IHG in Talks To Run More Hotels for Dubai's 'Heart of Europe'

The ultra-exclusive hotel operator Kerzner has said it plans as many as 15 more hotels as soon as five years from now. The Bahamas-born hotel group was created in 1993 and has focused on slow and steady growth over three decades with 15 One&Only resorts around the world, two Atlantis mega-resorts and a single “Rare Finds” property in the Dubai desert.

STR reported that China hotel RevPAR was up 36.9% in the week ending July 22nd. That was up against a drop of -15.7% in the year-ago week. Versus the week in 2019, RevPAR was up 5.4%. The South China Morning Post published an article on how cash-rich investors are looking to buy hotels in Hong Kong, taking advantage of discounts of as much as 30%.

Will Smith is the latest celebrity to promote Saudi Arabia. Smith posted a video on Instagram Wednesday morning showing his recent visit to Neom, a $500 billion project Saudi Arabia is building and hoping to open by next year.

The Address resort is going ahead in Ras Al Khaimah. First announced in 2018, Dubai operators Emaar never gave the luxe property a firm opening date, until now. The property will open in 2028, one year after the Wynn resort on the same off-shore Al Marjan island of the emirate.

Even before Sri Lanka included India in the list of nations that will get free visas, it was among the most preferred destinations for Indian families, along with Sharjah in United Arab Emirates. A report from online travel agency Cleartrip chronicles what, how and which destinations were trending between July and September 2023. Domestically, Goa, Gurugram, and Chandigarh were the preferred non-metro destinations. 

Charleston, S.C. boasts an abundance of charms, from its perfectly-preserved architecture to gorgeous beaches, top-tier food festivals, historic landmarks, and one of the country’s buzziest dining and nightlife scenes. So it’s no wonder the city has become one of the country’s top travel destinations in recent years.

The Middle East’s travel and tourism ambitions can seem unbelievable: 150 million visitors into the once-closed off Saudi Arabia, 40 million visitors to the UAE – big goals keep getting more ambitious. The Skift Global Forum East returns to Dubai from December 12 to 14 and we’ll be speaking to the most important travel executives from the region to better understand how it might all play out.

Statewide Hawai‘i hotel room revenues totaled $447.8 million (+5.7% vs. 2022, +32.7% vs. 2019) in October 2023. Room demand was 1.3 million room nights (+3.6% vs. 2022, -2.4% vs. 2019) and room supply was 1.7 million room nights (+0.4% vs. 2022, +4.2% vs. 2019).

The Atlantis The Royal resort in Dubai has appointed a managing director. The property’s long-time SVP and general manager, Tom Roelens, takes on the role, who has led the mega-resort since its pre-opening phase.

In anticipation of Skift Global Forum East, happening in Dubai December 12-14, I wanted to sit down with both our Middle East Report, Josh Corder, and Twenty31 Consulting (now Skift Advisory) Managing Director, Joe Naaman, to discuss a big picture view on growth and dynamics in the Middle East.

Toronto hotel brand Four Seasons is likely to announce its own resort and standalone villa project in United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) Ras Al Khaimah. The proposed super-luxury resort is currently going through its master planning stages and has already found a plot of land “very close” to the $3.9 billion Wynn integrated resort opening in 2027.

Dubai hospitality has always gone for high impact. Whether it’s billion-dollar resorts on man-made islands or luxury hotels colloquially known as seven-star properties, they have served to put the emirate on the global tourism map.