Hotelier Middle East – August 2019

IHG to expand in Saudi with ‘world’s largest’ voco

ACCOR’S RAFFLES HOTEL TO

The property comprises 4,200 rooms and will be the second voco-branded hotel in the Kingdom DEBUT IN BAHRAIN

The hospitality group will takeover

and renovate Al Areen Palace & Spa

BULLETIN

Day in the life ............................. 07

Radisson’s multi-brand platform ... 08

Your World Rewards launch .......... 09

News Bites ................................ 10

Millennium partners with fl ydubai ... 11

Sustainable initiatives .................. 12

They said what? .......................... 13

A ROUND-UP OF THE MIDDLE EAST HOTELS AND HOTELIERS MAKING HEADLINES THIS MONTH

I

nterContinental Hotels Group (IHG),

is expanding in Saudi Arabia with

the world’s largest voco in Makkah.

Partnering with Maad International, the

hospitality group plans to develop the 4,

room property in early 2020. The new hotel will

take IHG’s portfolio in the Kingdom to more

than 19,500 rooms.

Commenting on the announcement, Pascal

Gauvin, MD, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG

said: “We are honoured to enter into this agree-

ment with Maad International, which is one of

the most renowned hospitality development

companies in the Kingdom. We are also proud

to add this landmark property to our longstand-

ing portfolio in Saudi Arabia.”

According to officials, the property will be ca-

tering to pilgrims. “Religious tourism is expect-

ed to increase further year on year to gradually

reach 30 million visitors by 2030. We look for-

ward to catering to the influx of pilgrims at voco

Makkah, which will provide a welcoming, com-

fortable and reliably different experience during

the Hajj and Umrah seasons,” Gauvin added.

This will be the second voco branded hotel in

Saudi after voco Al Khobar was signed earlier

this year. Voco Makkah will also be IHG’s fourth

hotel in Makkah.

“We are excited to be partnering with IHG for

this landmark property. IHG possesses global

expertise and a deep understanding of Saudi

Arabia’s culture and business environment. In

terms of job creation, the overall Maad Hospi-

tality Towers Development, when completed,

would offer an excess of 4,000 jobs to Saudi

youth,” Abdulaziz Al Yamani, chairman, Maad

International commented on the signing.

Voco Makkah will be located within the

Maad Hospitality Towers Development

and will comprise restaurants, lounge areas,

event halls and separate male and female

prayer halls. Located within walking distance

of Masjid Al Haram, it will provide an ideal

base for pilgrims.

Hospitality group Accor is set

to debut a Raffles-branded

hotel in Bahrain with the

takeover of the Al Areen Palace

& Spa. The announcement

came after the group signed an

agreement with GFH Financial

Group (GFH) to manage “the

Kingdom’s first ultra-luxurious

retreat”.

Following its takeover of Al

Areen Palace & Spa, Accor will

conduct an extensive refurbish-

ment programme with a view to

repositioning the property.

Enhancements include up-

grading 56 one-bedroom desert

pool villas and 22 two-bedroom

royal pool villas, which feature

open-air swimming pools.

Contents

6 HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST | August 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 08

BULLETIN