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May 29th, 2010, 01:25 PM
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Rotana CEO: "We plan huge expansion in Kurdistan Region and Iraq"
May 29, 2010
ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — Rotana, a leading hotelier in the Arab World, is opening its first Iraqi property this September in Erbil, with plans to open more in the country, announces its CEO in an exclusive interview with "The Kurdish Globe."
Erbil Rotana Hotel will open its door in September this year- the first international hotel chain to open in the fast-growing city-, in time for the new annual season of fairs and exhibitions in the capital of northern Iraq's Kurdistan Region.
"It will be the first internationally categorized five star hotel in the city," mentioned Nasser Al Nowais, CEO of Rotana Hotel Management Corporation, in an exclusive interview with "The Kurdish Globe."
Rotana, a leading hotelier in the Arab World, is opening its first Iraqi property this September in Erbil, Kurdistan region.. Photo Mariwan Faydullah Salihi/ekurd.net
Though several other five star hotels exist in the Kurdish capital, including the Erbil International Hotel (referred by many as "the Sheraton") and Khanzad Hotel and Resort, according to Al Nowais the Erbil Rotana Hotel will be "the city's first real five star hotel" that will offer "a different concept."
Erbil Rotana Hotel was announced by the end of 2008 and built by Malia, a prominent Lebanese holding group, in partnership with Rotana Hotel Management Company.
Malia’s plans to invest in Erbil stem from the city’s economic, social and political climate which makes it an ideal destination for investments, particularly in tourism, according to the group.
The property is located opposite Sami Abdulrahman Park- the city's largest park – and is in the immediate vicinity of Erbil International Fairground, Saad Abdullah Conference Palace (a convention center) and Erbil International Airport.
The US$ 55 million plus hotel will feature 205 rooms and suites and includes an outdoor temperature-controlled swimming pool, "Bodylines Fitness Centre" with professional instructors,www.ekurd.neta spa that includes massage rooms, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms, among others. Three fully equipped and flexible Meeting Plus board rooms and a Grand Ballroom with a capacity of more than 800 people, are also among some of the facilities of the new hotel.
A wide choice of seven food and beverage venues include "Bond" – a lobby café, "Flavours" – an all day international dining restaurant offering buffet, "Basilico" – an authentic Italian restaurant serving traditional and contemporary dishes prepared by Italian chefs, "Al Bustan" – an authentic Lebanese restaurant, with live entertainment, also offering local Iraqi and Kurdish delicacies, "Aquarius" – a pool bar serving snacks and drinks.
"Tourists will flood Kurdistan Region"
With the slated opening of the new luxurious hotel at the end of the summer, Al Nowais predicts an increase of international visitors to Kurdistan Region.
"Tourists will have better options with Rotana; many visitors, especially those from the GCC countries (Arab Gulf Cooperation Council) know our awarded services and will be encouraged to visit Erbil. Tourists will flood Kurdistan Region once the hotel opens."
Al Nowais further said: "People in the GCC, especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are aware of Kurdistan's safety, proximity to their country and natural beauty; they just need good air links between the two areas, better tourism services and facilities and luxurious hotels."
Currently, Erbil is mainly frequented by regional and international businesspeople and investors, eager to explore a lucrative and booming economy in Kurdistan Region.
Though being Iraq's safest and most prosperous area, the Kurdish region of the country has not seen mass tourism as of yet. According to Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Tourism and Municipality, the provinces of Erbil, Duhok and Sulaimaniyah were visited by nearly 150,000 foreign tourists last year – an increase of nearly 150% within two years. Foreign tourists mostly comprise of Middle Easterners (mainly Iran and Turkey), Europeans, Americans and an increasing number of Asians.
More 5 star hotels to open in Kurdistan Region
With the current lack of good quality hotels and services in Kurdistan Region and throughout Iraq, many investors are eyeing to open more luxurious hotels and resorts in the country.
Rotana has plans to open more hotels in Iraq, including Kurdistan Region, according to its CEO.
By early 2012, "Shams Rotana" will open in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, inside the heavily fortified International (Green) Zone, offering 250 rooms and suites. The hotel is expected to open on time for the city's host of the Arab League Summit in 2012.
Rotana is also planning to add more hotels in the country in the near future, including its other brands - Centro, Arjaan and Rayhaan – already popular in the Middle East.
Headquartered in UAE's capital Abu Dhabi, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation was founded in 1992 and has since developed to be the Middle East and North Africa’s (MENA) largest privately owned hospitality management company.
The company was founded by partners Nasser Al Nowais (Emirati) and Selim El Zyr (Lebanese), who were both already well established within the Middle East hospitality industry. The hotel chain manages more than 70 hotels in 26 cities across the MENA region. Rotana's strategic aim is to have at least one property located in every key city in the MENA region.
Another luxurious hotel, currently under construction near Erbil Rotana, is the Divan Erbil Park Hotel (previously planned as a Kempinski hotel), on Gulan Road. The high-rise five star property will feature 228 rooms and suites, four restaurants, bar, nightclub, meeting facilities and leisure facilities. The Turkish hotelier's first Iraq property will open in early 2011.
Also in Erbil, Le Royal Erbil Park Hotel is currently under construction and slated for opening in 2011. The hotel will be part of the luxurious Le Royal chain, a division of GMH Group headed by renowned Iraqi billionaire Nadhmi Auchi. Le Royal is already well established in Beirut, Amman, Luxembourg, Tunisia and Morocco.
Furthermore, the Abu Dhabi-based Millennium and Copthorne Middle East Holdings plans to become the largest international hotel operator in Iraq, according to its head.
The regional arm of the UK-based Millennium and Copthorne Hotels will open two Copthorne hotels in Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan’s second largest city, next year. In 2011 the Grand Millennium Sulaimaniyah will also open, in partnership with the local-based Faruq Group Holding (FGH). The Grand Millennium Sulaimaniyah is a 28-story skyscraper envisaged on Dubai's seven star ""Burj Al Arab Hotel," when opened it becomes Iraq's most luxurious hotel to-date.
Millennium and Copthorne will formally also announce two hotels for Erbil next month, said Ali Lakhraim, CEO of Millennium and Copthorne MENA region, during the sidelines of the UAE-Kurdistan Region of Iraq Trade Conference held in Erbil last week.
It hopes to build another four hotels in Iraq, making the hotelier the largest international operator of luxurious hotels in the country.
Currently, there are around 20 four and five star hotels under construction in Erbil, thus adding thousands of much-needed rooms to the city's expanding tourism and hospitality sector.
http://ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2010/5/state3894.htm
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Rotana CEO: "We plan huge expansion in Kurdistan Region and Iraq"
May 29, 2010
ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — Rotana, a leading hotelier in the Arab World, is opening its first Iraqi property this September in Erbil, with plans to open more in the country, announces its CEO in an exclusive interview with "The Kurdish Globe."
Erbil Rotana Hotel will open its door in September this year- the first international hotel chain to open in the fast-growing city-, in time for the new annual season of fairs and exhibitions in the capital of northern Iraq's Kurdistan Region.
"It will be the first internationally categorized five star hotel in the city," mentioned Nasser Al Nowais, CEO of Rotana Hotel Management Corporation, in an exclusive interview with "The Kurdish Globe."
Rotana, a leading hotelier in the Arab World, is opening its first Iraqi property this September in Erbil, Kurdistan region.. Photo Mariwan Faydullah Salihi/ekurd.net
Though several other five star hotels exist in the Kurdish capital, including the Erbil International Hotel (referred by many as "the Sheraton") and Khanzad Hotel and Resort, according to Al Nowais the Erbil Rotana Hotel will be "the city's first real five star hotel" that will offer "a different concept."
Erbil Rotana Hotel was announced by the end of 2008 and built by Malia, a prominent Lebanese holding group, in partnership with Rotana Hotel Management Company.
Malia’s plans to invest in Erbil stem from the city’s economic, social and political climate which makes it an ideal destination for investments, particularly in tourism, according to the group.
The property is located opposite Sami Abdulrahman Park- the city's largest park – and is in the immediate vicinity of Erbil International Fairground, Saad Abdullah Conference Palace (a convention center) and Erbil International Airport.
The US$ 55 million plus hotel will feature 205 rooms and suites and includes an outdoor temperature-controlled swimming pool, "Bodylines Fitness Centre" with professional instructors,www.ekurd.neta spa that includes massage rooms, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms, among others. Three fully equipped and flexible Meeting Plus board rooms and a Grand Ballroom with a capacity of more than 800 people, are also among some of the facilities of the new hotel.
A wide choice of seven food and beverage venues include "Bond" – a lobby café, "Flavours" – an all day international dining restaurant offering buffet, "Basilico" – an authentic Italian restaurant serving traditional and contemporary dishes prepared by Italian chefs, "Al Bustan" – an authentic Lebanese restaurant, with live entertainment, also offering local Iraqi and Kurdish delicacies, "Aquarius" – a pool bar serving snacks and drinks.
"Tourists will flood Kurdistan Region"
With the slated opening of the new luxurious hotel at the end of the summer, Al Nowais predicts an increase of international visitors to Kurdistan Region.
"Tourists will have better options with Rotana; many visitors, especially those from the GCC countries (Arab Gulf Cooperation Council) know our awarded services and will be encouraged to visit Erbil. Tourists will flood Kurdistan Region once the hotel opens."
Al Nowais further said: "People in the GCC, especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are aware of Kurdistan's safety, proximity to their country and natural beauty; they just need good air links between the two areas, better tourism services and facilities and luxurious hotels."
Currently, Erbil is mainly frequented by regional and international businesspeople and investors, eager to explore a lucrative and booming economy in Kurdistan Region.
Though being Iraq's safest and most prosperous area, the Kurdish region of the country has not seen mass tourism as of yet. According to Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Tourism and Municipality, the provinces of Erbil, Duhok and Sulaimaniyah were visited by nearly 150,000 foreign tourists last year – an increase of nearly 150% within two years. Foreign tourists mostly comprise of Middle Easterners (mainly Iran and Turkey), Europeans, Americans and an increasing number of Asians.
More 5 star hotels to open in Kurdistan Region
With the current lack of good quality hotels and services in Kurdistan Region and throughout Iraq, many investors are eyeing to open more luxurious hotels and resorts in the country.
Rotana has plans to open more hotels in Iraq, including Kurdistan Region, according to its CEO.
By early 2012, "Shams Rotana" will open in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, inside the heavily fortified International (Green) Zone, offering 250 rooms and suites. The hotel is expected to open on time for the city's host of the Arab League Summit in 2012.
Rotana is also planning to add more hotels in the country in the near future, including its other brands - Centro, Arjaan and Rayhaan – already popular in the Middle East.
Headquartered in UAE's capital Abu Dhabi, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation was founded in 1992 and has since developed to be the Middle East and North Africa’s (MENA) largest privately owned hospitality management company.
The company was founded by partners Nasser Al Nowais (Emirati) and Selim El Zyr (Lebanese), who were both already well established within the Middle East hospitality industry. The hotel chain manages more than 70 hotels in 26 cities across the MENA region. Rotana's strategic aim is to have at least one property located in every key city in the MENA region.
Another luxurious hotel, currently under construction near Erbil Rotana, is the Divan Erbil Park Hotel (previously planned as a Kempinski hotel), on Gulan Road. The high-rise five star property will feature 228 rooms and suites, four restaurants, bar, nightclub, meeting facilities and leisure facilities. The Turkish hotelier's first Iraq property will open in early 2011.
Also in Erbil, Le Royal Erbil Park Hotel is currently under construction and slated for opening in 2011. The hotel will be part of the luxurious Le Royal chain, a division of GMH Group headed by renowned Iraqi billionaire Nadhmi Auchi. Le Royal is already well established in Beirut, Amman, Luxembourg, Tunisia and Morocco.
Furthermore, the Abu Dhabi-based Millennium and Copthorne Middle East Holdings plans to become the largest international hotel operator in Iraq, according to its head.
The regional arm of the UK-based Millennium and Copthorne Hotels will open two Copthorne hotels in Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan’s second largest city, next year. In 2011 the Grand Millennium Sulaimaniyah will also open, in partnership with the local-based Faruq Group Holding (FGH). The Grand Millennium Sulaimaniyah is a 28-story skyscraper envisaged on Dubai's seven star ""Burj Al Arab Hotel," when opened it becomes Iraq's most luxurious hotel to-date.
Millennium and Copthorne will formally also announce two hotels for Erbil next month, said Ali Lakhraim, CEO of Millennium and Copthorne MENA region, during the sidelines of the UAE-Kurdistan Region of Iraq Trade Conference held in Erbil last week.
It hopes to build another four hotels in Iraq, making the hotelier the largest international operator of luxurious hotels in the country.
Currently, there are around 20 four and five star hotels under construction in Erbil, thus adding thousands of much-needed rooms to the city's expanding tourism and hospitality sector.
http://ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2010/5/state3894.htm