Makkah set to get the world’s biggest Crowne Plaza Hotel

InterContinental Hotel Group and Bougary Holding sign 1,200-room Crowne Plaza, scheduled to open in Makkah, Saudi Arabia in 2019. InterContinental Hotel Group and Bougary Holding have signed the world’s largest Crowne Plaza, which totals 1,200 rooms, which an opening scheduled for 2019 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Located in close proximity to the Holy Mosque, the hotel will join the existing InterContinental and Holiday Inn in the city, totalling three properties there. Crowne Plaza Makkah Beban will also offer two restaurants and a coffee shop, a business center, and three meeting rooms (3,323 sqm in total) that can be used as an event space. A WELCOME VENTURE Involved stakeholders were excited about the new agreement. IHG Managing Director India, Middle East & Africa  Pascal Gauvin said in a statement: “Saudi Arabia offers great opportunities both in terms of domestic and inbound tourism and is central to our expansion strategy in the Middle East.” He added: “This is a milestone signing for us in the Middle East and is testament to our commitment to the market.” Bougary Holding Co. CEO Loay Bougary said: “We are proud to partner with a strong global player such as IHG on this milestone development. IHG is a trusted brand with in-depth knowledge of the Kingdom and Crowne Plaza Makkah Beban will bring a full range of amenities to pilgrims and other travellers looking for a high-quality hospitality experience.” PRECEDENT FOR LARGE-SCALE DEVELOPMENT This is not the first hotel in the area to have billed itself as the world’s largest. In fact, this new property follows other operators that also have “world’s largest” properties in Makkah – with Marriott opening the world’s largest Sheraton at 1,136 rooms and Radisson Hospitality signing the world’s largest Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson.

Red Planet Japan steps up Asian expansion with $59.5 million acquisition

Hotel News - Red Planet Japan announces the $59.5 million acquisition of the Thailand-based hotel arm of its parent company Red Planet Hotels Limited on the back of a series of expansion announcements in the Asia Pacific region. Red Planet Japan has announced that it is acquiring the Thailand-based hotel arm of its parent company Red Planet Hotels Limited. Industry experts say the acquisition is likely to be completed by the end of the first quarter of the financial year 2019. Red Planet Japan will acquire a half dozen hotel-owning companies in Thailand, all of them from its parent company. This will make for a total acquisition consideration of 6.5 billion Japanese yen or $59.5 million. The acquisition includes five operating hotels, located in Surawong (Bangkok), Patong (Phuket), Asoke (Bangkok), Pattaya, and Hat Yai. It also includes a sixth property that is currently under development in Sukhumvit Soi 8 (Bangkok). The operating hotels being acquired in Thailand have a recorded sales that totals 692 million Japanese yen ($6 million) in 2017 and 787 million Japanese yen ($7.1 million) in 2018. As a result of this acquisition, Red Planet Japan’s portfolio will increase to a total of 15 hotels in Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines, including five hotels under development. EXPANSION OF JAPANESE TOURISM Japan, like many markets with easy access to Southeast Asia, has undergone a tourism boom in recent years. Factors such as the expansion of low-cost carrier routes, the loosening of visa requirements, and a growing affinity for Japanese culture, has fueled a substantial increase in the number of tourists travelling from Southeast Asia to Japan in recent years, especially from Thailand.

Providing online services for foreign travelers on website

Autonomous travel suite

Objection statement by the head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization to 18% increase in travelling loans interests!

All-inclusive support of hoteliers on the issue of Nowruz tourists settlement by Deputy of Tourism

Hotel News - The thirty-seventh meeting of the members of the Chief of Staff of the Travel Services Coordination was held on Feb. 19, 2019, with the presence of Tourism Deputy Chairman Vali Thaimori and other members of related Organizations. According to the Hotel News, the Deputy Director of Tourism of the Cultural Heritage Organization, referring to the ministry of education, said: "The form of accommodation for travelers in schools, is not worthy for tourists.” He criticized the resettlement of tourists in school classes and continues: "This action is not good because we are not in crisis situation that we need to accommodate tourists in school classes!” “The private sector is investing in construction of residential properties and hotels, and they need Nowruz holidays to see their properties fully booked. These occasions are considered "high season" for hoteliers which cannot be ignored." He added that “some government agencies with some kinds of residential properties and facilities are doing some kind of parallel activity in hospitality area, while surveys shows that the cost of staying in state residential centers and schools is the same as the cost of resorts or hotels in the same city.”

HYATT opens first branded hotel in Ethiopia

Hotel News - The Hyatt Regency brand is coming to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. This is Hyatt’s seventh property on the African continent, but the first in Ethiopia, and is located in the city’s centre on Meskel Square near many of the capital’s main attractions. Guest can choose from 188 rooms, including 12 luxury regency suites, two executive suites, one presidential suite and one royal presidential suite. Guests can also enjoy some of the private members clubs available in the hotel, as well as six incredible dining options, including a cafe, cocktail bar and some casual dining offerings. 1,700 sqm of meeting and conference facilities will cater to business travelers, and the regency ballroom can be used for functions or events. A state-of-the-art gym and spa will allow guests to relax and rejuvenate, and for those wishing to explore the city, some of the biggest attractions are located close to the hotel, including the National Palace, the Holy Trinity Church and Africa’s biggest open air market in the Mercato district.

Hyatt making big moves in Middle East & Africa - HYATT continues expansion in Kuwait

HYATT CONTINUES EXPANSION IN KUWAIT Hyatt Regency makes a comeback in Kuwait with the opening of the Hyatt Regency Al Kout Mall. The property will be emblematic of Hyatt´s Regency brand, which aims to offer guests the convenience and ease of having all of the amenities they require under one roof. The Al Kout Mall will boast 200 guestrooms, which includes 53 junior suites, 67 regency suites and 14 premium suites, as well as 2,400 sqm of meeting and conference space which includes a regency ballroom for events and functions. One of the highlights of the hotel is the rooftop fitness centre, Club Olympus, which offers guests panoramic views out over sea and city. Here, guests can relax in the pool or keep fit in the gym. The hotel is also conveniently located close to the international airport and to the border with Saudi Arabia. Some of the most exciting sights in Kuwait are right at the hotel’s doorstep, including the Al Kout Mall, Souq Al Kout, Al Kout Marina, Al Kout Fisherman’s Wharf and the Al Kout promenade. “We are excited to welcome the Hyatt Regency brand back to Kuwait,” said Mohammed Jassim Khalid Al Marzouq, chairman of Tamdeen Group, Hyatt’s partner in the opening of the Regency Al Kout Mall, as well as the planned Grand Hyatt Kuwait. “We are certain that the Hyatt Regency brand, known for its superior facilities and seamless service, will resonate with business and leisure travelers visiting Kuwait, and look forward to our continued collaboration and future openings in this dynamic city,” he added.

Intour Summit comes to Azerbaijan in June

Hotel News - Azerbaijan will host the Intour Summit on June 4 and 5 this year, which is the region’s foremost travel summit, drawing attendees from all corners of the hospitality industry. Over the course of two days, delegates will network with over 1,000 other industry professionals, and listen to over 70 speakers dive deep into the current market trends. We find out more. AZERBAIJAN MAKES ITS MARK Azerbaijan is one of the most important countries in Central Asia, and boasts the frontier of the meeting of East and West, making it a melting pot of different cultures. It is an ideal place, then, for the Intour Summit, the country’s and the region’s most prominent hospitality conference. Delegates and industry professionals will make their way from all corners of the globe to attend this two-day event, which promises to be full of inspiring and engaging talks, presentations and networking sessions. It will also gives attendees the chance to discover the amazing city of Baku, the country’s historic city and capital, which has be central to Azerbaijan’s strategy to make the country a player on the world commercial stage. RICH IN CONTENT The Intour Summit will guide participants through developments and opportunities in the region. Some of the confirmed speakers at the event include Adrian D`Amico, VP of Booking.com EMEA; Alexis Feuillat, Director of Development IHG for Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, CIS and Baltics; David Jenkins, Vice President Business Development for Russia, CIS, Georgia, Ukraine, Baltics, Balkans and Israel at Radisson Hotel Group; and Sergey Egorov, Director of Development for Russia and CIS at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Speakers will present information, research and data around current developments in the industry as well as future trends and projections. A diverse array of sectors will be in attendance, from tech startups, media groups, hotels, airlines, investors and tour operators, and networking will be encouraged in the B2B meeting zone, as well as through pre-arranged meetings, coffee breaks and drinks receptions. With the Central Asian market growing quickly, the Intour Summit promises to be a great opportunity to find out about the region’s pipeline and meet potential partners in the area. More information available here.

Myanmar to London to Dubai: Hilton making great strides across the globe

HILTON EXPANDS IN MYANMAR Hilton is to add another property to its portfolio in Myanmar with a new signing of 308-room hotel in downtown Yangon. The Hilton Times City Yangon will form part of Hilton’s flagship Hotels and Resorts brand, and is easily accessible from both the airport and the city’s business district, and is part of a mixed-use complex. The new hotel will cater to Myanmar’s increasing tourism industry, with numbers of tourists visiting the country expected to reach 7.5 million by 2020. The hotel will cater to both business and leisure travelers, and offers 1250 sqm of meeting and conference space, as well as a business centre, fitness centre and spa, and five dining areas. This property will be Hilton’s fourth in Myanmar, and it is set to open in 2022.

AURORA: THE LUXURY SPACE HOTEL WILL ORBIT EARTH BY 2021

Hotel News - The Orion Span start-up has unveiled images of Aurora Station, its future space station designed to accommodate tourists from 2022 onwards, with the launch of the station programmed for 2021. It promises and incredible experience to its future customers. On the menu: 12 days of an unusual vacation at an altitude of about 320 kilometers. The program of activities includes the observation of 16 sunrises and sunsets in one day, flying over the hometown of travelers, games of ping-pong in the state of weightlessness. Guests will also be able to take part in experiments like growing food while in orbit. They will be able to take samples home as a “souvenir”. In order to be eligible for this stay, however, guests will have to undergo a specific training. But its duration, which is usually two years for a trip in space, has been shortened to three months for the Aurora Station. Orion Space has, therefore, opted for luxurious services, in order to differentiate itself from the competition. Because the start-up faces rivals who also seek to offer space tourism, such as the Texas company Axiom Space or Virgin Galactic, founded by billionaire Richard Branson. To support itself, Orion Space launched a crowdfunding campaign that raised about $230 thousand as of now. The goal of Orion Space is to “make space accessible to all”. However, by “accessible to all”, one should understand “all very wealthy clients”. Indeed, as the price of a 12-day stay in the Aurora Station space hotel is expected to be 9.5 million dollars. 

Charlotta Olsson Appointed as General Manager At Radisson Collection Hotel, Strand Stockholm, Sweden

Hotel News - Twelve years ago she kicked off her career at Radisson SAS Strand Hotel at Blasieholmen - now she is back at the same hotel, today's Radisson Collection Strand Hotel Stockholm, as the hotel's new General Manager, according to a press release. Charlotta Olsson already decided there and then 12 years ago that "One day I will come back here and run this hotel". After studying in France, Boston and Italy, she landed at Linköping University. Something that turned out to be completely wrong for Charlotta. She interrupted her studies, once again packed her bag and moved to Caux (Montreux) in Switzerland and studied at the Swiss Hotel Management School. In the hotel industry, she was able to combine her passion for travel, language and the meeting with new people with her drive and talent for development work. She started as Meeting & Events Executive at the Radisson SAS Strand Hotel. Since then, she has successfully climbed within organization with steady steps, a process possibly accelerated by a certain restlessness transformed into a superpower. Most recently, Charlotta has been running the Park Inn by Radisson Stockholm Solna for two years as General Manager. Before that, she opened the Park Inn by Radisson Lund in the same role. A hotel that has now been refined into a Radisson Blu. When Charlotta talks about the new role at Radisson Collection Strand Hotel, it is an admirable enthusiasm that emerges. As a leader, Charlotta is described as purposeful, straight and clear - a person that people know where they are. But also as a caring person who cares on a personal level. Outside the hotel walls, Charlotta is a person with a food and wine interest who likes to travel and then preferably to Italy. She is the oldest in the sibling with two brothers and has strong family ties. She is found frequently in the jogging track or in the hot yoga room if she did not pick up her tennis racket or a golf club.