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Seychelles Tourism Board in Reunion tap into up market luxury brands

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Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), geared up its presence in Réunion Island as the organisation participated in an upmarket consumer event to showcase the destination, present the accessible products and network with potential partners.  

The event dubbed ‘Rêve de Moka’ saw the presence of six luxury Brands comprising of Porche, Caviar.re, Moet & Chandon Champagne, Isautier and a properties investor Neovarim.


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‘Rêve de Moka,’ hosted in ‘Domaine de Moka’ one of Reunion Islands historical and long term conservation site attracted around 200 visitors, chosen from an exclusive database. 

The event which took place in a workshop format followed by animation and a touring of the property in a Porche.  

The event was attended STB Senior Marketing Executive based in Reunion, Ms. Bernadette Honore who represented the destination.

Seychelles extended its reach to Reunion potential visitors, as a luxury destination and gained exclusivity in the event as being the only destination present at the event.

STB was supported at the event by the presence of airline partner in Reunion -Air Austral, Réunion Tour operator-Bourbon voyages who contributed by their presence.

As part of its participation to the ‘Rêve de Moka’ event, Air Austral pressed its marketing as the only direct connection between the two islands.

The airline partner also offered 2 airfare tickets to Seychelles as prize for a quizz game initiative, which was reinforced by Castello Beach Hotel as the company offered a two-night’s stay for two persons to complement the package.

Aside from having its representatives at the STB table at the event, Bourbon voyages, provided the invited visitors with additional information about the destination including activities and pricing of their services.   

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Talking about the STB participation to the event, Ms. Bernadette Honore mentioned the importance for the destination to appear in upscale events and commented on her satisfaction at the interest generated by Seychelles’ presence. 

 “The upmarket luxury brand in Réunion is a segment market of potential to Seychelles. Seychelles earmarked as a high-end Island destination had the potential to capture this kind of clienteles. Our presence in such event does not only allow Seychelles Tourism Board to promote the destination, but it allows us to be presence where our segment market is for a greater visibility of Seychelles,’’ said Ms. Honore.  

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

TIME Hotels to open five new properties across Middle East in 2019

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TIME Hotels, the UAE-headquartered hospitality company and hotel operator, is set to announce plans to open five new properties across the Middle East during 2019 – as it targets 35 properties by 2025.

The properties, which will see the growth and launch of existing as well as new TIME Hotel brands to key territories throughout the region, will be unveiled during Arabian Travel Market 2019, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May.

Mohamed Awadalla, CEO TIME Hotels, said: “Our pipeline of hotels and residences meet the demands of multiple value-driven markets by offering a high-quality experience right across all of our branded properties.

“We currently have 15 properties in operation across the UAE and wider GCC with new additions in Dubai, Sharjah and Saudi Arabia scheduled for this year as well as extending our presence to Egypt – further supporting our strategic business plan to increase our total portfolio to 35 properties across the Middle East by the end of 2025.”

TIME Hotels will debut its TIME Express Hotels brand with the opening of a property in Sharjah, during the third quarter of 2019. The three-star TIME Express Hotel Al Khan will feature 55 keys in total and is located 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport, 20 minutes from Sharjah International Airport and a 15-minute walk from Al Khan Beach.

In Dubai, TIME Asma Hotel is scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2019. The four-star property, located in Al Barsha, will feature 232 rooms including 12 suites, a gym, swimming pool, jacuzzi, four meeting rooms, a business centre and two restaurants.

“Plans are in place for two floors of the hotel to be reserved exclusively for female travellers, with dedicated services, including: personalised room service, a female-only check-in counter, dedicated ladies-only guest relations, in-house baby-sitting services, and in-room tablets highlighting all of the services offered for women as well as enhanced bathroom amenities in each room,” said Awadalla.

Meanwhile, TIME Hotels’ international openings in Saudi Arabia and Egypt demonstrate the brand’s strength and popularity in markets outside of the UAE.

TIME Hotels opened its second property in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of April. Featuring 28 deluxe apartments – comprising four one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units – TIME Dammam Residence is located 35 minutes from King Fahad International Airport and just minutes from various shopping and dining destinations in Dammam.

Joining TIME Dammam Residence in the kingdom will be TIME Golden Tower Al Khobar. Scheduled to open August 2019, the 65-key property will be strategically located on Al Khobar Main Street and within close proximity to Al Khobar Waterfront. The property will feature a roof-top garden lounge, a gym and a high-tech business centre.

In Egypt, TIME Nozha Beach Aqua Park Hotel & Resort will open its doors during Q3 2019. The four-star property – located in Ras Sudr, on Egypt’s Red Sea Coast – will feature 52 rooms and four suits as well as five castles, 93 villas, 891 chalets and 136 studios.

Located along a 945 metre stretch of white sand beach, the resort will feature the largest aqua entertainment complex in Ras Sudr, complete with various water slides, wave pools and water sport activities.

Awadalla, said: “This is a very exciting chapter in TIME Hotels’ short history as we open TIME Nozha Aqua Park & Resort, our first beach resort and first property in Egypt. Built with leisure and adventure visitors in mind, this resort is fully-equipped with everything the modern traveller requires for the perfect family getaway.”

These scheduled openings follow the signing of a new management agreement by TIME Hotels Management to operate Dunes Hotel Apartments’ three properties located throughout Dubai.

TIME Hotels took over day-to-day operations of TIME Dunes Hotel Apartment Al Barsha, TIME Dunes Hotel Apartments Al Qusais and TIME Dunes Hotel Apartments Oud Metha following the signing of the agreement on 24th January 2019.

“It has been a busy year for TIME Hotels with a raft of properties announced with several of them due to come online within the next 12 months. We have been very strategic with our openings, identifying and assessing the demand within the market and implementing the most suitable brand from the TIME portfolio, that best matches that demand and we’re looking forward to bringing more properties into our portfolio,” added Awadalla.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi prepares to host World Travel Awards

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Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, the latest addition to Yas Island’s series of world-class attractions, is stepping up to host the World Travel Awards (WTA) Middle East Gala Ceremony 2019 on Thursday 25 April.

The gala ceremony will be the premier gathering of the Arabian hospitality industry, with the key players and VIPs from across the region attending.

Opened last summer, Warner Bros. World is the world’s first-ever Warner Bros. branded indoor theme park, and represents another milestone in Abu Dhabi’s remarkable journey to establish itself as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.

Located on Yas Island, the 1.65 million sq. ft. indoor theme park features six immersive lands with 29 state-of-the-art rides, interactive family-friendly attractions and unique live entertainment shows, as well as a variety of themed dining and retail outlets.

The park is the latest addition to Yas Island’s award-winning theme parks, joining Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld.

The red-carpet evening will form the second leg of the WTA Grand Tour 2019 – a global search for the finest travel and tourism brands in the world.

Graham Cooke, Founder, WTA, said: “We are deeply honoured to host our Middle East Gala Ceremony at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, an enthralling new addition to Abu Dhabi’s incredible roster of tourist offerings.

He added: “WTA has maintained its position as the industry leader for the past 26 years, consistently proving its value as the global benchmark for acknowledging excellence in travel and tourism. I greatly look forward to welcoming the most senior decision-makers of the Arabian travel industry for what promises to be a most memorable evening at this phenomenal new attraction.”

Don Strickler, General Manager, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, said: “We are delighted and honored to welcome the prestigious World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony at Warner Bros. World for the first time this year. The choice of our Park as host for this coveted industry event is a testament to the growing appeal of theme parks within the leisure and entertainment sector in the region. We look forward to bringing together some of the world’s leading travel industry professionals and organizations for an evening full of many successes and celebrations.”

As part of the Grand Tour 2019, WTA is also hosting ceremonies in Montego Bay (Jamaica), Mauritius, Madeira, La Paz (Bolivia) and Phu Quoc (Vietnam), with the winners progressing to the Grand Final in Muscat (Oman).

Travel News | eTurboNews

Time Hotels to open five additional hotels in Dubai, Sharjah and Saudi Arabia

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TIME Hotels, an UAE-headquartered hospitality company and hotel operator, is set to announce plans to open five new properties across the Middle East during 2019 – as it targets 35 properties by 2025.

The properties, which will see the growth and launch of existing as well as new TIME Hotel brands to key territories throughout the region, will be unveiled during Arabian Travel Market 2019.

Mohamed Awadalla, CEO TIME Hotels, said: “Our pipeline of hotels and residences meet the demands of multiple value-driven markets by offering a high-quality experience right across all of our branded properties.

“We currently have 15 properties in operation across the UAE and wider GCC with new additions in Dubai, Sharjah and Saudi Arabia scheduled for this year as well as extending our presence to Egypt – further supporting our strategic business plan to increase our total portfolio to 35 properties across the Middle East by the end of 2025.”

TIME Hotels will debut its TIME Express Hotels brand with the opening of a property in Sharjah, during the third quarter of 2019. The three-star TIME Express Hotel Al Khan will feature 55 keys in total and is located 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport, 20 minutes from Sharjah International Airport and a 15-minute walk from Al Khan Beach.

In Dubai, TIME Asma Hotel is scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2019. The four-star property, located in Al Barsha, will feature 232 rooms including 12 suites, a gym, swimming pool, jacuzzi, four meeting rooms, a business centre and two restaurants.

“Plans are in place for two floors of the hotel to be reserved exclusively for female travellers, with dedicated services, including: personalised room service, a female-only check-in counter, dedicated ladies-only guest relations, in-house baby-sitting services, and in-room tablets highlighting all of the services offered for women as well as enhanced bathroom amenities in each room,” said Awadalla.

Meanwhile, TIME Hotels’ international openings in Saudi Arabia and Egypt demonstrate the brand’s strength and popularity in markets outside of the UAE.

TIME Hotels opened its second property in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of April. Featuring 28 deluxe apartments – comprising four one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units – TIME Dammam Residence is located 35 minutes from King Fahad International Airport and just minutes from various shopping and dining destinations in Dammam.

Joining TIME Dammam Residence in the kingdom will be TIME Golden Tower Al Khobar. Scheduled to open August 2019, the 65-key property will be strategically located on Al Khobar Main Street and within close proximity to Al Khobar Waterfront. The property will feature a roof-top garden lounge, a gym and a high-tech business centre.

In Egypt, TIME Nozha Beach Aqua Park Hotel & Resort will open its doors during Q3 2019. The four-star property – located in Ras Sudr, on Egypt’s Red Sea Coast – will feature 52 rooms and four suits as well as five castles, 93 villas, 891 chalets and 136 studios.

Located along a 945 metre stretch of white sand beach, the resort will feature the largest aqua entertainment complex in Ras Sudr, complete with various water slides, wave pools and water sport activities.

Awadalla, said: “This is a very exciting chapter in TIME Hotels’ short history as we open TIME Nozha Aqua Park & Resort, our first beach resort and first property in Egypt. Built with leisure and adventure visitors in mind, this resort is fully-equipped with everything the modern traveller requires for the perfect family getaway.”

These scheduled openings follow the signing of a new management agreement by TIME Hotels Management to operate Dunes Hotel Apartments’ three properties located throughout Dubai.

TIME Hotels took over day-to-day operations of TIME Dunes Hotel Apartment Al Barsha, TIME Dunes Hotel Apartments Al Qusais and TIME Dunes Hotel Apartments Oud Metha following the signing of the agreement on 24th January 2019.

“It has been a busy year for TIME Hotels with a raft of properties announced with several of them due to come online within the next 12 months. We have been very strategic with our openings, identifying and assessing the demand within the market and implementing the most suitable brand from the TIME portfolio, that best matches that demand and we’re looking forward to bringing more properties into our portfolio,” added Awadalla.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Akaryn Hotel expansion: Aleenta Mountain Retreat in Bali and Akyra resort in Hoi An

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Akaryn Hotel Group, a Thailand based boutique hotel specialist, is preparing to expand into international markets for the first time, with the launch of its pioneering hospitality brands in Indonesia and Vietnam.

In the coming months, two of the group’s hotel concepts will make their international debuts. Aleenta, the original barefoot luxury brand that first launched in Thailand in 2004, will be introduced to Bali, Indonesia’s “Island of the Gods”, and akyra, the trend-setting boutique brand, will arrive in Hoi An, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed port town in central Vietnam.

Aleenta Retreat Bali will be a spiritual sanctuary in the island’s mountainous north, an hour’s drive from Ubud. Designed in a classical low-rise Balinese style, this serene wellness retreat will feel a million miles away from the busy tourist resorts in the island’s south. Nestled in the lush, jungle-clad hills, this exquisite hideaway will allow guests to relax and reconnect with each other in paradise. The 50 rooms will be large and luxurious, whilst also exuding authenticity and being equipped with the latest amenities.

A spa village and yoga resort, Aleenta Retreat Bali will feature an extensive Ayurah Wellness centre, where guests can unwind with an array of soothing treatments, including traditional Balinese massages and natural therapies. An outdoor yoga area will overlook reflective ponds and a fitness centre will allow guests to enjoy an invigorating workout in paradise.

A choice of restaurants will focus on fresh, organic ingredients, while the Pool Bar will serve refreshing drinks during the day and after dark. Local handicrafts will be available at the Galleria boutique, and guests will have plenty of opportunities to head out and discover the local area, including Ubud, Bali’s cultural capital. Aleenta Retreat Bali will also provide an elegant setting for weddings and functions, with a choice of indoor or alfresco event spaces.

“Aleenta was our first brand and our pioneering resorts in Phuket and Hua Hin have become hugely popular among guests. Every Aleenta property is designed to reflect the timeless charm and character of its destination, featuring large living spaces and world-class facilities while also operating in harmony with the environment. Aleenta Retreat Bali will be a fantastic addition to our portfolio; secluded, spiritual and sensual, this sublime sanctuary will allow guests to discover the true essence of the Island of the Gods,” said ,” said AKARYN Hotel Group’s Founder and Managing Director, Anchalika Kijkanakorn.

Also opening its doors in 2019 will be akyra Hoi An, unique waterfront resort nestled midway between Hoi An’s historic town centre and golden China Beach. Located on the banks of the Thu Bon estuary, this low-rise boutique retreat will be accessible either by car or by boat and many of the 110 stylish rooms and pool villas will sit on the water’s edge.

Guests can soak up this stunning setting with a morning yoga class, a spa treatment at the Ayurah Wellness centre, a dip in the onsen or a workout in the modern fitness centre. Alternatively, they can simply plunge into the inviting outdoor infinity pool. Young guests will be kept entertained at the kids’ club, and all ages can discover delectable Vietnamese and international cuisine at a choice of two restaurants and a pool bar.

akyra Hoi An will provide the perfect balance between cultural exploration and tropical relaxation; the enchanting port town of Hoi An, with its diverse heritage and alluring architecture, is just a short distance away, while the golden sand and azure sea of Vietnam’s central coast is also easily accessible. It will also provide a spectacular setting for events and dream weddings.

“With its peaceful and picturesque waterfront setting, halfway between the city and the sea, akyra Hoi An will allow visitors to discover everything this charming destination has to offer. Guests who have experienced akyra’s hotels and resorts in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai will be familiar with the brand’s trend-setting style. We look forward to introducing guests to a new era of contemporary, cutting-edge hospitality in this idyllic location,” Anchalika added.

AKARYN Hotel Group currently operates a collection of captivating boutique hotels and resorts across Thailand, including Aleenta Hua Hin-Pranburi, Aleenta Phuket-Phang Nga, akyra Beach Club Phuket, akyra Manor Chiang Mai, akyra Thonglor Bangkok and the most recent addition to its portfolio, akyra TAS Sukhumvit Bangkok. The group will continue to introduce its luxurious and personalised style of Asian hospitality to even more destinations across the region in the months and years ahead.

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