Mövenpick comes to the Maldives
Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts has signed an agreement to manage its first resort in the Maldives. The planned 105-unit resort, Mövenpick Resort & Spa Kuredhivaru Maldives, will be situated on the remote Kuredhivaru Island in Noonu Atoll, providing a desirable sanctuary surrounded by pristine natural beauty in the exclusive northern part of the Maldives. It is scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2018.
The contemporary tropical resort will combine comfort and style, with 33 Beach Villas and 72 Over Water Villas. While designed as a destination for relaxing and rejuvenating escapes offering a high degree of privacy, the resort will also feature an array of onsite recreational facilities to entertain a wide range of guests, from honeymooners to adventurous families.
Located in one of the Maldives’ most idyllic atolls, the resort will be one of the few exclusive properties in the area to offer guests an opportunity to completely immerse themselves in spectacular scenery and untouched nature. Many of the surrounding islands are still uninhabited.
Swiss-Belhotel reveals 3,500 rooms
WITH more than 3,500 rooms under development in key markets such as Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, Swiss-Belhotel International (SBI) has emerged as a major player in the region’s hospitality sector.
Gavin M Faull, chairman and president of Swiss-Belhotel International, said, “We have more than 17 hotels under development in the Middle East, in addition to our existing properties, and some of these will be officially announced during the ATM. We are pleased to expand our footprint in the region where we have been operating, with great success for over a decade and will soon be adding exciting new destinations.”
Laurent A. Voivenel, Swiss-Belhotel International’s senior vice-president, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India, stressed, “With an outstanding portfolio of globally-recognized brands, we have got an aggressive expansion strategy that is aimed at diversifying our offering in the region giving more choice to our guests with new destinations and products. Being a leading travel and tourism exhibition, Arabian Travel Market is a fantastic platform to share the news of our upcoming projects with our trade partners as well as explore and unlock new opportunities. We are truly excited to be there.”
Lapita hotels to expand in the region
DXB Entertainments, the Dubai based leisure and entertainments company, owner of Dubai Parks and Resorts, has announced its intent to grow its Lapita brand in the region. This announcement comes following the official opening of the first Lapita Hotel, part of Autograph Collection by Marriott, on January 2nd 2017 with the aim to spearhead a series of Lapita Hotels and ultimately forming a global chain.
The Polynesian themed Lapita Hotel Dubai is located at the heart of Dubai Parks and Resorts and offers 504 keys, including 60 suites and three villas.
R Hotels to debut two new properties
THE latest addition to R Hotels’ growing portfolio, The Retreat Palm Dubai, MGallery by Sofitel and Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche have marked their inaugural participation at this year’s Arabian Travel Market.
The 255-key The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel is slated to open in summer 2017, and will be one of the first MGallery by Sofitel brand to operate in the region. Located at the East Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, the property will be the first holistic health and wellness resort in the UAE, with all-inclusive retreat packages, spa, fitness, and recreation facilities, lifestyle consultants and coaches, specialty restaurants, and more wellness-related services.
The first Wyndham Garden hotel in the UAE, Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche is expected to open in the last quarter of 2017. The four-star hotel will feature a total of 179 rooms and suites, an executive lounge on the top floor with panoramic sea views, two restaurants, an outdoor swimming pool, gym and spa, separate health clubs for men and women, and a kids’ play area.