Category: News & Updates

As a token of appreciation, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi, Chairman of MANAFA LLC, and Vice Chairman, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, presented a special trophy to the Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) for its outstanding support to The Ajman Palace Hotel Wedding Fair 2017. The trophy was presented to Mr. Faisal Al Nuaimi, General Manager of Ajman Tourism Development Department, during the official inauguration of the exhibition on the 11th of January.

Also on the occasion, and to recognize efforts made by exhibitors in support of the wedding sector, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi, together with Mr. Faisal Al Nuaimi, General Manager of Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD), presented five awards to the top exhibitors at ‘The Ajman Palace Hotel Wedding Fair 2017’. The theme for this year’s show was ‘Inspire’ and the winners were nominated based on the most creative presentations and concepts.

Presenting the trophies, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi, said: “These awards are an acknowledgement of the participants’ hard-work and serve as a stimulus for companies to come up with innovative ideas. By celebrating creativity, our objective is to enable firms of all sizes to compare themselves to and learn from the best to evolve and ultimately succeed in exceeding their customers’ expectations.”

Elaborating further on the objective behind the awards, Mr. Faisal Al Nuaimi, said, “We are truly grateful to The Ajman Palace Hotel for having taken this initiative. The Wedding industry is huge and we have seen remarkable local talent that needs to be appreciated and encouraged to facilitate growth. Through these awards our aim is to celebrate exceptional standards and initiatives as well as innovative ideas presented during ‘The Ajman Palace Hotel Wedding Fair 2017’.”

The Winners of The Ajman Palace Hotel Wedding Fair 2017 Awards Included:

• Designer of the Year: Received by Fashion Designer Mr Walid Atallah
• Excellence in Service: Ajman Bank. Received by Ms Mariam Al Shorafa, Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing for Ajman Bank
•  Luxury Interiors: 2XL Furniture & Home Décor. Received by Mr. Amit Yadav, Marketing Manager for 2XL Furniture & Home Décor.
• Best Khosha Design:  Al Ameerat Wedding. Received by Mr Ahmad Mohammed, Managing Director Al Ameerat Wedding
• Outstanding community initiative and meticulous organization of the Wedding Fair: The Ajman Palace Hotel. Received by Mr Ferghal Purcell COO for HMH.

Being the largest and most luxurious hotel bridal fair in the Northern Emirates ‘The Ajman Palace Hotel Wedding Fair’ offered a unique opportunity for wedding vendors to meet buyers and conduct business under one roof. Building up on the success of last year, over 60 leading brands, vendors, fashion designers and wedding planners, specialized in catering to luxury weddings, participated in the exclusive event.

About The Ajman Palace Hotel
The Ajman Palace Hotel, managed by HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, is a picturesque sanctuary conveniently located 22 km from Dubai International Airport and 11 km from Sharjah International Airport.  Set on a private beach, this alluring hideaway is a heritage resort with a modern spirit. Bringing an unprecedented level of luxury, with captivating views of the Arabian Gulf, the resort is a destination unto itself. Balancing world-class facilities with the legendary Arabian hospitality, it offers 254 rooms, suites and serviced residences, a remarkable range of restaurants and lounges, fabulous meeting and event venues including the largest ballroom in the Northern Emirates ideal for weddings and conventions, as well as an array of leisure and recreation options at Lifestyle Club featuring a Spa and state-of-the-art fitness facility. A magical experience awaits you here.

For more information about the hotel please visit http://www.TheAjmanPalace.com
or https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/subscribenow

The Ajman Palace Hotel Wedding Fair, organized in association with The Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) was inaugurated today by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi, Chairman of MANAFA LLC, and Vice Chairman, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings and Mr. Faisal Al Nuaimi, General Manager of ATDD, in the presence of H.E. Dr Shaikha Hind bint Abul Aziz Al Qassimi, Chairperson of BPW Emirates Club and Chairperson of Sharjah Business Women Council, and other dignitaries and VIP guests.

Hosted by The Ajman Palace Hotel, the three-day annual luxury bridal exhibition is open for visitors from 11th to 13th January and is co-sponsored by Ajman Bank and 2XL Furniture & Home Décor. Building up on the success of the last two years, the fair is expected to attract more than 2000 affluent, high net worth visitors over the three days.  With dedicated sections for beauty, fashion, jewellery, confectionery, linen, porcelain, tourism boards, banks, and photography, this year over 60 leading brands and vendors specialized in catering to luxury events, are exhibiting their products and services at the exclusive show. Prominent among them are Fashion Designers such as Mona Al Mansouri, Walid Atallah and Ritu Kumar as well as TOMIREX INTERNATIONAL, the Italian firm representing Italian fashion brands in the Middle East and Bride Club ME, the UAE’s leading wedding inspiration website.

Opening the exhibition, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi, commented, “The Ajman Palace Hotel Wedding Fair is a great initiative. We are confident that Ajman’s tourism sector, backed by the ongoing investment in new tourism attractions and infrastructure, will continue to drive demand from existing and emerging markets. At HMH we are well placed to take advantage of these upcoming opportunities that equally are serving our community.”

H.E. Faisal Al Nuaimi, General Manager of Ajman Tourism Development Department, stated, “Events such as The Ajman Palace Hotel Wedding Fair are a great platform for creating awareness about our destination as well as showcasing true Emirati hospitality. Our aim is to position Ajman as the perfect destination to experience real Emirati hospitality. We have got outstanding facilities for both leisure and business travelers and want visitors and exhibitors at The Ajman Palace Hotel Wedding Fair to learn and discover what the emirate of Ajman offers. It is a great initiative from The Ajman Palace Hotel”.

In addition to ‘Al Saalah’ Ballroom which is divisible into three rooms, The Ajman Palace Hotel offers a superb choice of flexible indoor and outdoor event spaces including Pool Terrace, Beach Garden, Al Ewan Conference Hall, Al Meelas – VIP Majlis Room, Rooftop Terrace, Rooftop Deck, Foyer and pre-function areas. Elaborating on the hotel’s meeting and banquet facilities, Ferghal Purcell, COO of HMH, said, “We have very quickly established ourselves as the most prestigious address in town for both business and social events. We are proud to have the largest ballroom in the Northern Emirates with outstanding facilities that allows us to cater to high-end weddings and events. Executing countless details with precision and passion is our highly skilled banqueting and events team. So no matter what our guests’ dream, we work hard to deliver memorable experiences”.

Other participants at the wedding fair include Fairytale by Muby Astruc, AG Concept, Al Ameerat Weddings, mylist, Pink Pepper Photography, Litchi Ladies Salon, Flower Station, Precieux Fine Jewellery, Nour Ban Fashion and Revival Spa.

About The Ajman Palace Hotel
The Ajman Palace Hotel, managed by HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, is a picturesque sanctuary conveniently located 22 km from Dubai International Airport and 11 km from Sharjah International Airport.  Set on a private beach, this alluring hideaway is a heritage resort with a modern spirit. Bringing an unprecedented level of luxury, with captivating views of the Arabian Gulf, the resort is a destination unto itself. Balancing world-class facilities with the legendary Arabian hospitality, it offers 254 rooms, suites and serviced residences, a remarkable range of restaurants and lounges, fabulous meeting and event venues including the largest ballroom in the Northern Emirates ideal for weddings and conventions, as well as an array of leisure and recreation options at Lifestyle Club featuring a Spa and state-of-the-art fitness facility. A magical experience awaits you here.

For more information about the hotel please visit http://www.TheAjmanPalace.com
or https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/subscribenow

‘RAINBOW 2017’ – a fascinating exhibition of abstract paintings by acclaimed Indian Artist Dinesh Kamble, was inaugurated last evening by Dr. Rashid Alleem, Chairman of Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority, at The Ajman Palace Hotel. The international travelling painting exhibition is aptly titled ‘RAINBOW 2017’ after the seven cities lined up for tour this year and is Dinesh’s first commercial solo show outside India. It will continue at The Ajman Palace Hotel until 25th January, 2017 before moving to Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, London, Paris and Tokyo.

Dr. Rashid Alleem is widely known as a visionary and thought leader in business, socio-economic, academic and cultural fields. Known for his strategic thinking, he is respected by peers as a man with qualities of mind and heart. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr. Rashid Alleem, said: “I am delighted to support this unique exhibition by Mr Dinesh Kamble who is an accomplished painter. Looking at the paintings one feels a sense of awe that’s often associated with the UAE. It is wonderful to see how the artist has used a blaze of colours to express his emotions. We are confident this exceptional exhibition will serve as a big milestone in collaboration of art and culture between local and Indian artists.”

Dinesh will be displaying over 20 paintings of varying sizes at the exhibition taking place in The Ajman Palace Hotel. Using a mix of mediums like oil and acrylic on canvas and paper, he has produced beautiful abstracts. Elaborating on the style Dinesh said, “Rainbow brings different colours together in a disciplined manner. Artists have their own world of fantasies, pleasure, happiness and sorrows. I have used colours to express different moods, different moves and different strokes. As an artist I feel we should never be restricted to any particular style and theme. This is because our audience comes from different cultures and tastes.”

Commenting on selecting the UAE as the starting point of this mega international show, Dinesh said, “I look forward to welcoming people for the show. The UAE for me symbolizes freedom of pleasure, enjoyment and happiness. Every emirate is a melting pot of cultures. Ajman has been quietly carving its place on the world tourism map with an intriguing mix of attractions and art is one of them. It is the right place and time to have the presence of RAINBOW when the country is celebrating the Dubai Shopping Festival.”

Dinesh believes, every artist carries a responsibility to generate awareness for social causes through art. He stated, “I have been taking up causes for Spastics children, orphanages for children and AIDS patients through my shows. RAINBOW 2017 is dedicated to supporting underprivileged women who are victims of acid attacks with part of the funds from sales being donated towards their medical treatment.”

Dinesh is a self-taught, multi-talented artist. He has been painting since early childhood. So far he has to his credit nine solo exhibitions and four group shows. He is also a photographer and one of his photographs was selected for National Photography Exhibition in New Delhi as well as published on the front cover page of Monthly Magazine of French Embassy in India. Interior design is his other interest and his work for an apartment was published by India’s largest circulated and most respected Interior Design Magazine ‘INSIDE OUTSIDE’. Last but not the least, he is a poet and writer and his poetry book will be published soon.

Dinesh said, “My first solo painting exhibition was held in 1997 and was inaugurated by Mrs. Kiran Bedi who is a Magsaysay Award and Mother Teresa Award Winner. In the initial stages, I used to do landscapes. This later turned to figurative. Recently I have been focusing more on ABSTRACT with mixed media.”

There are many other exciting projects lined up for Dinesh in 2017. He will soon be opening his own Art Gallery – RUDRAKSH, in Mumbai. He is also building his own Art Studios in Pune and Goa, where artists will be able to stay and work on their art within natural and beautiful surroundings.

Exhibition: RAINBOW 2017 at The Ajman Palace Hotel
Dates: 11th – 25th January, 2017
Timings: All day long open for public

About The Ajman Palace Hotel
The Ajman Palace Hotel, managed by HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, is a picturesque sanctuary conveniently located 22 km from Dubai International Airport and 11 km from Sharjah International Airport.  Set on a private beach, this alluring hideaway is a heritage resort with a modern spirit. Bringing an unprecedented level of luxury, with captivating views of the Arabian Gulf, the resort is a destination unto itself. Balancing world-class facilities with the legendary Arabian hospitality, it offers 254 rooms, suites and serviced residences, a remarkable range of restaurants and lounges, fabulous meeting and event venues including the largest ballroom in the Northern Emirates ideal for weddings and conventions, as well as an array of leisure and recreation options at Lifestyle Club featuring a Spa and state-of-the-art fitness facility. A magical experience awaits you here.

For more information about the hotel please visit http://www.TheAjmanPalace.com
or https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/subscribenow

Partnering with leading technology providers, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings is equipped with the latest technology to tap the global distribution network in real time. Ilham Ismail, Head of Information Technology, HMH, said, “These days a hotel’s overall profitability is directly linked to technology and talent that masters that technology. Our fully integrated central reservation and revenue management systems are at par with international brands. We optimize performance, improve ROI and maximize profits with strategic revenue management and strong distribution network across markets worldwide.”

In order to have the same capabilities as international hospitality groups and far superior structure than many regional operators or independent hotels, HMH has invested in top-of-the-line tools and solutions for powerful distribution and dynamic pricing. In addition, it has equipped itself with the very best in contracting, guest satisfaction survey, online reputation management and digital marketing systems. HMH will continue to invest in updating its technology consistently to maintain its position and promise to service and quality.

Ilham stressed, “Adoption of the latest technology has been a strategic imperative for us at HMH. It is not only about addressing the current needs of our guests but preparing ourselves for the future. We live in a tech-savvy digital world that demands efficiency and speed at every step be it the distribution network or the actual booking process. Not only has digital made our world ‘instant’ and ‘mobile’, but it has been very powerful in terms of our ability to look at our customer analytics – pulling information together to see the unique preferences of our guests that in turn allows us to service them better and offer products that resonate with them. As an industry we are going to continue to see radical advancements in this direction. At HMH we will continue building strong distribution and data-analytics capability to stay ahead of our competition”.

Visit HMH on stand HC0420 in Sheikh Saeed Arena at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

About HMH

Founded in 2003 in Dubai, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings is a fully-integrated hotel management company that prides itself on being one of the pioneers among local groups from the region. It provides hotel owners and developers a broad spectrum of comprehensive management solutions with five distinct, yet complementary, hotel brands catering to varied market segments from budget to luxury. These include The Ajman Palace Hotel, Coral Hotels &Resorts, Corp Hotels, EWA Hotel Apartments and ECOS Hotels. Through its dynamic operation and strategic expansion in the Middle East and North Africa, HMH has been successful in unlocking a world of opportunities while creating value for its stakeholders, associates, staff members and customers. Its existing portfolio features superb properties located in some of the most desirable destinations across the MENA region, as well as a healthy pipeline of hotels under development.

Embarks on Strategy of Consolidation and Expansion in High Growth Markets across GCC with Focus on the UAE

HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings will unveil its expansion plans at the Arabian Travel Market 2016 (ATM) that are strategically aligned with the massive development taking place in high growth markets across the GCC, particularly the UAE.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi, Chairman & CE, MANAFA LLC, and Vice Chairman, HMH, said, “We have identified UAE as the most significant growth market for HMH whereby we have set in motion a strong pipeline of development targeting a number of new properties representing the various brands. Our approach is to carefully select properties based on location, size, and requisite brand standards offering quality and service. HMH is not just about the size of portfolio, but the quality we offer across the board. Also, innovation and change in travellers’ expectations demands preempting their needs through friendly service and memorable experience.”

Tourism is the main driver for the GCC economy and particularly the UAE with travel forecast to grow strongly in the region over the next decade. The GCC has been consistently climbing the ranks of the World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index with the UAE making the top 24 slot in 2015 ahead of all other countries in the region.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi, stressed, “In the run up to Dubai World Expo 2020 and FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 we are witnessing a major thrust on development of various infrastructure facilities accelerating the growth of tourism and hospitality sectors. Therefore, our aim is to capitalize on this phenomenal opportunity by capturing the maximum potential market share in the GCC, and specifically the UAE, for sustainable growth. We are in the process of negotiating some fantastic new projects that will bolster our presence in these key markets that we have so successfully positioned ourselves in”.

HMH has demonstrated tremendous growth since its inception in 2003 being one of the pioneers among local groups from the region. Operating hotels in top destinations across the Middle East and Africa under its various brands namely The Ajman Palace Hotel, Coral Hotels & Resorts, Corp Hotels, EWA Hotel Apartments and ECOS Hotels, the group caters to diverse segments from luxury to budget. H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi said, “We understand the needs of our various travelers and their category requirements, and thereby provide them with international standards with local flavor across different categories. By concentrating on offering exceptional quality and consistent services, our objective is to create significant brand value appreciation that in turn will boost value of our assets.”

Commenting on the significance of Arabian Travel Market, and it being the ideal forum to announce the latest developments at HMH, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi, “ATM offers us the perfect platform to explore new business opportunities in the UAE and rest of the GCC by attracting hotel owners and developers as well as by sharing our strategic news and promotions with the global travel trade professionals. It also allows us to discover the various trends and innovations shaping our industry. The fact that this leading international travel trade event is held in Dubai reinforces the emirate’s supremacy as the tourism leader in the Middle East and is indicative of the strong market potential of the UAE”.

Dubai’s strategy is to attract 20 million tourists by 2020, with the arrivals forecasted to total more than 37 million by 2025, generating expenditure of AED 129.5 billion – an increase of 4 per cent annually. This indicates robust demand for accommodation.

Visit HMH on stand HC0420 in Sheikh Saeed Arena at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

About HMH

Founded in 2003 in Dubai, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings is a fully-integrated hotel management company that prides itself on being one of the pioneers among local groups from the region. It provides hotel owners and developers a broad spectrum of comprehensive management solutions with five distinct, yet complementary, hotel brands catering to varied market segments from budget to luxury. These include The Ajman Palace Hotel, Coral Hotels &Resorts, Corp Hotels, EWA Hotel Apartments and ECOS Hotels. Through its dynamic operation and strategic expansion in the Middle East and North Africa, HMH has been successful in unlocking a world of opportunities while creating value for its stakeholders, associates, staff members and customers. Its existing portfolio features superb properties located in some of the most desirable destinations across the MENA region, as well as a healthy pipeline of hotels under development.

For more information about HMH please visit http://www.hmhhotelgroup.com or https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/subscribenow

Laurent A. Voivenel, CEO of HMH- Hospitality Management Holdings addressed the Global Hospitality Summit in Dubai with a special presentation on ‘Reshaping Luxury Hospitality to Welcome & Win Over New Generation of Guests’ . Organised by Marcus Evans from 18-19 January, the two-day premium forum was attended by leading hotel experts and developers who exchanged key business insights from the industry.

In his presentation, stressing on ‘new luxury being all about simplicity’ Laurent said, “New generation of luxury travellers simply desire an elevated experience and one that makes them feel good. They seek a hotel that is steeped in simplicity, refinement, sophistication, good taste and restraint, but is at the same time, just as striking and glamorous. The next generation of wealthy travelers want a room experience closer to home. Therefore, hotels would have to rethink luxury. Moving away from glitz Luxury hotels would need to focus on creating casual, individual atmospheres that are far removed from the standard hotel ambiance”.

Commenting on the luxury hotel sector in the Middle East Laurent stated, “Over the past decade, the Middle East has established itself as the next frontier in luxury travel for the affluent. Marrying innovation with tradition, the region continues to grow as a top luxury destination with 44% of its existing inventory of hotels in luxury and upper upscale category. There are 694 hotels with 188,817 rooms in the Middle East and Africa development pipeline – majority of which will open before 2020. Therefore, when it comes to luxury everyone knows the stakes are huge. Like all hoteliers, we at HMH have been pondering over ‘What will it take to lure new generation of luxury travelers?’ given 40% of our existing inventory of hotels is in luxury segment.”

Laurent believes ‘bling’ will not be enough to please new generation of luxury travellers. He stressed, “People are moving away from the bling factor. A pillow menu, gold-plated bathroom fixtures and plush rooms will not be able to woo the next generation of the world’s wealthiest clientele. Their expectations are different and much harder to please. The new generation has grown up in the age of technology, social media, instant access, the proliferation of global consumer brands, affluence and conspicuous consumption – hence they crave an alternative to traditional luxury hotels. Therefore, it is time for our industry to evolve and adapt”.

According to Laurent intuitive technology designed to anticipate the needs and desires of guests will play a key role in delivering new levels of service. Technology is a huge priority for next generation travelers as it continues to change the rules of our industry like never before. Hotels will also have to know more about their customers. And concierge services will have to advance to new levels, delivering on the demands of guests long before they arrive. Most importantly people will continue to be the asset of luxury and therefore service and staff training will be more than ever critical for our industry”.

The global luxury hospitality sector is valued at an estimated $164.4 billion and is expected to increase to $195.27 billion by 2021.Luxury travelers are growing at an unprecedented rate. By 2022, there will be 4,076 billionaires in the world. The number of super rich people – valued at more than $30m – in the Middle East will soar to more than 7,300, including 203 billionaires, by 2022.The number of HNWIs in the Middle East will grow by 58 percent between 2012 and 2022, faster than the global average of 50% but well behind the emerging economic regions of Asia (88%), Latin America (88%) and Africa (69%).

About HMH

Founded in 2003 in Dubai, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings is a fully-integrated hotel management company that prides itself on being the first hotel chain in the Middle East to offer alcohol-free safe environment. It provides hotel owners and developers a broad spectrum of comprehensive management solutions with five distinct, yet complementary, hotel brands catering to varied market segments from budget to luxury. These include The Ajman Palace Hotel, Coral Hotels & Resorts, Corp Hotels, EWA Hotel Apartments and ECOS Hotels. Through its dynamic operation and strategic expansion in the Middle East and North Africa, HMH has been successful in unlocking a world of opportunities while creating value for its stakeholders, associates, staff members and customers. Its existing portfolio features superb properties located in some of the most desirable destinations across the MENA region, as well as a healthy pipeline of hotels under development.

For more information about HMH please visit http://www.hmhhotelgroup.com

or https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/subscribenow