THE PREFERRED HOTEL GROUP EXPANDS INTO THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA WITH FOUR NEW MEMBER HOTELS
3rd May 2005 -- The Preferred Hotel Group has announced a major expansion into The Middle East and Africa's rapidly developing luxury hotel sector with the addition of four new member properties.
The Preferred Hotel Group provides business systems and sales and marketing support to more than 300 luxury independent hotels in over 50 countries through its three brands - Preferred HotelsŪ & Resorts, Summit Hotels & Resorts and Sterling Hotels & Resorts.
Three new properties have joined Preferred HotelsŪ & Resorts and one new hotel has joined Summit Hotels & Resorts, giving the brands a new presence in the Middle East and Tunisia and a greater presence in Morocco.
Two of the three additions to the Preferred HotelsŪ & Resorts portfolio are part of 'Danat Hotels & Resorts'. They are Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna and Al Raha Beach Hotel in the Emirate of Abu Dubai, UAE and the third addition, Hotel Le Royal Hammamet in Tunisia is part of 'Le Royal Group'.
Le Royal El Minzah in Tangiers, Morocco is the latest member of Summit Hotels & Resorts and is also part of 'Le Royal Group'.
Membership to the Preferred Hotel Group is restricted to independently owned and managed, full-service luxury hotels, resorts and spas. Properties must meet and exceed the high operational levels required by the group. Hotels are evaluated on location, design, grounds, guest rooms and common areas, bathrooms, staffing and all service, food and beverage facilities, room service, engineering and safety, health and fitness facilities, business services, and conference/meeting facilities.
Richard Lewis, Managing Director of the Preferred Hotel Group, EMEA said: "As members of the Preferred Hotel Group the hotels maintain their own distinctive style, personality and proud Arabic heritage while benefiting from international exposure via the groups brand marketing, sales and business services. The whole Middle East and Africa are growth markets for us and we are delighted that our new hotels have chosen, and put their trust in, the Preferred Hotel Group".
The new Preferred hotels are:
Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna, in the Emirate of Abu Dubai,UAE
The Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna, a five star beach resort is set on a white sandy beach on the azure seas of the Arabian Gulf. It offers 109 deluxe rooms and a world of luxury and relaxation amidst natural beauty and a vast range of leisure activities. Complementing the hotels world class facilities are four restaurants and bars and the very best service. The Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna is located in the western region of the Abu Dhabi emirate, 250 kms west of the Abu Dhabi City with the wonderful wildlife reserve of Sir Bani Yas Island just offshore.
Al Raha Beach Hotel, in the Emirate of Abu Dubai, UAE
The Al Raha Beach Hotel is situated in lush parkland on a delightful corniche overlooking the Arabian Gulf just 20 minutes from the city centre of Abu Dubai. This jewel of a hotel retains a perfect balance of contemporary architecture and traditional Arabian design and offers 110 luxury guestrooms plus 24 luxury villas. Indeed service and luxury are important values for the hotel and the list of leisure facilities is impressive with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gym, squash, tennis and all kinds of water sports. There are a host of different restaurants offering a wide variety of cuisine.
Le Royal Hammamet, Tunisia
The splendid Le Royal Hammamet is located within the magnificent tourist area of "Yasmine Hammamet" in Tunisia. The hotel has 266 luxurious bedrooms, each with its own private terrace, and all the facilities that you would expect from a five star hotel. There is an excellent choice of restaurants catering for all tastes and a wide variety of leisure activities including a health centre with indoor swimming pool, tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool.
The new Summit hotel is:
Le Royal El Minzah, Tangiers, Morocco
Of all the hotels in Tangiers, El Minzah is without doubt the most sumptuous and elegant. The hotel was built in a Spanish-Moorish style in keeping with the architectural heritage of Morocco while embodying all the comfort of a world class hotel. It is located in the city centre and set amongst exotic gardens. There are 140 deluxe bedrooms, a health club and spa and a wide choice of dining options including International and Moroccan cuisine. The views from the hotel are stunning, one can survey the Bay of Tangiers, the Straits of Gibraltar and the Rif Mountains against the backdrop of the Old Medina and Cap Malabata.
Under the agreements signed each hotel will benefit from the Preferred Hotel Group's global sales network and reservation systems and benefit from the group's marketing and brand building activities.
ABOUT PREFERRED HOTEL GROUP
Preferred Hotel Group is a multi-brand organization that delivers high-performance sales, marketing, and technology solutions to independent luxury hotels around the world. Its key services include expert business consultancy, sales, marketing, distribution, reservations and revenue management. Preferred Hotel Group employs 108 employees in 12 countries.
Preferred Hotel Group services 300 independent hotels in over 50 countries through its brands: Preferred Hotels & Resorts (www.preferredhotels.com), Summit Hotels & Resorts (www.summithotels.com), Boutique (www.preferred-boutique.com) and Sterling Hotels (www.sterlinghotels.com). The Preferred Hotel Group's website is www.preferredhotelgroup.com.
PRESS CONTACT:
Fiona Balgarnie Preferred Hotel Group Press Website: www.preferredhotelgroup.com/press
Tel: 020 7 232 5675
Fax: 020 7 232 5682
fbalgarnie@preferredhotelgroup.com
Preferred Hotel Group Image Libraries: www.leonardo.com/preferred
www.leonardo.com/summit
www.leonardo.com/sterling
