development and growth of mid market hotels, and interior designing trends.

Another feature of the show is International Village, where more than 300 international companies will be represented from more than 45 countries, including Austria, Belgium, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and the UK.

Top 5 Must See Middle East Destinations During Eid Holidays

With Eid around the corner, residents have already started planning a short getaway to make the best of their Eid Break. Travel agents and tour companies have started advertising their all inclusive packages and flight deals on offer for the long weekend. Short haul regional destinations like Salalah are very popular during the Eid break but the availability of three airport terminals, wide range of flights, and Dubai’s global strategic location makes any destination  just a flight away for residents. Residents will be spoilt for choice during the long weekend with various options that suit all budgets from value holiday destinations to ultra luxury.   

Below are the top 5 regional destinations where residents can travel during Eid:

Amman, Jordan:

Amman is one of the fastest growing cities in the world with a unique blend of modern and ancient culture

• Flights: Fly Dubai, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Royal Jordanian, Qatar Airways, Air Arabia
• Weather:  Max - 27 degrees; Min - 19 degrees
• Flight time: 3 hours
• Budget: Ibis Amman 
• Luxury: Four Seasons Amman
• Sightseeing: Roman Theater, Cultural district, The Nymphaeum, Citadel with its Roman Temple of Herakles, 5^th Century Byzantine Church,  Ummayad Palace, Cantaloupe, Balad District, Nightlife, Shopping, and Souk Jara. 

Beirut, Lebanon:

Beirut is often referred to as the Paris of the Middle East. Its famous for its Nightlife, history and scenery.

• Flights: Fly Dubai, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Middle East Airlines, Air Arabia
• Weather:  Max - 30 degrees; Min - 23 degrees
• Flight time: 3 hours 20 mints
• Budget: Gefinor Rotana 
• Luxury: Phoenicia Hotel
• Sightseeing: Jumayzeh district - Famous for its nightlife, Zaytouna Bay, Ashrafeey eh, Riviera Beach Club, The Corniche, West Beirut, Solidere, Beirut Souks, Roman Baths, and Bliss Street.

Salalah, Oman:

Head to Oman’s second city to escape the summer heat and experience the cool temperature, lush green plant life, mountains, Leopards and Hyenas.

• Flights: Oman Air
• Weather:  Max - 29 degrees; Min - 25 degrees
• Flight time: 2 hours
• Budget: SalalahPlaza Hotel 
• Luxury: SalalahRotana Resort
• Sightseeing: Al Husn Souk, Museum of Franckincense Land, Marneef Cave, Salalah0 Gardens Mall, Wadi Darbat, Al Mughasyl beach, Water Springs at AinSahnawat, Greenery, Beaches, Waterfalls and wildlife.

Muscat, Oman:

The capital city of Oman with rich history, ancient forts, souks, and wadi’s all set against the mountain backdrop.

• Flights: Oman Air, Emirates, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Etihad Airways
• Weather:  Max – 33 degrees; Min – 29 degrees
• Flight time: 1 hour; or 6 hours by car.
• Budget: Samara Hotel  
• Luxury: The Chedi Muscat
• Sightseeing and activities: Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Royal Opera House, Bayt Al Zubair, Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum, Ancient Mutrah Souk, Scuba diving, Snorkeling, Natural History Museum, Wadi Al Arbaeieen, Planetarium

Musandam, Oman:

Musandam is a picturesque region separated from the rest of Oman with its scenery being quite attractive to tourists.

• Travel:  2 hours by car
• Weather: Max - 43 deg. ; Min - 31 deg.
• Budget: Atana Khasab
• Luxury: Six Senses Zighy Bay 
• Sightseeing and activities: Oman Fjords, diving, Dolphin experience, Bimmah Sink hole, Dhow cruises, Snorkeling, Kayaking, and Water sport.

Picture credit: Creative Commons - http://nomadic-me.com,  Imbabah22 (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported), Jerash Jordan. Author Jan Smith. Licensed under the creative commons Attribution, http://www.omantripper.com, austinevans.

Dubai ranked 5th most popular destination in the World

Dubai has been recognized as the 5th most popular city in the World according to Master Card Global Destination Cities Index released on 9th July 2014. London retained its position on number one for the third time in four years followed by Bangkok, Paris, Singapore and Dubai. Dubai was ranked ahead of New York and Istanbul - both of which were ranked higher last year. This index provides a ranking of the 132 most travelled cities from around the world.

The increasing popularity of Dubai is due to the increasing international travel due to the expanding middle class income, the innovation in travel and the availability of Dubai international airport as the Middle East airline hub. The Real Estate boom in the region has opened up the gateway for companies to set up their MENA headquarters in the emirate, which in turn has facilitated increasing business travel. Dubai’s global strategic location, investment friendly economy and rising infrastructure will play a great role in driving visitors to the emirate. Dubai is doing its best to attract both leisure and business tourists which has fuelled the need for more hotel rooms in the country.

According to the study, Dubai is projected to receive 12.47 million visitors, an increase of 7.5 percent since 2013. Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and is expected to overtake Paris and Singapore within 5 years. Dubai also generates more international visitor expenditure per resident than any other city. It was also ranked as the fourth air hub in the world by international connectivity. In fact, Dubai is only city among from Middle East and Africa to be ranked among the top ten air hubs lists.

The MasterCard index ranks cities based on the total international visitor’s arrivals and cross-border spending by a visitor in each of the 132 destination cities using custom made algorithms.

Picture credit: Copyright Jan Michael Pfeiffer (Creative Commons)

Travel tips during Ramadan

If you are planning on travelling to Middle East during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan then here are some tips for all visitors.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and Muslims worldwide observe this as a month of fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam. During this month Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking and refrain from other behavior which could be perceived as sinful. The Muslims fast for 15 hours that starts from dawn and ends at sunset. At Sunset, families gather for Iftar (A sumptuous meal that breaks the fast) followed by a meal, Suhoor (Pre fast meal). The working hours are reduced and everything slows down during the day. That being said, Ramadan is the time for generosity, kindness, Charity and extending a helping hand to the needy. 

Customs and culture:

It is illegal to eat, drink and smoke in public during the fasting hours, the daylight hours during Ramadan. There are serious implications (hefty fines and jail time) if someone is caught eating, drinking or smoking in public during the fasting hours. This law also applies to people travelling in cars, busses and public transport. The visitors are expected to dress moderately in malls and in public places. It’s simply a courtesy extended to fasting Muslims. For a list of do’s and dont’s during Ramadan please visit the SMCCU website for Ramadan Etiquette.  

Food and Drink:

Plan your day time meals in advance as Restaurants and cafes are closed during the day but Malls and Supermarkets operate during the regular day time hours with extended night time hours. Four and five star hotels have some facilities for the non-fasting guests. So, you can always order a take away meal but must find a private place to eat it. All eateries open up a few hours before Iftar and offer great deals on an all-inclusive buffet in Ramadan Tents.  The Ramadan tents in UAE are very popular places to spend time snacking, smoking shisha and playing games.  Non-Muslims are welcome to join Iftar and hang out in tents until wee hours. 

Bars and clubs:

During the holy month of Ramadan all live music performance will stop and bars will serve alcohol after 8 PM. Some Restaurants don’t serve alcohol in any of their outlets during Ramadan while most night clubs will remain closed until the end of the month.

Hotels, Tours and Transportation:

As working hours are reduced during the month of Ramadan, many venues operate with limited hours so book your tours and accommodation in advance to avoid disappointment. Ramadan can be a challenge for many visitors but it is also an opportunity to visit this region as Hotels drop their prices during this month. Various packages are available through tour operators and travel agents during Ramadan.

Shopping Malls:

Most of the shopping malls in UAE are open during the day with extended night time hours. To attract tourists, there are price reductions and discounts during Ramadan. So, don’t miss out on the deals and head to the Shopping malls after a good breakfast in the morning.