Business Traveller Middle East articles from January 2006

Business Traveller Middle East archives from January 2006

This issue.
January 1, 2006... It's going to be a pivotal year for travel in the Middle East, with major projects completing, airline competition intensifying and a wealth of new developments coming up. The region is keen to exploit its geographical centrality and...

Shangri-La trebles up in Oman.(Hotel review)
January 1, 2006... IT'S NOT SO MUCH A NEW year in Oman as a new era. The Shangri-La is spearheading the changes with its Al Waha and Al Bandar hotels, which officially opened at Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa on January 3. A third property, the exclusive Al Husn,...

Data on your phone.(SriLankan Airlines' flight schedules and SriLankan Airlines' desktop alerts )(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... DETAILS ABOUT SriLankan Airlines' flight schedules, departures, arrivals and aircraft types are now available to those with GPRS-enabled mobile phones (gprs. srilankan.aero). The display beams local and universal time, and shows flights...

Life on the road.("The Way of the Road Warrior")(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2006... NEW HARDBACK The Way of the Road Warrior is sure to strike a chord with seasoned business travellers. Author Robert Jolles details the trials and triumphs of his last 20 years, in which he's clocked more than two million air miles. The...

Win a Ford Focus.(CAR RENTAL)
January 1, 2006... BUSINESS TRAVELLERS who rent one of Dollar Rent A Car's vehicles on a weekly or monthly basis during the month-long Dubai Shopping Festival will enter a draw to win a four-door Ford Focus. The promotion marks the company's first anniversary...

Rotana banks on Centro frugal force.(hotel opening plans)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... ROTANA HOTELS IS rolling out 25 Centro hotels in major Middle East cities within the next five years. The budget brand, which specifically targets cost-conscious business travellers, aims to combine 'finesse and functionality at...

Kempinski double books the Palm.(hotel construction plan)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... KEMPINSKI IS MANAGING two properties for 15 years on Palm Jumeirah as it nails its upscale credentials to the luxury island. The seven-storey Kempinski Palm Jumeirah Residence hotel and spa, set on the Crescent, has one, two, three and...

Vote now for region's best.(AWARDS)
January 1, 2006... Don't forget to fill in the enclosed voting forms for the Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2006. Category winners will be announced during a gala dinner reception in the Johara Ballroom of Mina A' Salam, at Dubai's Madinat Jumeirah,...

The 323-room Renaissance Bahrain Amwaj Islands Hotel will open in 2008.(HOTEL BRIEFS)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... * The 323-room Renaissance Bahrain Amwaj Islands Hotel will open in 2008. The luxury $1 billion-dollar Amwaj Islands are being built off the north coast of Muharraq Island, approximately five kilometres from Bahrain International Airport. The...

Fuelled by an overspill from Abu Dhabi and Dubai.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * Fuelled by an overspill from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the InterContinental Al Ain's meetings and incentives business shot up 12% last year and it saw a surge in corporate retreat bookings.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has completed the $225 million purchase of the Le Meridien brand and its 130 properties.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * Starwood Hotels & Resorts has completed the $225 million purchase of the Le Meridien brand and its 130 properties. The deal enhances Starwood's foothold in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia.

The Radisson SAS Bosphorus Hotel has opened its doors in Ortakoy, Istanbul.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * The Radisson SAS Bosphorus Hotel has opened its doors in Ortakoy, Istanbul. The 120-room hotel has views of the Bosphorous Straits and suspension bridge and contains 20 business class rooms. Free broadband Internet is available in all rooms...

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is opening a 55-villa resort.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is opening a 55-villa resort on the nine-hectare Long Island off Mahe in the Seychelles.

Lifestyle.(Upfront)
January 1, 2006... JETTING INTO DUBAI and need help organising your time? Club Concierge, a new lifestyle management company, could offer some solutions. Its daily Elite Hospitality service provides you with a personal assistant which can organise your...

Emirates opens more doors.(Emirates Airline's opens lounges)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... EMIRATES REMAINS AS busy on the ground as in the air, recently opening lounges in Paris and New York. Its dedicated facility in Terminal 2C at Paris Charles de Gaulle offers first and business class passengers and Gold Skywards members...

Rezidor secures fashion partner.(Rezidor SAS Hospitality and Missoni's plans to open new hotel)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... REZIDOR SAS Hospitality has teamed up with Italian fashion house Missoni to develop lifestyle hotels in the Middle East, Europe, Russia and Asia Minor. The company previously sought to develop a chain of hotels with Cerruti but the deal...

Engines roar for Celtic tiger.(Aer Lingus Group PLC's services in Dubai)
January 1, 2006... DUBAI WILL BECOME Aer Lingus' fifth long-haul destination and first outside the US when the airline starts three-a-week direct services from Dublin in March. The eight-hour service will be serviced by an A330 aircraft with flights...

Wi-Fi boost for UAE passengers.(AIRLINES)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... SUBSCRIBERS TO Etisalat's dial-up and Al Shamil's broadband services can now surf the Internet in-flight and receive charges on their monthly bill. The high-speed service, restricted to aircraft fitted with the Connexion by Boeing...

Gulf jet ready for take off.(Leader Capital and Al Mulla Group of Cos. launches airlines)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... EXECUTIVE START-UP operator Gulf Jet takes to the skies early February. The private charter company aims to operate up to five aircraft, each containing between eight and 15 seats. Investment company Leader Capital and the Al Mulla...

Suite sleep for executives.(Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.)
January 1, 2006... VIRGIN ATLANTIC IS raising the stakes on the fiercely competitive Dubai-London route in March by offering executives the chance to bed down on its Upper Class Suites. Promoting its new service as a 'first class product for a business...

Czars in your eyes.(Moscow Hotel)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... THE MOSCOW HOTEL which recently opened in central Dubai aims to capitalise on the growing inbound Russian market. The 138-room boutique hotel, located on A1 Maktoum Street close to the Clock Tower roundabout, has tried to replicate the...

Etihad Airways will start daily services between Abu Dhabi and Manchester in the spring.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * Etihad Airways will start daily services between Abu Dhabi and Manchester in the spring, its third UK destination after London Heathrow and London Gatwick.

Fly BA Club World from Abu Dhabi to London before January 31 (with return travel by February 28) and receive 80,000 bonus BA Miles--equivalent to one return Club World reward flight to London.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... * Fly BA Club World from Abu Dhabi to London before January 31 (with return travel by February 28) and receive 80,000 bonus BA Miles--equivalent to one return Club World reward flight to London. Miles can also be used to upgrade, travel to...

Mexican start-up Interjet.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * Mexican start-up Interjet is buying 10 A320s with deliveries starting from April 2007.

Ariana Afghan Airlines is leasing two B757-200s from Boeing Capital Corporation.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * Ariana Afghan Airlines is leasing two B757-200s from Boeing Capital Corporation and buying four B737-700s which will enter service in 2009.

VIP charter operator Comlux AG has ordered three A318 Elites--a new member of the Airbus Corporate Jetliner family.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * VIP charter operator Comlux AG has ordered three A318 Elites--a new member of the Airbus Corporate Jetliner family--with deliveries starting in 2007.

The US Airways Group is buying 20 A350s.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * The US Airways Group is buying 20 A350s with deliveries starting in 2011.

Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines and Hainan Airlines are buying up to 150 A320s.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines and Hainan Airlines are buying up to 150 A320s in a $10 billion deal with Airbus.

Gulf Air passengers can now book online for flights.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * Gulf Air passengers can now book online for flights originating in France, Germany, Greece and Ireland www.gulfairco.com

bmi starts three weekly services.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)
January 1, 2006... * bmi starts three weekly services between Jeddah and London Heathrow from April 23.

Lufthansa business class.(FLIGHT CHECKS: FRANKFURT-NEW YORK, NEW YORK-MUNICH)(Deutsche Lufthansa AG)
January 1, 2006... FIRST IMPRESSIONS After having a peek at Lufthansa's luxurious First Class terminal (Porsche or Mercedes to the aircraft anyone?), returning to Frankfurt's main departures area was a bump down to earth. The rigorous mid-terminal security...

Pan Pacific Hotel.(HOTEL CHECK: SINGAPORE)(Hotel review)
January 1, 2006... WHAT'S IT LIKE? A longstanding member of the Singapore community and, like a good vintage, has aged well. It could be accused of being old-fashioned in design but we'd rather call it homely with its bulging plant life, quirky layout and...

InterContinental Bangkok.(HOTEL CHECK: BANGKOK)(Hotel review)
January 1, 2006... WHAT'S IT LIKE? This former Le Meridien high-rise property boasts fabulous views and outstanding service. WHERE IS IT? In a busy commercial and shopping intersection, surrounded by malls and good shopping. The Grand Hyatt Erawan is only a...

Eternal optimists: despite political setbacks and security concerns, the irrepressible Lebanese view each challenge as a fresh opportunity.(Beirut)
January 1, 2006... The rattling 1970s Mercedes-Benz taxi, which just about sums up public transport in Beirut, climbs up, down and up the steep road in Verdun, an upscale, post-war cafe and boutique neighbourhood in Lebanon's capital city. It only takes a...

Opposites attract: gridlocked with traffic, deadlocked in international relations, Iran's capital is a schizophrenic mix of conservative government and independent-minded youth, discovers James Hardie.
January 1, 2006... The skull stares out with a fixed grimace atop the Statue of Liberty. Slogans declaring "No Surrender!" "Death to the Great Satan" scream out from barbwire strung walls. Not post-apocalyptic New York or a resurrection of Britart, but...

Far sighted: the Gulf will no longer be just a handy stopover destination but the global centre of aviation as the region's airlines embark on bold long-haul strategies.
January 1, 2006... It was only a five-minute walk from the Airport Expo reception building where Boeing announced a near $10 billion order with Emirates, which included 34 B777 passenger aircraft, to the apron where the first A380-800 in the airline's colours...

Berlin by the bed: few cities have experienced such changes, and few European capitals can boast such a selection of hotels. Felicity Cousins tries out the different ways to stay.(Berlin)
January 1, 2006... In a city which once had two parliaments, two centres and two sides, the first question you might ask is: where is the heart of this city? It would be good to know, if only to help you choose a convenient place to stay. Although reunification...

Rural retreat: tucked away in the Slovenian countryside, holiday homes are being snapped up by cost-conscious foreigners.(Slovenia)
January 1, 2006... It's a warm, late summer's evening and the grapevine-covered corner terrace of the pub is already pretty full. Regulars prop up the bar inside, surrounded by the usual paraphernalia--Guinness beer mats, Tetleys bar cloths, and a picture of...

Every breath you take: the air you're breathing in-flight is not as it seems.
January 1, 2006... As long as we reach our destinations safely and on time, most air travellers are happy to leave the finer points of aircraft engineering to the experts. But where there's mystery there's myth, and if there is one aspect of air travel that is...

Rhine and dine: your next business trip to Frankfurt will present you with plenty of culinary surprises.(Frankfurt)(Main Tower Restaurant & Bar, Emma Metzler, Apfelwein Wagner, Sushi am Main, Gasthof Steinernes Haus, Holbein's Cafe Restaurant)(Restaurant review)
January 1, 2006... German cuisine has never compared favourably to its European neighbours; while France and Italy are famed for their gastronomic endeavours, Germany is better respected for its beers. But it's not all frankfurters and sauerkraut in Germany's...

Ask Alex: Alex McWhirter answers your travel queries.
January 1, 2006... Dear Alex, Is it possible to avoid the US when booking a round-the-world (RTW) trip? We are booking another first class circuit soon using Oneworld member airlines and starting in Europe and heading for Australia via Asia. We then fly...

The fast and the glamorous: Methil Renuka dashes round the eighth Middle East International Motor Show and clocks the zippy new models out on the roads.
January 1, 2006... Honda City/Civic/MR-V If speed is your hallmark in business, you can't go wrong with the new Honda City that has an F1 Steermatic system, for that feel of F1 driving. The good-looking sedan has a sporty front and a 500-1itre boot big...

Golfing around Kuala Lumpur: the Malaysian capital has a wide range of challenging layouts, finds Spencer Robinson.(Directory)
January 1, 2006... THE ROYAL SELANGOR GOLF CLUB Where is it? In the heart of the city, approximately an hour from the airport. What's it like? The RSGC, as it is commonly known, is widely regarded as the home of golf in Malaysia. It's within sight of...

Win a fabulous three-night break by the Red Sea at the Grand Rotana Resort & Spa Sharm El-Sheikh.(Competition)
January 1, 2006... Situated on the picturesque coastline of Sharm El-Sheikh, the Grand Rotana Resort & Spa is embraced "by the spectacular land and seascapes of nature. The resort offers luxurious surroundings in its 559 rooms and suites, and is only...

Spot on time: when you're spending so much time travelling, you need a watch that's more than just an extra pair of hands--it should recognise multiple time zones, tell day from night and be a style statement. Methil Renuka clocks the top end models that hit the mark.(Gadgets)(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2006... Malte Tonneau Dual Time The Malte Tonneau Dual Time watch by Vacheron Constantin is not just a wrist ornament but perfect for long-haul flights. In addition to the hour and minute indications, it has a dual time zone on a combined...

Age gracefully: unlike reconstructed Munich, Regensburg remains authentically stuck in time, discovers Dominic Ellis.(Great Escape: Germany)
January 1, 2006... That's the beauty of travel. Barely 48 hours ago, I was looking down onto New York's skyscrapers from the top of the Rockefeller Center after having enough of dodging Fifth Avenue's people-swamped pavements. Now I'm in Regensburg--think more...