Intercontinental Hotels Group to develop fourth Holiday Inn in Al Khobar, Saudi

The hospitality group has signed an agreement with real estate company RIKAZ Properties Intercontinental Hotels Group will be developing its fourth Holiday Inn hotel in Al Khobar — Holiday Inn Al Khobar King Fahd Road — after signing a management agreement with real estate company RIKAZ Properties. Expected to open in January 2021, the 140-key property will feature an outdoor pool, a lobby lounge, food & beverage outlets and a gymnasium. Speaking about the new property Pascal Gauvin, MD, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG said, “We are delighted to sign an agreement with RIKAZ Properties for Holiday Inn Al Khobar King Fahd Road and strengthen our mainstream offering in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We have a strong legacy in the Kingdom and are committed to leveraging the growth opportunities that Vision 2030 presents by expanding our presence across the country through our portfolio of global brands. With a number of recent signings in Saudi Arabia, across our brands such as Holiday Inn, voco and Crowne Plaza, we are growing our presence in key cities and gearing up to cater to the needs of diverse guest profiles expected to visit the country in the coming years.”Earlier this year the hospitality group signed two Holiday Inn properties in Madinah and Jeddah. “We are delighted to be partnering with IHG for our new venture. We have witnessed strong tourism figures and hotel occupancy rates in Saudi Arabia. Tourism is a focal point under the government’s vision 2030 - according to MAS (Tourism Research & Information Centre), the number of international trips made to Saudi Arabia is estimated to increase from 18 million in 2015 to 25.8 million in 2020. The Holiday Inn brand has an international appeal and we are confident that this latest hotel will perform successfully and cater to the increasing demand for midscale accommodation in the country,” said Khalid Al Gahtani, Chairman, RIKAZ Properties. IHG currently operates 92 hotels across 7 brands in the Middle East, including: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, voco and Six Senses Hotels Resorts with a further 41 in the development pipeline due to open within the next three to five years.

Oyo Hotels & Homes to invest in machine learning intelligence technology

Through the acquisition the company is aiming to drive “top-line growth by leveraging dynamic pricing across all its brands” ndia’s Oyo Hotels & Homes has acquired Danamica, a Copenhagen-based data science company, with machine learning and business intelligence capabilities, specialising in dynamic pricing. With this acquisition Oyo is aiming to drive “top-line growth by leveraging dynamic pricing across all its brands”. Commenting on the development, Maninder Gulati, global head, oyo vacation and urban homes, & chief strategy officer, Oyo Hotels & Homes, said, “Danamica, a Europe based, machine learning and business intelligence company specialised in dynamic pricing will help us be more accurate with pricing, leading to higher efficiencies and yield for our real estate owners and value for money for our millions of global guests, both everyday travellers and city dwellers, that choose an Oyo Vacation Homes as their abode.” Last month, the company said it would invest €300 million in the vacation homes business in Europe. The company also signed a partnership valued at Dh18 billion (US$5 billion) with UAE-based IBC Group’s Gallery Suites Vacation Rentals to manage 10,000 premier holiday homes in Dubai.

Nearly 200 hotels at design stage in the GCC

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are leading the field in the development of new hotels There are close to 200 hotels at the design stage in the GCC, according to statistics revealed by intelligence platform ProTenders. Data up to 1 July, 2019, shows there are 196 hotels at the design stage across the Gulf, insight from construction intelligence business ProTenders revealed. The total value of the GCC hotel market, which includes projects at the planning, design, tender and construction stage, is $501.8bn (AED1.8tn), sister publication Commercial Interior Design revealed. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are leading the field in the development of new hotels, as both countries continue to prioritise tourism as a means of supporting economic diversification. It was revealed in August that five hotel chains are due to be selected by the Qiddiya Investment Company as part of the hospitality offering of Saudi Arabia’s entertainment gigaproject Qiddiya. The announcement came when the company, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, unveiled details of the Six Flags theme park that will be built in 2023. In the UAE, a significant number of hotels are being developed in the run-up to Expo 2020 Dubai, which opens its doors in approximately 13 months.

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IHCL identifies properties for buyout possibility

The hospitality group is attempting to reduce its debt The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) and its Singapore-based partner GIC have reportedly lined up seven to eight hotel properties for a possible buyout. A few months ago, IHCL created a platform (worth US$600 million) with Singapore-based wealth fund GIC to acquire operational hotels in India’s luxury segment. According to a report by moneycontrol.com, Puneet Chhatwal, IHCL’s MD told analysts that the group is now in the process of identifying a list of seven to eight assets, including “several distressed” ones. Chatwal said that the company was looking forward to be able to announce the buyout of at least one asset within the next three months. The group is currently attempting to reduce its debt that stands at INR1,975 crores (net debt) to less that INR1,000 crore. According to reports, IHCL could even look at its own properties for acquisition but is currently refraining from doing so as the market in India is slow.

Al Bustan Centre & Residence hosts employee training programme to promote sustainability

Initiative educated associates on eco-friendly practices, methods to cut down on energy and water usage in hotels l Bustan Centre & Residence organised training programmes for its employees to create awareness and promote sustainable environmental approaches. During the training, green initiatives and knowledge in supply chain sustainability were discussed to identify critical risks to improve long-term profitability. The programme focussed on educating its associates on eco-friendly practices and methods to save energy and water in hotels. The initiative also encouraged staff participation so that they can educate and encourage guests about these sustainable practices. \Speaking about the programme, Moussa El Hayek, chief operating officer of Al Bustan Centre and Residence said: “Through our sustainability training programmes, we aim to create awareness among our team through continuous engagement. We can achieve our mission by being committed environmental stewards as tourists and travellers these days are eco-conscious with their options in choosing hotels, it’s no longer only about comfort but sustainability as well. “Ultimately our goal is to create a sustainable environment supporting the initiatives of Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST),” he added.

Address Fountain Views all set to open for business The property comprises 193 rooms

 Emaar Hospitality Group’s Address Fountain Views is all set to open for business, officials have announced. Bookings for the seventh Address hotel in Dubai, are open for stays from October 2019 onwards. Located in Downtown Dubai, the hotel has 193 guestrooms. peaking about the hotel, Chris Newman, chief operating officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “Address Hotels + Resorts has raised the benchmark in service excellence. Our new addition – Address Fountain Views – assures the same personally enriching experience while defining its own individuality, which is the hallmark of every Address hotel.” He added that the property will appeal to both leisure and business visitors. Guests staying on the Club Rooms will be able to access the Club Lounge. The restaurant at the property interprets a luxury apartment and guests can choose from the dining room, the closet, a library or the outdoor terrace. The restaurant will serve authentic Mediterranean cuisine combined with Arabian inspired flavours.

Shaza Hotels recently announced the opening of the Al Badayer Oasis– a Sharjah collection lodge by Mysk.

Owned by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Al Badayer Oasis is a desert retreat set against the dunes of central Sharjah. Shaza Hotels’ president and CEO, Simon Coombs stated: “We are delighted to expand our presence in the UAE with Al Badayer Oasis and Shurooq. This latest opening, joining two other properties- namely the Kingfisher Lodge and Al Faya Lodge in the Sharjah Collection- creates a three-in-one travel circuit for visitors to discover the culture, traditional Arabian hospitality and natural beauty of Sharjah.” Featuring 21 rooms and 10 tents and showcasing by Arabian decor, Al Badayer Oasis is designed for luxury camping experiences. Included in the facilities are a restaurant offering authentic Emirati cuisine, an all-day-dining eatery, two meeting rooms, an indoor pool and a gym. The property also comprises an amphitheatre in the heart of the Caravanserai to host live events. Al Badayer Oasis will also offer recreational activities such as quad biking, horse riding, desert safaris and camel tours.

Welcome experience

Hoteliers can use the power of welcome throughout every facet of the guest experience, both within and beyond property borders. Welcoming strategies can be developed for different arrival times and in consideration of guest profiles. For travelers who arrive late, something comforting waiting in their rooms, may be just the welcoming feeling needed after the stress and fatigue of travel. Housekeeping teams can be trained to deliver something appropriate for any late arrival such as chamomile tea, warm cookies, and especially a welcome note acknowledging their late arrival with an offer to help make them comfortable, even at that late hour.

Call center in a hotel

A centralized office of a company that answers incoming telephone calls from customers or that makes outgoing telephone calls to customers (telemarketing, sometimes referred as a Central Reservation Office (CRO). In its simplest form, it consists of a telephone and a reservation agent. Generally, call centers have the ability to place multiple reservations at the same time through central reservation systems (CRS), usually through an 800 number. Hotel companies may have call centers that serve many different properties within the corporation. Airlines and car rental companies usually have one centralized call center in each of the different countries where they operate, all interlinked through the CRS. Centralized call centers have the advantage of providing consistent service and decreasing the company’s costs, such as management and training. Multibranded companies, however, may have different call centers and, in some cases, different CRSs within their system, mostly due to mergers and acquisitions.