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  • MENA to have 50 New Starwood Hotels in next five years

    Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc is strengthening its position because the leading hotel operator around the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region with an existing portfolio of 82 hotels, representing nearly 22,000 guest rooms, the vast majority of which might be operated under Starwood’s world-renowned Sheraton and Le Méridien brands. The corporate announced today that it’s going to increase its MEA portfolio by greater than 60% with nearly 50 new hotels set to open over the subsequent five years, adding greater than 14,000 guest rooms to the region while creating thousands of local employment opportunities. With over 20 hotels expected to open by the tip of 2015, Starwood is on target to arrive a milestone 100 hotels across MEA. Further underscoring the significance of the region as one among Starwood’s fastest growing hotel and travel markets, earlier this month the corporate relocated its global headquarters from Stamford, Connecticut to Dubai for a month-long immersion.

    “Dubai epitomises the changing face of travel, and we think this relocation will deepen our relations with partners, associates and customers. The insights that come from experiences like this move make us more agile in today’s rapidly changing world.”

    “Starwood continues to work out demand for growth of all of our brands around the Middle East and Africa despite economic and political uncertainty in some parts of this incredibly diverse region,” said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Rapid economic growth, rising personal incomes, a growing middle class and ever greater global connectivity are driving new travel patterns and insist for travel, and this region is on the center of those trends and a key focus of our growth strategy.”

    With greater than 70% of the world’s economic growth coming from fast-growing markets over the following couple of years, Starwood is concentrated on expansion in developing MEA markets akin to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa and Nigeria. The corporate can also be eager about growth opportunities in key emerging markets including Iraq, Pakistan, Angola, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and East Africa.

    By 2017, Starwood will operate greater than 130 hotels in MEA, marking some key milestones, including:

    *  Portfolio growth of over 60% inside the UAE with 12 new hotels, including six in Dubai, bringing Starwood’s portfolio to greater than 30 hotels around the country. Starwood’s growth plans within the UAE also include expansion into Sharjah and Ajman.
    *  Rapid expansion across Saudi Arabia with six new hotels slated to open by 2015 bringing Starwood’s portfolio to fifteen hotels on this key developing market.
    *  The re-entry of Starwood into Iraq with the milestone signings of 3 hotels across three brands within the city of Erbil, located inside the re-emerging Kurdistan area of the rustic.
    *  Momentum in Nigeria with two new Starwood hotels, under the company’s Four Points by Sheraton brand.
    *  Addition of 2 new hotels in Algeria with a brand new Sheraton hotel in Annaba and 4 Points by Sheraton in Oran.
    *  The launch of Starwood’s Aloft Hotels brand in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Aloft will even open its second property within the UAE within the emirate of Sharjah.
    Starwood Strengthens Luxury Portfolio

    In 2011, Starwood introduced its ultra-luxury St. Regis Hotels & Resorts brand within the region with the outlet of The St. Regis Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. This was followed by last year’s debuts of The St. Regis Doha and The St. Regis Mauritius, marking the entry of the logo into Qatar and Africa. This year, Starwood will unveil a second St. Regis hotel on Abu Dhabi’s vibrant Corniche, making it the best city on the earth to boast two St. Regis hotels. The logo will soon enter the Egyptian market with the outlet of The St. Regis Cairo.

    Starwood can be seeing rapid growth of its contemporary, design-led W Hotels brand. Following the successful launch of the emblem within the region with the hole of W Doha in 2009, Starwood has plans to open six more W Hotels across MEA in key markets, including three in Dubai and one each in Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Amman by 2017.

    “Our long-established presence, local teams, and powerful relationships inside the region remain a competitive advantage, and position us well to milk the various opportunities for future growth,” said Simon Turner, President of worldwide Development & Acquisition, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “We have a healthy pipeline of latest hotels under development within the Middle East and Africa, and expect our growth to continue in 2013 as we glance to expand in markets including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.

    Conversion Opportunities in MEA

    In addition to new hotel openings, Starwood is seeing increasing opportunities for hotel conversions in MEA. Prior to now ten months, Starwood has signed three conversion deals inside the region, including Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates, which opened last month.

    “Thanks to Starwood’s nearly 50 year history within the MEA region and the proven strength of our brands, the corporate is easily positioned to take full good thing about growth,” said Roeland Vos, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East. “We are seeing an enormous landscape of independent hotels ripe for flags within the region and we predict to capture greater than our justifiable share of conversion opportunities across all of our brands. The new conversion of the Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates is a testament of this strategy.”

    As Starwood continues its extensive expansion across MEA, the corporate is additionally taken with upgrading its existing portfolio of hotels inside the region, primarily under the Sheraton and Le Méridien brands.

    Starwood Relocates Global Headquarters to Dubai

    Earlier this month, Starwood President & CEO Frits van Paasschen and the company’s top executives relocated to Dubai where they’ve been conducting day-to-day business from this increasingly important global destination and travel hub. Following the company’s successful relocation to China in June 2011, this second leadership move reflects Starwood’s innovative management solution to cultivating a more global culture by understanding, appreciating and leveraging different societal perspectives and approaches to business and hospitality.

    “With 80% of Starwood’s pipeline coming from rapidly growing markets, it’s simply impossible to guide a really global business from a boardroom in Connecticut,” said van Paasschen. “Dubai epitomises the changing face of travel, and we predict this relocation will deepen our relations with partners, associates and customers. The insights that come from experiences like this move make us more agile in today’s rapidly changing world.”

  • News: Second HRG Latin American Forum scheduled

    Following on from the success of the primary HRG Latin American Forum staged last year, a second event will occur on 8 April in Brasil.  HRG Brasil, a business unit of Grupo Alatur and the strategic partner for Hogg Robinson Group (HRG), the award-winning international corporate services provider, within the region, will host the daylong meeting to explore the trends and challenges specific to the region against a world backdrop.

    Taking place at Villa Noah, in São Paulo, the agenda includes lectures from Mário Sérgio Cortella, philosopher and PhD in education and from journalist Maurício Kubrusly.  Similarly Susan Lancaster, International Development Director at HRG and Tiffany Serviss, vice-president for technology from HRG may also be portion of the meeting programme. “Our goal is to create a forum for the regional market to have interaction, benchmark and network, in order that we will continue to guide the growth and development of corporate services, focusing particularly on travel, meetings and mobile technology across Latin America”, explains Daisy Karla De Marco, HRG Brasil Director.

    In addition to debates on best practice, challenges, trends and tools to confirm control, compliance and security within a company travel programme, the Instituto Alatur in partnership with Universidade Anhembi Morumbi can be presenting the Brazilian Travel and Meetings Index.

  • Siberia set to become a hot new travel destination

    Once perceived as desolate and inaccessible, the world’s image of Siberia is commencing to change. As travel connoisseurs seek new, exciting and unspoiled places to sit back, play and explore, Siberia is emerging as an uncrowded alternative to conventional adventure tourism destinations. Now, because of a expert tour company, 56th Parallel, experiencing Siberia’s wonders is less complicated and more luxurious than ever.

    Based in Sydney, Australia, 56th Parallel’s goal is not to only promote Siberia’s extraordinary opportunities for wilderness adventures, but in addition its unique blend of Russian and indigenous culture and colourful city life. The birth of the corporate passed off during 56th Parallel founder Michael Schneider’s numerous work trips to Siberia during the last 12 years. Humbled and astounded by both the natural wonderful thing about Siberia and the hospitality of its people, he began taking groups of friends on adventure holidays to the region and making connections with people inside the local tourism industry. Working with an experienced team in Australia and Russia, he has this year launched a brand spanking new 56th Parallel website (www.56thparallel.com) with the purpose of sharing Siberia’s true splendour with the sector.

    56th Parallel takes its guests to a few of the foremost picturesque and exciting destinations in Siberia while providing a degree of comfort (think boutique 4 and 5 star hotels, VIP transfers and high class restaurants) far beyond what many people go along with Siberia.

    The company offers various itineraries catering to all tastes, from action-packed ‘adrenaline’ tours through to more leisurely experiences based around exploring Siberia’s ancient and modern cultures, customs and cuisine. 56th Parallel also provides the chance for guests to create completely customised, private itineraries.

    Siberia’s extraordinary vastness and its diverse geography means the alternative of activities on offer is unparalleled. In winter, Siberia offers skiing and snowboarding at both world-class resorts and spectacularly remote, crowd-free mountain slopes. Guests may be able to add a distinctly Russian flavour to their tours, with experiences consisting of the banya (Russian sauna), hovercraft rides, husky dog sledding, Russian ballet performances, and naturally, tasting the world’s finest vodka. A summer tour is usually recommended to profit from Siberia’s surprisingly warm sunshine and the chance to hike within the taiga forest, go rafting and mountaineering, kayak along the rugged Pacific coast, or cruise the turquoise blue waters of Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest lake in the world.

    With over 9 unique sites recognised by UNESCO and shut to 100 sites into consideration, Siberia’s natural beauty has attracted Russian tourists, artists, photographers, wildlife lovers and adventure sports enthusiasts for generations. Now the Russian government is creating a concerted effort to advertise international tourism within its borders, and is currently in talks with the european to provide visa free travel for tourists.  Furthermore, the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi is decided to provide Russia an important tourism boost. Within Siberia itself, full service tour companies like 56th Parallel, along side a flurry of latest developments from major international hotels mean Siberia is readier than ever to welcome travellers of each persuasion.

  • Further expansion for Ibis Styles in UK

    French hotel giant Accor has entered right into a franchise agreement to open a brand new Ibis Styles hotel in London Enfield.

    This new Ibis Styles hotel, in an effort to be located at 33 London Road, Enfield London, may have 54 rooms and is because of open by the top of the year.

    Thomas Dubaere, managing director, Accor UK & Ireland said: “The signing of this new Ibis Styles is another step within the continued transformation of our business model. It puts us well on target to achieving our target of operating 300 hotels within the UK by 2015.”

    Accor currently operates 197 hotels within the UK. The hotel joins the rapidly growing portfolio of Ibis Styles hotels such as Ibis Styles London Croydon, Ibis Styles London Leyton, Ibis Styles London

    Southwark Rose and the recently opened, Ibis Styles London ExCel.

  • News: Un-Cruise Adventures acquires 64-guest Safari Voyager

    Un-Cruise Adventures announced today its acquisition of the 64-guest Safari Voyager for its yacht fleet with plans to provide Luxury Adventures year-round in Mexico’s Sea of Cortés beginning in November 2013. In winter 2015, the vessel will transition to sailing year-round in Central America. Previously named Sea Voyager, the vessel is currently in Colombia undergoing renovation.

    Details for Central America deployment akin to itineraries, included shore programs, fares and dates of operation could be available spring 2013.

    The Safari Voyager will replace the line’s 86-guest Safari Endeavour in Mexico’s Sea of Cortés beginning in November 2013 and offer four different itineraries available year-round from homeports of los angeles Paz, Cabo and Guaymas. Current plans have the Safari Voyager transitioning from Mexico to year-round itineraries in Central America beginning in December 2015. The vessel will spend winters exploring Costa Rica, summers in Belize and offer transits of the Panama Canal in spring and fall. The 86-guest Safari Endeavour will then return to sailing within the Sea of Cortés in the course of the winter.

    “The Safari Voyager fits in perfectly with our upscale adventure fleet,” said Dan Blanchard, Un-Cruise Adventures’ principal and CEO. “The vessel is outfitted for hot weather sailing and could be ideal for tropical adventures in Central America.”

    The Safari Voyager could have 33 outside view staterooms including four suites and two single staterooms for a complete guest capacity of 64. In the course of the renovation, a brand new Library can be created at the Cabin Deck with eight floor to ceiling windows, plush furniture, and nautical décor in tribute to New World explorers. The very top deck of the vessel—the Sun Deck—will be transformed right into a new al fresco public space with fitness equipment and lounge chairs. A massage room can also be added. A swim step platform at the stern of the boat is a convenient place for guests to access the water for included adventure activities together with snorkeling, skiff excursions, kayaking and arise paddle boarding.

    A spacious view Lounge features 20 floor to ceiling windows, an entire-service bar, four glass doors with two as doubles opening onto an out of doors deck—a design element created for air-con when needed or flung open to deck. Comfortable chairs and tables outside extend the living room onto the deck. A separate Dining Room at the Main Deck accommodates all guests for meals at one seating in an ornate setting with rich, dark wood treatments. A nautical and tropical design ties décor together throughout public spaces.

    The Safari Voyager becomes the journey cruise line’s eighth vessel – all with capacities below 90 berths, a trademark of Un-Cruise Adventures. The corporate has three expedition vessels sailing Active Adventures, three more yachts sailing Luxury Adventures and one replica Victorian-style steamer sailing Heritage Adventures. Current adventure destinations include Southeast Alaska, Hawaiian Islands, Mexico’s Sea of Cortés, Columbia and Snake Rivers, and Coastal Washington and British Columbia.

    A Luxury Adventure includes all meals, adventure activities, massage, premium wine/beer/spirits, transfers and port fees and taxes.