TTN

In Brief

Share  

Louvre Hotels to launch 31 hotels in Saudi

LOUVRE Hotels Group, one of the largest hospitality groups in the world, has announced plans to launch 31 new hotels in Saudi Arabia.

The properties are due to open by the end of 2025 and will add 6,552 keys to the group’s current room inventory, taking its total number of rooms in the kingdom to more than 8,500 and establishing Louvre Hotels as one of the country’s biggest players.

The expansion will commence with the opening of five new properties throughout 2021. Louvre has teamed up with private sector investment partners to launch three- and four-star hotels in a series of key destinations. Golden Tulip Riyadh (Phase 1: 94 rooms) and Golden Tulip Unaizah (84 rooms) are scheduled to open their doors during Q1, and will be joined by the Tulip Inn Dammam Corniche (70 rooms), the Tulip Inn Al Balaad Madinah (150 rooms) in Q3 and Golden Tulip Umm Al Qurah (454 rooms) in Makkah during Q4.

The group will be introducing midscale lifestyle properties under its popular Campanile brand in the kingdom for the first time, which caters to the needs of modern Saudi guests seeking touchless, tech-forward solutions and ample communal spaces within the hotels.

 

Marriott launches third edition of Tahseen 

MARRIOTT International launched its Tahseen programme for the third year in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing its commitment to developing Saudi Arabia’s future hospitality leaders. Launched in 2018 in partnership with Cornell University, Tahseen aims to fast track the next generation of hospitality leaders in the Middle East.

This year’s programme in Saudi Arabia will see 52 candidates join the 12-month curriculum, which will accelerate their development as future leaders in the industry. Of the total number of candidates, nearly 50 per cent are women – marking the highest enrolment of females into the programme since its launch in 2018. 

Tahseen was developed in partnership with Cornell University to focus on fast tracking the next generation of hospitality leaders across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Over the course of 12 months, Tahseen provides candidates with operational experience and theoretical training, empowering them with the knowledge, skills and experience to accelerate in leadership roles within the industry. 

Due to Covid-19 restrictions and precautionary measures, this year’s Tahseen programme will be held remotely through virtual classes.

 

Lumi wins bid for three airport counters

LUMI, the car rental business of Seera Group, is expanding its retail service network in Saudi Arabia, having won the bid to open counters at Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport, Ta'if Regional Airport and Al-Baha Domestic Airport in Saudi Arabia. These join the current network of 8 airport counters and the total network of 26 branches in the region.

Accelerating the development of some sophisticated technology solutions, Lumi is swiftly becoming one of the top car rental brands offering digital-driven services in the Kingdom. This progression is also part of Seera’s omnichannel strategy to create a seamless experience across different channels for the customers.

Lumi has the youngest rental fleet in the Kingdom, with over 80 per cent of cars under 12 months old. The company had purchased over 4,000 cars in 2020 with a majority of fleet additions coming from Toyota and Hyundai.

 

Saudia gears up to start full operations

SAUDI ARABIA'S flagship carrier is preparing for full-capacity operations ahead of the lift of the travel ban next month, said a report.

Saudi Minister of Transport Saleh Al-Jasser chaired a meeting with the Saudia airline board of directors to discuss preparations for the return of international flights on May 17, Arab News reported. The date will mark the end of the suspension of international travel for Saudi citizens by land, air, and sea.

Saudia was ranked among the top 10 airlines worldwide for its health and safety measures and received the highest certification by APEX Health Safety in January, the report said.

Spacer