|
|
|
|
 |
RETAIL: Al-Futtaim’s Festival Center Cairo sets in motion |
| |
Dubai's Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate recently revealed that construction of the Festival Center, a 184,000 square meter retail and entertainment facility at the Cairo Festival City in Egypt, has begun. Gulf contractors Al Futtaim Carillion and Egypt’s construction firm Orascom were selected to construct the Festival Center. The $3.6 billion Egypt mega-project will offer retail, hotels, luxury residential villas, and apartments, offices and schools. The city will include a 140,000 square-meter three-level shopping center featuring 250 international and regional retail brands. A 400-room luxury hotel and 480 Mediterranean styled villas are also planned.
“Our vision for this remarkable development, which is at the heart of New Cairo City, is to create a vibrant and modern community that affirms Egypt’s position as one of the most progressive and influential countries in the region,” said Omar Al Futtaim, CEO, Al-Futtaim Group. The shopping center and phase one of the residential units are slated for the end of 2010. The development is set for completion in 2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
RESORTS: Nikki Beach hotels come to Jordan, UAE |
| |
Jordan’s Saraya Aqaba Real Estate Development psc. and Nikki Beach EMEA Hotels and Resorts Limited have partnered for a premium hotel and serviced lifestyle residential units in the Saraya Aqaba destination, Jordan. Located on the shores of Aqaba on the Red Sea, the Nikki Beach Hotel at Saraya Aqaba will have 140 hotel rooms, including 28 hotel suites, various F&B and retail outlets, beach club and outdoor pool, spa and fitness facilities, business center with meeting rooms. The property will entail 132 one-, two-, or three-bedroom residential units. The 617,000 square meters Saraya Aqaba destination, built around a man-made lagoon, is a $1billion multi-use project that is expected to open by the end of 2009.
Another Nikki Beach boutique hotel was just inked for Saraya Islands, a luxurious mixed-use resort in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. Slated for end of 2011, the 140-room and suite Nikki Beach Resort and Spa will include a Nikki Beach Club and pool bar, spa and fitness facilities, an Ultra VIP Lounge/Club, two signature restaurants, and 160 serviced residences
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOTELS: Oman attracts Raffles, Fairmont |
| |
Canada-based Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is building a $100million hotel in Oman, its first in the Sultanate, it was recently revealed. The hotel will be part of the Wave Muscat development, a mega project by virtue of a joint venture between Oman’s Waterfront Investments, National Investment Funds Co, and UAE’s Majid Al-Futtaim Group.
Meanwhile, the Singapore-based Raffles Hotels is piercing Oman soon with a super-luxury hotel, according to press reports. “We are expanding the Raffles brand into Oman,” said J. David Walmsley, vice president, development, for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. “We are not ready to make an announcement, but I would expect that announcement would come in the next month or so,” he added. The Raffles property is expected to boast super-luxury facilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
FRANCHISES: Cravia on a lustful expansion route |
| |
Dubai-headquartered Cravia Inc., which operates the Cinnabon, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Carvel, Zaatar w Zeit, Roadster Diner, Teriyaki Experience, and Ruby Tuesday franchises in many parts of the region, is stepping up expansion this year. It is expected to roll out 10 Cinnabon venues and six Seattle’s Best Coffee (SBC) outlets in Dubai by yearend. Cravia Inc has been a franchisee of the Cinnabon brand by Atlanta-based Focus Brands since 2000, operating 12 outlets in Dubai and eight others across the region. The growing company has opened nine SBC branches so far, all inside Cinnabon units. Cravia Inc has a joint-venture deal involving 22 outlets in Egypt, including Carvel Ice Cream, another Focus Brands concept.
The company has also been expanding Lebanese Zaatar w Zeit, concept, with five in the UAE already. Another Lebanese concept, Roadster Diner, will open its first of 10 planned outlets for the UAE in Jumeirah soon, Cravia Inc said. The company is eyeing Abu Dhabi next for similar expansion
|
|
|
|
|
|
RESTAURANTS: Dunkin’ Donuts enters Oman, opens mammoth Sharjah kitchen |
| |
Oman’s Matrah Cold Stores LLC in partnership with Continental Foods, the UAE franchisee of Dunkin’ Donuts, have formed a joint venture company to launch and manage the Dunkin’ Donuts coffee brand in Oman. The first three Dunkin’ Donuts units were recently unveiled in Madinat Qaboos -- Al Madina Plaza, Ghala – Omanoil, and Shatti Cinema. All three outlets offer the choice between a casual eat-in area and take-away service. Dunkin’ Donuts revealed plans to open 15 to 20 stores in Oman in five years, ranging between dining-in and quick service venues.
Meanwhile, Dunkin’ Donuts has opened the region’s largest commercial kitchen and warehouse complex in Sharjah. Built on an area of 30,000 sq ft, the $5.17 million facility is the company’s biggest outside the US. It will produce the full range of donuts in 50 different varieties with a capacity to produce 50 million donuts annually
|
|
|
|
|
|
FRANCHISES: BinHendi embraces franchisees |
| |
On an aggressive expansion pace, UAE-based BinHendi Hospitality is opening up franchising opportunities for investors worldwide, a move which coincides with the growth of a number of its F&B outlets across the region. The first brand it is offering for investors is the stylish, fusion restaurant concept Japengo Café, highlighting Chinese, Japanese and Mediterranean influences, with nine outlets in Dubai and other outlets in Oman. “Japengo has been our flagship concept since it launched and we are thrilled that it now has enough strength as a brand to succeed in a foreign market,” said Khalil Fakih, business development manager, BinHendi Hospitality, who noted that the group’s seven other F&B concepts are also growing.
According to Fakih, it is Japengo Café variety that keeps customers coming back. The global market, he pointed out, is ready for this concept. To be considered, potential partners must have relative knowledge of the F&B industry and/or the retail business, as well as a penchant for success, he added. “They should be hard working, have good people skills, and be able to succeed within Japengo’s set operational procedures.” The company will be on the lookout for additional maturity, stability, and high personal standards of honesty, integrity, and excellence when selecting potential investors, he indicated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
RESTAURANTS: New Consolidated Restaurant Management tries new flavors |
| |
UAE foodservice operator Saleh Bin Lahej Group and Dallas-based Consolidated Restaurant Operations have joined forces to bring together Consolidated Restaurant Management, a new group which will reportedly launch 75 restaurants in the region over the course of seven years. The very first babies delivered by this F&B marriage were the Mexican EL Chico Café, just opened at Dubai Marina, and Cantina Laredo inaugurated in Abu Dhabi. “The tie-up between the Saleh Bin Lahej Group and the US-based CRO has given the region its first authentic taste of Mexican cuisine. We pride ourselves in bringing true taste sensations to the region for over a decade and El Chico Café and Cantina Laredo add their unique personalities and flavors to our expanding portfolio of restaurants,” said Mohammed Saleh, Saleh Bin Lahej Group vice chairman. The group’s main focus over the next years will be on the UAE, as well as Egypt, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Brunei. The US group operates many EL Chico Café and Cantina Laredo outlets across the United States.
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOTELS: An IHG sortie to Syria |
| |
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will foray into Syria following the signing of an exclusive agreement with MAK Hotel Holdings -- member of the M.A. Kharafi Group of Kuwait – to roll out an InterContinental Hotel in Damascus. “When open, InterContinental Damascus will offer guests a luxurious and first-class place to stay while discovering this historically rich location as testament to InterContinental’s commitment to provide authentic and enriching destination experiences for all guests,” said John Bamsey, chief operating officer, IHG, Middle East & Africa, noting the property and hospitality boom in Syria. The property will feature the largest grand ballroom in Damascus, with capacity for 2,500 people. Hotel amenities include first-class meeting rooms, specialty shops, health club, an all-day dining restaurant, three speciality restaurants, and a bar.
The IHG-managed hotel is part of the recently announced $218 Kiwan tourist and commercial complex in Damascus where the Kuwaiti Mohammed Abdul Mohsen Al-Kharafi and Sons Group is implementing a 45-year BOT contract. The mega venture is being built on a 50,000 square-meter swathe of land.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SPA: Mammoth spa hits Kempinski Dead Sea |
| |
Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea is set to launch next month the 10,000 square-meter Anantara Spa, one of the largest holistic complexes in the region, on the Babylonian-inspired resort. “The much anticipated opening of our Anantara Spa will see the hotel attain greater status as the premium relaxation and rejuvenation venue in the region. Spas are now an essential part of any five-star resort operation and given the magnificent natural location and properties of the Dead Sea, we felt it was imperative to pay homage to this amazing resource with a truly outstanding holistic hideaway,” said Duncan O’Rourke, general manager. Featuring indoor and outdoor treatment facilities, the wet amenities of the spa, which is inspired by a cocktail of exotic Middle Eastern and Asian health and beauty practices, include a traditional Moroccan Hammam, indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, natural Dead Sea mineral pools, hydro bubble pool, steam rooms and a Watsu pool. Twenty-eight single-level and duplex spa suites will provide guests with a luxurious accommodation experience.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EDUCATION: Dubai hones the industry’s skills |
| |
Concerned about the shortage of trained and qualified hotel sector employees, Dubai is putting its money where education is, opening two new hotel schools to meet the industry’s demand for skilled hospitality staff. Al Hai LLC, part of the Al Hai Group of Companies, has teamed up with world leaders in hospitality and tourism education, the Blue Mountains Hotel School, an Australian based international hotel school, to bring a new hotel school to the region. According to Fritz Gubler, director, Blue Mountains Hotel School, the new school which is slated for completion in 2009, “will facilitate the growing needs of the industry both in terms of training existing human resources in the hotel sector and by providing quality undergraduate and postgraduate education for future hoteliers.” He pointed out that the institute will be a member of the ORION Hotel Schools global alliance-- a group of leading hospitality and tourism educators worldwide. The new hotel school will adopt the Three Pillars approach to education: A balanced integration of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and personal development. The core program will be a three-year bachelor degree focusing on hotel and resort management as well as tourism, leisure, and event management. A one-year diploma and two-year associate degree will also be offered.
Moreover, the emirate can expect another hotel school by 2012 as part of the much anticipated Lyon-Dubai City – Dubai’s rendition of the French city of Lyon. Investment capital firm Emivest has signed the dotted line between the French city and Dubai for this project. In addition to housing, offices, cafes, cinemas, and hotels, Lyon-Dubai City will feature a hotel school operated by icon chef Paul Bocuse’s institute and a French-language university offering masters in fashion, international law, and economics. The 300-400 hectare scheme is estimated at $740 million dollars, according to press reports.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SUPPLIERS: Diet Center, Dunkin’ Donuts offer breakfast of the champions |
| |
Coffee giant Dunkin’ Donuts (DD) in Lebanon and fellow based nutrition house Diet Center have teamed up to introduce to the DD menu scrumptious breakfast or snack offerings that will save customers the guilt trips. “We had some requests from our customers to have diet items,” explains Christine Aswad Sfeir, Dunkin’ Donuts. “So, we tied up with the Diet Center, which is the pioneer in diet products.” This project is in its trial period in eight DD outlets, according to Sfeir. Salty diet snacks include the oatmeal cookie, turkey quiche, and thyme ruler. Sweet delicacies are mainly the apple puff, cheese pie, and chocolate brownie.
|
|
|
|
|
|
RETAIL: Metro has Makro plans for Egypt |
| |
Germany's largest retailer, Metro, will reportedly invest $467 million to open 20 stores in Egypt. According to Metro Cash & Carry Chief Executive Officer Frans Muller, Metro will be unveiling its first Cash & Carry wholesale outlet in Cairo this year and as many as ten stores in the country in the next three to five years. Another ten outlets will be revealed in the long run.”By entering the Egyptian market we are consequently pursuing our international expansion strategy and making an important step into the very promising region of the Middle East and North Africa,” he said. “We think the growth rate in Egypt looks very promising. We want to go into a market that is picking up.” Egypt’s economy expanded 7 percent last year. This is great news for the company whose 60 percent of revenue and 72 percent of profit is made abroad Germany. Metro said that it has no plans to enter the country with other sales brands of the Metro Group. It revealed that as the Metro brand name is already in use on the Egyptian market, it will most likely enter the country under the brand name Makro, which is already well-known in several European countries.
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOTELS: Mark down The Address by Emaar |
| |
Emaar Properties PJSC, hospitality business subsidiary of Emaar Hospitality Group, is set to launch and operate its five-star premium brand of world-class hotels and resorts under The Address Hotels & Resorts. The Address is a modern brand that focuses on a ‘one size fits one’ strategy where benefits to guests are a priority. Positioning its messaging as ‘where life happens’, The Address Hotels & Resorts will be more personal, approachable and experiential to guests in a lifestyle environment, for business, leisure, or group travellers.
The first three Address flagship hotels will be rolled out successively later this year in Downtown Burj Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Dubai Mall. The group will be revealing within the next decade a total of 100 properties in key cities and tourist destinations in the region, the Indian Subcontinent, Asia, Europe and America. The Address is projected to open in Shanghai, China; Uptown Cairo, New Cairo, Cairo Gate, Marassi, Egypt; Lombok, Indonesia; Saphira, Tinja, Morocco; Istanbul, Turkey; Bawadi Dubai, UAE; London, UK; and Los Angeles, New York, USA.
|
|
|
|
|
|
RESTAURANTS: Zahr El-Laymoun to blossom this fall |
| |
Lebanon-based F&B force Blends Food Development is set to launch its latest culinary work of art Zahr El Laymoun this fall. Zahr El Laymoun, or orange blossom, is an oriental kitchen and grill café where one can watch one’s meal being prepared and escape the hustle and bustle for a home-made dessert or a coffee in an inviting home-like atmosphere. Conceptualized with simplicity and health in mind, Zahr El Laymoun offers grilled and baked Lebanese dishes, as well as salads and mezze seasoned with natural herbs, oriental spices, and nuts. The new concept is also geared at take away service providing quick service to walk-through, home, and/or business clients.
Scheduled to debut in Lebanon in October on the Dbayeh Highway, the first of a series of projected Zahr El Laymoun outlets will seat up to 220 people. Franchise deals for the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia have already been signed, with openings slated for 2009, the company said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EVENTS: Garden Show celebrates sweetness of life in Lebanon |
| |
The fifth edition of “The Garden Show and Spring Festival” is going to be held from June 10-14 at the Beirut Hippodrome, Lebanon. The country’s avant garde show rejoices “the sweetness of life in Lebanon” this year, featuring a display of gardens Plants and flowers, outdoor furniture, gardening tools and accessories, outdoor equipment, landscaping, eco-tourism, and much more. Nestled in a romantic, relaxing setting, the five-day show is a one-stop shop for all of nature’s riches. This edition will include a display of handicrafts as well as traditional and bio food products.
The brainchild of Miriam Shuman which is co-organized by Hospitality Services s.a.r.l., Garden Show 2008 will be explosion of colors and scents, garnering support for the Save the Forest of Lebanon awareness campaign by the Association for Forest Development and Conservation (AFDC), geared at the prevention of forest fires. It will also celebrate the fourth anniversary of Lebanon’s food market Souk et Tayeb, which will include the introduction of National Tabbouleh Day. Other features include the Authentic Lebanon section, aiming at solidifying the Lebanese community.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hospitality News takes a stand at the Hotel Show Dubai |
| |
Hospitality News magazine will be cementing its presence at the Hotel Show Dubai this year, exhibiting and sharing its latest issue with international professionals and decision-makers. The show, running from June 8-10 at the Dubai International Exhibition Center, is a leading supplies exhibition to the region’s hospitality and leisure sectors. According to organizers dmg world media Dubai, the Hotel Show will host more than 800 exhibitors from over 46 countries this year. “The regional hospitality industry is in dynamic mode and our early projections are not only being realized but exceeded,” exhibition director Maggie Moore said.
The size and number of country pavilions at this year’s show has grown. Brazil, Cyprus, Greece, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Lebanon, Malta, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, and the USA are all mounting pavilions. Show visitors include the region’s key managing directors, general managers and hotel operators, purchasing managers, architects, designers, consultants, agents, distributors, and developers. The Hotel Show and its associated Seven Star Conference provide a future perspective on key trends and drivers shaping the travel and tourism sector in a region. This year, it will be examining nanotechnology and sustainability in the hospitality industry along with future trends and challenges in guestrooms among many other issues.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
