THE CHEDI TROJENA TO OPEN IN SAUDI ARABIA’S NEOM

THE CHEDI TROJENA hotel has been announced for the giga project of Neom in Saudi Arabia. General Hotel Management (GHM) has signed an agreement with Neom Hotel Development to manage the upcoming property. The Chedi Trojena will be located within the Slope Residences in Trojena’s Relax Cluster which focuses on rejuvenation and wellness programmes. A specific date for the opening of the new hotel hasn’t yet been confirmed. However, construction on Trojena commenced in December 2022 and the destination is slated to welcome its first guests in 2026. Trojena will feature 30km of ski slopes, a collection of ultra-luxury and wellness hotels and resorts as well as over 100 indoor and outdoor experiences available year-round.

Dubai Duty Free reports US$1.74 billion sales for 2022

DUBAI DUTY FREE (DDF) accrued annual sales of US$1.74 billion in 2022, a 78 per cent increase year-on-year. It recorded over 17.3 million sales transactions overall, or an average of 46,912 sales transactions per day, with 47.302 million units of merchandise sold last year. Perfume contributed 18 per cent of total sales at US$310.66 million and retained its position as DDF’s highest-selling category, followed by liquor, gold, cigarettes and tobacco, and electronics. Sales in Departures across DDF’s operation totalled US$1.53 billion representing 88 per cent of its total annual sales.

Atlantis e Royal to begin welcoming guests this month

A NEW ULTRA-LUXURY

RESORT, Atlantis

e Royal, was unveiled in a Grand Reveal event held last month in Dubai and attended by over a thousand select guests including a number of A-list celebrities. e highlight of the weekend was a 60-minute performance by Beyoncé – her rst live show since 2018. Some of the high-pro le restaurants that will be a part of the property include Nobu, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Jaleo by José Andrés, and Ariana’s Persian Kitchen. Guest bookings have opened for the 795-key resort which spans 406,000 sqm. e rst guests will be able to check in to the property starting February 10.

Etihad to commence ights to Copenhagen and Dusseldorf in Q4 2023

ETIHAD AIRWAYS will launch routes to the Danish capital of Copenhagen and the German city of Dusseldorf. Both routes will commence in October 2023, with ights to Copenhagen operating four times a week and those to Dusseldorf operating thrice a week. e two European destinations will be served by the carrier’s two-class B787 Dreamliner aircra .

Sunset Hospitality announces new projects in Vietnam

DUBAI-BASED SUNSET HOSPITALITY GROUP (SHG) will launch its Azure Beach and Attiko hospitality venues in Vietnam. Scheduled to open in Q3 2023, it is the fourth Azure Beach location worldwide a er venues opened in Dubai and Beirut, with another scheduled to do so in Doha. Attiko meanwhile will open its third global venue in Vietnam a er Dubai and Bodrum.

Azure Beach and Attiko will both be situated at Bai Tien in the Vega City coastal development within Nha Trang. e complex will be constructed by Vietnamese investment rm KDI Holdings, and will consist of a collection of 168 ocean-view shophouses, luxury villas and ve-star hotels.

In November last year, SHG secured US$35 million in funding from Goldman Sachs Asset Management to help support its global expansion

Hyatt Regency Opens Second Property In T Rkiye

HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION has debuted the second property under its Hyatt Regency brand in Türkiye. The Hyatt Regency Izmir IstinyePark, located in the Balçova district, features 160 guestrooms, including 16 suites, and has a number of dining options such as The Bay which serves Aegean and Mediterranean cuisine and The Park Bar which serves light bites. The new hotel has an events space that spans more than 1,997 sqm. In addition to six meeting rooms, the Istinye Ballroom overlooks the pool. The expansive Regency Ballroom meanwhile is one of the biggest halls in Izmir, with 696 sqm of space, accommodating 750 guests in a theatre-style configuration.

Saudia appoints Formula E champion Sto el Vandoorne as ambassador

SAUDI ARABIA’S FLAG e 30-year-old Belgian driver began the ninth season of the Formula E championship with a new team, DS Penske. Formula E travelled to Mexico City as well as the street circuit in Riyadh’s Diriyah district last month, and will travel to India, South Africa and several other countries before concluding in London in July.

CARRIER, Saudia, has appointed reigning ABB FIA Formula E World champion Sto el Vandoorne as its ambassador for the new season. Saudia is already the o cial airline partner of the all-electric racing series.

In addition to his Formula E role, Vandoorne has also been appointed as a test and reserve driver for the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One team for the 2023 season which begins next month.

Nobu Hospitality debuts in Morocco

NOBU HOSPITALITY opened its rst property in Morocco last month. Located in Marrakech, it also marks the brand’s debut in Africa. Nobu Hotel Marrakech features 71 suites with a design that blends Moroccan cra smanship and contemporary Japanese elements. Facilities include the city’s rst Nobu restaurant, a roo op garden with a circular pool deck, a 2,000 sqm spa and three swimming pools. e hotel brand launched in 2013 with a property in Las Vegas, and is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. It currently has a portfolio of 32 hotels around the world in locations including Malibu, Marbella, Miami, London and Palo Alto, among others.