April 18, 2019

Noting an increasing trend among its customers to seek experiences that are immersive, personal and authentic to complement their stays in the emirate, Maison Privee, the Dubai-based leading luxury vacation rentals provider has introduced a range of exclusive bespoke offers for their guests.

Teaming up with the specialist luxury lifestyle company, MyConcierge, Maison Privee invites its guests to live the ‘Dubai Dream’ by offering them a chance to experience what life is like for the city’s elite. For example, a Maison Privee guest can now book a Dh30 million ($8.1 million) villa on Palm Jumeirah with a private pool; and have a Rolls-Royce in the driveway and private chef in residence to"...

April 18, 2019

The Millennium Place Marina in Dubai has welcomed new members to its executive team ahead of its opening.

General manager Manuel Garcia heads the team and will be managing the overall operations of the 453-key hotel, including maintaining owner’s relations, developing the brand and leading the team to achieve its business plans. Garcia’s career includes more than 27 years of hospitality experience across management, sales and marketing and operations. Most recently he was the general manager of Mercure Gold Hotel. Previously, he worked with Starwood, Marriott, Accor and Rotana in various locations.

Atef Eleskndarany is the director of sales and marketing and will lead the hotel’s"...

April 18, 2019

Dubai and Beirut nightclub brand White will open as a high-end café and lounge in Jeddah, according to the CEO of Addmind Hospitality Group.

The company has offices in both cities, and runs concepts including Indie restaurant and lounge in DIFC, Italian restaurant Matto, rooftop lounge Iris in Dubai and Beirut, and Drai’s beach club.

Speaking to Arabian Business, Tony Habre said the firm is currently in talks to open White café in the kingdom, but hasn’t signed a partnership yet.

“We"...

April 16, 2019

Dubai’s Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has announced the launch of a new sponsorship scheme to drive continued innovation across the events industry.

The scheme is designed to further empower leisure event organisers with additional incentivisation opportunities in the form of event sponsorship.

The new process will build on the growth and competitiveness of the city’s event sector, which recorded an increase of over 100,000 ticket sales and 25 additional events in first quarter of 2019 when compared to the same period last"...

April 15, 2019

Occupancy at the Palazzo Versace Dubai drops to 45 percent on weekdays from highs of 65-75 percent on weekends, according to the CEO of Enshaa, the developer behind the hotel.

Speaking to Arabian Business, Raza Jafar said the fall in occupancy rates is mainly due to a soft hospitality market in Dubai, but is also related to the rocky road access to the property in culture village.

“On the weekends, the occupancy goes up from 65-75 percent. On weekdays, it could drop down to 45%. But then it is only in relation to the rate. If you want higher occupancy, we need"...

April 15, 2019

Emaar Hospitality CEO Olivier Harnisch has stepped down from his role “to pursue new interests”, according to a company spokesperson.

“We can confirm that Olivier Harnisch is leaving Emaar Hospitality Group to pursue new interests,” the spokesperson said. “We thank him for his contribution to Emaar Hospitality Group and wish him the best

In a statement, an Emaar Hospitality Group spokesperson said that the company’s current chief operating officer, Chris Newman, will now handle business operations.

In"...

April 14, 2019

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched the world's first factory that uses robots in the manufacturing of vehicle number plates, with a capacity of 33,000 plates per day.

Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the RTA, revealed plans to install 10 similar machines at centres of service providers which will be controlled through the central factory.

Al Tayer toured the factory, which is located at the Customers Happiness Centre in Deira and was designed and produced by the German company Tonnjes Middle East.

The"...

April 13, 2019

Millennium Hotels & Resorts Middle East and Africa (MEA), one of the fastest growing hotel management companies in the region, has signed a management agreement to operate Millennium Place Barsha Heights in Dubai.

The partnership was signed by Ali Alzaabi, president of Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA, and Marwan Hatahet, owner representative, during the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) held in Ras Al Khaimah.

The second Millennium Place property in the UAE, the Millennium Place Barsha Heights is expected to open in Q4 this year and is comprised of 915 rooms, suites and serviced apartments, all designed to deliver a unique guest experience in line with the brand’s “Find"...

April 11, 2019

Shaza Hotels, a member of the Global Hotel Alliance, has appointed Shafik Alaaeddine as the general manager for the Sharjah Collection by Mysk.

Sanjiv Malhotra, executive vice president for Shaza Hotels, said, “Shafik Alaaeddine is a respected and caring leader. Creating a unique personality of a new raising through interesting and meaningful guest experiences is one of the key strengths of Shafik. Being familiar with the cultural nuances, he will be able to represent both Sharjah and Shaza in the beautiful collection he will lead.”

Alaaeddine has spent several years with Shaza Hotels in various capacities and countries in the Middle East and Africa. He has been a key team leader"...

April 11, 2019

Hotel operators attending the 15th annual Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) have been invited to take part in a competition to win a fully-funded beachfront project in Ras Al Khaimah

AHIC is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. The competition, which aims to create a new resort that is unique to Ras Al Khaimah and the Middle East, is the first of its kind in the region.

'We support projects and concepts that spark creativity and place Ras Al Khaimah at"...