Top 3 Headlines
$100m project takes shape in the UAE
RRS International Development has broken ground on a $100 million mixed-use project, NH Collection Ras Al Khaimah Al Marjan Island Hotel & Apartments, in partnership with Minor Hotels. This project brings the renowned NH Collection brand to Al Marjan Island for the first time and marks the group’s second branded residential offering in the UAE. The development will feature 121 hotel rooms and 36 branded apartments, offering a blend of five-star hospitality and contemporary living. The project boasts an unconventional design that fuses tropical luxury with desert mystique, featuring wave-inspired architecture and lush greenery. With a focus on smart design and lifestyle-led features, the development promises a seamless connection to both the desert and the sea.
RateGain launches AI-powered booking engine
RateGain has introduced the hospitality industry’s first Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration for its Booking Engine, enabling seamless conversational booking experiences with AI assistants like Claude. This innovation allows guests to search, compare, and book rooms using natural language, improving conversion rates and enhancing guest experience. The integration makes hotels AI-discoverable and AI-bookable, providing real-time rates and availability. This move aims to simplify travel technology and empower customers to make their booking channels conversational, staying ahead in a market where AI adoption is increasingly prevalent.
Radisson’s payment upgrade
Radisson Hotel Group is partnering with CellPoint Digital to implement a Payment Orchestration Platform that streamlines payment processes across its 1,580+ hotels in over 100 countries. The platform enables Radisson to manage payments more efficiently, integrating multiple payment gateways and ensuring faster, more secure, and reliable transactions.
The partnership aims to enhance the guest experience by providing a smoother and more secure payment experience, with features such as customized hosted payment pages in over 20 languages, support for various payment methods, and intelligent routing to optimize payment approval rates. The platform will also streamline Radisson’s internal operations, reducing manual processes and providing advanced fraud detection and prevention measures.
_____________________
Noteworthy:
- Bab Al Qasr Hotel and Residences has appointed Naureen Youssef as its new Director of Marketing, bringing over a decade of hospitality marketing experience from notable global properties, including Marriott Hotels.
- Anantara Mina Ras Al Khaimah Resort has appointed Indri Halina as its new Director of Marketing, bringing over a decade of luxury brand experience to lead the resort’s marketing strategy and enhance its global visibility.
- Accor has launched Mercure Hotel Abu Dhabi Downtown, a 156-room midscale property blending global standards with local Emirati culture, featuring modern amenities, dining outlets, and event spaces. The hotel offers exclusive benefits for ALL members, including 4x bonus reward points until 30 September.
- Radisson Riyadh Airport Hotel sponsored the “Ma’an Namshi” (Together We Walk) initiative, welcoming 300+ persons with disabilities and their families to promote inclusion and solidarity. The event featured a walk, dinner, family-friendly movie screening, and gifts, with HRH Prince Faisal emphasising the importance of community partnership and inclusion.
- The Grand Plaza Mövenpick Media City Hotel in Dubai has been awarded the prestigious Green Globe Gold certification for the fifth consecutive year, recognizing its commitment to sustainable tourism and environmental stewardship. This achievement reflects the hotel’s consistent efforts to reduce its environmental impact, with notable reductions in energy and water consumption.
- The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Muscat’s Qurum area has partially reopened with 120 renovated rooms and various dining facilities after a renovation project, while the remaining 80 rooms are expected to be completed by 30 September.
- JA Resorts & Hotels has released five personalised summer staycation itineraries for multigenerational families – Together in Paradise, Play & Pamper, The Little Explorers’ Path, Freedom Seekers, and Romance on the Lake – catering to diverse needs, from toddlers to teens and couples staying at JA Beach Hotel, JA Palm Tree Court, or JA Lake View Hotel.
- Meanwhile, JA Ocean View Hotel is offering four seasonal staycation and playcation packages catering to those seeking relaxation or active escapes. Each package includes perks such as complimentary dining, private poolside cabanas, padel tennis, golf, and darts sessions.
- The Ritz-Carlton, Doha is hosting a Four Hands Dinner at Sel & Miel, a French-inspired restaurant, featuring a collaboration between two talented chefs, Maria Paneri and Michele Sciotti. The six-course gastronomic event on 12 September celebrates harvest and European culinary traditions, with a menu that reimagines heritage and evokes nostalgia through a unique fusion of techniques and flavours.
