TIME Hotels to open five new properties across Middle East in 2019

time-nozha-beach-aqua-park-hotel-resort

TIME Hotels, the UAE-headquartered hospitality company and hotel operator, is set to announce plans to open five new properties across the Middle East during 2019 – as it targets 35 properties by 2025.

The properties, which will see the growth and launch of existing as well as new TIME Hotel brands to key territories throughout the region, will be unveiled during Arabian Travel Market 2019, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May.

Mohamed Awadalla, CEO TIME Hotels, said: “Our pipeline of hotels and residences meet the demands of multiple value-driven markets by offering a high-quality experience right across all of our branded properties.

“We currently have 15 properties in operation across the UAE and wider GCC with new additions in Dubai, Sharjah and Saudi Arabia scheduled for this year as well as extending our presence to Egypt - further supporting our strategic business plan to increase our total portfolio to 35 properties across the Middle East by the end of 2025.”

TIME Hotels will debut its TIME Express Hotels brand with the opening of a property in Sharjah, during the third quarter of 2019. The three-star TIME Express Hotel Al Khan will feature 55 keys in total and is located 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport, 20 minutes from Sharjah International Airport and a 15-minute walk from Al Khan Beach.

In Dubai, TIME Asma Hotel is scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2019. The four-star property, located in Al Barsha, will feature 232 rooms including 12 suites, a gym, swimming pool, jacuzzi, four meeting rooms, a business centre and two restaurants.

“Plans are in place for two floors of the hotel to be reserved exclusively for female travellers, with dedicated services, including: personalised room service, a female-only check-in counter, dedicated ladies-only guest relations, in-house baby-sitting services, and in-room tablets highlighting all of the services offered for women as well as enhanced bathroom amenities in each room,” said Awadalla.

time-express-hotel-al-khan

Meanwhile, TIME Hotels’ international openings in Saudi Arabia and Egypt demonstrate the brand’s strength and popularity in markets outside of the UAE.

TIME Hotels opened its second property in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of April. Featuring 28 deluxe apartments - comprising four one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units – TIME Dammam Residence is located 35 minutes from King Fahad International Airport and just minutes from various shopping and dining destinations in Dammam.

Joining TIME Dammam Residence in the kingdom will be TIME Golden Tower Al Khobar. Scheduled to open August 2019, the 65-key property will be strategically located on Al Khobar Main Street and within close proximity to Al Khobar Waterfront. The property will feature a roof-top garden lounge, a gym and a high-tech business centre.

In Egypt, TIME Nozha Beach Aqua Park Hotel & Resort will open its doors during Q3 2019. The four-star property – located in Ras Sudr, on Egypt’s Red Sea Coast – will feature 52 rooms and four suits as well as five castles, 93 villas, 891 chalets and 136 studios.

Located along a 945 metre stretch of white sand beach, the resort will feature the largest aqua entertainment complex in Ras Sudr, complete with various water slides, wave pools and water sport activities. 

Awadalla, said: “This is a very exciting chapter in TIME Hotels’ short history as we open TIME Nozha Aqua Park & Resort, our first beach resort and first property in Egypt. Built with leisure and adventure visitors in mind, this resort is fully-equipped with everything the modern traveller requires for the perfect family getaway.”

These scheduled openings follow the signing of a new management agreement by TIME Hotels Management to operate Dunes Hotel Apartments’ three properties located throughout Dubai.

TIME Hotels took over day-to-day operations of TIME Dunes Hotel Apartment Al Barsha, TIME Dunes Hotel Apartments Al Qusais and TIME Dunes Hotel Apartments Oud Metha following the signing of the agreement on 24^th January 2019.

“It has been a busy year for TIME Hotels with a raft of properties announced with several of them due to come online within the next 12 months. We have been very strategic with our openings, identifying and assessing the demand within the market and implementing the most suitable brand from the TIME portfolio, that best matches that demand and we’re looking forward to bringing more properties into our portfolio,” added Awadalla.

TIME Hotels will be exhibiting on stand HC0620 during this year’s Arabian Travel Market.

For more information, please log onto http://www.timehotels.ae/

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Travelzoo reveals the key to happiness: Travel more spontaneously

NEW YORK, LONDON and TOKYO - Travelzoo, a global publisher of exclusive offers and experiences for members, today published the results of its Spring Travel Trends Survey, revealing that people who travel spontaneously tend to be happier and more content with life than those who don't. Almost half (49%) of respondents who self-identify as spontaneous leisure travelers strongly perceive themselves as happy, while only a third of non-spontaneous travelers say they feel happy in life.

"Spontaneous travel" refers to unplanned travel in terms of timing and/or location, such as a last-minute weekend getaway or a trip to an unexpected destination. For the purposes of the survey, a "spontaneous leisure traveler" is someone who took at least one spontaneous trip of two days or more in 2018. The survey results indicate that spontaneous leisure travel is a well-accepted concept, with 83% of survey respondents reporting that they will consider taking a spur-of-the-moment trip in 2019.

Spontaneous travelers are positive and confident
Spontaneous travelers are almost twice as often to state that they are happy most of the time and can handle unexpected challenges in life, compared to non-spontaneous travelers. 40% more spontaneous travelers than non-spontaneous travelers said they were content and satisfied with their lives, and feel connected with family, friends and the world. These rates are consistent across all the countries that participated in the survey: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S.

Spontaneous travel is motivated by internal needs
Spontaneous travelers appear to take trips to satisfy internal needs more than because of external factors. Travelzoo's survey results show that the top two motivations are the need to unwind and relax (46%) and the desire to get away and do something special (43%). These motivations co-exist with, but were more frequently cited by respondents, than external influences such as the wish to visit a specific destination (32%), or attend a specific activity or event (30%).

Spontaneous travelers look for inspiration
Travelzoo's survey results indicate that spontaneous travelers actively seek out information and ideas to be inspired. Almost no spontaneous traveler (less than 4%) would go on a trip without feeling the call of their internal desire to try out a special travel experience, compared to 17% of non-spontaneous travelers. In fact, 26% of spontaneous travelers try five or more sources of information to get the most unusual, quirky or off-the-beaten-track travel ideas, in contrast to only 13% of non-spontaneous travelers.

Since 1998, Travelzoo has been committed to waking up the innate curiosity of its members globally with its inspirational hand-picked travel offers. Travelzoo is well positioned to drive demand for more spur-of-the-moment trips, and to enable its members to live happier and more fulfilling lives as a result.

"At Travelzoo, we believe that the real spirit of travel lies in curiosity and the desire to reach outwards and search for authentic experiences," commented Sharry Sun, Travelzoo's Global Head of Brand. "Traveling spontaneously allows us to step outside of the worlds we live in every day, and reward ourselves with recharged energy, unexpected encounters and even life-changing self-reflection."

The results of the survey were also verified by the strong interest among members of Travelzoo when it recently published time-limited spontaneous travel ideas on Happiness Day in Canada. The event generated the highest traffic on Travelzoo's Canadian edition for 2.5 years. During the period, Travelzoo app downloads increased by more than 500% in comparison to last year, and app use doubled.

"We are happy to see that the travel offers were well-received by our members," concluded Sharry Sun. "We will continue to produce more unexpected but irresistible travel experience for Travelzoo members."

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TWIST AND SHOUT, MOVE AND GROOVE! CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH ZUMBINI, NEW HIGH-ENERGY EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM

MIAMI  – Carnival Cruise Line expands its onboard youth programming with an exclusive partnership with Zumbini offering high-energy early childhood activities and classes that combine singing, dancing and playing.

Created by Zumba and BabyFirst, Zumbini’s mixed-age music and movement curriculum features group sing-alongs, activities and musical instruments to keep children engaged and energized while learning.

Led by Carnival’s trained youth staff and aimed at Carnival’s youngest cruisers, the fleetwide onboard Zumbini program, which will be free of charge, will encompass two class options taking place within the Camp Ocean children’s play areas and other lounges:

·         All voyages: 30-minute drop-off class for Carnival Penguins age group (two-to-five years old);

·         Voyages of six days or longer: 30-to-45-minute family class for children up to six years old focused on parent/child bonding.

“Carnival carries 800,000 children annually, the most in cruising, so we’re always expanding and enhancing our onboard programming to provide even the youngest cruisers an unforgettable experience,” said Chris Nelson, vice president of entertainment for Carnival Cruise Line. “We are so excited to bring Zumbini to our ships and to give families and their children a unique experience.”

“When we realized that Zumba was transforming the fitness community and turning rigorous dance and aerobic movements into fun, approachable and sharable experiences, we saw the potential to make classes specific to families and children,” said Alberto Perlman, CEO of Zumba.

“Based on the revolutionary Zumba exercise programs for adults, Zumbini’s classes have soared in popularity on land, so I can only imagine how wonderful they will be on the high seas,” said Jonathan Beda, CEO of Zumbini. “We knew Carnival was the perfect partner to take Zumbini seaside and cannot wait to give Carnival’s guests the ultimate bonding experience and a new way to Choose Fun.”

To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line, visit Carnival.com.

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Italy to receive more Chinese tourists

Joining the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) would be an excellent choice for countries worldwide as it attracts joint economic development, cultural exchanges and jobs. It appeared that the most immediate profit for those who sign a BRI contract is a tourism boom motivated by Chinese tourists as peak vacation season comes.

Italy is the most recent instance. The search popularity of European countries have grown 28 percent month-on-month in March, the month when it signed a BRI memorandum of understanding with China, data offered to the Global Times by domestic online travel platform Mafengwo.com showed.

Italy was the first G7 member to sign a BRI agreement and also the largest economy – eighth-largest in the world – to unite with the BRI, according to media reports.

Xu Xiaolei, manager of marketing at China’s CYTS Tours Holding Co, explained that the forthcoming May Day holidays, which have been extended from three to four days by the State Council, China’s cabinet, the number of Chinese visitors are going to Italy is anticipated to grow by 20 percent compared with the same time last year.

In a recent interview with the Global Times, Italian Ambassador to China Ettore Francesco Sequi, mentioned that the two countries have broad cooperation opportunities in tourism. Italy established 11 new visa centers in China in 2016, and Chinese tourists can get now a visa within 36 hours.

A report from the China Tourism Academy explained that Italy is rated by Chinese travelers as the most popular destination in Europe, second only to Russia.

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Best and worst European cities for a 50 euros-day budget

Craving a city break but don’t want to break the bank? Or do you have an idea of where you want to go, but unsure of a daily budget? Travel experts, alpharooms Ireland, have analysed the most popular destinations in Europe, before calculating how long a day budget of 50 euros will last.

Taking into account the average cost of food, transport, attractions and even alcohol in each city – their findings have uncovered the most purse-friendly cities to visit this year.

Stand out stats:

• If you’re planning a staycation in Dublin – think again. A day budget of 50 euros will run out at 3:00 pm.
• Surprisingly, 50 euros will go further in Rome than the popular, Benidorm.
• Prague is almost three times cheaper than London (which has been labelled as the most expensive destination).
• Antalya not only tops the list as the cheapest, but it was also the 5th most popular European destination last year, making it a cheap and cultural hub.

How Long Will a 50euros-day Budget Last Across Europe?
alpharooms Ireland have analysed the average cost of a breakfast, lunch dinner, beer, cocktail, two one-way transport tickets, and three attractions to calculate the following:

• In London, your 50 euros will run out at 12:30 pm.
• In Rome, Dublin and Vienna, your 50 euros will run out at 3:00 pm.
• In Paris, Benidorm and Amsterdam, your 50 euroswill run out at 6:00 pm.
• In Istanbul, Prague and Antalya, your 50 euros will last all day, and you’ll still have money left over.

Alternatively, for those who aren’t as restricted by a budget, alpharooms Ireland have also used the same spending factors to uncover how much the average day will set you back in each tourist hotspot.

London is the most expensive European city to visit with 50 euros
London has long boasted a reputation for expense and, for those travelling with a daily 50 euros budget to the UK capital, your budget will run out at 12:30. This is if you take into account breakfast, transport and, of course, the top-rated attraction in the city – Buckingham Palace.

Food and drink prices come in as some of the most expensive, second only to Paris. To experience two of the most iconic attractions (Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London), as well as indulge with a beer during lunch and a cocktail at night, it will cost you around 117.78 euros a day.

With the city welcoming over 20 million visitors in 2018 – a 4% growth on the previous year – it’s no surprise that London tops the list of most expensive European cities to visit.

Antalya tops the list for the cheapest destination
Both Istanbul and Antalya are in the top five most visited destinations of 2018 (considered to be European by many tourists and locals alike) – placing third and fifth respectively. They also round up our list of the cheapest destinations to visit with 50 euros per day, coming in first and third.

Your budget will not run out if you choose to visit these destinations for your 2019 holiday. In Antalya, in particular, you can enjoy a full day of visiting the most popular attractions, exploring the squares and dining throughout the day for as little as 31 euros.

The same can be said for Istanbul, costing only 43 euros for a day of experiencing the greatest sights and tasting the local cuisine – including the beer.

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Amtrak Winter Park Express Sets Records in 2019 Season

The Amtrak Winter Park Express trains set records for the service, including the most riders ever, in the 2019 season. Amtrak and Winter Park Resort leaders thank customers for choosing Amtrak to avoid traffic and to enjoy new features both aboard the train and at the resort named last year “Best in North America”.

More than 19,200 tickets were purchased for 32 round-trips for the season that ended last month, an increase of about 7% from the 2018 season and 8% from the inaugural season in 2017. More than 52,000 guests have taken the service in the partnership between Amtrak and the resort.

For the first time, Winter Park Express customers had snack and beverage service using a Superliner® Sightseer Lounge Car with windows that start at the floor level and wrap into the ceiling of the railcar. Once they arrived, customers enjoyed more than $30 million in capital investments at the resort that included a new 10-person gondola, upgraded snowmaking and a new base-area plaza. Another new lift is coming next season.

“We were blessed with great ski conditions as we looked out from the train to growing delays for drivers on I-70 and US-40,” said Amtrak Senior Director Rob Eaton. “We’ve made it even easier and even more fun to do a day, a weekend or more in Winter Park.”

“With the train’s continual growth in ridership, it’s been gratifying to see the incredible popularity of this Colorado institution for visitors on the Front Range, throughout the country, and beyond,” said C.A. Lane, Winter Park Vice President of Operations/Assistant General Manager. “Nowhere else in North America can you take a train from a major metropolitan city to the slopes of a world-class ski resort and we look forward to working with our good friends at Amtrak and the other railroads to continue to evolve this service for the future.”

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Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi prepares to host World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony 2019

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, the latest addition to Yas Island’s series of world-class attractions, is stepping up to host the World Travel Awards (WTA) Middle East Gala Ceremony 2019 on Thursday 25 April.

The gala ceremony will be the premier gathering of the Arabian hospitality industry, with the key players and VIPs from across the region attending.

Opened last summer, Warner Bros. World is the world’s first-ever Warner Bros. branded indoor theme park, and represents another milestone in Abu Dhabi’s remarkable journey to establish itself as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.

Located on Yas Island, the 1.65 million sq. ft. indoor theme park features six immersive lands with 29 state-of-the-art rides, interactive family-friendly attractions and unique live entertainment shows, as well as a variety of themed dining and retail outlets.

The park is the latest addition to Yas Island’s award-winning theme parks, joining Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld.

The red-carpet evening will form the second leg of the WTA Grand Tour 2019 – a global search for the finest travel and tourism brands in the world.

Graham Cooke, Founder, WTA, said: “We are deeply honoured to host our Middle East Gala Ceremony at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, an enthralling new addition to Abu Dhabi’s incredible roster of tourist offerings."

He added: “WTA has maintained its position as the industry leader for the past 26 years, consistently proving its value as the global benchmark for acknowledging excellence in travel and tourism. I greatly look forward to welcoming the most senior decision-makers of the Arabian travel industry for what promises to be a most memorable evening at this phenomenal new attraction.”

Don Strickler, General Manager, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, said: “We are delighted and honored to welcome the prestigious World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony at Warner Bros. World for the first time this year. The choice of our Park as host for this coveted industry event is a testament to the growing appeal of theme parks within the leisure and entertainment sector in the region. We look forward to bringing together some of the world’s leading travel industry professionals and organizations for an evening full of many successes and celebrations.”

As part of the Grand Tour 2019, WTA is also hosting ceremonies in Montego Bay (Jamaica), Mauritius, Madeira, La Paz (Bolivia) and Phu Quoc (Vietnam), with the winners progressing to the Grand Final in Muscat (Oman).

Tags:Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, World Travel Awards