Business Traveller Middle East articles from November 2006

Business Traveller Middle East archives from November 2006

Ritz-Carlton helps travellers stay on track.(Ritz Carlton Hotel Company L.L.C.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Newcomers on business in Dubai will find The Ritz-Carlton's new concierge service helpful. To ensure guests don't lose their way in the city, or get delayed trying to find their meeting venue, the hotel is renting guests a selection of mobile...

Regent Hotels launches luxury in Dubai.(UPFRONT)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Dubai's hospitality sector is turning on the style with more luxury hotels. Regent Hotels, the luxury brand of Rezidor SAS Hospitality, has announced the Regent Dubai Canal Point, its first property in the UAE. The five-star hotel, projected...

Rotana to open properties in Sudan.(UPFRONT)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Rotana Hotels is on a roll, with new properties coming up across the Arab world. One of the first will be the five-star Al Salam Rotana Hotel, Khartoum, scheduled to open in the Sudanese capital in February next year. It will be Rotana's...

The new Anantara Maldives resort.(HOTEL UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... The new Anantara Maldives resort, 30km from the Maldivian capital of Male, offers beachfront villas, over-water suites and an Anantara Spa with nine treatment rooms.

The 727-room Semiramis InterContinental in Cairo is in its last stages of renovation of its lobby and restaurants.(HOTEL UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... The 727-room Semiramis InterContinental in Cairo is in its last stages of renovation of its lobby and restaurants. The club floors have already been upgraded.

InterContinental Mzaar Lebanon Mountain Resort & Spa has introduced packages, themed 'Mzaar Falling Leaves'.(HOTEL UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... InterContinental Mzaar Lebanon Mountain Resort & Spa (pictured left) has introduced packages, themed 'Mzaar Falling Leaves', featuring an overnight stay in a deluxe room with breakfast and pool access, from $77 to $88 per person on weekdays...

National Car Rental's new Emerald Club loyalty programme entities business travellers to rent cars and experience VIP service not just in the Middle East, but also across its global network.(HOTEL UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... National Car Rental's new Emerald Club loyalty programme entities business travellers to rent cars and experience VIP service not just in the Middle East, but also across its global network. Membership is free in the Middle East. Visit...

IHG's budget brand to debut in Dubai.(Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Middle East's first Express by Holiday Inn, the budget brand of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), will open at Knowledge Village in Dubai by summer next year. The four-floor, flagship property will target price-conscious executives...

E-room deal from Renaissance.(Renaissance Dubai)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The 281-room Renaissance Dubai hotel is coming up with a number of incentives for business travellers. First in line is a new e-room package including a luxury room, access to free high-speed internet in the room, free use of the business...

Emirates has just started services five times a week from Dubai to Tunis, departing on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, with an introductory economy class return fare of Dhs1,900 ($517.71).(AIRLINE UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... Emirates has just started services five times a week from Dubai to Tunis, departing on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, with an introductory economy class return fare of Dhs1,900 ($517.71). The airline has also just launched services to the...

Budget airline Air India Express has stepped up its Dubai services with direct, flights three times a week to the Indian cities of Mangalore and Amritsar.(AIRLINE UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... Budget airline Air India Express has stepped up its Dubai services with direct, flights three times a week to the Indian cities of Mangalore and Amritsar, making it the first low-cost airline to serve these cities from Dubai.

SriLankan airlines' new flights from Dubai to Goa will operate twice a week via Colombo.(AIRLINE UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... SriLankan airlines' new flights from Dubai to Goa will operate twice a week via Colombo. The airline is offering Skywards members up to 50 per cent off the mileage for reward tickets until 10 December.

Qatar Airways has stepped up frequency on its Doha-Osaka route with an additional flight, increasing the service from five to six times a week.(AIRLINE UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... Qatar Airways has stepped up frequency on its Doha-Osaka route with an additional flight, increasing the service from five to six times a week. From 9 January next year, the airline will also fly to Dar Es Salaam four times a week from Doha.

Etihad Airways will serve the Iranian capital.(AIRLINE UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... Etihad Airways will serve the Iranian capital, Tehran from Abu Dhabi three times a week starting 2 December.

Emirates' new edition of the Dubai Stopovers product, a hotel and sightseeing package, offers features like a chauffeur-driven Cadillac and a round of golf, valid until 31 October 2007.(AIRLINE UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... Emirates' new edition of the Dubai Stopovers product, a hotel and sightseeing package, offers features like a chauffeur-driven Cadillac and a round of golf, valid until 31 October 2007. Prices start from $69 per person per night.

Travco launches new brand.(JAZ)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Egypt-based travel and leisure group Travco has launched a new hospitality brand, JAZ to widen its guest portfolio. Initially to be mostly resorts-driven, JAZ will expand in concept to include Nile cruises and other travel enterprises. First...

Further delay to A380 brings mixed reaction.(Emirates Airline, Airbus S.A.S.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... News that the superjumbo A380 aircraft has suffered a further 10-month delay, and will now not be available for delivery before late 2008, could have a knock-on effect on the aviation industry in the Middle East, say some local aviation...

Virgin Atlantic celebrates first six months of DXB route.(Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., DXB-LHR )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The first six months of operation of Virgin Atlantic's Dubai-London route have gone according to plan, with high load factors and the airline on target to meet its previously stated 10 per cent market share. This was the verdict from Virgin...

Royal Jordanian is offering passengers an upgraded Crown cabin with new interiors, leather seats, and personal entertainment.(AIRLINE UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... Royal Jordanian is offering passengers an upgraded Crown cabin with new interiors, leather seats, and personal entertainment. The economy class boasts new velvet seats and more legroom.

Etihad Airways' new daily service to New York will depart Abu Dhabi (flight EY503) at 2.15pm, arriving into JFK Airport's Terminal Four at 9.25pm.(AIRLINE UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... Etihad Airways' new daily service to New York will depart Abu Dhabi (flight EY503) at 2.15pm, arriving into JFK Airport's Terminal Four at 9.25pm. Return flight EY504 will depart New York at 11.10pm, arriving at 8.25pm the next day.

Oneworld, the global airline alliance that includes British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Aer Lingus, has unveiled a new website (www.oneworld.com).(AIRLINE UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... Oneworld, the global airline alliance that includes British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Aer Lingus, has unveiled a new website (www.oneworld. com) to make it easier to check flight schedules.

Lufthansa has revamped its website (www.lufthansa.com) to make reservations simpler.(AIRLINE UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... Lufthansa has revamped its website (www.lufthansa.com) to make reservations simpler. To promote the re-introduction of daily daytime flights from Dubai to Munich, Lufthansa is offering customers online fares starting at Dhs1,799 ($490.20) to...

Kempinski continues growth in MEA region.(MAF Hospitality )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Kempinski Hotels has signed an agreement with MAF Hospitality (MAFH) that will see it manage a five-star luxury hotel in Bahrain. Located in the Bahrain City Centre development in Manama, the country's largest shopping mall, the property is...

Saudi Arabia to invest in airports.(UPFRONT)
November 1, 2006... Airports in Jeddah, Madinah and Tabuk are to be expanded at a cost of $8 billion in order to meet the growing number of passengers and the requirements of two new domestic private airlines, according to local media reports. The...

InterContinental sets its sights on Festival City.(Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... InterContinental Hotels is set to take its product offering in the UAE up a notch with the opening of three new properties at Dubai Festival City. The 500-room InterContinental Dubai Festival City, the 316-room Crowne Plaza and the...

Air Arabia's anniversary means more expansion.(UPFRONT)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Air Arabia, the first low-cost airline in the Middle East, has turned three and announced it will operate flights to three new destinations: Chennai and Trivandram in India and Kathmandu in Nepal. Starting out in 2003 with a single route to...

Virgin Atlantic upper class.(Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.)
November 1, 2006... FLIGHT CHECK--LONDON-DUBAI FIRST IMPRESSIONS: With separate check-ins for Economy, Premium Economy and Upper Class, queuing time is kept to an absolute minimum and I was attended to immediately. Upper Class passengers can also take...

Conrad London.
November 1, 2006... HOTEL CHECK--LONDON WHAT'S IT LIKE? Overlooking the Thames at Chelsea Harbour, the Conrad is London's only five-star, all-suite hotel. Its secluded location means weary business travellers are guaranteed a good night's sleep, yet it's...

The Lanesborough.(TRIED AND TESTED)
November 1, 2006... WHAT'S IT LIKE? Originally built as a country house retreat, The Lanesborough opened as a luxury hotel in 1990, after being restored to its 1830s glory and the splendid neo-classical furnishings and fittings reflect this. Situated at Hyde...

Radisson SAS Amsterdam Airport.(Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... HOTEL CHECK--AMSTERDAM WHAT'S IT LIKE? A decent, five-star business hotel that has everything the average corporate traveller is looking for. WHERE IS IT? It's located at the Schiphol-Rijk Business Park, about 4km from Schiphol...

The Regent Berlin.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... HOTEL CHECK--BERLIN WHAT'S IT LIKE? Grey on the outside but great on the inside. The unassuming exterior--you might almost miss it--is obviously a boon for security-conscious VIPs. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon all...

Hotel Arts.(TRIED AND TESTED)
November 1, 2006... HOTEL CHECK--BARCELONA WHAT'S IT LIKE? The 44 storeys of exposed glass and steel designed by Bruce Graham in 1994 make Hotel Arts not only the tallest building in Spain, but also one of the most aesthetically original. Particularly in...

Capital gains: as Abu Dhabi presses on with plans to become a 21st-century tourist hub, the UAE capital's priority is not rampant construction but eco-friendly hospitality projects that are both sustainable and green.
November 1, 2006... A heaving mangrove forest by the sea, a languorous lagoon, canoes lazily gliding by, indigenous fauna and more than 60 species of the rarest birds twittering outside the window of your low-rise suite. The Maldives? Bali? Wrong on both...

City at the crossroads: as Turkey knocks on the European Union's door, economic reforms and a bold global outlook are helping to make Istanbul a dynamic business and leisure destination. It may be steeped in unique history, but this is one Oriental city with a thoroughly modern European attitude.(ISTANBUL)
November 1, 2006... Under leaden grey clouds, our yellow cab moves freely along the edge of the Bosphorus, its inky black waters delivering dozens of fishing boats back to the harbour at Besiktas. Minarets stretch lazily into a brooding sky, while amateur...

Lap it up: as Doha gears up for the busiest two weeks in its history, the city's hospitality scene could turn out to be the long-term winner from the Asian Games.(ASIAN GAMES 2006)
November 1, 2006... It's hard not to overestimate the importance of Qatar's hosting of the Asian Games, coming up between 1-15 December. Although the games have been held once before in the region, 32 years ago in Iran, Qatar is relishing the occasion to be the...

Right on time: punctuality is an elastic concept that can have vastly different interpretations around the world. Brian Johnston offers some timely advice on how to negotiate this potential minefield.
November 1, 2006... Time. Is there any other aspect of our daily lives that causes so much concern and stress? Is there anything else that controls us so tightly? We live by the clock, as a quick check around the office reveals: everywhere there are timepieces...

Lisbon: Sarah Koya picks out a leisurely walking route of the seven hills and cobbled streets that comprise Portugal's capital city, taking in the best views, cafes, shops and cultural landmarks.(Travel narrative)
November 1, 2006... [1] Largo do Chiado The fashionable district of Chiado is best discovered on foot, so head down to the bustling main square and soak up the atmosphere. Once the heart of Lisbon's intellectual scene and still frequented by the local...

Business Traveller 06 awards: with Business Traveller celebrating 30 years of activity this year, its awards ceremony, recently held at the London Hilton Park Lane, was bound to be a thrilling and memorable event, attracting the key players within the global business travel industry.(BT AWARDS)(Industry overview)
November 1, 2006... It's not been an easy year for business travellers, but with the forms for this year's awards going out in May, the tumult of the summer did not take place until the survey had been completed. It is doubtful it would have had an effect on the...

Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition.(High flyers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Nokia's newest premium mobile phone, the nature-inspired Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition, is all about sight, sound and feel. It has a new thumbprint feature that perfectly matches the human hand, a new soundtrack composed by avant-garde composer...

i-mate SP JAS/i-mate JASJAM.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... i-mate's two new 3G handsets, the i-mate SP JAS and i-mate JASJAM, have a thumb-wheel menu for easy navigation and provide instant access to emails. The i-mate JASJAM offers users flexible data input methods including slider QWERTY keyboard....

Fujitsu Siemens Computers Lifebook Q2010.(High flyers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Designed for high-end users and senior management, Fujitsu Siemens Computers' Lifebook Q2010 combines style with technology and is perhaps the most expensive in its class. Slim and light, it weighs about a kilo, is 20mm thick, and is packed...

LG R1 Express Dual.(LG Electronics Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... LG's new 14-inch widescreen notebook PC, the R1 Express Dual, is a sure winner. Users can multitask quicker while working on data-intensive projects such as special effects, rendering, and 3D painting. The R1's 14-inch screen contributes to...

Sony VAIO UX.(ONE TO WATCH)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... ONE TO WATCH It's perhaps the smallest and lightest PC in its class, small enough to fit into your pocket. The Sony VAIO UX weighs just over 500g, but has all the functionalities of a full-size computer. It fits into the palm of your...

Lenovo N100.(High flyers)
November 1, 2006... The Lenovo N100 widescreen notebook PC features such innovations as next-generation wifi connectivity, multimedia features and the latest Intel processor designed for the small business customer. The N100 enables faster connectivity and...

Creative Zen V Plus.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Creative Zen's new Zen V Plus is a MP3, photo and video player with a built-in FM radio. About the size of a matchbox, the ZEN V Plus is ergonomically designed so your music, pictures and video are at your fingertips. It has a 1.5-inch colour...

O2 Xda Atom Exec.(Microsoft Corp.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The O2 Xda Atom Exec, is more versatile than its predecessor, and as its name suggests, is a boon for business executives on the move. The PDA-phone is compact, has a new matt finish and is armed with an arsenal of business-driven features....

Sony Walkman.(High flyers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Sony's latest Walkman E series has a quick-charge battery that requires only three minutes of charge time for three hours of non-stop music. The slim and pretty models enhance the existing range of Walkman digital music players, providing...

A spiritual retreat: the backwaters beckon, but the Kumarakom Lake Resort also takes you back in time.(GREAT ESCAPE)
November 1, 2006... As the sun dipped, my spirits soared. I was floating on an improvised kettuvallom (rice boat) right in the middle of the Vembanad Lake in Kumarakom, Kerala's illustrious backwater haven, watching a glorious sunset. The boat, now still,...