Category: News & Updates

With excellent reviews from travellers, Coral Beach Resort Sharjah enjoys outstanding rating on tripadvisor.com. The deluxe 4-star resort is ranked among top five hotels on the hugely popular site out of 74 properties in Sharjah. Of the 129 reviews about the resort, 53 rate it as excellent, 47 as very good and only 21 as average.

Jean-Pierre Simon, Regional General Manager, Northern Emirates, Coral Hotels & Resorts, said, “We have been successful in winning our guests’ admiration with our award-winning service and fabulous facilities. TripAdvisor is a very useful and reliable travel site trusted by millions of people worldwide. It is wonderful to have this sort of positive feedback on such a popular platform. We are truly grateful to all our guests for taking the time to review our hotel and are proud to have scored so high. It would not have been possible without the immense dedication and hard-work put in by our team who are the real architects of our success.”

The Coral Beach Resort Sharjah recently underwent a complete refurbishment of rooms and facilities that has given it a brand new appeal. The deluxe resort features 156 spacious rooms, many with panoramic sea-view. A major attraction is the wide repertoire of dining options with menus to cater to every taste. The resort is located on one of the emirate’s principal sand beaches and features a range of leisure activities for all ages, including the Rimal Club, state-of-the-art fitness centre, children’s pool, indoor playroom and complimentary Kid’s Club as well as tennis (By Clark Francis Tennis Academy), badminton, volleyball and two outdoor swimming pools.

For more information about the hotel, visit www.hmhhotelgroup.com/coralbeachresortsharjah

HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, under the leadership of its CEO Laurent A. Voivenel, has placed adoption and integration of digital technology as one of the company’s greatest priorities. And today, HMH leads the pack among regional companies with the highest Digital IQ.

Laurent stressed, “Technology is going to be instrumental to our expansion and growth. It has never been more important than today to understand and weave digital technology into every aspect of our business. Therefore, we decided to develop our digital capability by strategically investing 90 per cent of our CAPEX in 2014 in an all-round IT upgrade that has given us an enormous edge over our competitors while creating  value for our owners, associates and guests”.

According to Laurent leveraging technology isn’t just about ‘nice-to-haves’ but rather has to  be very carefully planned to make sure it serves the right needs of the organisation. He commented, “Very often hotel chains invest millions in slick solutions that are like digital islands and cannot be connected to existing systems or extremely complicated to operate and are hence of limited value. We have been very careful in this aspect and have taken a progressive approach where we look beyond our four walls to see what can be of strategic importance in the next two to five years but also look inward to make sure we reach that level without disrupting our day-to-day business. At the end of the day, the ultimate objective is to make HMH a top performer in revenue growth and profitability by optimizing technology”.

Delivering on digital technology is an organisational priority at HMH and one that is being championed by the Chief Executive Office Laurent himself. He said, “I spend 30 per cent of my time every week on challenges and opportunities related to technology – that’s how critical it is for us. We are not only looking at customer-facing solutions rather at enhancing overall efficiency in terms of operations, products, services and so on. We believe in empowering our employees with technology and are investing in appointing and equipping people with relevant digital resources and skills that will take HMH to the next level”.

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

With a 87% year-to-date average guest satisfaction score and 17% response rate, The Ajman Palace Hotel, managed by HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, tops the guest feedback charts of Market Metrix Hospitality Index. The UAE average for the organization is 85.8% with a 19% response rate.

Ferghal Purcell, General Manager, The Ajman Palace Hotel, said, “We are truly proud of this remarkable achievement. Our objective is to offer consistently high levels of service to our guests. The Market Metrix Hospitality Index is the most in-depth and reliable source of hospitality performance information available today. It allows us to know and improve the guest experience by addressing their problems that in turn helps boost guest retention and loyalty”.

Guest experience lies at the heart of The Ajman Palace Hotel service and the hotel believes successful staff-customer interaction holds the key to a satisfying experience. Ferghal stressed, “It is really the people who turn a stay into a memorable experience. And creating that link with the customer is what our service is all about. We want to make sure that our staff are delivering the desired service throughout the guest’s stay. Therefore, in order to make a difference, the guests receive the questionnaire while they are still in-house and not after they have departed. This allows us to rectify a problem on the spot”.

Ferghal added, “In today’s competitive marketplace, word-of-mouth recommendations are the strongest marketing tool and therefore the quality of service can make or break our reputation. The experience one delivers is an effective way to attract and retain customers”.

About The Ajman Palace Hotel

The Ajman Palace Hotel, managed by HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, is a picturesque sanctuary of privileged perfection 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 Encore Lifestyle Club featuring Encore 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

HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, under the leadership of its CEO Laurent A. Voivenel, has placed adoption and integration of digital technology as one of the company’s greatest priorities. And today, HMH leads the pack among regional companies with the highest Digital IQ.

Laurent stressed, “Technology is going to be instrumental to our expansion and growth. It has never been more important than today to understand and weave digital technology into every aspect of our business. Therefore, we decided to develop our digital capability by strategically investing 90 per cent of our CAPEX in 2014 in an all-round IT upgrade that has given us an enormous edge over our competitors while creating  value for our owners, associates and guests”.

According to Laurent leveraging technology isn’t just about ‘nice-to-haves’ but rather has to  be very carefully planned to make sure it serves the right needs of the organisation. He commented, “Very often hotel chains invest millions in slick solutions that are like digital islands and cannot be connected to existing systems or extremely complicated to operate and are hence of limited value. We have been very careful in this aspect and have taken a progressive approach where we look beyond our four walls to see what can be of strategic importance in the next two to five years but also look inward to make sure we reach that level without disrupting our day-to-day business. At the end of the day, the ultimate objective is to make HMH a top performer in revenue growth and profitability by optimizing technology”.

Delivering on digital technology is an organisational priority at HMH and one that is being championed by the Chief Executive Office Laurent himself. He said, “I spend 30 per cent of my time every week on challenges and opportunities related to technology – that’s how critical it is for us. We are not only looking at customer-facing solutions rather at enhancing overall efficiency in terms of operations, products, services and so on. We believe in empowering our employees with technology and are investing in appointing and equipping people with relevant digital resources and skills that will take HMH to the next level”.

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 https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com

The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF 2015) has just begun and HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings has launched an exclusive ‘DSF 2015’ offer available only on the group’s website. Travellers who book their stay on www.hmhhotelgroup.com will be entitled to up to 20 per cent discount on the best available room rates at the group’s hotels in the UAE all through the festival.

Launching the promotion, HMH CEO Laurent A. Voivenel, said, “This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF 2015), the emirate’s largest shopping and entertainment extravaganza that is expected to attract tourists in large numbers from January 1 to February 2, 2015. To celebrate this momentous occasion we are glad to offer up to 20 per cent discount to guests who book their stay through HMH website at our UAE hotels”.

Laurent added, “We have got stunning beach properties such as The Ajman Palace Hotel and Coral Beach Resort Sharjah that are ideal for families and perfectly located to offer both – an idyllic beach getaway with plenty of activities for children as well as a daily dose of city fun and shopping for grown-ups. Both hotels are located merely 30 minutes-drive to Dubai and we have got free daily shuttle bus service for our guests from the hotels to the city making it extremely convenient to commute and be part of the festivities. For those who wish to be closer to all action can opt for Coral Dubai Deira Hotel that is superbly located on Al Muraqqabat Street, the hub of DSF activities, in close proximity to Dubai Gold Souk and various other malls in the area”.

In addition to fabulous discounts on accommodation, the HMH DSF promotion includes an array of exceptional discounts on dining, spa and recreation as well as benefits such as early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability), free shuttle bus service and complimentary WiFi Internet.

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 https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com

HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings was among one of the key sponsors of the prestigious Saudi Aramco Invitational Golf Tournament (SAIT). Hosted by Rolling Hills Golf Course in Dhahran, KSA, recently the tournament featured the region’s finest golfers. It turned out to be a keenly contested competition with Othman Al-Mulla winning the top prize.

HMH CEO Laurent A. Voivenel, said, “There is a great appetite for Golf in KSA that has helped it to grow in the Kingdom. This year marked the 49th Anniversary of SAIT and we were glad to support Saudi Aramco Golf Association who was the main sponsor of the championship. It gave us an excellent platform to promote our brands and network among this exclusive gathering”.

As part of the sponsorship agreement, HMH had the opportunity to enter a player in the two-day tournament with full playing eligibility that included a practice round on a day preceding the tournament.

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

Continuing its investment in digital technology, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings announced that www.hmhhotelgroup.com – the multi-brand reservation website for HMH, is now available in Arabic. HMH CEO Laurent A. Voivenel, said, “The development of the Arabic website is part of our strategy to reach the high growth Middle East market while building direct interaction with Arabic speaking guests. The new portal, with a bilingual English and Arabic booking engine, will allow Arabs around the world to book stays at any of our properties. We expect this to tremendously bolster performance of hotels within HMH network”. 

Another key feature of HMH website is that all brands under the group are bookable on one portal. Laurent stressed, “One of the greatest convenience for our customers is we have got ‘One Website for All Brands’. HMH offers five superb brands catering to varied market segments from budget to luxury namely The Ajman Palace Hotel, Coral Hotels & Resorts, Corp Hotels, EWA Hotel Apartments and ECOS Hotels (under development). Bookings for all hotels under these brands can be made by simply visiting www.hmhhotelgroup.com

Offering real time assistance to customers with ‘Live Chat’ is the HMH central reservation team that is online Saturday through Thursday from 08.00 to 19:00 hrs.

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

HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings has appointed Michel Mandrea as the New General Manager of Coral Al Khobar Hotel located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Making the announcement, HMH CEO Laurent A. Voivenel, said, “With over four decades of extensive all-round global experience in hospitality, Michel was the perfect candidate for this post. Having worked in the Middle East for 22 years, he is well familiar with the region’s business and cultural landscape and will prove instrumental in taking Coral Al Khobar Hotel to greater success. We are glad to welcome him to our team”.

Michel makes the move to Coral Al Khobar Hotel from Golden Tulip Resort Dana Bay in KSA where he served as the general manager. During the course of his career, the French national has worked with a number of leading hospitality brands in key positions. These include the Golden Tulip Hotels, Suites & Resorts; Janna Spa & Resort – Hamamat Mai’n Jordan; Holiday Inn Al Khobar; Holiday Inn Resort Half Moon Bay; Holiday Inn Bahrain; Metropolitan Resort & Beach Club, Metropolitan Hotel Dubai; Dubai Marine Beach Club; Royal Lancaster Hotel London and Martinez Hotel, Cannes, France.

Michel holds a bachelor of business administration with a major in hotel and restaurant management. In addition, he has a number of certificates in various fields of his specialization.

Expressing his pleasure at joining the Coral Al Khobar Hotel, Michel said, “I am extremely grateful to HMH for having given me this fantastic opportunity. Coral Al Khobar Hotel is a superb property with tremendous potential for growth. I look forward to working with the team at the hotel to maintain the best standards in order to deliver the highest level of guest satisfaction.”

The Coral Al Khobar Hotel is a majestic 5-star property featuring 131 well-appointed rooms and suites equipped with the finest facilities. Centrally located in Al Khobar, on the Arabian Gulf, 55 km from Dammam Airport and 18 km from Dammam Train Station, the hotel is a landmark in itself. In close proximity to the property are the spectacular Gold Souk, the Prince Mohd Bin Fahd Amusement Park, the Saudi Aramco Exhibit, the Al Khobar Corniche, the Venicia Mall and the Al-Rashid Mall.

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 beautiful 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

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Under the Kind Patronage of H.E. Sheikha Wafa Hasher Al Maktoum, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings recognised yet another exceptional woman, this time Mrs Bedour Al Raqbani, founder and director of Kalimati Speech and Communication Center.

Presenting the HMH Excellence Award to Mrs Raqbani, Mr Laurent A. Voivenel, CEO, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, said: “No words can possibly describe the contribution of this young lady who beat all odds to give to the UAE a dedicated speech and therapy center by forming Kalimati. And in doing so not only did she create an institution to help mothers, like herself, overcome their children’s disability but raised awareness for the need to have such a center. Hers is an incredible story that is bound to strike a chord with every heart. We feel honoured to recognize this special woman who is helping countless children to lead fuller lives despite their speech disorders”.

Kalimati means “my words” in Arabic and was born out of Mrs Raqbani’s desperate need for a similar facility in the emirates when she realized that her daughter was born with a profound hearing disability and therefore was unable to speak. In vain, she tried to search for a center that could provide her the necessary therapy in order for her child to communicate. However, at that time, there was nothing existing in the UAE that matched her needs.

Receiving the trophy Mrs Raqbani said, “What do you do if your child was born deaf? I wanted my baby and all others with similar challenges to communicate with the world. So, I decided to set up Kalimati, a non-profit organization, that was established to fulfill a growing demand for speech therapy services in the UAE. It was founded on love and hope. We believe that each child is special and our aim is to help him / her reach his / her full potential. Our therapists work as a team liaising with parents, teachers and medical professionals to provide quality adolescent therapy services. I am truly grateful to H.E. Sheikha Wafa Hasher Al Maktoum and HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings for this amazing encouragement. It is indeed through people’s appreciation of our mission here at Kalimati that keeps us motivated to strive for the best”.

HMH Award for Excellence celebrates women who are an inspiration for others. It is a tribute to exceptional women who are playing an extraordinary role in the UAE society be it in the field of art, literature, culture, sports, environment, healthcare, business, human welfare or public life.

For more information about Kalimati please visit http://www.kalimati.org

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

Widening choice of dry hotel brands in the Middle East is putting pressure on the once virgin market. However, companies carrying the alcohol-free flag as a ‘chain’ are numbered. HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings is among the few and the first ‘hotel groups’ in the Middle East to have heralded the trend. Speaking on the sidelines of Cityscape Global 2014 in Dubai, Laurent A. Voivenel, CEO of HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, commented, “Dry hotels are no doubt the most challenging business proposition when it comes to expansion – more so in the 5-star segment. However, it is a fast growing sector that will continue to claim bigger market share and we were successful in penetrating it early”.

Travel to the Middle East is expected to grow strongly over the next 10 years, with the region’s strategic location and investment in airports and infrastructure establishing it as an important global hub. Six cities in GCC – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Muscat and Riyadh – represent over 124,000 hotel rooms and have seen supply soar in recent years. In Dubai a further 160,000 rooms are needed by the World Expo in 2020. Laurent stressed, “A vital part of this growth is coming from the Muslim market as well as those looking for safe environment, and the importance of catering to this demographic is starting to be recognized by players across the board. Therefore, we are witnessing renewed confidence in the dry hotel segment with increasing demand from both owners and travellers. And Cityscape offers an excellent opportunity to explore such options.”

Laurent said, “As far as market positioning goes, the strategic focus for our group remains on building investor and consumer perception to view HMH and its various brands as ‘safe’ indigenous brands offering great value in every aspect and segment”.

Laurent stated, “Global brands have been slow to recognize the opportunities in both alcohol free and mid market segment in this part of the world. We at HMH spotted the niche back in 2003 and had a head-start offering a complete choice of brands defined around a ‘safe environment philosophy’ from luxury to budget to both hotel owners and guests. What is critical to understand is entire portfolio of brands under HMH is alcohol free irrespective of the destination we operate in unlike most groups that may offer only one brand as alcohol free”.

“Over the years we gained outstanding experience and expertise in this segment that allows us to stay ahead of the competition by capitalizing on our market insights and extensive customer network. At HMH we have invested considerably in brand innovation and refreshment that has helped us to consolidate our presence in the market. Our digital strategy revolves around ‘ease of use’ and involving the consumer for better online conversion. One of our greatest achievements has been integration of latest technology with our booking and distribution channels that are at par with leading international brands giving us an enormous edge.”

Cityscape has grown substantially – by 25 per cent this year – with organisers stating that it is the largest event since its peak in 2008. Over 35,000 visitors, including property investors, developers, investment promotion authorities, architects, designers and other real estate professionals are anticipated to attend the show. Developers across the UAE have already announced plans to launch and showcase major projects during the exhibition, which is now in its 13th year.

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 & Resort, 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 20 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