Accommodation
BWI Launches First Bahrain Property Best Western International (BWI) has continued its major Middle East expansion with the launch of its first hotel in Bahrain. The opening of the upscale 250-room Best Western Plus The Olive is the latest in a series of ‘firsts’ for BWI in the region this year. Following the company’s debut in Saudi Arabia and the launch of its first Best Western Plus hotel in the Middle East, located in Al Khobar, at the start of the year, the hotel giant has since opened its first ever properties in Kuwait, Muscat, and Riyadh.
Danat Residence to Open in Q1 2013 National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels (NCT&H) is to add another property to its growing portfolio with Danat Residence in Abu Dhabi scheduled to welcome its first guests within months. Work is well underway on the deluxe residence, which is due to open in the first quarter (Q1) of 2013, as Rima Rawass, group marketing manager, NCT&H, explained. Strategically located minutes away from Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Danat Residence will feature 189 furnished apartments, and will provide business and leisure guests alike with an ideal setting for both long and short stays. “NCT&H is always looking for ownership or management of new hotels under its division of Danat Hotels & Resorts,” emphasised Rawass, adding that the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority has been working hard to promote the UAE capital as a touristic and business destination locally and internationally. “Abu Dhabi now has new hotels under many different brands that can accommodate both the leisure and corporate segments,” Ra wass concluded. Danat Residence
17 NOVEMBER 2012
WEEKLY NEWS
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Hala Group Enterprises Brings Vichy to Qatar Hala Group Enterprises and Vichy Spa International, a partner company of cosmetic giant L’Oreal, have signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a medical spa hotel and resort in Qatar in 2013. Located on the outskirts of Doha near Aqua Park, the group’s other mega project in the country, the new development is set to bring a unique experience to the country, as Ijaz Malik, general manager, Hala Group Enterprises, highlighted. “The resort is eloquently designed by experts to offer the customers a tranquil experience by examining the aesthetics.” Similarly, Peter van de Bunt, hotel advisor, Hala Group Enterprises, described the project as an entirely new hospitality and medical spa concept to Qatar and the region, and one which combines hospitality and healthcare.