Latest news with #IHGHotels
Khaleej Times
17 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Eid Al Adha: Some UAE hotels hit 100% occupancy amid Schengen, US visa delays
Hotels across the UAE are experiencing a surge in bookings ahead of the Eid Al Adha holidays, with many properties reporting full or near-full occupancy. This uptick is largely driven by residents opting for staycations due to ongoing difficulties securing US and Schengen visa appointments, as well as an influx of regional visitors. Several hotels have already reached full capacity for the four-day Eid break, while others expect to hit 100 per cent occupancy in the coming days as last-minute bookings increase. UAE residents will enjoy a four-day Eid Al Adha holiday from Thursday to Sunday this week. As previously reported by Khaleej Times, visa appointments for travel to Schengen countries remain unavailable until mid-August due to overwhelming demand during the summer season. Tarek Labib, Head of Commercial for IMEA at IHG Hotels & Resorts, noted that hotel occupancy rates are expected to peak over the Eid weekend, with strong performance extending into the surrounding days, especially in the Northern Emirates. 'This demand is being driven by residents and families from the GCC, as short-haul trips are becoming more attractive ahead of the summer school break. Looking ahead, UAE hotels are witnessing a 20 per cent year-on-year increase in bookings, buoyed by robust domestic travel and double-digit growth from key international markets, including the UK and neighboring Gulf countries,' said Labib. He added that occupancy during Eid remains consistent with last year's 80 per cent, at IHG Hotels and Resorts. Staycations surge amid visa hurdles Iftikhar Hamdani, area general manager of Bahi Ajman Palace and Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, confirmed full occupancy at his properties during Eid, reflecting strong demand. 'Compared to last year, we're seeing significantly higher occupancy. Many guests are booking longer stays, largely driven by expatriates unable to travel abroad due to delays in obtaining Schengen and US visas,' he said. Sherif Madkour, General Manager of Media Rotana, expects a 'remarkable performance this Eid,' with occupancy projected to exceed 95 per cent. 'There's a clear increase in both bookings and average daily rates compared to last year,' he noted. 'This is supported by attractive seasonal offers, family packages, and enhanced leisure facilities. A growing number of residents are choosing local getaways due to continued visa processing issues.' Abdulla Al Abdulla, CEO and General Manager of Central Hotels & Resorts, said properties under the group — including Palm Hotels and First Central — are performing strongly, with about 70 per cent of rooms already booked. 'We typically see a surge in bookings during the last three days before Eid, and we expect that trend to continue,' he said. 'The staycation market is showing modest year-on-year improvement.' GCC visitors drive tourism boost Mamdouh Ali, General Manager of Rose Rayhaan by Rotana, anticipates an 'exceptional tourist season' during Eid, with a projected 20 per cent increase in visitors from the Gulf region and a 10 per cent rise in domestic tourism. 'This growth is largely due to our special promotions and events coordinated by the Dubai government in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development,' he added. At Leva Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, occupancy is expected to reach around 90 per cent during the Eid weekend. 'Much of the demand materialises close to the holiday dates, and we're seeing a similar last-minute booking trend this year,' said Thomas Kurian, Hotel Manager. 'Our guests are primarily from the GCC, with many families seeking cost-effective holiday packages and extended weekend stays. Northern Emirates resorts continue to be preferred over city hotels, a pattern that we expect to continue through Eid Al Adha 2025.' Elif Yazoglu, General Manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Jumeirah Beach, also reports exceptionally strong demand. 'We're expecting full occupancy throughout the Eid period, with reservations building steadily in advance,' she said. 'Compared to last year, we've seen a substantial increase in both pace and volume of bookings. Many residents are locking in their plans early, and with school holidays approaching, families appear to be delaying overseas travel, contributing to the current spike.'
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why InterContinental Miami Is A Great Place To Spend A Pre-Cruise Night
InterContinental Miami is located close to the port and offers beautiful views. IHG Hotels & Resorts Whether you're leaving from domestic ports like Miami or international ones like Rotterdam, anyone who's almost missed their cruise because of flight delays or other unpredictable travel snafus can tell you how important it is to fly in the day before your ship is set to sail. Having learned that lesson the hard way myself, I now arrive for every cruise at least one day early and have found some great hotels in cities like Vancouver and Southampton that are worth a stay, whether you're sailing away or parking yourself there for a while. My latest discovery was the InterContinental Miami, an IHG Hotel, which turned out to be the ideal place to spend the night before my Virgin Voyages cruise to Barcelona. Not only does this luxury waterfront hotel offer beautiful views of Biscayne Bay — and the cruise ships! — but it's a quick ride to the port so you can stay a little longer and take advantage of all the hotel's features and special programs, which include their infamous salsa nights, yoga classes and cooking demos along with the award-winning mySpa, three top-notch dining venues and a rooftop pool with brand new private, oceanview cabanas. Oceanfront Terrace at InterContinental Miami IHG Hotels & Resorts Because I didn't arrive until late at night, I wasn't able to take advantage of any of those amenities. That was okay, though, because I chose the InterContinental Miami for very specific reasons: location, rooms and Club InterContinental, all of which exceeded my expectations. Nighttime view of InterContinental Miami IHG Hotels & Resorts Hotels, like all real estate, are all about location, location, location — and InterContinental Miami's is prime. It's a short drive from the airport and an even shorter drive to the cruise port. Plus, because I'm partial to a room with a view, I was able to overlook the water, see my ship and fall asleep to the sounds of the sea and the anticipation of two weeks sailing across it. An Executive Suite bedroom at InterContinental Miami IHG Hotels & Resorts I booked a classic room (with a view), which was roomy and comfortable and came with a cozy bathrobe, complimentary bottles of water and luxurious Byredo bath products. The bed was so cozy, I could easily have slept the morning away but my desire to take advantage of all the perks the lounge had to offer won out. The welcoming ClubInterContinental at InterContinental Miami IHG Hotels & Resorts I love a good hotel lounge and ClubInterContinental is a good example why. Recently redesigned, it's warm and inviting and the breakfast buffet, which is curated by the hotel's Executive Chef, had so many excellent choices. The lounge offers afternoon tea time and happy hour, as well, and I'm always happy when I can help myself to bottles of water and Diet Coke any time of day. Access to ClubInterContinental can be obtained in a variety of ways, from booking a suite to selecting a lounge membership through IHG Milestone Rewards or paying a Club rate for your room. One of the best features of ClubInterContinental is that it provides guests with a dedicated concierge who can pretty much help with anything you need. Matheus made everything so easy for us, nabbing us a late checkout and printing out our Kenya visas for our post-cruise trip. I will definitely be returning to InterContinental Miami before my next MSC cruise (MSC World America, here we come) and just may start planning a separate, extended stay because Miami suddenly seems to be calling me.
Hospitality Net
4 days ago
- Business
- Hospitality Net
IHG Hotels & Resorts' Conversion-Friendly Brands Fuel Growth Opportunities for Owners
ATLANTA – Quick-to-market conversions backed by attractive brands and a powerful commercial engine are a winning combination that is driving growth for IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) and its owners. IHG has seen a steady increase of conversion activity in recent years, with its total global conversion signings nearly doubling between 2023 and 2024. Conversion hotels allow owners to capitalize on fast access to IHG's leading enterprise, including marketing, technology and distribution resources and more than 145 million IHG One Rewards loyalty members. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, conversions accounted for around 60 percent of global openings and 40 percent of global signings for IHG. Owners' growing interest in converting hotels to IHG brands signals that they continue to see tremendous value in our brands and the ability to plug into IHG's powerful enterprise system. While new build development always will remain important globally, our broad portfolio of soft brands and those that are conducive for conversions across the chain scales give owners more choice and avenues for success. Jolyon Bulley, Chief Executive Officer, Americas at IHG IHG's soft brands include Vignette Collection (in the luxury and lifestyle segment) and voco hotels (in the premium segment), which enjoyed record opening and signing totals in 2024. Premium brand Ruby will offer additional flexibility for owners interested in conversion and adaptive reuse projects, in addition to new builds, across the urban lifestyle space. In the midscale segment, the Garner hotels brand continues to deliver on its promise of quality and affordability for guests and faster ramp-up times for owners. Vignette Collection welcomes independent luxury and lifestyle hotels seeking distinct style and character while benefitting from IHG's global enterprise. Within a few years of its 2021 launch, the brand already is on pace to nearly triple its global estate and is more than 60 percent of the way to its goal of attracting 100 hotels in its first decade. Following the 2023 opening of its first Americas destination in Washington, D.C., Vignette Collection's ongoing regional expansion includes recent openings in Lima and San Francisco and signings in Japan, France and Germany. welcomes independent luxury and lifestyle hotels seeking distinct style and character while benefitting from IHG's global enterprise. Within a few years of its 2021 launch, the brand already is on pace to nearly triple its global estate and is more than 60 percent of the way to its goal of attracting 100 hotels in its first decade. Following the 2023 opening of its first Americas destination in Washington, D.C., Vignette Collection's ongoing regional expansion includes recent openings in Lima and San Francisco and signings in Japan, France and Germany. Considered IHG's fastest growing premium brand, voco hotels invites guests to 'come on in' to a consistently thoughtful experience defined by individual charm. The versatile and flexible brand aims to reach 200 open or pipeline global properties by 2028, bolstered by late 2024 Americas openings in Atlanta, Tucson, Ariz., and Laguna Hills, Calif. voco hotels' latest global signings include six in Greater China and planned market debuts in Canada, Aruba and Türkiye. invites guests to 'come on in' to a consistently thoughtful experience defined by individual charm. The versatile and flexible brand aims to reach 200 open or pipeline global properties by 2028, bolstered by late 2024 Americas openings in Atlanta, Tucson, Ariz., and Laguna Hills, Calif. voco hotels' latest global signings include six in Greater China and planned market debuts in Canada, Aruba and Türkiye. Within two years of its August 2023 launch, the midscale conversion brand Garner hotels has surpassed 120 open and pipeline hotels and is positioned to quadruple its worldwide reach in the coming years. Garner hotels has gained popularity with owners thanks to its competitive conversion cost per key, flexible design standards and reduced pre-opening costs through a rapid conversion process. Notable recent openings include the 11 th Americas Garner hotel in Panama City Beach, Fla. along with global debuts in Germany, Italy and Japan. New signings also will introduce the brand to Canada, Türkiye and beyond. has surpassed 120 open and pipeline hotels and is positioned to quadruple its worldwide reach in the coming years. Garner hotels has gained popularity with owners thanks to its competitive conversion cost per key, flexible design standards and reduced pre-opening costs through a rapid conversion process. Notable recent openings include the 11 Americas Garner hotel in Panama City Beach, Fla. along with global debuts in Germany, Italy and Japan. New signings also will introduce the brand to Canada, Türkiye and beyond. The early 2025 acquisition of premium urban lifestyle brand Ruby, now IHG's 20th global brand, brings more than 30 hotels to the portfolio. Ruby's 'urban micro' model has proven successful for new build, conversion and adaptive reuse projects across major European cities, including several openings within former office buildings and non-traditional commercial developments. IHG expects Ruby to be ready for franchising within the U.S. later this year and anticipates opening more than 120 branded hotels within the next decade, including new signings in Copenhagen, Berlin and Geneva. To learn more about IHG's conversion friendly brands, or to book a stay, visit or use the IHG One Rewards mobile app. *All numbers as of Q1 2025 unless noted otherwise About IHG® IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good. With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Jamie Cwalinski Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, The Americas, IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG View source
Travel Daily News
6 days ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Kimpton Atlântico Algarve opens to Portugal's South Coast
Kimpton opens its first Portuguese resort, Kimpton Atlântico Algarve, blending bold design, local luxury, wellness, and vibrant dining on São Rafael Beach. ALGARVE, PORTUGAL – Kimpton, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts' luxury and lifestyle portfolio, opens Kimpton Atlântico Algarve, the brand's first resort in Portugal and a chic new gem in its ever-growing global collection. Perched on the golden sands of São Rafael Beach, Kimpton Atlântico Algarve blends the brand's bold, design-led identity with the relaxed spirit of southern Portugal. The resort delivers a refined take on local luxury through elevated dining, wellness and curated experiences. Just a stone's throw away, the vibrant town of Albufeira, known for its golden beaches, lively nightlife and charming Old Town, also awaits guests. The luxury lifestyle resort features 149 thoughtfully designed rooms and suites, inspired by the Mediterranean landscape and the tranquil pace of coastal life. Renowned Portuguese designer Nini Andrade Silva brings her signature aesthetic to the resort under the project management of LUCID Development Group. Natural textures and warm, earthy tones set the mood – while smooth stone surfaces, airy linens, handcrafted ceramics and timber accents come together to create interiors that evoke grounded elegance. Catarina Simões, General Manager, Kimpton Atlântico Algarve, commented: 'At Kimpton, we invite guests to enjoy something truly unexpected – a stay that invigorates the soul and leaves them feeling energised. From bold design, vibrant flavours and immersive moments, we offer a new kind of luxury that's both sophisticated and playful. Every detail at Kimpton Atlântico Algarve is thoughtfully curated to celebrate our guests, from locally inspired dining to warm, intuitive service and more. We are looking forward to bringing a fresh expression of luxury to Portugal's south coast – one that celebrates both place and people.' Offering experiences that spark, surprise and uplift has always been at the heart of the Kimpton brand – especially when it comes to exceptional dining. Kimpton Atlântico Algarve turns gastronomy into a sophisticated art form with a selection of restaurants and bars onsite: Terra – Bar, Café, Market– This multifaceted dining venue celebrates locally sourced ingredients in a friendly atmosphere. Guests can start their day with pastries boasting native flavours such as toasted almonds, fragrant oranges and Madeiran honey. Sombra – In this garden oasis, guests will enjoy fresh local seafood from a renowned à la carte menu curated by talented chefs. Marés– This relaxed daytime beachfront restaurant offers market-fresh produce such as Mediterranean wood roasted beets and delicious meats such as Piri Piri chicken. Zénite– The resort's sun-drenched rooftop bar provides a soulful setting for classic cocktails and local wines – breathtaking Atlantic Ocean views included. Guests at Kimpton Atlântico Algarve can also enjoy treatments at its premier Wellness Hub. Extending over 1,800 sqm, the hub is a wellness sanctuary for rejuvenation with a heated indoor pool, a hydroactive spa circuit with a flotation tank, jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish baths and a cutting-edge gym. The Wellness Hub also features a selection of personalised massages and therapy sessions to promote holistic wellness, helping visitors unwind and regain balance. Just like all Kimpton hotels, Kimpton Atlântico Algarve welcomes pets at no extra charge. Guests can also take full advantage of the hotel's 'Forgot It? We've Got It!' programme, offering a curated selection of essential items – from humidifiers to curling irons – on a complimentary basis throughout their stay. In keeping with Kimpton's community-driven ethos, the hotel also hosts the brand's signature Kimpton evening Social Hour, where guests are invited to gather to enjoy complimentary drinks and connect with fellow travellers. Kimpton was founded in 1981 by entrepreneur and avid traveller Bill Kimpton, who set out to redefine traditional hospitality. Inspired by his journeys through Europe, he envisioned something different for the United States – not just a space to stay, but a place that invites, inspires and connects to a destination. Kimpton Atlântico Algarve joins a growing IHG portfolio of luxury lifestyle hotels in Europe, including Kimpton Fitzroy London, Kimpton Los Monteros Marbella and Kimpton Main Frankfurt, with more exciting destinations in the pipeline.
Hospitality Net
26-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Bolt Business and IHG Business Edge Partner to Introduce Special Benefits
Bolt Business partners with IHG Business Edge, a complimentary travel program tailored for small and midsized enterprises from IHG Hotels & Resorts, to enhance customers' hotel experience with special benefits for shared customers. The partnership aims to help shared customers focus on business when travelling for work, instead of logistics. Bolt Business customers are now able to access Gold Elite status on IHG Business Edge. After joining IHG Business Edge, Bolt Business customers will receive IHG One Rewards Gold Elite status after staying one qualifying night at an IHG property. Gold Elite members will enjoy 40% more bonus points on stays, rollover nights for next year's status, and late checkout when available. In addition to these benefits, accessible at over 6,500 IHG Hotels & Resorts across 100 markets, shared customers will receive a 50% discount for 25 Bolt Business rides with their next reservation. At Bolt Business, we're proud to partner with IHG Business Edge to upgrade the travel experience for our shared customers. By combining seamless transport with world-class hospitality, we're helping business travellers focus on business while we take care of the logistics. It's another way we provide cost-efficient, flexible, and scalable business travel solutions for businesses operating across the world. Roisin Kirk, Channel Partnerships Manager at Bolt Business We are delighted to begin our partnership with Bolt Business, which aligns perfectly with our commitment to enhancing the travel experience for our Business Edge users. This collaboration will provide small and medium-sized enterprises with valuable rewards and seamless travel solutions. By combining our strengths, we're making it easier for businesses to manage their travel needs while enjoying special benefits. We look forward to seeing our customers take advantage of this opportunity. Kate Norris, Global Director of SME Strategy for IHG Hotels & Resorts Bolt's business travel services are another step towards Bolt's mission to make cities for people, not cars. Launched in 2018, Bolt Business makes using the Bolt app for business needs easier, offering ride-hailing, car-sharing, food delivery, and micromobility services. Bolt Business is available in over 50 markets, with over 50,000 companies using the service globally as of December 2024. Terms and conditions are available here.
