Josh Corder travel tips

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.

One of the most prominent general managers in Dubai, Tolga Lacin, is leaving his post. The Marriott leader is moving on for a role in Ennismore.

Saudi Arabia’s Neom keeps announcing new hotel projects, and more are possible based on our review of pending trademarks applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 

IHG is in talks to operate all three hotels on a man-made island that’s part of Dubai’s long-delayed tourism development: The Heart of Europe.

Intense storms and flash floods in the Middle East city of Dubai this Friday morning have halted its events calendar. Across the country, storms began at around 4am local time, with Dubai Police and other authorities issuing public safety warnings shortly after. The National Centre of Meteorology issued orange and yellow alerts nationwide, cautioning residents about potentially dangerous weather conditions for outdoor activities.

Dubai-born hospitality brand Rove Hotels is ready to start expanding overseas. A joint venture between Burj Khalifa creator company Emaar and local holding firm Meraas, Rove was founded to help fill Dubai’s affordable accommodation gap.

Saudi Arabia’s Neom project has announced yet another region – Epicon. Similar to Leyja, announced last month, Epicon consists of just a handful of hotels and restaurants. Located on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, Epicon includes two hotels, along with a residential project.

The chief operating officer of Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air, doesn’t expect the carrier will become a “super-connecter” but will focus instead on “point-to-point” travel. And COO Peter Bellew told at the Dubai Airshow Tuesday that Ryadh Air will meet different needs than nearby Emirates.

Saudi Arabia’s two national carriers, Riyadh Air and Saudia have entered a partnership that will start with a codeshare agreement, but go on to include much more collaborative efforts. The pair of Kingdom carriers announced the deal at the Dubai Airshow taking place in the emirate this week.

Caesars Palace Dubai is no more following a Monday rebranding. The luxury, non-gaming resort operated in the city since 2018, and is now Banyan Tree Dubai with Ennismore as the new manager. Many of the Caesars’ staff have taken jobs with Ennismore, but not the most senior members.

Saudi Arabia’s latest national carrier Riyadh Air has shown off its second livery at Dubai Airshow. While its first livery was a striking all-over purple design, the second is more subtle, which, according to the airline “reflects purity and the future-focused vision of Saudi Arabia.”

Dubai’s national carrier Emirates has ordered an additional 90 aircraft from Boeing in a $52 billion mega-deal the entire industry was waiting for today. Announced on day one of the Dubai Airshow, the deal brings Emirates’ total orders to 295 aircraft.

Dubai’s first and only Dorchester Collection hotel, called The Lana, has been delayed again. Announced in 2021 and expected to open the following year, the super-luxury city hotel has announced numerous opening date revisions since then.

Wynn Resorts thinks it will be the sole operator to have a casino in the United Arab Emirates for several years, effectively giving it a monopoly on a market that could rake in billions for the Gulf nation.

Generator Group has completed a refinancing deal worth approximately $805 million (€750 million) with new and existing lenders across Europe and the US. Generator Group, which owns or runs 21 hotels, has seen strong results following the pandemic, giving its owner Queensgate the ability to refinance the group’s global debt.

Saudi Arabian development group Red Sea Global has created its own luxury hotel brand called Shebara. The Shebara brand will be deployed for the upcoming Sheybarah Island resort – seen as the most exclusive of the current 16-property lineup in the archipelago development.

Saudi Arabia has laid out its ambition to build a hotel of such magnitude, allure and luxury, that travelers from the world over will come to see it. In Dubai, the emirate has the two Atlantis resorts, between them almost 2,000 rooms. In the US, historic hotels such as The Plaza sit in New York and mega-resorts fill the Las Vegas strip. But in Saudi a set of three boutique hotels will be the “global bucket list” destination of choice.

Saudi Arabia’s super-city of Neom has created its own investment fund. The Neom Investment Fund will largely focus on mergers and acquisitions and venture capital in tech startups, said the organization. The Neom Investment Fund will also work with global organizations through joint ventures to boost its many sectors, including travel and tourism.

Corporate events have, at times, gotten a bad rep. The same people, in the same grey suits, exchange the same predigested questions and pre-prepared answers. As someone who has attended many such events and conferences over the years, this has remained excruciatingly true.

Real estate magnate Mohamed Alabbar said Wednesday he is “scared” about Dubai’s snowballing luxury market because there aren’t enough resources to cater to demand.

Net room growth is a key metric for any hotel group, but one which Accor assures it is growing with caution. Its CEO Sebastien Bazin said that developing new hotels comes with environmental consequences the industry cannot ignore, but that in the end, new hotels are often good news for any destination.