Dear Reader,
Welcome to Beyond Hospitality, our quarterly newsletter that brings you the latest updates and highlights from our dynamic hospitality group. In this edition, we are excited to share our growth and success stories, including the signing of a new hotel management agreement for ‘Corp Yanbu Hotel and Residence’ and the outstanding guest review awards we received. We are also upgrading our guest journey with the new HMH website and CRS, while our hotel ECOS Dubai Hotel at Al Furjan, continues to inspire with its sustainable and innovative approach. Our hotels have hosted memorable events, such as the Saudi Arabia Founding Day festivities at Coral Jubail. We also look forward to showcasing our strong portfolio at the upcoming Arabian Travel Market 2023 and wish everyone Ramadan Kareem.
Thank you for your continued support and trust in HMH.
Best regards,
Team HMH
Patrick Antaki
Chief Operating Officer
Greetings from HMH,
Welcome to the latest edition of the HMH Newsletter - BEYOND HOSPITALITY.
As I celebrate my one-year anniversary as Chief Operating Officer at HMH, am delighted to embark on another year with a solid foundation for growth, as we enter a resurgence in the travel and tourism industry.
The annual Alpen Capital report predicts that the region’s revenue will increase by 74.8% to $26.2 billion over the past year, with a projected CAGR of 6.6% from 2022 – 2026. While domestic and leisure travel continues to lead sector recovery, corporate travel is also strong, thanks to the new ‘Bleisure’ trend, with one in three travellers worldwide adding a leisure component to at least one of their businesses trips this year.
As a leader in World Class Hospitality Management, we are uniquely positioned to adapt quickly to guest needs through relevant, technology-enhanced hospitality solutions.
In partnership with our owners, HMH has an ambitious market expansion plan, centred around some fantastic brands.
Our commitment to delivering the very best guest experience always has been recognised with a clean sweep of hospitality awards across our portfolio in 2022. This includes multiple awards at the Middle East (MEA) Hozpitality Excellence Awards, success at the Middle East Chef Excellence Awards, and winning the prestigious ‘Best Middle Eastern & African Restaurant 2022’ at the International Hotel & Property Awards.
With your partnership and support, we will continue to deliver hospitality excellence together, drawing on technology and knowledge equity to shape the future of our guest experience.
At HMH, we highly value your input and appreciate your feedback and innovative ideas. As we move forward, I look forward to collaborating with you to leverage our millennial design capability and extensive experience in turnkey hotel management. Together, we can achieve great returns on investment for our stakeholders in the region. Please accept our warmest wishes to you and your family for a blessed month of Ramadan.
Finally, we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to connect with you at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in May.
Patrick Antaki
COO, Hospitality Management Holding (HMH)
َذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ، وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ، وَثَبَتَ الْأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ»
Dhahabaz Zama’u wab tal latil uruqoo wa thabbatal ajru inshaAllah
(Thirst has gone, the arteries are moist, and the reward is sure if Allah wills).
HMH wish our partners and colleagues a blessed, safe and fulfilling Ramadan.
Key to our strategy for the next five years is our New Market Expansion Program, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a key target market for HMH in 2023, capitalising on its robust hospitality growth.
Strengthening our local presence, HMH is delighted to announce the signing of the Hotel Management Agreement for its newest property in the KSA - Corp Yanbu Hotel and Residence. Located in the beautiful western port city of Yanbu offering stunning views of the red sea, the hotel of 112 keys caters for families and the modern traveller; an urban oasis seamlessly blending the convenience of city living with the comfort of a home away from home.
Endorsed by the Royal Commission of Jubail & Yanbu, the signing ceremony was attended by the Director General of the Investment Development Division, ENGR. Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Shanqiti, and marks a significant step in the commission's efforts to enhance the quality of hospitality delivery in the region.
We are delighted to welcome Mr. Ahmed Al Shagdali, Property Owner, Corp Yanbu Hotel and Residence to the HMH family. It is an honour to have him join us, and we look forward to forging a strong partnership together.
With the start of the year and in line with our new vision for growth and impeccable service, HMH’s Chairman H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi launched the inaugural team Town Hall meeting and workshop of the year under the theme of 'Growth and Impeccable Service'.
Motivation and alignment are the driving force behind our actions and decisions; without inspiration, it can be difficult to achieve our goals and create a fulfilling work environment. The Town Hall style workshop brought us together as a team to set our objectives for the upcoming year.
HMH leaders are value-driven, leading from a deep sense of purpose and responsibility to create positive change, and empowering their teams to do the same. We learned about the different types of motivation, team building strategies and how to achieve growth through impeccable service.
The team at Coral Jubail Hotel participated in a colourful Founding Day event, drawing on traditional costume, music and food to create a wonderful setting for their guests.
Celebrating the Kingdom’s historical and cultural roots, and important international role, Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day is celebrated on February 22 every year, to commemorate the country’s founding by Imam Mohammed bin Saud in 1727.
As a prominent hotel management company in the region, HMH is committed to supporting local initiatives that celebrate cultural diversity and have a positive social impact.
With its unique mix of luxury and comfort, Coral Jubail Hotel provides exceptional hospitality to business and leisure travellers alike, located in Al Jubail near Damman, and designed for discerning travellers who are in search of personalized attention and unique experiences.
HMH launched the newest offering in its award-winning global portfolio at the 2022 Arabian Travel Market - ECOS Hotels. An intriguing mix of convenience and indulgence, the brand offers ultramodern facilities at affordable rates, for the ultimate ‘live, work, play’ hotel experience.
ECOS has been Designed with the four core values of Experience, Connect, Original, Sleek, and its state-of-the-art connectivity and modern, functional design is hitting the sweet spot with today’s digitally savvy traveller.
As one of the most innovative new millennial lifestyle hotels in the region, ECOS Dubai Hotel at Al Furjan has been garnering awards at a rapid pace in its first year of operation. In addition to receiving the prestigious ‘Best New Deluxe Hotel of the Year’ award at The Middle East (MEA) Hozpitality Excellence Awards 2022, its signature PALETTES restaurant won ‘Best Middle Eastern & African Restaurant 2022‘ at the International Hotel & Property Awards in Capri in July.
It’s been an amazing journey so far, and as HMH looks to expand the ECOS portfolio across the Middle East, we are excited to maintain this momentum throughout 2023.
HMH’s core purpose is to create value for our partners and stakeholders through strong strategic planning capability, modern pioneering design and internationally recognised standards. We are delighted to announce two key awards that demonstrate outstanding guest feedback, endorsing our commitment to service excellence.
TRUSTYOU's Award of Excellence and Booking.com's Travellers Review Award 2023 have both been granted to HMH managed hotels, including Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel, Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, Coral Dubai Deira Hotel, Corp Amman Hotel, and ECOS Dubai Hotel at Al Furjan.
The TRUSTYOU designation honours accommodation providers that consistently receive excellent traveller reviews. The Travellers Review Awards are an annual appreciation programme that recognises booking.com partners for exceptional hospitality, through the review scores that travellers leave after their stay.
Our top priority is to deliver best-in-class service at all times. This is a fantastic achievement by the team, and testament to their commitment to creating special experiences and lasting memories for our guests.
With a buoyant market ahead, success will rely on leveraging digital solutions to act as catalysts for innovation. HMH is proud to announce the development of its next generation website, in partnership with leading global provider, Amadeus.
The guests journey begins with their computer or mobile search for a hotel or destination and our new website will offer a more experiential view of our hotels, combined with a seamless, user-friendly experience. Guests will be able to easily and quickly navigate to the information they need, from hotel locations and facilities to room rates and availability. The implementation of the new website is expected to yield higher direct bookings and with its dynamic and optimized interface, improve conversion rates compared to our current website.
The booking experience will be further enhanced by the newly customised booking engine integrated into HMH’s Central Reservations Systems. This seamless distribution connectivity will power real-time inventory management, reducing the rate loading efforts required by each hotel and enhancing upsell capabilities.
Building on our strong heritage of innovation in hospitality solutions, HMH’s proactive use of technology ensures that we are delivering the international standards that are integral to our brand.
The wedding of their dreams - all they need is love...and the perfect venue.
The team of experienced wedding planners at Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel recently hosted a spectacular wedding event for 1200 guests, in the Al Saalah Ballroom, which is one of the biggest banquet in the Northern Emirates.
The stunning Al Saalah Ballroom provides the ultimate wedding venue, from the, elegant décor of its palatial interior and luxury of the private bridal make-up suite to the exceptional catering from Bahi’s master Chefs. Set in a breath-taking space for special occasions, this was a truly dazzling event, and the team was honoured to be part of this wonderful day.
At the heart of HMH’s values is our commitment to creating meaningful, memorable experiences for our guests, achieved through unique design and outstanding service.
HMH will once again be showcasing the five distinct yet complementary hotel brands in its exciting, distinctive portfolio at the Middle East’s top international travel and tourism event.
The 30th Edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 1st - 4th May 2023.
This provides a great opportunity to share our thoughts on industry trends, and contribute to the main theme for 2023 - ‘Working Towards Net Zero’. Working with our valued partners, the HMH managed hotels are committed to responsible growth and setting the standards for sustainable tourism in the region together.
We look forward to welcoming you to our stand, and will be emailing your invitation nearer to the time.