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Park Hyatt
Jeddah opens its doors
Hyatt Hotels and Resorts recently announced the opening of Park Hyatt Jeddah
- Marina Club and Spa, marking its entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A
five-star property with views of the Red Sea, Park Hyatt Jeddah - Marina,
Club and Spa is set on the Corniche of the Al Hamra District in the heart of
Jeddah, just minutes away from the central business district.
State-of-the-art meeting and business facilities, as well an array of sport
and leisure pursuits, are available including 10,000m² of spa and wellness
facilities divided into separate ladies’ and gentlemen’s areas.
Anantara
expands MENA portfolio
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, owned by Thailand-based Minor International
(MINT), has announced that it is expanding its portfolio across the MENA
region with the opening of four new properties by 2011. Following the
group’s inception to the region with Anantara Desert Islands Resort & Spa,
the brand is on its way to opening Anantara Qasr Al Sarab in Abu Dhabi at
the end of this year, in the inspiring Liwa desert in Rub Al-Khali. Anantara
Qasr Al Sarab will be the brand’s flagship property in the Middle East,
boasting 196 guest rooms, suites and villas, a range of desert experiences,
a signature Anantara Spa, conference facilities and a children's playground.
Best
Western Madoogali to open in Maldives
In line with its expansion plans across Asia and the Middle East, Best
Western International is set to open its first property in the Maldives in
September, namely the extensively rebranded, Best Western Madoogali Resort
and Spa. The Maldives falls into the elite club of the world's top ten most
desirable destinations and it is a great thrill for Best Western to finally
enter this highly attractive market. Best Western Madoogali Resort and Spa
is located on its own island, North Ari Atoll, 48 miles west of the
Maldives' capital of Male. The hotel features 56 palm-thatched chalets,
designed to blend in naturally with the surrounding environment each with a
veranda facing the sea.
Swiss-Belhotel soft opens in Doha and Masirah Island
Swiss-Belhotel International (SBI) has launched the soft opening of
Swiss-Belhotel Doha in Qatar, as well as Swiss-Belhotel Resort Masirah
Island in Oman. Following these two diverse openings is also SBI’s first in
Dubai, Gold Swiss-Belhotel Dubai, bringing the total of operational hotels &
resorts managed in the region under SBI to five.
W Doha
Hotel & Residences opens
W Hotels Worldwide has marked its entry into the Middle East with the
opening of W Doha Hotel & Residences. Designed by London-based United
Designers, the property features 291 guest rooms, 31 suites, and 154 W
branded Residences, and aims to merge traditional Arabian imagery with the
contemporary design of the W brand, and modern creativity of United
Designers. W Doha offers cool contemporary design with an Arabic
inspiration, providing escape and extravaganza in the heart of one the
city’s most vibrant districts, redefining contemporary luxury and bringing a
completely new and distinctive product to the hotel market in Doha
Billion
dollar hotel projects ongoing in Gulf
Under current plans, Arabian Gulf countries are currently constructing 306
new hotels, with 108,600 rooms worth in excess of $140 billion, according to
a new study revealed at The Hotel Show in Dubai. The study, carried out by
Proleads, entitled Status of
Developments in the Middle East Leisure Industry, is an
extensive and up-to-date examination of hotel and leisure projects across
the GCC. The report finds that hotel occupancy levels have remained
relatively stable throughout the GCC since 2003 but it illustrates that the
economic slowdown has impacted negatively on the region. However whilst
acknowledging that 2009 will be a challenging year, it reveals that
occupancy levels will pick up to 2008 levels by the end of 2010 and then
accelerate with real growth by 2013. |
