Dubai, May 2004 - It was a night of surprises and delights
at the MENA Travel Awards as over 400 of the industry’s
leading lights gathered at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel to celebrate
the winners of this prestigious awards event.
There were a total of 53 awards given out in 17 different
categories that included 5 and 4 star hotels, airlines, spas
(separately located or within hotels), golf clubs, car rental,
duty free, conference & convention locations and tourism
projects.
During a full evening of entertainment the audience enjoyed
an exquisite gala dinner as well as entertainment from Feeding
the Fish- a high energy show of technical jugglers; dance
group Korogaz and ‘Basil’ and ‘Manuel’
of Fawlty Towers fame.
The online voting system had enabled over 10,000 end users
and travel and trade agencies across the region the opportunity
to let the region know who they think are the best in the
travel and hospitality Industry, further enhancing the value
of the MENA Travel Awards as the professional’s choice.
More and more people now recognise the regional significance
of achieving MENA Travel Award winner’s status.
The
MENA Travel Awards Mission Statement is:
“To achieve excellence and eminent endurance in the
industry global aspiration, through:
- Annually recognizing and rewarding real virtuosities and
superior services in the Region.
- Encouraging even higher standards and applaud the exceptional
effort made by so many of the Industry members.
- Stimulate the competition spirit to reach higher levels
of brilliances, within the region.
- Motivate the cooperation and team work amongst the industry’s
various segments, develop value packages and better provide
the end users with regional value added services.
The
full lists of winners are as follows:
The Platinum Best 4-star Business / Corporate Hotel
went to Towers Rotana Hotel, Dubai, then the Gold to Jumeira
Rotana Hotel Dubai and Novotel World Trade Centre, Dubai received
the Silver award.
Intercontinental Garden Reef Resort, Sharm El Sheikh was
awarded the Best 5-star New Hotel For The
Year 2003, Intercontinental Al Ahsa, K S A took the gold and
Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah, took the silver
award.
The winner of the Best Car Rental –
International Brand was Hertz U A E, the runner up was Avis,
Dubai, U A E and silver went to Europcar, Dubai.
The Platinum award of Best Conference / Convention
Hotel went to Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai, with
Intercontinental Abu Dhabi, U A E receiving the Gold and J
W Marriott Cairo, Egypt taking the Silver award.
Dubai Free Duty, U A E took the platinum for the
Best Duty Free followed by Bahrain Airport Duty Free
and Qatar Airport Duty Free.
The platinum award for the best environmental 4 star
hotel went to Towers Rotana Hotel, Dubai, U A E with
the gold award going to Movenpick Resort Pyramids, Egypt and
the silver to Novotel World Trade Center Hotel, Dubai.
Best Golf Club went to J W Marriott Cairo,
Egypt while El Kantaoui Golf Course, Tunisia took the gold
and The Montgomerie, Dubai the silver.
Bin Majid Beach Hotel, Ras Al Khaimah was the proud recipient
of the platinum award for the Best 4 star leisure
hotel. Hilton Sharks Bay, Egypt was awarded the gold
and Al Sawadi Beach Resort, Oman the silver.
The platinum award for the Best M E & N A Airlines
went to Gulf Air with a tie for the gold award between Qatar
Airways and Kuwait Airways, Kuwait. Saudi Arabia Airlines,
K S A were awarded the silver award.
Best Environmental 5-star Hotel went to Sheraton
Miramar Resort, El Gouna, Egypt with Le Royal Meridien Beach
Resort & Spa Dubai, UAE taking the gold and Steigenberger
Golf Resort El Gouna, Egypt taking the silver.
Taking home the platinum for Best 4-star New Hotel
For The Year 2003 was Golden Tulip Resort, Khasab, Oman. Novotel
World Trade Centre, Dubai went away with the gold and Amphoras
Holiday Inn Resort, Sharm took the silver.
The winner of the Best Car Rental –
Local Brand was Diamondlease, U A E. Hanco Rent A Car, K S
A were the runners up and House Of Cars Rent A Car LLC were
silver award recipient.
The Best 5-star Leisure Hotel was awarded
to Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa Dubai with the
Ritz Carlton Dubai, U A E filling the runner up position.
Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah took the silver.
A jubilant Al Bustan Rotana Hotel took the honours for
Best Price Value Hotel with the second place going
to Crowne Plaza Dubai and third place to Sheraton Cairo Hotel,
Tower & Casino
The platinum award for Best Spa went to The
Ritz Carlton Dubai, U A E, the gold to Le Royal Meridien Beach
Resort & Spa, Dubai and the silver to Cleopatra’s
Spa, Dubai.
Best Tourism Project went to Orascom Hotels
Holding, El Gouna, Red Sea with sister company Orascom Hotels
Holding, Taba Heights, Red Sea taking the gold. Dubai Tourism
& Commerce Marketing, U A E was awarded the silver.
In the final category the Intercontinental Dubai, U A E took
home the Best 5-star Business / Corporate Hotel.
The J W Marriott, Cairo, Egypt took away the gold and there
was a tie for the silver position between Intercontinental
Phoenicia, Beirut and Intercontinental Dar Al Tawhid Makkah.
A full list of the winners will be available on the MENA Travel
website
The event was sponsored by Hyundai, MobiNil, PricewaterhouseCoopers,
MBC, TTN, Hotel Business Review Middle
East, Rashid Printers, Al Arabiya, HQ Creative, Techno Pro,
African & Eastern and Travel World. Fusion Marketing Management
is the official PR and Marketing Company.
“While looking forward to the
2005 MENA travel awards winners of Platinum, Gold and Silver”,
said Dr. Sam Saker, “the organizers Consultants of Hospitality
Administrators (CHA) and Hotel Business Review are proud of
the region’s dynamic spirit and the evenhanded end users
assessments”. Looking Forward to the
2005 Event ?……see this site by
June the 5th 2004.
