Business Traveller Middle East articles from September 2005

Business Traveller Middle East archives from September 2005

This issue.(hospitality development in dubai)
September 1, 2005... The cranes are shooting up in Qatar in preparation for next year's Asian Games and the hospitality-minded development won't end there, with the $2.5 billion Pearl-Qatar rapidly taking shape off the coastline. Change is also in the air in...

Female friendly.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... I would like to commend the ITC Hotel Grand Maratha Sheraton in Mumbai, which has a small wing catering to female travellers. I recently stayed there and was touched by the hotel's attention to our needs. Amenities included nail polish...

BA versus SriLankan.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... I recently travelled to Paris (via London) on BA's flight out of Chennai. I was in World Traveller Plus, which I equate with its business class as it used to be--before it introduced the new version with sleeper beds--and which was perfectly...

The airline dance.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... I find it increasingly frustrating to sit next to a fellow passenger who involuntarily twitches and taps their feet for the duration of the flight. What is it with these people? Why the nervous twitching, and what is the medical condition...

Madinat parking.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... Like most visitors, I still find myself bowled over by the opulent setting of Dubai's Madinat Jumeirah--and I've been working here for four years. The breadth of services and restaurants are impressive and it's one of the few places where the...

BA catering dispute gives executives food for thought.(British Airways PLC)
September 1, 2005... BRITISH AIRWAYS IS pulling out all the stops to appease its loyal Executive Club members and repair its corporate image following the high-profile dispute with its catering supplier Gate Gourmet. The airline's full bar service and duty free...

Battle for corporate custom intensifies on US routes.(KLM Royal Dutch Airlines launching six flights)
September 1, 2005... KLM IS FOLLOWING IN THE footsteps of Lufthansa and Swiss with a transatlantic business class-only service. The Dutch carrier is launching six flights a week between Amsterdam and Houston from October 30. The flights will be operated on...

Double first for expanding Etihad.(Etihad Airways)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... CORPORATES NOW HAVE a dedicated service to Brussels and Toronto for the first time from the Middle East. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways starts three-a-week flights to the Belgian and Canadian cities from October 31. A business class return...

Habtoor raises beach competition.(Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... COVERING AN AREA OF 30,000 sq m between Le Royal Meridien and the Jebel Ali Sailing Club on Dubai's busy Marsa Dubai shoreline, the five-star Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa recently opened its doors. The hotel has risen from the ashes of the...

Costs spiral and confidence dips in security-conscious Sharm.(Sharm El Sheikh's hotels)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... SHARM EL SHEIKH'S HOTELIERS ARE grappling with increased security costs, revenue losses and market uncertainty following the summer terrorist strike which killed 88 people and injured more than 200. Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh,...

Dubai presses onwards and upwards.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... DUBAI CONTINUES TO CHALK UP construction superlatives by planning to erect the tallest hotel globally, not far from the world's tallest tower (Burj Dubai). The 150-storey Park Square Tower will be developed by Bonyan International...

UAE boosts Iraq connections.(AIRLINES)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... IRAQI AIRWAYS HAS RESUMED its four-a-week services between Dubai and Baghdad after a 15-year absence, and Sharjah-based Phoenix Aviation Group is flying twice a week to Basra. Iraqi Airways' services, on B737-200 aircraft, departs Dubai on...

Trade in miles for gifts.(LOYALTY SCHEMES)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... SKYWARDS MEMBERS UNCONCERNED about number crunching or tier jumping can now exchange their miles for gifts. The frequent flyer programme of Emirates and SriLankan Airlines has teamed up with retailers Damas, Magrudy's and Rivoli, enabling...

Emirates.(AIRLINES)
September 1, 2005... Emirates will fly from Dubai to Malta via Larnaca four times a week from October 1. Air Malta will be code sharing the Malta-Larnaca leg. The airline is adding a second daily non-stop flight from Dubai to New York on November 7.

Austrian Airlines.(AIRLINES)
September 1, 2005... Austrian Airlines is adding a new weekend flight between Dubai and Vienna from October 22. The service departs Vienna at 17.15 (Saturday) and arrives in Dubai at 01.50 (Sunday), and then departs Dubai 02.45, landing in Vienna at 06.45.

Iraqi Airways.(AIRLINES)
September 1, 2005... Dnata Agencies is the general sales agent (GSA) for Iraqi Airways in Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain.

Gulf Air has extended its codeshare agreement with Saudi Arabian Airlines to include the airlines' flights between Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Muscat, as well as the two terminals in Jeddah..(AIRLINES)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Gulf Air has extended its codeshare agreement with Saudi Arabian Airlines to include the airlines' flights between Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Muscat, as well as the two terminals in Jeddah. The airline is introducing non-stop flights from Manama to...

Virgin Atlantic.(AIRLINES)
September 1, 2005... Virgin Atlantic held its first 'flying without fear' course at Heathrow Airport on August 28, complementing similar courses at Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham.

Air France.(AIRLINES)
September 1, 2005... Air France has launched a daily Paris-Detroit service on A330-200s with 219 seats, departing CDG Terminal 2E at 10.30.

Guests await cool reception within mall.(HOTELS)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... SKIING, SHOPPING and sleeping will all be part of the resort mix at Mall of the Emirates. The 400-metre indoor slope, the third longest globally, is due to open this autumn--and the intriguing design means shoppers browsing the 400 shops...

Bed down in new Dubai.(Coral Boutique Hotel Apartments)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... DUBAI'S ROOM CAPACITY continues to expand outwards with the opening of the Coral Boutique Hotel Apartments. Close to the Emirates Golf Club, Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Media City--and adjacent to the Sheikh Zayed Road highway--the...

Broadband Internet access is now available in all rooms at the Sheraton Deira Hotel & Towers.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
September 1, 2005... Broadband Internet access is now available in all rooms at the Sheraton Deira Hotel & Towers, the newly renovated Al Massah Ballroom, the hotel's business centre and four of the smaller daylight meeting rooms.

The Oasis Beach Hotel has opened 28 executive seaview rooms with rates costing AED 985 per person during September and October.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
September 1, 2005... The Oasis Beach Hotel has opened 28 executive seaview rooms with rates costing AED 985 per person during September and October (includes complimentary breakfast, other amenities and taxes). Contact (9714) 399 4444 or email: obh@jaihotels.com

The new club floor at the Crowne Plaza Muscat features a private wifi-enabled business lounge and larger rooms which come equipped with personal espresso machines.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
September 1, 2005... The new club floor at the Crowne Plaza Muscat features a private wifi-enabled business lounge and larger rooms which come equipped with personal espresso machines. The lounge serves breakfast and refreshments throughout the day.

The Radisson SAS Hotel Amman has revamped its main entrance and will be renovating 72 rooms during Ramadan.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
September 1, 2005... The Radisson SAS Hotel Amman has revamped its main entrance and will be renovating 72 rooms during Ramadan. The Aqaba property is upgrading 21 Business Class rooms along with its hotel entrance, landscaping and Patio restaurant.

A 258-room InterContinental hotel is to open in Lagos.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
September 1, 2005... A 258-room InterContinental hotel is to open in Lagos, marking the company's first venture in Nigeria.

London's Grange City Hotel recently opened a 68-room women-only wing.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
September 1, 2005... London's Grange City Hotel recently opened a 68-room women-only wing which targets solitary female business travellers.

Marriott International will open two properties at Dubai Internet City in 2008.(HOTEL BRIEFS)
September 1, 2005... Marriott International will open two properties at Dubai Internet City in 2008, the 300-room Courtyard by Marriott RiverWalk and 120-unit Marriott Executive Apartments RiverWalk.

All mapped out.(MOTORING)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... BUDGET RENT-A-CAR Dubai and Sharjah has introduced a GPS navigation system to help visitors find their bearings. Customers can hire out the Garmin StreetPilot 2610, which fits on the dashboard, for AED 45 ($12.26) a day. The device can provide...

JW Marriott Bangkok.(HOTEL CHECK: BANGKOK)(Hotel Review)
September 1, 2005... WHAT'S IT LIKE? A five-star contemporary Thai-style business hotel featuring plenty of garlanded stone figurines and immaculate blooms. The hotel marries the genre of business and pleasure rather well. Bearers, bellboys and guards make you feel...

Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket.(HOTEL CHECK: PHUKET)(Hotel Review)
September 1, 2005... WHAT'S IT LIKE? Idyllic retreat surrounded by a large lake and adjacent to the beach, one of five resorts in an integrated 1,000-acre complex. Grande Villa guests won't make it to reception on arrival--they are whisked off by boat,...

Hilton Glasgow.(HOTEL CHECK: GLASGOW)(Hotel Review)
September 1, 2005... FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The 20-storey hotel is one of many near the city centre (10-minute walk) and touted as the tallest in Scotland. It isn't far from the airport either. GETTING THERE: Taxis are available from the airport (20 [pounds...

Crude awakening: Qatar's lifestyle scene is changing but the affluent Gulf state has no intention of dropping its upmarket image.(Qatar)
September 1, 2005... La Mer, tucked away on the 23rd floor of The Ritz-Carlton Doha, not only serves up a mean foie gras but also provides a taster of Qatar's bold future. The French restaurant offers unparalleled views of the Gulf's own 'French Riviera' which is...

Inbound turn around: entering the Kingdom next year could be a whole lot easier as Saudis place greater emphasis on tourism.(Saudi Arabia)
September 1, 2005... The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considering rewriting its immigration rules in February 2006. If that's the case, travel to the conservative Islamic state will be nothing short of revolutionised. For decades visas for the Gulf's largest economy...

Ask Alex: Alex McWhirter answers your travel queries.
September 1, 2005... Dear Alex, Last year I took a tour group to China using Virgin Atlantic between London Heathrow and Shanghai. Our group had to pay excess baggage charges on the way out (the plane was half full) but on the return leg the Shanghai...

Reader feedback.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... Like Michael Bociurkiw, reader Jaime Reyes was also inconvenienced by Gulf Air's online ticketing procedures at Amman (see Ask Alex, July/August). He contacted me to explain how he managed to solve the problem and his advice is handy should...

Saintly conversion: what was once Hamburg's most run-down district continues to be transformed into a thriving artistic and cultural centre, discovers Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey.(Hamburg)
September 1, 2005... Nationalities and goods may constantly flow in and out of major port cities, but reputations are a different story. Mention Hamburg to any seasoned business traveller and it's not the maritime history or modern potential that is readily...

Grand designs: rich in history and effortlessly stylish, Amsterdam's latest generation of boutique hotels can bring a smile to the face of the weariest of travellers.(Amsterdam hotels)
September 1, 2005... The famous Dutch love of thrift, and aversion to all things different, is loosening judging by the latest crop of hotels in Amsterdam. These new entrants are everything the Calvinists of old would have hated: showcases of style and lavish...

Flavours of Europe: Melbourne is renowned for its multicultural restaurants. Beverley Fearis samples familiar dishes far from home.(Melbourne restaurants)
September 1, 2005... France-Soir 11 Toorak Road, South Yarra, tel +61 3 9866 8569 Think of your typical French restaurant experience--an abundance of garlic, strong coffee, overflowing plates of mussels, and charming waiters--double it, and you might come...

4 hours in Johannesburg: alongside its infamous townships and monuments to apartheid, Will Hide finds Johannesburg offers a rich cultural scene of local markets, bohemian hangouts and boutique stores.
September 1, 2005... 1 Apartheid Museum Johannesburg is a spread out city, so each one of these could take four hours--particularly The Apartheid Museum, which is a 15 minutes' drive from the airport, traffic willing. The subject is presented through film...

The Great Wall Street of China: an ambitious new financial centre is set to alter the face of Beijing.(Beijing Johnson Controls)
September 1, 2005... "There couldn't be a better time to be in construction," Jesson Tong, general manager of Beijing Johnson Controls tells me, his face wreathed with a large grin, as we drive from west to east Beijing. Johnson Controls is primarily involved...

Golden years: deep in the heart of the forests and vineyards of Beaujolais, Tom Otley discovers an old chateau with a view to toast.(France)
September 1, 2005... Beaujolais is one of the most attractive of the French wine regions. Rolling countryside, hills high enough to be known locally as monts, thick woods, streams running into the Saone or Loire valleys and a profusion of sandstone make it easy on...

Raise the bar hire: car rental competition in the region is going through the sun-roof but are executives in for a smooth ride? Methil Renuka fastens her seatbelt.(Executive motoring)
September 1, 2005... Executives on short or long-term assignments in the Middle East, especially the UAE, are not likely to run into problems finding a car to rent. Dubai has all the major players and then some, all eager to snare the transient yet increasingly...

Call of luxury.(Vertu Signature, cellular telephone)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... If luxury is your signature style the Vertu Signature in Stainless Steel with Yellow Keys (SSYK) will work like a charm. Its stainless steel bezel, leather sides, seven pieces of sapphire and 18K gold keys will leave a lasting impression and...

Sights and sounds.(Gadgets)
September 1, 2005... It sounds like a technological tongue-twister but get ready for Digital Multimedia Broadcasting--that's DMB to you and me. LG's latest device has a 2.4" LCD screen, a 1.3 mega pixel camera, MP3 player and 3D surround sound stereo. Pegged as the...

i-mate companion.(Gadgets)
September 1, 2005... The i-mate JASJAR is all about enabling powerful multimedia and Internet browsing for business. It has a full VGA screen, 520MHz Intel processor, 128MB of permanent memory, built-in antivirus software and QWERTY keyboard. The Windows Mobile 5.0...

For your eyes only.(Gadgets)
September 1, 2005... The new 3M Privacy Filter ensures that the sensitive documents you access on your laptop on a plane or a busy hotel lobby are protected from prying eyes. The filter offers full-proof security for your on-screen data by blocking ambient light...

Note taking.(Gadgets)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Sony Ericsson's W800i is a 'walkman phone' that harks back to the glory days of the 70s Walkman. It combines an MP3 player capable of recording 125 tracks of digital music, a cell phone and a two mega pixel, auto focus digital camera. Music...

Memory boost.(Gadgets)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The limited edition i-mate JAM is a pocket PC that comes with all the advanced Microsoft Windows Mobile features of its original plus twice as much built-in memory (128MB). It has the same striking minimalist look but is a beefed-up version in...

Image building.(Sony Ericsson's new smart phone)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Sony Ericsson's sleek K750i two mega pixel model is ideal for creating multiple photo albums, adding effects, file sharing and printing. Turn the K750i over and your phone turns into a digital camera. It takes video too and keeps music lovers...

Upwardly mobile.(Motorola launch new smart phone)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Motorola's A1000--the latest addition to the company's 3G portfolio--is a good one for mobile executives as it enables you to record video conferences, write Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files and browse the Internet. The pocket-sized model...

Options open.(Nokia launches new smart phone Nokia N90)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... As multimedia devices go, the Nokia N90 is hard to beat--quadrupling up as a digital camera, MP3 player, diary and video camcorder. It has loads of treats for the tech-savvy: a two mega pixel camera with auto focus and 20x digital zoom,...

Sound move.(Bose launches new headphones)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Bose's new QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones dramatically reduce the noise-floor or 'hiss' commonly found in many audio devices. It can be plugged into standard in-flight entertainment systems--useful for reducing the drone of...

Preserved reserve: the diverse flora and fauna on Sir Bani Yas Island brings Africa that bit closer to the Middle East.(Great Escape UAE)
September 1, 2005... You won't find many guidebooks touting western Abu Dhabi on the shelves of your local bookshop, with good reason. Away from the inland Liwa oasis and the dramatic dunes of the Empty Quarter, the emirate's coastline is mind-numbingly boring....