Originally launched in 1996 the hotel was named for the Arabic word Mafraq which means intersection or crossroads reflecting its strategic location.

Purchased by The National Investor (TNI) in 2007, Mafraq Hotel has taken on a new lease of life with the owner’s decision to carry out a $50-million complete overhaul of the property.

The project has taken the 121-room hotel to 250 rooms, with every room newly designed.

Hospitality concept specialists were brought on board to carefully design and create five new food and beverage outlets, to establish the hotel on the local scene with all outlets managed in-house.

And TNI opted to bring the management of the property in-house in order to establish the Mafraq brand. The company’s vice president of real estate Rob Rowell explained the bold decision saying: “Being TNI’s first major foray into the hospitality sector, we were tempted to lean on established brands to manage the operations.  However, after careful consideration and the establishment of our own track record in operations, we decided to continue to leverage the Mafraq name to highlight the uniqueness of the property and strengthen its own independent brand.”

The 250-room property incorporates clean lines and dark wood, coupled with light marble and sunlit spaces. The new layout creates a 5,000-sq-m green courtyard around the large pool and divides the building into different wings. TNI is striving to ensure the hotel makes the best use of space and creates the right balance between modern luxuries and an accessible ambience.

The food and beverage outlets are made up of the Burlington Grill, the hotel’s signature grill restaurant, The Olive Branch, the fresh Mediterranean all-day buffet, and social venues including Hunters B&R, featuring international fare, the Asian fusion-themed Rimal and the Courtyard Oasis by the pool.

Meeting and banquet facilities have been built in a dedicated wing of the property, including a private entrance to the 250-person Baniyas Ballroom, two additional meeting rooms and an executive lounge.

The hotel also boasts a fully equipped fitness zone including a gymnasium, adult and children’s swimming pool, massage facilities, children’s playground, grooming salons and a racket club including tennis, badminton, and squash courts. 

To accompany the new building, Mafraq Hotel has been rebranded. Rowell explains: “While creating a new brand, we have retained our rights to the name of the hotel as it shares the name of the local area. In a sense the operational product is the intersection of old and new, from a revamped marketing approach to our loyal and valued client base right through to the new values and service standards of our dedicated operational team.”

The property was recognised for ‘Spirit to Serve Excellence 2010’ for the work staff got involved in with the local community such as the World Food Programme and helping at RIA school for children with special needs.

MEA Bahrain also came out top in the region in ‘Employee Engagement Excellence  2010’, after achieving the highest score for ‘associate satisfaction, and Customer Excellence 2010’ based on the results of guest satisfaction surveys.

Former general manager Hossein Garan, who has now moved to head up the group’s property in Doha, was named general manager of the Year.

He said: “ I am honoured and very excited at receiving the award. I would like to take the opportunity to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to my team of managers and associates who were behind all our achievements. It has been very rewarding to be a member of Marriott Executive Apartments Bahrain and the awards recognise our hard work and continuous efforts in striving for excellence.”

And lastly the property was also recognised as the company’s ‘Hotel of the Year 2010 MEA’ to the delight of staff and current general manager Sam Van Campenhout who said: “This is fantastic recognition for the property and I feel honoured to be a part of Marriott Executive Apartments Bahrain.

“All this would not have been possible without Sheikh Hisham Bin Abdulrahman Al-Khalifa, chairman of the Gulf Touristic Project, who has added a prestigious luxury extended-stay property to the Middle East Region.

“The upcoming opening of the new and the first Residence Inn-branded property in the Middle East will be a great opportunity to establish further the success of Marriott Brand in the region and create more opportunities for associates to grow further.”

With many tourists advised not to travel to the country during the political unrest, the company commenced an extensive refurbishment programme.

Now the leading hotel chain has unveiled 10 luxurious bungalows at its Jolie Ville Kings Island Luxor hotel. The bungalows offer three royal suites and each bungalow contains 37 deluxe and superior deluxe rooms. Ideal for families, rooms can be joined together and whole sections partitioned to ensure maximum privacy.

It has also added a new 2,800-sq-m swimming pool, fine dining restaurants and a luxury wellness centre with hammam and sauna.

Maritim Hotel Alexandria has also received a substantial investment, which has seen the introduction of a range of luxury additions – an expansive new swimming pool, with panoramic views, and a restaurant which transforms into a chic bar after-hours, styled on Club 35 in Cairo.

The improvements are making a great impression with the rapidly increasing number of tourists now flocking back to Egypt.

Maritim Hotels’ director of international sales, Mark Spivey, said: “The recent instability saw a drop in visitor levels so we used the time to invest and enhance our luxury properties. Visitors are very impressed with the changes we have made and we are seeing a marked increase in reservations requested.”

Maritim Hotels is Germany’s largest privately owned hotel operator and is the market leader in conference and events facilities. Famous for its philosophy of ‘meetings and accommodation under one roof’, in addition to 37 hotels in Germany, the company has 14 properties around the world in locations as diverse as Mauritius, China, Egypt, Spain, Turkey, Latvia and Malta.

 The five-star property is superbly designed as a contemporary business destination whilst also offering exciting leisure opportunities for relaxation, dining and entertainment.

Conveniently located near the main business districts of the city and a 30-minute drive from the airport, the modern hotel boasts a stunning water feature at its entrance and an illuminated glass staircase, lending a warm feel to the corporate traveller-focused property.

The hotel’s services are every bit as progressive as the design, with guests enjoying complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi in all rooms and public areas, a first in the city. All 182 rooms contain flat screen LCD TV with integrated media systems.

Guests staying in executive club rooms or suites enjoy a variety of convenient benefits including a 24-hour rate starting from the moment they arrive, which will help the majority of international travellers taking early morning or late evening flights.

Jean Gabriel Pérès, president & CEO of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts said he was excited about launching the first Mövenpick property in India, in the heart of its ‘Silicon Valley’.

Guests can enjoy a selection of four dining and entertainment options including the 24-hour My Place restaurant, the Obsidian bar, featuring a striking 1920s’ art deco interior design,  the Italian restaurant Mezzaluna and the soon-to-open Perfect Sky, the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and lounge.

A dedicated floor for banqueting facilities includes a grand ballroom with separate entrance, while seven meeting venues offer an ideal setting for exclusive board meetings, corporate celebrations and stylish social functions.

Leisure facilities include a stunning swimming pool with infinity edge and the state-of-the-art spa and fitness centre.

The Sohum Spa is set to become a top-class wellness facility and features eight treatment rooms and an extensive selection of therapies.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has strong expansion plans in India and has recently announced a second property in the country, the Mövenpick Dharamshala Resort & Spa, an exclusive 110-room resort in the Northern Indian Kangra Valley due to open in 2013.

Comprising 200 serviced apartments, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Erbil is expected to open at the end of 2013.

The new hotel will be strategically located on Erbil’s central thoroughfare, close to the recently expanded Erbil International Airport and the Ainkawa district, one of the city’s main retail and entertainment centres. 

Rob Palleschi, global head, DoubleTree by Hilton brand said: “I’m delighted to be bringing our brand to such an important city in the Middle East. DoubleTree by Hilton has built its success on providing high standards of service and quality facilities in gateway cities, which makes it the ideal choice for Erbil’s thriving community.”

Tailored for the needs of long-staying guests, the hotel will feature a business centre, health club, swimming pool, eight meeting rooms, two restaurants and a lobby lounge and bar. Around 200 jobs will be created at the property and the company’s focus will be on employing people locally.

“Erbil’s commercial status is increasing year on year and the city has a growing reputation as an up-and-coming tourist destination. We have every confidence that the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Erbil will prove popular with the growing number of business and leisure travellers,’ said Rudi Jagersbacher, area president, Middle East & Africa, Hilton Worldwide.

National Geographic recently listed Kurdistan, Iraq, amongst its Top 20 best trips describing it as ‘an oasis of peace and stability with ancient cities, snowcapped mountains and bustling bazaars’ and the New York Times travel section also listed Kurdistan in its 41 places to visit for 2011 saying ‘the biggest lure is the opportunity for authentic cultural encounters’.

The property is extending a special rate to travel industry professionals to come and experience the property and all its facilities for themselves.

Travel trade partners can pay for one night and get an additional night free on a room and breakfast basis at the special rate of $ 150+++(for single occupancy) and $200+++(for twin/double occupancy) per night for an ocean beach villa.

The special offer is valid from November 12 to December 20 and the extra night will attract taxes and charges.

General manager, Peter Dietze, said: ‘We fully recognise the value of our travel industry partners in building the reputation of our property. For that reason we are delighted to extend this special offer to travel trade professionals. The wonderful memories they will take back will help them to recommend us to their clients.’

Amari Addu Maldives features 271 villas with modern amenities and a timbered verandah. Guests can enjoy a unique 4-km beach, three restaurants offering international cuisine, two bars and  a range of recreational facilities including a choice of three outdoor swimming pools, fully-equipped fitness centre, dive centre and a spa.

The organisation, with more than 120 owned and managed hotels across 20 countries, has identified particular opportunities for its portfolio of brands in South Africa, as well as other key markets across the continent.

Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, president and CEO of M&C Mena said: “We see tremendous opportunity in Africa. There are many key markets underserved  by quality hotels offering international standards and value in every class to guests, as well as solid returns to owners. There is also significant bilateral trade between the Middle East and many African countries. We look forward to spearheading the group’s foray into this continent. We already have a few agreements on the table and look forward to announcing our first African properties soon.”   

M&C Mena is projecting tremendous growth with 40 signed  agreements in the pipeline  and a growing portfolio of brands that resonate with the markets in which it operates. These brands  include Grand Millennium, Millennium, Copthorne, Kingsgate and the recently launched exclusive destination brand Biltmore.

Green Globe CEO Guido Bauer said: “Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts continues to meet the world’s highest sustainability standard, with Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait achieving 82 per cent of Green Globe’s sustainability indicators in its inaugural year.

“For all Middle East-based hotels, recycling is one of the greatest challenges, with few programmes offered by the host communities. It is encouraging to see Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait has moved quickly to establish its own recycling programme for paper, plastic and cans.

“The property has also engaged an ambitious ‘zero emission aim’ regarding its carbon footprint which includes travel to and from. It will be interesting to see how this target is met via a comprehensive reduction and offset strategy.”

“We have already completed a number of sustainability initiatives including the installation of water-saving devices in all guest rooms and public areas to reduce water consumption and energy-saving bulbs to save power,” said Ramzi Shaban, the executive assistant manager.

“Achieving this certification has a positive effect on every aspect of the hotel operation and will encourage us to go for greener initiatives. We also encourage our guests to get involved in our sustainability programmes by inviting them to use the recycle bins placed across the property and making them aware of special measures such as air conditioning cut-off  when they leave their rooms as well as linen reuse.”

In all some 116,492 guests stayed the emirate’s hotels during August accounting for 407,766 guest nights.

“The overall increase in guest nights is influenced by the number of longer staying guests in hotel apartments and also impacted the average-length-of-stay, which was up by 20 per cent. Some of the performance can also be attributed to temporary relocations deriving from unrest in some Middle East countries,” said ADTA’s strategy and policy director, Lawrence Franklin.

Occupancy for August rose two per cent on August 2010, largely attributable to a six per cent rise in hotel apartment occupancy with hotels achieving only a one per cent increase in occupancy. Comparative month-on-month room rates dipped 15 per cent.

Despite the fall in guest numbers the destination achieved a 13-per-cent increase in guest numbers in the first eight months of 2011.