SAUDI ARABIA: 1,490 Rooms And Suites To Open In Mecca 2019 Close To Grand Mosque

Emaar Hospitality Group has signed a deal with Jabal Omar Development to operate a new Address Hotels + Resorts project in Mecca, close to the Grand Mosque.

The Jabal Omar Address Makkah property will have 1,490 hotel rooms and suites – some of which will be available for freehold purchase. It is scheduled to open in 2019.

Jabal Omar is a listed developer of a master planned series of tower clusters within walking distance of the Grand Mosque that will contain more than 2 million square metres of four and five-star hotels.

The first phase is already complete, and contains Hilton and Marriott Hotels.

Thus far, the site has been developed over four phases, but in March this year Jabal Omar announced that it had been granted permission from the Makkah Region Development Authority to increase the size of its project site by 42 per cent to 167 hectares.

It said the increase would allow it to build fifth, sixth and seventh phases.

Emaar Hospitality said that the project would be the first Address Hotels and Resorts site in Saudi Arabia, although Emaar’s Saudi subsidiary, Emaar Middle East, had previously developed 316 serviced apartments within the nearby Makkah Clock Tower development, but these are operated by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. They were completed in 2013.

We are honoured to mark the expansion of Address Hotels + Resorts, the premium luxury hotel brand under Emaar Hospitality Group, to Saudi Arabia with the signing of this important management contract with Jabal Omar Development Company, said Mohamed Alabbar, the chairman of Emaar Properties.

As an iconic development situated near the Grand Mosque, Jabal Omar Address Makkah will appeal to visitors from across the world.

Yasser Faisal Al Sharif, the Jabal Omar chief executive, said: By choosing a brand that has its roots in the region, we are confident of delivering a hospitality choice that will support the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to promote religious and cultural experiences.

Figures published by the hospitality consultancy STR yesterday confirmed that Saudi Arabia is the fastest-growing hospitality market in the region, with 40,145 rooms under development across 95 projects.

According to property consultancy Colliers International, the supply of hotel rooms in the holy city is expected to grow by 150 per cent by the end of 2019.

The number of rooms stood at 14,675 by the end of the first quarter of this year, but this is predicted to grow to 36,758 by the end of 2019.

USA: Ritz-Carlton Rewards And Starwood Preferred Guest Launch A Coordinated New Regional Promotion

In a first of its kind coordinated Regional promotion, Marriott International (http://Marriott.com) has launched a unified and compelling offer at nearly 200 participating Marriott International hotels in 30 countries with a choice of 17 brands across exciting destinations in Middle East and Africa.

City or beach, history or culture, nature or adventure, wild life or relaxation, guests can choose the experience and now enjoy up to 30% off on their hotel stay and make this season a memorable one.

Just months after its unprecedented announcement that members could link their accounts to have their Elite status matched and transfer points between programs, Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®), Marriott International is giving its loyal members more reasons to stay loyal and travel more.

All three programs will run the same promotion, giving members more value and more reasons to explore the magic of Middle East and Africa.

“We are excited to launch such a compelling and cohesive offer under the umbrella of our powerful and award winning loyalty programs and we hope this will not only give a much needed impetus to regional travel but will also attract the global traveler into our continent,” said Neal Jones, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International.

“Given our diverse portfolio and bandwidth of brands, we now have a brand and hotel for every traveler looking for an enriching experience and our loyal members continue to get more.”

Guests can book between 1st May and 31st August 2017 for stays between 21st May – 9th September 2017 and enjoy 20% off on the best available rate and a 30% off on food and soft beverages at participating restaurants, bars and lounges.

What is more, Loyalty Program members enjoy 30% off on the best available rate and a voucher for a 30% off on their next stay, valid for stay between 10th September - 31st December 2017.

For Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards members, this promotion is applicable at participating JW Marriott®, Renaissance® Hotels, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Marriott® Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Protea Hotels®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, and The Ritz-Carlton®, Log on to http://Deals.Marriott.com/moretravels for a full list of participating hotels including terms and conditions and book your stay.

For SPG members, this promotion is available at participating Aloft, W Hotels, Four Points® by Sheraton, Le Méridien, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis® Hotels & Resorts, and Westin® Hotels & Resorts that participate in the SPG program. For a full list of participating hotels and terms and conditions, log on to www.SPG.com/moretravels and book your stay.

Thanks to the recent acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, members of Marriott International’s innovative and award-winning loyalty programs who have linked their accounts have more destinations to discover in the region. F

or SPG members, these include the Kruger National Park in South Africa, and for Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards members, it includes destinations like Mauritius.

Already, members of the programs can link their accounts at www.Members.Marriott.com to access unparalleled benefits such as instant Elite status matching and unlimited points transfer between accounts.

Marriott International now offers a diverse portfolio of 30 brands in over 120 countries across the globe, giving members access to the best hotels and resorts wherever they want to travel.

In Middle East and Africa alone, the company operates close to 250 hotels in 30 countries.