Upfront I 15HOTEL NEWS- MILLENNIUM PLAZA DUBAI aims
to complete its new lobby by the third
week of October. The open-plan design
will connect reception to other areas and
an individual pod allows front desk staff
to be more interactive, while business
travellers will have a quiet corner for
checking emails and making calls. - MAFRAQ HOTEL in Abu Dhabi has
introduced a Rewards Card providing
10 per cent credit on total transactions
within the four-star hotel (scan a QR
code to enrol). Points can be exchanged
for night stays, meals and use of leisure
facilities. - ALOFT CITY CENTRE DEIRA DUBAI
has topped out and on schedule to open
Q1 2018. - Emaar Hospitality Group has
announced the 202-unit ADDRESS
HARBOUR POINT will be developed at
Dubai Creek Harbour. - VICEROY HOTEL GROUP plans to
manage the Ombria Resort in the Algarve
in 2019, marking its first property in
Europe. - MARRIOTT REWARDS’ Megabonus
promotion is underway (registration until
November 30 and earning until January
15). Members who complete two paid
stays at any participating hotel or resort
worldwide will earn a free night and the
opportunity to unlock more offers. SPG
Explore More offers 1,000 Starpoints on
eligible stays. - MANDARIN ORIENTAL QIANMEN,
BEIJING will open in 2018. Located
in a traditional hutong quarter, close to
Tiananmen Square, the hotel contains
landscaped courtyard suites and
provides an experience of traditional
Beijing life in one of the city’s oldest
quarters. - ROSEWOOD HOTELS AND RESORTS
has announced its second London
property. Located in Mayfair’s Grosvenor
Square, the hotel will be housed in the
building that currently serves as the US
Embassy with 137 rooms and suites, five
restaurants, six retail spaces, a ballroom
that can hold 1,000 people and the
luxury hotel brand’s signature spa.
Face-to-face meets ‘essential’
BUSINESSES CONTINUE to view face-to-face meetings as essential, despite the advances
in teleconferencing technologies.
Over three quarters of those UK individuals surveyed in a new business travel survey –
conducted by You Gov for American Express – said that face-to-face meetings are “essential to
achieving business objectives”.
More than half of respondents said that
reducing current levels of business travel
would give competitors an advantage, and a
third said that if business travel was curbed
they would expect revenue to decrease by 25
per cent or more.
The survey also looked at workers personal
views of business travel, with 71 per cent saying
that it made their job more interesting, and
over half stating that travelling for business “has
made them consider working abroad”.
GRAND HOTEL KEMPINSKI
RIGA will open its doors in October.
Located next to the Latvian
National Opera House, the 141-
room hotel contains two restaurants
and bars, six meeting rooms, Grand
Ballroom, and spa and wellness
facility. Rooms start from 37sqm
for Superior Rooms and go up to
278sqm for the Presidential Suite.
Kempinski opens in Riga
ONE BUSINESS CENTRE has opened its
second branch in Dubai, on the 38th floor of
Media One Tower.
The 360-degree layout features two
co-working spaces, meeting room and 50
offices, which line up each side – overlooking
Palm Jumeirah on one side and Media City/
Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) on the other.
Centre Manager Marietta Soufi said it is 10
per cent occupied so far.
“Let’s say someone’s coming for holiday in
Dubai and maybe they want to try the market.
We can create packages per hour depending
on their needs, we’re very flexible.” She said
monthly prices range from AED1,800 for
co-working and AED2,000 for a work station,
and clients receive 20 per cent discount in
all restaurants and facilities in Media One
Hotel. The first branch is located nearby in JLT.
onebusinesscentre.comOne Business Centre expands in Dubai