Business Traveller (Middle East)
PICK & MIX
Big data and personalisation, mega projects and boutique, luxury and mid-market – this year’s travel week in Dubai had no end of contrasting themes, reports Dominic Ellis
This year’s travel week in Dubai had no end of contrasting themes, reports Dominic Ellis
Sometimes it’s hard to visualise the rapid changes occurring in the travel industry, but not so on the opening morning of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference. ‘AHIC’ the robot glided onto the Madinat Jumeirah conference centre stage, accompanied by Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta, who skipped through brand development, digital key security and family – subjects that might be beyond AHIC’s vocabulary this year, but not for much longer.
The startling juxtapositions seemed apt in a week in which the travel industry continues to change at an electric, tech-oriented pace, while grappling with a range of more stubborn issues: ongoing rate, supply and economic pressures, unprecedented consolidation and macro political and security concerns.
Down the road, the mixed picture extended to the Arabian Travel Market. Upturn, downturn or anywhere in between, you can always count on the ATM halls to be busy; it remains the region’s WTM and ITB rolled into one. You might see less of the grand masterplan models of yesteryear although with Damac’s launch of the 2,000-room ‘Golfotel’ and 57-floor mixed-use Jannah Ras Al Khor Sharjah, clearly the penchant for OTT hasn’t disappeared completely, nor the desire to add yet more five-star units. The former rounded off the week by unveiling the 305-key DAMAC Maison Royale The Distinction, billed as an ‘ultra-luxury five star’ which will open in the Dubai Downtown district in June, and 250-key Damac Maison Bay, scheduled for May. There’s more five-star inventory from Hilton, too, which announced a second Curio Collection hotel in Dubai, in Business Bay, scheduled to open in 2019 – and it signed an LOI with Nakheel for a DoubleTree hotel and residences on Deira Islands (450 units).
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group plans to manage a second luxury hotel and branded residences in Dubai, in Downtown Dubai (late 2020), complementing its upcoming Jumeira Beach hotel which aims to open Q4 2018.
OPERATORS PRESS PIPELINE PEDAL
We’ve seen large and small developments and now small-meets-large, with the new 12-villa Qasr Al Sultan Boutique Hotel from Meraas’ Dubai Gourmet, complete with conference room for 50 guests, that’s cropped up quickly and quietly next to Dubai Parks and Resorts, with its 503-room Lapita (Autograph Collection).
Abdin Nasralla, CEO of Dubai Gourmet, said it’s been designed to capture the ‘old heritage’ of Dubai and while the GCC will be its prime market, westerners will also be targeted (alcohol available). “Groups that stay at the park can also visit us,” he added. “We have a few more projects coming up.”
Meraas has signalled its intentions to step on the hospitality pedal. Prior to the travel week, it announced four brands with Evado, Re Vera, Vivus and MQ focusing on the luxury boutique, luxury, upper upscale and upper midscale sectors respectively. The first to open will be Re Vera and Vivus branded resorts at the upcoming Bluewaters
project. It’s another interesting dimension in a city now swarming with multinational brands.
They’re hardly slowing down either. IHG is targeting six openings regionally this year. Staybridge Suites is set to debut in KSA, in Jeddah (Alandalus Mall), Holiday Inn Business Park in Doha, Crowne Plaza next to Oman Convention & Exhibition Convention, Crowne Plaza ITCC Riyadh, Holiday Inn Algiers Cheraga Tower and InterContinental Fujairah, the first InterContinental resort in the UAE.
Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer for IHG India, Middle East and Africa, said it is looking at bringing Kimpton to the region.“We’d like to start in Dubai and then look at other key cities.” Kimpton De Witt opens in Amsterdam this year, marking the first Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant outside the Americas.
Carlson Rezidor is gearing up for 17 openings this year – 11 in KSA alone, doubling its Kingdom portfolio in one year – according to Area Vice President Mark Willis.“We’ve been working on this since 2014, it might be more towards 20,” he said.“We have a fabulous Radisson Blu in Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, in quarter three, and The Park Inn by Radisson Madinah Road Jeddah which will have the first female general manager in the hospitality industry in the Kingdom.”
Other notable openings include the 432-room Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Waterfront Business Bay due to open in September – which will be joined by another Radisson nearby – and 156-room Radisson Blu Ajman, also set for Q3.“We have a nightclub operator, Gotha (Cannes), which will cause a stir in Dubai. We don’t see the two as an issue, wherever we have two hotels they tend to perform better.”Around 11 new hotels are also opening across Africa.
Movenpick is opening one new hotel every two weeks on average and new signings include Maldives, opening August 2018, and Addis Ababa (Q4 2019). With 83 hotels open, President and CEO Olivier Chavy says it is “on pace to achieve 125 hotels by 2020”. During AHIC, it signed five LOIs in premium locations. Amid all the major tie-ups, Chavy maintains it is “not in the process of being consolidated. We have a strong stable ownership.”
Sumair Tariq, Managing Director of R Hotels, said it has two UAE hotels opening this year, the first holistic wellness property in the UAE on Palm Jumeirah (M Gallery by Sofitel) – which is due to open in June – and a third hotel in Ajman, Wyndham Garden on the Corniche (Q3).“By the end of this year, we’ll have five hotels with Wyndham and two
with Accor,” he said (the other Accor hotel being ibis Styles Dubai Jumeira).
As well as maintaining its breathless pace with Rove Hotels’ expansion – the fourth, near the Trade Centre is due to open in the next few months – Emaar Hospitality Group is giving a new push to Vida Hotels and Resorts with new projects at Vida Dubai Creek Harbour, and hotel and residences projects at Dubai Marina and Reem Island Abu Dhabi. The group also unveiled native apps for The Address Hotels & Resorts, Vida Hotels & Resorts, The Palace Downtown and Manzil Downtown (with Rove hotels going live shortly).
The group is also pressing ahead with Egypt expansion, announcing an Address resort/residences and Vida hotel/residences at Marassi Beach and marina, while the previously announced Address Marasi Golf Resort & Spa has yet to open.
PREMIUM AIRLINE SEATS
Saudia debuted its ‘First Suite’ First Class suite launched late last year on its B777-300ERs (see seats feature, page30). Emirates also promoted its new business class seat on B777-300ERs – in which the forward-placing minibar is encased in a glass cabinet, while seat and meal icons are simply and clearly displayed next to the armrest.
Qatar Airways announced 12 new destinations for 2018 (San Francisco, Cardiff, Utapao, Chittagong, Mykonos, Málaga, Accra, Lisbon, Abidjan, Prague, Kiev and Mombasa) on top of the previously announced 14 launches for 2017/18.
It signalled more Asian expansion with Bali now up to three times daily and Bangkok rising to fivetimes daily from June 1. For business travellers, the most welcome news was hearing the introduction of high-speed broadband on board B777s and A350s this summer.
Oryx One entertainment is being relaunched, making it easier to access up to 3,000 entertainment options, and a new mobile app enables passengers to plan their on-board viewing before they take off and read a selection of newspapers and magazines.
The travel industry continues to change at an electric, tech-oriented pace, while grappling with a range of more stubborn issues: ongoing rate, supply and economic pressures, unprecedented consolidation and macro political and security concerns.