Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #31

THE PROFESSIONAL BUYERS’ REFERENCE 

ELITE TRAVEL 

TRENDS 

#13 / A RETURN TO 

TRAVEL ADVISORS 

SPOTLIGHT 

ON MIDDLE EAST 

& AFRICA 

#21 / FROM THE EXOTIC 

TO THE AMAZING! 

INNOVATIONS 

& TECHNOLOGIES 

#37 / CONNECTING 

BRAND MESSAGE 

& CORE CAPABILITIES 

WE HONOUR 

THE TRADITIONS OF 

THE COMPANY AND 

THE FUNDAMENTALS 

ON WHICH IT WAS 

FOUNDED ALL THOSE 

YEARS AGO 

TED TENG 

President & CEO, 

The Leading Hotels of the World 

#31 - 2016 AUTUMN EDITION / A CLEVERDIS PUBLICATION

Richard Barnes 

Editor-in-chief 

richard.barnes@cleverdis.com 

Tel: +33 (0) 4 42 77 46 00 

Hotel & Tourism 

SMARTreport #31 

2016 Autumn Edition 5 

FOREWORD 

SEEKING THE RARE PEARLS 

In this edition of the Hotel & Tourism SMART report, the “elite 

travel trends” section takes a closer look at some of the most 

extraordinary “immersive” travel experiences on the market. Our 

geographic spotlight is Middle East and Africa – regions where 

travellers can find some of the most exotic and wild destinations 

in the world. To this end, Myriam Guyon – cofounder of the 

high-end agency Voyages Confidentiels, says that more than an 

“experience”, people are looking for emotions. 

In this sense, the work of the travel advisor face to face with 

clients has never been more important, as highlighted in a new 

whitepaper published by Virtuoso, elucidating a disenchantment 

of travellers for the impersonal nature of web-based services. 

Our feature interview this issue is with Ted Teng, President & 

CEO of The Leading Hotels of the World, who reveals that LHW 

has decided to put their “Destination 2020” plan aside and has 

begun an entirely new process. 

In our Innovations and Technology section, AccorHotels Vice 

President Guest Technology & Innovation, David Esseryk 

delivers a wake-up call to tech providers to help them improve 

communication with hoteliers. 

We hope you enjoy the read and look forward to your feedback! 

CONTENTS 

6 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 

6 “PRESERVE, ENHANCE & INVENT” 

Ted Teng, President & CEO, The Leading 

Hotels of the World 

8 EVOLUTION IN CHINESE 

OUTBOUND TOURISM 

Conor Yang, Chief Financial Officer, 

Tuniu Corporation 

9 EVENTS 

9 2017 – A CHANGE TO 

THE FACE OF TOURISM 

Planning for the “Year of Sustainable Tourism 

for Development” well under way 

11 NOW THAT’S AN INCENTIVE! 

ITB Asia 2016 launches dedicated MICE day 

13 THE INTERNATIONAL 

AND FRENCH TRADE SHOW 

FOR THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY 

14 EVENTS CALENDAR 

15 ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS 

15 A RETURN TO TRAVEL ADVISORS 

16 THE ULTIMATE IN LUXURY 

Myriam Guyon, Co-founder, 

Voyages Confidentiels 

19 … JUST BREATH-TAKING 

Immersion Into the Shimmering Beauty 

of the Okavango Delta 

20 WHEN ONLY THE BEST WILL DO… 

Marrakesh boasts the “world’s best 

luxury spa” at the Selman Palace 

- on trending travel ideas 

21 MEET IN BALANCE: COMBINING 

BUSINESS WITH WELLBEING 

21 WHEN THE SENSE OF TOUCH 

MEETS THE SENSE OF TASTE 

22 VARIETY: THE SPICE OF… F&B 

22 MOROCCO FUSION 

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING 

A UNIQUE DINING EXPERIENCE 

23 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA 

23 ARABIAN NIGHTS OR LEOPARDS 

IN THE SAVANNAH? 

24 CARRIERS 

26 AIRPORTS NEWS 

27 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA INBOUND 

MEA TOURISM STATS: 

THE BIG PICTURE 


TRENDING DESTINATIONS 

BEYOND 2020 

Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim, CEO, 

Dubai Corporation for Tourism 

and Commerce Marketing 

29 AJMAN - THE EMIRATE NOT 

TO BE MISSED 

Yamina Aoucher, Director of Tourism 

Development & Marketing Department, 

Ajman Tourism Development Department 

30 NEW PLANES, NEW HOTELS, 

VISA-FREE ENTRY 

Iran works hard toward revitalising 

its tourist industry 

31 THE RE-EMERGENCE 

OF MARRAKECH 

33 MOROCCO’S TOURISM 

VISION 2020 

34 THE PURSUIT OF A DREAM 


TRENDING HOTELS 

36 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA OUTBOUND 

MUSLIM TRAVEL ESSENTIALS 

39 INNOVATIONS 


39 INNOVATING TROUGH THE 

SAVVY USE OF TECHNOLOGIES 

41 IN THE FIELD WITH DAVID ESSERYK 

A MESSAGE TO TECH PROVIDERS 

42 THE TECHNICAL EVOLUTION 

OF IN-ROOM TECHNOLOGY 

Meeting the challenges of tomorrow 

without disposing of yesterday’s infrastructure 

44 HILTON AND IBM PILOT “CONNIE,” 

THE WORLD’S FIRST WATSON- 

ENABLED HOTEL CONCIERGE 

44 YOU READ ABOUT IT… 

WE TRIED IT! 

Cutting edge HMS @ Grand Ambassador Seoul

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

WE DECIDED 

TO PUT THE 

PLAN ASIDE 

AND BEGAN 

A PROCESS OF 

ASSESS, EXPLORE 

AND CREATE. 

Ted Teng 

President & CEO, 


“PRESERVE, ENHANCE 

Ted Teng – President The Leading Hotels of the World 

Ted Teng, for the past 8 years has been responsible for overseeing the 

activities and operations of the company’s 26 worldwide offices, which 

has more than 375 hotel members. We asked him to tell us how his tenyear 

(2011-2020) Strategic Plan (Destination 2020) is evolving, and what it will 

bring to his members and in turn their customers and partners. 

Since joining the company in 2008, I have 

been dedicated to reigniting the 88-yearold 

brand. I have approached this with 

the motto, «Preserve, Enhance, and 

Invent.” We honour the traditions of the 

company and the fundamentals on which 

it was founded all those years ago by 35 

independent hotels, while innovating to 

achieve greater strength and success in 

the future. 

Shortly after Destination 2020 was 

drafted, we realised that the plan was 

really a larger full (five) year business 

plan, as in it was a do more and do better 

plan. It was not going to transform the 

company for the future. 

We decided to put the plan aside and 

began a process of Assess, Explore and 

Create. We are now in the final stages 

of this development. Through our work, 

we found that in order transform the 

business we had to alter how Leading 

Hotels operates including the following: 

From Product centric to customer centric 

From B2B to B2C 

From One sided market to two sided 

market 

From Quality standards to Happy 

Guests 

From Separate touch points to one 

single customer journey 

From Groups of customers to individual 

customers 

From Transactions to relationships 

From Customer friendly to customer 

centric




Bauer Palladio Hotel & Spa, 

Venice, Italy 

What makes a Leading Hotel of the 

World stand out in the crowd? How does 

one qualify to join the organisation? 

How does an original artwork stand out 

in a world of “me too” copies? To the 

people who know the hotel, it just does. 

It is Remarkably Uncommon. That is what 

sets our member hotels apart. 

Our member hotels are independently 

owned and operated, enabling them 

to create and maintain their distinctive 

attributes and personalities. Nearly 87% 

of our member hotels are family-owned 

and operated, so there is a sense of 

multigenerational experience and depth 

of understanding of the local culture that 

is unparalleled. Many of our hoteliers 

For the Curious Travellers, travel is not 

what they do; it really defines who they 

are. 83% of those surveyed said that 

travel is an essential part of their lives. 

Fuelled by curiosity, they embark on travels 

that become journeys of self-discovery 

and empowerment, through exploration 

and discovery of new destinations, 

experiences, cultures and people. They are 

also defined by their confident outlook. 

They are trendsetters and leaders among 

their peers when it comes to travel. 

We found that 78% of them are interested 

in exploring hidden gems, while only 32% 

are looking to find the hottest or trendiest 

spots. So they are not following what 

others have done or are doing. They are 

& INVENT” 

– on “rethinking” the group’s strategic plan 

– and their families – have lived in their 

hotel’s destination for years – generations 

even – making them uniquely positioned 

to offer guests a truly local perspective 

and bringing a resident’s insight to their 

interactions with guests. 

You recently released a major study on 

“Curious Travellers”. What were the 

aims of this survey, and what were the 

most interesting findings? 


conducted a third-party survey as a way to 

help us better understand and serve the 

“Curious Traveller,” an affluent individual 

who, above all else, values exploration 

and discovery. 

the ones setting the pace and blazing the 

trails. 

Finally, they thrive on cultural immersion. 

They don’t journey to a destination so 

they can check it off a list. They are driven 

to involve themselves as locals would. 

They don’t simply consume a place and 

its culture; they seek to become part of it. 

There has been a trend for some time 

towards “genuine” experiences for 

travellers. Where is this trend going and 

how do LHW hotels fit in? 

This may now be a trend, but it isn’t one 

for us. For Leading Hotels, this “trend” is 

what our hoteliers have always delivered. 

Manufactured experiences are novelties 

and may always be around. Our customers 

prefer real experiences – and always have. 

Ski dome in a desert is a novelty; Gstaad 

is the real thing. The Venetian Hotel and 

Casino in Macao is a novelty. The Bauer in 

Venice is the real thing. Main Street USA 

in Disneyland is a novelty. Stockbridge 

Main Street in Norman Rockwell’s Home 

for Christmas is the real thing and is near 

the Wheatleigh Hotel in Massachusetts.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

Conor Yang 

Chief Financial Officer, 


EVOLUTION IN CHINESE 

OUTBOUND TOURISM 

Exclusive interview with the CFO of Tuniu – instrumental 

in package tour growth 

Founded in 2006, today, Tuniu has become the number one player in 

China’s online leisure travel market. In this exclusive interview, we 

first asked Conor Yang, Chief Financial Officer of Tuniu Corporation, 

how the Chinese outbound tourism is evolving… 

The Chinese outbound market has 

grown rapidly in the recent years. 

We expect the market to maintain its 

fast growth in the near future mainly 

due to a few reasons. First, the 

consumption power here in China as 

measured on a GDP per capita basis 

has reached a critical point. Chinese 

people now have enough disposable 

income to spend on new experiences 

such as travelling abroad. Secondly, 

the application process for a visa to 

a foreign country is becoming easier 

for Chinese citizens. This allows more 

Chinese people to have the ability to 

visit new countries where previous 

restrictions limited them. When you 

combine these two factors, we can 

expect the growth momentum of 

Chinese outbound tourism to remain 

very strong. 

How is luxury travel developing for 

Chinese tourists? 

Although luxury travel remains in a 

developmental phase here in China, 

it is growing at an accelerating pace. 

This is due to the fact that China 

has one of the largest populations 

of high-net-worth individuals in 

the world and one of the most 

favourable environments for luxury 

travel. If you couple the Chinese 

demographic with the increasing 

crave for a luxury experience, you’ll 

get a very fast growing market for 

luxury travel in China. 

How could you best describe 

Tuniu’s mid-term roadmap? 

Given our established position in 

packaged tours, we will put increased 

emphasis in self-guided tours. To do 

ALTHOUGH LUXURY 

TRAVEL REMAINS IN 

A DEVELOPMENTAL 

PHASE HERE IN CHINA, 

IT IS GROWING AT AN 

ACCELERATING PACE 

that, we will strengthen our offerings 

in air ticketing and hotel booking 

while also expanding our coverage 

of destination-based products. We 

are confident that we can leverage 

our experience in packaged tour and 

understanding of Chinese travellers 

to rapidly strengthen our presence 

in self-guided tours, and to continue 

increasing our market share in 

China’s attractive online leisure travel 

market.

EVENTS 




2017 – A CHANGE TO 

THE FACE OF TOURISM 

Planning for the “Year of Sustainable Tourism 

for Development” well under way 

The UNWTO is hard at work in 

the planning phases of next 

year’s “big” theme – towards 

more sustainable tourism development. 

The International Year of Sustainable 

Tourism for Development was 

announced at the United Nations 70 th 

General Assembly in September 2015. 

United Nations Secretary-General, Ban 

Ki-moon underlined the importance 

of the announcement, stating, “With 

more than one billion international 

tourists now travelling the world 

each year, tourism has become a 

powerful and transformative force 

that is making a genuine difference 

in the lives of millions of people. The 

potential of tourism for sustainable 

development is considerable. As one 

of the world’s leading employment 

sectors, tourism provides important 

livelihood opportunities, helping to 

alleviate poverty and drive inclusive 

development.” 

The International Year of Sustainable 

Tourism for Development is a unique 

opportunity to raise awareness on the 

contribution of sustainable tourism to 

development among public and private 

sector decision-makers and the public, 

while mobilizing all stakeholders to 

work together in making tourism a 

catalyst for positive change. 

The World Tourism Organization 

(UNWTO), the United Nations 

Specialized Agency for Tourism, 

has been mandated to facilitate the 

organization and implementation of 

the International Year, in collaboration 

with Governments, relevant 

organizations of the United Nations 

system, international and regional 

organizations and other relevant 

stakeholders. 

In the context of the universal 2030 

Agenda for Sustainable Development 

and the Sustainable Development 

Goals (SDGs), the International Year 

aims to support a change in policies, 

business practices and consumer 

behaviour towards a more sustainable 

tourism sector than can contribute to 

the SDGs. 

The #IYSTD2017 will promote 

tourism’s role in the following five key 

areas: 

Inclusive and sustainable economic 

growth 

Social inclusiveness, employment and 

poverty reduction 

Resource efficiency, environmental 

protection and climate change 

Cultural values, diversity and heritage 

Mutual understanding, peace and 

security. 

According to UNWTO Secretary- 

General Taleb Rifai, “To advance on 

the Sustainable Development Goals 

is highly related to engagement and 

commitment. We believe that these 

type of events help to create awareness 

but also to advocate tourism for 

development as a policy strategy for 

countries.” 

Ban Ki-moon 

United Nations Secretary-General 

© World Economic Forum

9 th Annual 

Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show 

19 - 21 October 2016 

Key Speakers 

Lee McCabe 

Facebook 

Global Head 

of Travel 

Jenny Wu 

Ctrip.com 

International Ltd 

Chief Strategy 

Officer 

Jenn Villalobos 

Google 

Head of Hotel 

and Airlines 

Dunde Yu 


Chairman, CEO 

Co-founder 

Timothy Hughes 

Agoda 

Vice President 

of Business 

Development 

Morton Huang 

Yiqifei Travel 

Founder & CEO 

Joseph Xia 

Shanghai 

Jin Jiang International 

E-Commerce Co.Ltd 

Vice President 

Chua Hui Wan 

Zuji 

CEO, Singapore 

Bert Li 

Amway China 

Associate Director 

of Event Production 

Register for ITB Asia today @itb-asia.com/visiting 

Official Partners: 

Supported by: 

Held in: 

Official Partner Country: 

Conference Partners: 

Official Partner Hotel: 

Official Medical & Travel 

Security Partner: 

Official Partner Airline:




NOW THAT’S AN INCENTIVE! 

ITB Asia 2016 launches dedicated MICE day 

THE EVENT 

FEATURES 

HUNDREDS OF 

EXHIBITING 

COMPANIES 

FROM AROUND 

THE WORLD, 

COVERING NOT 

ONLY THE LEISURE 

MARKET, BUT 

ALSO CORPORATE 

AND MICE TRAVEL 

ITB Asia 2016 will showcase its strongest 

meetings, incentives, conferences, and 

exhibitions (MICE) line up to date with a full 

day conference programme dedicated to the 

growing sector. 

Organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore), ITB 

Asia 2016 will take place at the Sands Expo and 

Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, from 

19 - 21 October. The event features hundreds 

of exhibiting companies from around the 

world, covering not only the leisure market, 

but also corporate and MICE travel. Exhibitors 

from every sector of the industry, including 

destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and 

resorts, theme parks and attractions, inbound 

tour operators, inbound DMCs, cruise lines, 

spas, venues, other meeting facilities and 

travel technology companies all attend. 

New partnerships with prominent industry 

heavyweights such as the Society for Incentive 

Travel Excellence (SITE) and Singapore 

Association of Convention and Exhibition 

Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS), as well 

as a renewed agreement with the Incentive 

Conference & Event Society Asia Pacific 

(ICESAP) ensure delegates learn more about 

the latest news and innovations from thought 

leaders in their respective fields. 

Taking place on 20 October 2016, the second 

day of the exhibition, the inaugural MICE Day 

@ ITB Asia will be held in a specially designed 

conference room, and will include sessions 

from a wide range of industry partners, 

covering a full spectrum of topical issues 

facing the MICE sector today. 

2016 PARTNER COUNTRY OF ITB ASIA 

INTRODUCES ‘STOPOVER’ IN FINLAND 

In announcing Finland as Partner Country for 

the 2016 show, ITB Asia will act as a platform 

to showcase the best of Finland to hundreds of 

travel industry leaders from Asia and beyond. 

The partnership will also help Visit Finland tap 

into the world’s fastest growing travel market. 

Finland’s location in the crossroads of west 

and east as well as its extensive route network 

to Asia provides a great opportunity for Asian 

travellers to experience Finland en route to 

Europe. 

Launching this year, Visit Finlandäs new 

programme, “Stopover Finland”, has been 

designed to establish the country as a 

stopover destination for passengers travelling 

via Helsinki Airport by offering a choice of 

50 attractive packages. 

ITB Asia 2015 

Dr Michael Frenzel, 

Chairman, World Travel 

& Tourism Council 

(WTTC); 

Dr. Christian Göke, 

Chief Executive Officer, 

Messe Berlin; 

Guest of Honour Mr 

S Iswaran, Minister 

for Trade and Industry 

(Singapore); 

Ms Heli Mende, 

Program Director, 

Stopover Finland (l.t.r.)

Discover the world 

£2.5Billion 

of new business 

5,000 

exhibitors 

from across the world 

49,273 

attendees 

from 182 countries 

Travel partners 

Official Media Partner 

Official Premier Partner 

Register now wtmlondon.com 

World Travel Market, WTM, RELX Group and the RE symbol are trademarks of Reed Elsevier Properties SA, used under license.




THE INTERNATIONAL 

AND FRENCH TRADE SHOW 

FOR THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY 

Fostering Information Intelligence @ IFTM Top Resa & MAP Pro... 

France’s premium travel and tourism 

event – IFTM Top Resa – takes place 

from 20-23 September 2016. 

In April this year Frédéric Lorin took over 

as the new Director of IFTM Top Resa 

and MAP Pro. From 2008 to 2015, Lorin 

was instrumental in launching Belambra 

resorts across European markets as 

Director of International Sales & Director 

of Communications. 

IFTM Top Resa is a 4-day international 

tourism industry trade event held in 

Paris, attracting professionals involved in 

outbound tourism (foreign local partners, 

hospitality providers, foreign destinations, 

transport operators, tour operators, 

technology developers, etc.). 

The 2015 edition saw many new 

developments, including the two shows 

in the same hall, the new Cruise Village, 

the Parks Village and the Travel Hub by 

Amadeus. Also new this year is the Wine 

Tourism pavilion at MAP Pro. 31,763 

professionals (up 6% on 2014) attended in 

2015. Of the show’s visitors, 51% attended 

for leisure tourism, 30% for business travel 

and 19% for business tourism. 

The jointly held 2-day MAP Pro French 

tourism industry show attracts those 

involved in inbound tourism (hospitality 

providers, caterers, historic monuments, 

tourist offices, regional tourism 

committees, French local partners, etc.). 

These complementary shows provide 

unique access to the entire French and 

international tourism BtoB product range. 

The show continues to grow rapidly when 

it comes to informing and educating the 

trade. 4,895 professionals took part in 

seminars during the 2015 show (up 70% 

on 2014). 

Yet again this year, organisers expect an 

exceptional show, thanks to the level of 

professionals attending, the programme 

of events, conferences, the international 

business travel day, the Travel Agents’ Cup, 

Start Up Contest and truly festive evenings. 

Also not to be missed are the Business 

Travel Awards (Lauriers du Voyage 

d’Affaires), and the International “Event 

Travel” day. 

IFTM Top Resa takes place from 20-23 September. 

MAP Pro takes place from 20-21 September. 

Pavilions 7.1 – 7.2 – Porte de Versailles – Paris 

www.iftm.fr - http://mappro.iftm.fr/fr/

World Travel Market 

2015, ExCeL, London 

© WTM 

EVENTS CALENDAR 

12-15 SEPTEMBER 2016 

Pure Life Experiences 

Palais des congrès, Marrakech, Morocco 

www.purelifeexperiences.com 

17 - 19 SEPTEMBRE 2016 

The Hotel Show 

Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, 

United Arab Emirates 

www.thehotelshow.com 


International French Travel Market 

IFTM Top Resa 

Porte de Versailles, Paris, France 

www.iftm.fr 


ILTM Americas 

Fairmont Mayakoba, Solidaridad, 

Mexico 

www.iltm.com/americas 

27 SEPTEMBER 2016 

Showcase.travel Digital 

Radisson Blu Portman, London 

www.etoa.org 

18 - 19 OCTOBER 2016 

Independent Hotel Show 

Olympia West, London, United Kingdom 

www.independenthotelshow.co.uk 

19 - 21 OCTOBER 2016 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

ITB Asia 

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, Singapore 

www.itb-asia.com/en 

25-27 OCTOBER 2016 

Hotel Technology Next Generation 

European Conference 

Barcelona, Spain 

htng.site-ym.com/page/EC 

3 NOVEMBER 2016 

European Hospitality Awards EHA 

London, United Kingdom 

www.arena-international.com/eha 

4-5 NOVEMBER 2016 

Global European Marketplace 

InterContinental London, The O2, London 

www.etoa.org 

7-9 NOVEMBER 2016 

World Travel Market WTM 

ExCel London, London, United Kingdom 

www.wtmlondon.com 

14 NOVEMBER 2016 

American Group Travel Awards - AGTA 

Diamond Horseshoe Theater, New York, USA 

5-8 DECEMBER 2016 

ILTM Cannes 

Palais des festivals et des congrès, Cannes, France 

www.iltm.com/cannes 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

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Managing Director: Jean-François Pieri, Editor-in-Chief: Richard Barnes, 

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With the participation of: Bettina Badon, Anna Klima, Celina Tarnow. 

>>To contact them: first name.last name@cleverdis.com 

Printing: Pure Impression, Mauguio, France 

On cover: © The Leading Hotels of the World 

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ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS 

Brought to you by 




© The Brando 

A RETURN TO 

TRAVEL ADVISORS 

Virtuoso underlines “swinging 

pendulum” in new whitepaper 

The “elite” travel advisor network Virtuoso 

has again underlined a swing back to 

people using travel advisors in a new 

whitepaper based on a detailed survey 

of its members and by the travel and 

hospitality marketing firm MMGY. 

Entitled “Growing Opportunities for 

Travel Advisors in a Strong Market”, the 

whitepaper reflects upon the fact that 

as consumers gained the ability to book 

their own travel using the abundance of 

information available online, an interesting 

by-product occurred: the overwhelming 

amount of content, the impersonal nature 

of the web and the desire for a customized 

experience has driven people back to travel 

advisors. The novelty of DIY bookings has 

thus worn thin, and travellers have grown 

weary of sorting through endless sites to 

find the nuggets of personally relevant 

travel information. 

In this chapter we take you on a tour 

of some of the latest developments in 

the sector including top “immersive” 

experiences – a growing sector.



© The Brando 

MORE THAN 

AN EXPERIENCE, 

WE ARE SPEAKING 

MORE ABOUT 

EMOTIONS NOW 

THE ULTIMATE IN 

Finding unforgettable immersive experiences far 

P 

eople are increasingly seeking «unique» or «immersive» experiences when they 

travel. This is the leitmotif of Paris based travel advisors Voyages Confidentiels. 

We asked agency co-founder Myriam Guyon to explain… 

Myriam Guyon 

Co-founder, Voyages Confidentiels 

Searching for a unique experience on a 

trip is actually the essence of our work of 

customisation for a client. Our customers 

are great travellers, who have already 

experienced many things and visited beautiful 

places under excellent conditions. More than 

an experience, we are speaking more about 

emotions now. 

The client is looking for a memory… of 

something they felt facing a situation, a place, 

or an activity, that will remain engraved. It’s 

a daily challenge for our agency to always 

anticipate and surprise our customers during 

the organisation of a trip, by punctuating the 

stay with experiences that could not have 

found on their own. It is therefore important 

for us to master the expectations of the client, 

their tastes, and being able to read between 

the lines of the emotions they sought during 

previous trips. 

Immersion is another particularity of a 

clientele in search of authenticity, away from 

the crowds, and usually comes from people 

wishing, above all, to find themselves. This is 

also part of our work, to include the client in 

the process and personal initiative thanks to 

our connections with the locals. 

How do you reconcile this with people 

wanting a luxury experience at the same 

time? 

Experiential travel is quite compatible with 

luxury. Many hoteliers have heard and 

understood the aspirations of demanding 

clients accustomed to luxury codes and have 

been able to adapt by offering exceptional 

accommodation and experiences within the 

establishment, either by leveraging local staff 

at the hotel, or outsiders. It is a great way to 

combine comfort, service and immersion.




© The Brando 

© The Brando 

LUXURY 

from the madding crowd 

PRIVATE AND 

CONFIDENTIAL: 

VOYAGES 

CONFIDENTIELS 

Do you have some examples? 

One of the best examples currently is what 

has been done on the island of Sumba in 

Indonesia, with the hotel Nihiwatu. Not 

only is this a unique, privileged location, 

but it is also an example of sustainable 

development, limiting the impact on 

the natural environment. Nihiwatu is an 

outpost to world-class surfing, the best 

sport fishing in Indonesia, hiking through 

breathtaking waterfalls, ancient villages 

and butterfly trails. 

For wellness aficionados, the stunning 

yoga platform and the unique Nihi Oka 

Spa Safari allow for healthful holidays. The 

resort focuses on unregulated freedom, 

understated luxury, and providing 

unforgettable memories that allow guests 

to reconnect with a life lived simply, 

healthfully and mindfully. Nihiwatu was 

born of a vision to protect and preserve 

the unique culture and empower the 

local communities to support themselves 

and their families and give them the 

opportunity to improve their own lives. 

Very popular also with our customers, and 

a favourite of our team, is the opportunity 

to participate in research with a team 

of marine scientists during a stay at the 

luxurious Tetiaroa atoll, at the hotel The 

Brando in French Polynesia. 

The project of the heirs of Marlon 

Brando to this idyllic atoll is not limited 

to a luxurious eco-friendly hotel. They 

have also created the Tetiaroa Society, 

a scientific initiative that welcomes 

researchers from around the world 

wishing to study subjects related to 

environmental sustainability. Customers 

can interact with the resident teams who 

conduct basic research on coral atolls, 

current flows and their impact on the 

reef, algae, and so on. It’s substantive 

work that will improve the knowledge of 

our environment, threatened by climate 

change. 

In 2011, Voyages Confidentiels 

was born from an ambition: to 

create the exceptional, to allow 

people to live the most beautiful 

travel experiences. Because magic 

cannot be captured, Voyages 

Confidentiels has no catalogue 

or showcase, but weaves a strong 

relational link with the client. 

For each and every one, their 

trip is made according to a work 

of master travel craftspeople: a 

subtle blend of rare and unusual 

moments. 

It is because they travel the 

world, meet valuable contacts, 

find the secret addresses that 

Voyages Confidentiel’s teams 

can grant all the wishes of these 

travellers and still go well beyond 

their expectations. 

Voyages Confidentiels was the 

first French Agency to be chosen 

to join the Virtuoso network, 

a reference in the luxury travel 

market.





© &Beyond 

… JUST BREATH-TAKING 

Immersion Into the Shimmering Beauty of the Okavango Delta 

With ITB Berlin 2017 placing the spotlight 

firmly on Botswana as the show’s 

official partner country, travel to this 

extraordinary African nation is set to rise 

sharply in the coming years. 

Featured in Air France magazine’s “gold 

list”, &Beyond’s Sandibe Okavango 

Safari Lodge is an exceptional example of 

immersion in local culture and nature, in 

total harmony with the local environment. 

Situated on a private concession in the 

magnificent Okavango Delta, Sandibe 

boasts exclusive traversing rights over 

a vast stretch of land adjacent to the 

wildlife-rich Moremi Game Reserve. 

Inspired by nature and celebrating its 

stunning setting, the lodge features the 

best the Delta has to offer in terms of 

outstanding design, outstanding wildlife 

viewing and warm local hospitality. 

Set in a cool forest canopy of wild palms 

and gnarled fig trees, this flagship lodge 

blends seamlessly with one of Africa’s 

most breath-taking landscapes. Behind 

the lodge, golden-grassed floodplains 

inhabited by a staggering variety of 

wildlife stretch into the distance, framed 

by lush palm islands and the spires of 

giant termite mounds. A channel of 

clear, cool waters runs directly in front 

of the elevated guest suites, offering 

unrestricted views over the shimmering 

beauty of the Delta. 

At &Beyond Sandibe, guests can awaken 

to the sound of animals, laugh at the 

antics of baboons and squirrels over 

breakfasts and tread in the footsteps 

of elephants as they walk the ancient 

paths that bisect the forest. Days are 

spent exploring a maze of papyrus and 

exploring the wide floodplains in search 

of wildlife. The lodge’s exceptional design 

creates a sense of space and grandeur 

where guests can revel in one of Africa’s 

most untouched landscapes, drinking in 

the serene beauty of the unique natural 

spectacle that lies right on their doorstep. 

Inspired by one of the Okavango Delta’s 

most secretive inhabitants, the guest 

areas of &Beyond Sandibe Okavango 

Safari Lodge rise out of the trees clad in 

a wooden skin of shingles and timber 

that mirrors the pangolin’s body armour 

of overlapping scales. Organic and 

handmade, the lodge blends perfectly 

with its surroundings, becoming one 

with the Delta itself.


THE SPA 

AT THE SELMAN 

EVOKES THE 

HAMMAMS OF THE 

OTTOMAN EMPIRE 

WHEN ONLY THE BEST WILL DO… 

Morocco boasts the “world’s best luxury spa” 

at the Selman Marrakech 

The “Espace Vitalité Chenot” of Selman 

Marrakech has confirmed its leadership 

position with the “The Best Luxury Wellness 

Spa Resort Worldwide 2015” according to 

the prestigious Hotel of the Year Awards. 

Constantly striving for excellence, Selman 

Marrakech partnered with famed Henri 

Chenot to offer its guests a new experience 

in the idyllic setting of its Spa, designed by 

Jacques Garcia. 

Of oriental inspiration, the wellness centre 

at Selman Marrakech evokes the hammams 

of the Ottoman Empire and exclusively 

offers the “Chenot method” in Morocco. 

Developed by Henri Chenot, this method 

is based on a concept of health and antiaging. 

It aims to effectively protect the body 

from damage and eliminate the toxins that 

accumulate from the way we live. Strong 

with his more than forty years of practice 

of both modern and Chinese medicine and 

biology, Dr Chenot baptised his concept 

«Biontologie», which revolves around three 

basic principles: detoxification, stimulation 

and regeneration. 

The “Espace Vitalité Chenot Marrakech” 

extends over an area of 1200 SQ M and 

features seven treatment rooms, four 

hydrotherapy cabins and a suite - arranged 

around a central pool. There are three 

swimming pools including a heated indoor 

pool, two outdoor pools at different 

temperatures, and also a hydro-massage 

pool. It also offers a hammam space, a 

fitness room, a relaxation room and an 

outdoor Jacuzzi with a private garden. 

SMARTreport Commercial Content





MEET IN BALANCE: 

COMBINING BUSINESS 

WITH WELLBEING 

The Dolder Grand Spa in Zurich has 

launched the “Meet in Balance” 

concept, designed to give any 

team-building day or management 

meeting that extra-special 

something. 

Encompassing 4,000 square 

metres, The Dolder Grand Spa 

offers a unique range of activities 

for wellbeing in an environment 

characterised by both European and 

Japanese influences. 

The group chooses a programme for 

the day in advance: Relax, Beauty, 

Vitality or Detox – all of which are 

based on the Dolder Grand Life 

Balance philosophy. Programmes 

focus on physical activity, others on 

something more meditative. 

The “Meet in Balance” day begins 

with a meeting in the Spa Library, 

followed by a group fitness course, 

lunch in the Spa Café and a 

treatment. Of course, there is ample 

time during the day or after the 

conclusion of proceedings to enjoy 

the Dolder Grand Spa – including 

swimming pool, sauna, steam bath 

and fitness room. 

Meanwhile, the Dolder Grand 

received a boost this year after being 

awarded the “Best of the Best” 

award at the 2015 Virtuoso Travel 

Week in Las Vegas as the best Spa. 

Ladies Spa 

Spa Pool by Nigh 

© Dolder Hotel AG - Photo Heinz Unger. 

WHEN THE SENSE OF TOUCH 

MEETS THE SENSE OF TASTE 

Spa treatment room 

Body treatment figs 

In 2015, Six Senses deviated broadly 

from their previous portfolio of 

spa resorts in Asia to open the 

Douro Valley resort in Portugal, 

and already this year, it has been 

selected as part of the Condé Nast 

traveller “hot list”… a spa resort in 

Portugal’s famed wine country. 

Douro Valley’s UNESCO World 

Heritage setting fronts onto the 

River Douro as it winds through 

the world’s oldest demarcated wine 

region. The estate covers 19 acres 

with 57 guestrooms, suites and 

villas. Three restaurants highlight 

regional produce with a dedicated 

wine cellar featuring local vintages. 

At the same time, the Six Senses 

Spa comprises 10 treatment rooms, 

indoor and outdoor pools and a 

gym. It presents specialty and local 

therapies and multi-day programs. 

An outdoor yoga pavilion is ideal 

for individuals and groups. 

In May 2016, Ljubomir Stanisic 

arrived as the resort’s consulting 

executive chef. Stanisic is recognised 

as one of Portugal’s most creative 

chefs, and in 2011, he became 

somewhat of a national star as one 

of the three judges of the “Master 

Chef” TV show.



VARIETY: 

THE SPICE OF… F&B 

Numerous studies all point to the 

same fact: originality, innovation, 

quality, and above all variety, are 

becoming essential ingredients 

in the F&B offering. Increasingly 

today in more “savvy” high-end 

establishments, a much broader 

choice is being offered for clients 

when it comes to F&B. 

A perfect case at hand is the Grand 

Ambassador Seoul, which offers 

an extraordinary range of culinary 

experiences. At the King’s Premium 

Live Buffet, no less than 30 chefs 

stand ready to cook and serve at 

each of the sections, raging from 

fresh seafood, grilled meat, Korean, 

Japanese and Chinese cuisine to a 

mindboggling array of desserts. 

Its Japanese restaurant, Sushi 

Hyo, is run by Chef Ahn Hyo-ju, 

named as Korea’s “Mr Sushi King” 

during a cooking reality show, and 

is renowned as one of the best 

sushi restaurants in Seoul among 

gastronomes in Korea. 

The hotel’s Chinese Restaurant, 

“Hongbogak”, meanwhile, 

specialising in Gwangdong and 

Sichuan cuisines, is run by Lui 

Ching Lai, president of the Korean 

Chinese Cuisine Association and a 

vice president of Korea Foodservice 

Industry Association. 

Bars and cafés add to the recipe to 

make what can only be described as 

exceptional culinary coverage - at 

the forefront of industry trends. 

MOROCCO FUSION 

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING A UNIQUE 

DINING EXPERIENCE 

Hamza Afquir, the chef of the Selman 

Marrakech restaurant in Morocco has set 

about creating an unforgettable journey 

within his own hotel. It’s a journey to 

destinations where diners have set foot… 

to imaginary regions that are born from 

the mind of the master chef, and that 

come to life in the colourful, exotic serving 

dishes on the table. 

“I call what we do ‘fusion’ cuisine, so 

as not to be confused with what many 

people term ‘Moroccan cuisine revisited’, 

which has become totally cliché,” 

says Hamza Afquir. “We prepare local 

Moroccan produce with western savoirfaire 

and methods, and western produce 

is prepared with a Moroccan touch. An 

example might be a Magret de Canard 

sautéed with Moroccan Ras El Hanout 

spices and cinnamon. The aim is to add a 

ray of sunshine to all of our dishes.” 

Hamza Afquir’s influences are not only 

from Morocco and France: “I have 

travelled through Equatorial Guinea and 

the Ivory Coast and have derived some 

ideas from these regions as well. Each time 

I try to being a little touch from a different 

far away place and marry or integrate it 

with Moroccan products and spices.” 

The aim, says Hamza Afquir, is not to 

shock peoples’ taste buds, but to delight 

them in new and interesting ways, with, 

of course, a dash of finesse.

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA 




© Office National Marocain du Tourisme 

ARABIAN NIGHTS 

OR LEOPARDS IN 

THE SAVANNAH? 

Where could me more exotic than the souks 

of the Middle East, or wilder and more visually 

breathtaking than the savannah of Africa? 

While security concerns have recently put a 

damper on some regions, it is very important to 

put things into perspective, as most destinations 

in these regions are very safe for travellers. 

While the Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain 

continue to see spectacular growth in hotel 

and tourism infrastructure and tourism figures, 

African nations – in particular North Africa, are 

struggling to make a comeback after the terrorist 

incidents of past years. To whit, Morocco, and in 

particular Marrakech are great propositions today 

– and we spotlight this amazing destination in 

this issue.

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA 


CARRIERS 

Akbar 

Al Bhaker 

CEO, Qatar Airways 

ULTRA 

LUXURY @ 

ABU DHABI T3 

QATAR AIRWAYS 

AFFIRMS GLOBAL VISION 

THROUGH EXPANSION 

Etihad Airways has just opened its 

new flagship First Class Lounge 

& Spa at Abu Dhabi International 

Airport’s Terminal 3. 

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker has 

global ambitions. “We want to be a 

reference for excellence in service but 

also we want to affirm our presence all 

across the world”, stresses the airline’s 

CEO in all of his public presentations. 

For example, during ITB Berlin 2016, Al 

Baker unveiled that the airline planned 

to launch over fifteen destinations by 

the 2017 summer season, a remarkable 

performance. “With such an expansion 

drive, we should be able to grow our 

passengers’ traffic from 30 to 50 million 

a year at the start of the next decade”, 

stressed Al Baker. 

All continents during that time will 

see the addition of new destinations. 

2016 already experienced the opening 

of flights to Atlanta, Boston and Los 

Angeles in America, Birmingham, Pisa 

and Yerevan in Europe, Adelaide and 

Sydney in Oceania and Ras Al Khaimah 

in the Middle East. Until mid-2017, 

Qatar Airways plans to fly to Auckland, 

Chiang Mai, Douala, Krabi, Luanda and 

Nice. «However, it pertains to aircraft’s 

delivery,» said Akbar Al Bhakar. Doha- 

Auckland planned from February will be 

the world’s longest route with a flight 

time of almost 18 hours. 

Last but not least, Qatar Airways will 

launch next November a brand new 

business class for its newest aircraft, the 

Airbus A350 ultra long-range. “I can 

assure that it will offer a revolutionary 

seat we patented to ensure exclusivity”, 

promises Qatar Airways CEO. 

Meanwhile, during the International 

Air Transport Association (IATA) annual 

general assembly in Dublin, Mr Al Baker 

announced a new daily flight directly 

linking Doha to Las Vegas. The route is 

planned for January 2017 and it would 

make the Qatari carrier the largest of all 

the Gulf airlines in the US market in terms 

of destinations served (11 in total). The 

future Doha-Vegas will be operated on 

a daily basis using a Boeing 777-300ER. 

In 2016, the airline has already launched 

three routes to the USA including Atlanta, 

Boston and Los Angeles. 

Inspired by the world’s most 

prestigious hotels, private 

members’ clubs and fine dining 

establishments, the lounge is an 

ultra-exclusive lifestyle environment. 

The lounge features 16 unique 

zones designed to ensure that 

guests can relax, re-energise and 

be entertained in total luxury before 

boarding their flight. An à la carte 

restaurant, showcase bar, fitness 

room, cigar lounge, Six Senses Spa, 

Style & Shave barbers, nail bar, TV 

room, secluded relaxation room, 

prayer room and children’s play 

room ensure that all guests receive 

a highly personalised experience 

and intuitive service. 

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ 

Chief Executive Officer, says the 

lounge is a showcase of “intelligent 

product design, innovation, ‎and 

superlative hospitality and service”, 

adding, “This is not just a lounge 

but the ultimate airline hospitality 

experience and one which perfectly 

mirrors Etihad Airways’ evolution 

into the best airline in the world.”




EMIRATES: 

MORE FLIGHTS 

ON AIRBUS A380 

Emirates is the Middle-East’s largest carrier with close to 

52-million passengers in its 2015/16 financial year. It operates 

the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 777s and of the 516-seat 

Airbus A380. 

At the end of August, Emirates had 81 A380s in its fleet and 

has a further 61 on order. The airline flies its flagship aircraft 

to over 40 destinations and every year adds half a dozen new 

airports to be flown with the giant aircraft. By next February, 

four new destinations will see the landing of the Airbus 

A380: Guangzhou in China - the third biggest Chinese city 

after Beijing and Shanghai, Milan, Moscow-Domodedovo and 

Johannesburg. 

Emirates was named the World’s Best Airline 2016 and the 

airline with the World’s Best In-flight Entertainment in the 

Skytrax World Airline Awards. 

OMAN AIR AMBITIONS 

ROYAL AIR 

MAROC 

TARGETS 

WASHINGTON… 

Oman Air will be running 70 aircraft by the end of the year 

compared to 35 today. The company is unveiling ambitious 

plans to grow its presence across the world. And among 

the envisioned destinations that it plans to serve in the near 

future, Oman Air is considering a daily flight to Manchester in 

Northwest England. The city will be the second UK destination 

after London Heathrow. The airline currently serves London 

twice daily out of Muscat and has also scheduled services in 

Europe to Frankfurt, Milan, Munich, Paris CDG and Zurich. 

With Washington receiving in September a three-time 

weekly service to Casablanca by Royal Air Maroc, the 

US capital will be served by three African carriers: RAM, 

Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa and South African 

Airways from Johannesburg via Accra or Dakar.

AFRICA MIDDLE EAST 

AIRPORTS NEWS 

© roevin 

DUBAI: 

NOW THE BUSIEST 

INTERNATIONAL 

AIRPORT IN THE 

WORLD 

Last year, Dubai total 

passengers number reached 

78 million, a growth of more 

than 10% over 2015. The 

airport was the third busiest 

in the world behind Atlanta 

and Beijing. However, if 

international passengers are 

only accounted, Dubai is 

already number 1, with some 

100 airlines serving over 240 

destinations. 

The latest addition to the 

airport is Concourse D, the 

final element of a US$7.8bn 

2020 Strategic Plan. The facility 

is designed to meet the needs 

and comfort of passengers 

with short walking distances 

to gates. The concourse is 

linked to the newly renovated 

Terminal 1 by a dedicated 

train that can transport 300 

passengers per trip. 

The new facility is raising 

Dubai’s capacity from 75 to 

90 million passengers a year. 

The concourse offers some 

20 restaurants, a dozen shops 

and nine lounges. 

Dubai International 

Airport Concourse 

ABU DHABI, THE COMING 

GIANT AIRPORT IN THE 

GULF 

NEW DAKAR AIRPORT 

DUE TO OPEN BY 

DECEMBER 2016 

© VisitAbuDhabi 

A new era is due to usher in 2017 at Abu Dhabi international airport, hub 

of Etihad Airways, as a new terminal building designed to accommodate 

over 30 million passengers per year is due for completion. The ageing 

airport finally receives a spectacular new infrastructure with the opening 

of the Midfield Terminal. Three billion US dollars have been invested in the 

700,000 SQ M project. Four piers will go from a central unit with 65 aircraft 

able to directly park in contact with the building. 

There will be also 28,000 SQ M of shops and restaurants as well as a 

three-star hotel. The gigantic infrastructure will however not compromise 

passengers comfort: Abu Dhabi airport authority promises that connecting 

times will still be kept to a minimum of 45 minutes. 

Long awaited, Dakar’s new 

Blaise-Diagne International 

Airport, should finally open 

its doors by December of this 

year. The airport was originally 

planned for 2012 and then 

consequently delayed. The 

future facility will replace 

the ageing Leopold Sendar 

Senghor Airport. Located 

45 km southeast of Dakar city 

centre in the administrative 

district of Thiès, Blaise 

Diagne International Airport 

will offer excellent conditions 

for 3 million passengers in its 

first phase of development. 

Six passenger bridges will 

provide direct access to 

aircraft. Some 26 commercial 

jets will be able to be parked 

on the apron.




MEA TOURISM STATS: 

THE BIG 

PICTURE 

In 2015, according to the UNWTO, arrivals to the Middle East 

increased by 3% while in Africa, limited data available, points to 

an estimated 3% decrease, mostly due to weak results in North 

Africa, which accounts for over one third of arrivals in the region. 

In North Africa arrivals declined by 8% and in Sub-Saharan Africa 

by 1%, though the latter returned to positive growth in the 

second half of the year. 

The projections for Africa (+2% to 5%) and the Middle East (+2% 

to +5%) are positive, though with a larger degree of uncertainty 

and volatility. 

International tourist arrivals in the Middle East grew in 2015 by an 

estimated 3% to a total of 54 million, consolidating the recovery 

initiated in 2014. 

DUBAI 

STAR OF THE MIDDLE EAST 

Dubai is reported to be the 4 th most visited city in the world after 

London, Paris and Bangkok and has the world’s highest visitor per 

resident ratio from 4.9 visitors per resident in 2009 to 5.7 in 2015. 

With just over 14 million visitors in 2015, this figure is set to grow 

sharply in the next four years, to arrive at an average annual total 

of 20-million in 2020, year of the world expo which will bring 

together more than 180 nations on a massive 438 hectare site. 

SOUTH AFRICA 

THE LION’S SHARE 

ON THE CONTINENT… 

According to Tourism Data For Africa, leisure spending in Africa 

is highest in South Africa, topping US$20.6bn p.a. in the last 

surveyed period. By the same token, capital spending on tourism 

infrastructure is highest in South Africa as well, with Egypt in the 

number two position, despite some difficulties of late. The Tourism 

Data for Africa Portal is an initiative of the African Development 

Bank (AfDB), in collaboration with New York University (NYU) 

Africa House and the Africa Travel Association (ATA). 

OMAN SET TO TOP 

RELATIVE GROWTH 

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, Oman is set to 

top the Gulf states when it comes to growth in visitor exports as a 

contributor to overall exports (i.e. tourism spending compared to 

other external income sources). The projected per annum growth 

is 7.1% from 2015 through 2025 thanks to the government’s 

“Oman Tourism Strategy” (OTS). Second in the Middle East in this 

respect is Saudi Arabia with projected growth of 6.1%. 

Nigeria 

5.346 

Algeria 

9.400 

Algeria 

1.925 

Nigeria 

2.319 

CAPITAL INVESTMENT SPENDING 

BY SECTORS RELATED TO TOURISM (US$ bn) 

Tanzania 

1.027 

Morocco 

3.748 

Egypt, Arab Rep. 

15% 

AFRICA LEISURE TOURISM SPENDING (US$ bn) 

Tunisia 

10% 

Ethiopia 

3.163 

Tunisia 

4.095 

Morocco 

12.204 

Angola 

2.908 

Ethiopia 

0.858 

Tunisia 

0.904 

Botswana 

3% 

Zimbabwe 

3% 

Mozambique 

3% 

Algeria 

4% 

Kenya 

2.598 

Kenya 

0.673 

Kenya 

2% 

Tanzania 

2.396 

Namibia 

0.420 

Uganda 

2% 

South Africa 

20.696 

South Africa 

7.107 

Egypt 

5.679 

INTERNATIONAL TOURISM, NUMBER OF ARRIVALS 

Others 

26% 

Egypt 

20.455 

South Africa 

16% 

Marocco 

16%

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA INBOUND 


© My Dubai 

ONE OF OUR 

MAIN FOCUSES 

IS ON LEISURE 

TOURISM 

Heritage Village 

Burj Al Arab 

BEYOND 2020 

Dubai Tourism CEO Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim 

on his vision towards Expo… and even further afield 

Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim is the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for 

Tourism and Commerce Marketing. We asked him why tourism is so important 

for Dubai. 

Dubai has almost never replied on oil as a 

main contributor to GDP. In fact tourism is 

the number one export upon which Dubai 

has always focussed, and it continues to be 

so. In 2012, for the first time, we reached 

the ten-million visitor mark, and in 2013 we 

decided our strategy would be to double 

that figure by 2020, while at the same time 

tripling the economic impact from tourism. 

This can be achieved by offering more and 

more activities, features and facilities for 

tourists in Dubai, meaning they will stay 

longer and come back more often. 

The World Expo planned for Dubai will 

be a huge investment. What benefits 

do you plan to reap from this event? 

For us, it’s a great platform that positions 

Dubai as a city that can actually host an event 

of this size, and that’s a major statement in 

itself. We have so many countries coming 

here that the logistics and infrastructure 

required in order to cater for their needs 

are very important. It’s not just about doing 

things well at a certain level, because 

everybody knows about Dubai’s luxury 

offering. The depth of Dubai’s offering is 

something we are really highlighting as well: 

the arts, the culture, the heritage and the 

gastronomy. All of these will be further 

enhanced and experienced during the expo, 

and that is a big advantage upon which we 

will be capitalising. 

Also, the infrastructure investment is 

important, because if we are focusing on 

getting 20-million visitors to Dubai, we are 

looking at a sustainable growth. We are 

talking about annual visitation of 20-million 

and above from 2020 onwards. So now, 

when we are looking at Expo, we are not 

building just for the Expo (which will in fact 

be for the entire UAE), everything we are 

building and investing in will be for our own 

sustained growth in tourism. 

Issam Abdul 

Rahim Kazim 

CEO, Dubai Corporation for 

Tourism and Commerce 

Marketing




TOURISM IS AN INTEGRAL PART 

OF AJMAN AND UAE’S ECONOMY. 

Yamina Aoucher 

Director of Tourism Development & Marketing Department, 

Ajman Tourism Development Department 

AJMAN 

The emirate not to be missed 

Ajman City 

Zayed Mosque 

Tourism statistics 

indicate that visitors 

are taking notice of the 

emirate of Ajman, including 

it in their places to visit 

when traveling to the UAE. 

Yamina Aoucher - Director 

of Tourism Development & 

Marketing Department of 

Ajman Tourism Development 

Department, talks to us about 

current tourism trends in 

Ajman… 

We have seen increased arrivals 

from Europe, Africa, Asia, 

America and the region despite 

several factors that affect the 

global travels. We are also seeing 

arrivals from new markets, both 

as individual and group travels so 

we are optimistic that it would be 

fruitful for the tourism industry 

in the years to come. Tourism is 

an integral part of Ajman and 

UAE’s economy. Destination 

hotels, marinas, shopping 

centres and other attractions 

are all part of the changing 

landscape of Ajman – making it 

a place to see and be seen. New 

luxury hotels, wildlife attractions 

and waterfront tourist resorts are 

on the horizon. One of Ajman’s 

biggest attractions is Al Zorah, 

a unique lifestyle and leisure 

destination to the north of the 

city. Al Zorah is characterized 

by its striking greenery and will 

feature five-star beach resorts, 

Creek-side residences, a golf 

course and golf club to host 

local and international golfing 

competition, a wellness centre, 

fine dining restaurants and more. 

What kinds of tourism are you 

hoping to develop? 

The Emirate of Ajman is 

working hard to cater to all 

types of tourists – business or 

professional, leisure and holiday, 

tourists travelling to visit friends 

and relatives and the so-called 

millennials or youth tourists. 

For the business or MICE markets, 

our hotels have spacious meeting 

rooms and ballrooms that can 

accommodate exhibitions, 

trade shows, product launches, 

conferences and workshops. 

The facilities are equipped with 

state-of-the art technology that 

can provide video conferencing, 

conference calls and more. 

The emirate also created a 

business friendly environment 

through the Ajman Free Zone 

that has attracted a great 

number of companies to benefit 

from the investment privileges it 

offers. 

For the leisure or holiday tourists, 

we take pride in offering a 

variety of historical, cultural and 

recreational activities including 

religious attractions. Our ancient 

archaeological sites showcase 

the heritage of the emirate while 

Ajman’s castle and forts, majestic 

mountains and spacious valleys 

provide a rich backdrop for the 

steady growth of the hospitality 

and entertainment sectors.



© M. Samaee 

© Arad Mojtahedi 

Badab-e Surt Samaee 

Arge Bam Arad 

NEW PLANES, 

NEW HOTELS, 

VISA-FREE ENTRY 

Iran works hard toward revitalising 

its tourist industry 

Iran’s authorities have cheerfully 

announced that the country will be 

one of the next years’ top tourist 

destinations. 

Iran’s Urban Development minister Abbas 

Akhoundi has announced that the country will 

need to have over 550 new planes flying by 

2025. Negotiations to this end have begun with 

Boeing and Airbus, and no less than 100 Boeing 

aircraft as well as 118 Airbus planes have been 

ordered so far this year. The Airbus jets include 

45 A320 single-aisle aircraft, 45 A330 widebodied 

jets, 16 A350 twin-aisle models, and 12 

A380’s. 

Meanwhile, in May 2016, a deputy to the 

Iranian president, announcing enhanced 

tourism ties with China, said that the country 

urgently needed to build at least 300 3-5 star 

hotels in the near future to meet demand. 

The country’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts 

and Tourism Organization (CHHTO), is already 

developing 1,752 projects in tourism sector in 

different parts of Iran, including building hotels 

and residences. According to an agreement 

signed between CHTHO and German hospitality 

company, Steigenberger Hotel Group in late 

May, that company alone is set to build 10 

hotels in different parts of Iran over the next 

ten years. 

Iran’s government announced earlier in the year 

that it had drawn up a roadmap aiming to build 

incoming tourist figures to 20-million by 2025, 

generating US$30bn income. Conscious of 

the finite nature of the oil industry, the nation 

seeks to put tourism revenues on a par with oil 

revenues within less than ten years. 

Announcing the project, the head of the 

CHHTO, Masoud Soltanifar, stated that the 

country had the potential to satisfy the needs 

of all types of tourists, given its diverse climates, 

the huge number of historical sites, pilgrimage 

destinations, and great opportunities for health 

tourism. 

Medical tourism will be among the key “USPs” 

of Iran, as the costs of medical treatments in 

Iran are said to be around one fifth of those in 

Europe. 

THE 

NATION SEEKS 

TO PUT TOURISM 

REVENUES ON 

A PAR WITH 

OIL REVENUES 

WITHIN LESS 

THAN TEN YEARS




THE RE-EMERGENCE 

OF MARRAKECH 

The legendary city is back on its feet, and with major 

hotel and resort openings, is set to shine 

Medersa Ben 

Youssef Marrakech 

Marrakech city wall in front 

of Atlas mountains 

With major global events planned for Marrakech in coming months, the city will again be 

putting its “best foot forward”. We asked Abdellatif Abouricha, director of Marrakech’s 

regional tourism council, how he sees the future… 

Marrakech is truly what one could term an 

“authentic” city, and is still one of the world’s 

most prized places to visit. At the moment, 

despite a difficult global economic situation in 

which clients often wait until the last minute 

before booking, Marrakech is underpinned 

by other factors such as major event tourism. 

One such event is of course the annual Pure 

Life Experiences trade show in the month of 

September, and the Meetings of Morocco MICE 

event in January, which also puts the spotlight 

on our city. In November, we will be hosting the 

COP 22 meeting, and this will be a major boon 

to regional tourism. 

How is tourism infrastructure developing? 

What’s new? 

Ten new hotels are opening this year. In May, 

the Radisson Blue opened in the city centre, 

and it has met with instant success. The 

concept of this magnificent hotel is inspiring 

to many other hoteliers here, and is giving 

them a lot of new ideas. Then there is the 

Mövenpick Hotel Mansour Eddahbi Marrakech, 

open in September with 503 rooms, offering 

superb installations for meetings, leisure and 

MARRAKECH IS TRULY 

WHAT ONE COULD TERM AN 

“AUTHENTIC” CITY, AND IS STILL 

ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST 

PRIZED PLACES TO VISIT 

business travel. It will have six restaurants and a 

nightclub. Then there is the Oberoi, Marrakech 

opening in the fourth quarter of 2016 - a luxury 

spa resort nestled within 25 acres of fragrant 

citrus orchards and ancient olive groves. 

Everyone is also thrilled to see the reopening of 

the Royal Mansour, which has undergone major 

renovations. 

What is your message to the world’s tour 

operators and travel agents? 

It is important that Tour Operators, in particular 

in the UK and Germany, work more actively with 

the internet – as customers increasingly consult 

the web for ideas and prices. Travellers are 

becoming increasingly expert, and even though 

many will go to travel agents for planning, they 

increasingly use the web for ideas and advice. 

Abdellatif 

Abouricha 

Director of Marrakech’s regional 

tourism council

Zone de l’Agdal, av. Mohamed VI - 40 000 Marrakech 

Tel: + 212 (0) 5 24 45 99 00 - Fax: +212 (0) 5 24 45 99 01 

resa-menarapalace@kenzi-hotels.com - www.kenzi-hotels.com






MOROCCO’S TOURISM 

VISION 2020 

Key destinations including Marrakech to benefit 

from government initiative 

Morocco’s 2020 Vision, presented on 30 

November last year in Marrakech before 

His Majesty King Mohammed VI, has set 

a goal of doubling the size of the tourism 

sector, hoisting and Morocco among top 

20 tourist destinations in the world. 

Eight new destinations will arise in the 

context of Vision 2020, and 200,000 new 

tourist beds will be created across the 

country. 

2020 vision presented to the king by Yassir 

Zenagui, Minister of Tourism was designed 

to highlight each region of Morocco, and 

to establish a tourism that respects the 

environment. Sustainable development is a 

major focus of the Vision 2020. Moroccan 

tourism will further take into account 

the preservation of natural resources, the 

maintenance of socio-cultural authenticity 

of the regions and the development and 

well being of local people. 

To materialize the integrated management 

approach territories, Tourist Development 

Agencies will be created in parallel. They 

have main missions are to monitor the 

implementation of regional roadmaps, 

develop the attractiveness of destinations 

and oversee strategic projects to ensure 

their effective implementation. These 

agencies will become the single point of 

contact on all matters related to tourism, 

and will be true consultation platforms. 

They will have all the support, expertise 

and skills of national bodies in charge of 

tourism. 

HIGH DYNAMIC 

OF INVESTMENTS 

This ambitious strategy will direct 

investment flows to new destinations 

while developing sophisticated new 

products. Will require significant financial 

resources nationally and internationally. 

First key measure creating a Moroccan 

Fund for Tourism Development (FMDT) 

which embodies one hand, the proactive 

engagement with the state sector as a 

whole to stimulate strong investment 

dynamics in a position to accompany 

the implementation of major projects 

of Vision 2020, and other implements a 

lasting partnership with Sovereign Wealth 

Funds of friends willing to support this 

investment program. 

The “Red City” of Marrakech has this 

year been named #3 most popular 

destination worldwide by TripAdvisor in 

the organisation’s “Travellers’ Choice” 

Awards. The wonderful, colourful and 

exotic city is a cited as being a “magical 

place, brimming with markets, gardens, 

palaces, and mosques”. Exploring the 

intimate courtyards and snaking alleyways 

of the historic Medina can easily eat up 

a day. One can find inner peace at the 

serene Jardin Majorelle or take in the 

beauty of the city’s historic mosques. 

Jardin Majorelle 

Palais Menara



THE PURSUIT OF A DREAM 

When a mirage becomes reality, it is the Selman Marrakech… 

At the foot of the Atlas Mountains, away from the hustle of the medina, what seemed like 

only a mirage has become a reality: Selman Marrakech, a palace of distinct, sublime and 

alluring charm. 

MOMENTS 

OF PURE GRACE 

ADD TO THE 

PERFECTION OF 

THIS TIMELESS 

EXPERIENCE 

Selman Marrakech 

Km5, Route d’Amizmiz 

Marrakech 40160 

www.selman-marrakech.com 

Passing through the immense portico, the 

gaze is drawn over the whole property by the 

geometry of the facades and gardens dotted 

with fountains, creating a sublime harmony. 

Across the Mechouar, the traveller gets a 

glimpse of the interior, a sensual contrast to the 

grandeur of the exterior. 

Designed by Jacques Garcia and built by the 

best artisans, Selman Marrakech seduces with 

its timeless harmony. At this intimate, personal 

and family owned property, each guest shares 

in the joy, love and dreams of their warm and 

passionate hosts. In this timeless palace whose 

construction was the vision of the owner, the 

art of traditional Moroccan hospitality has been 

revived. 

Precious moments are embodied in the presence 

of the beautiful thoroughbred Arabian horses, 

symbols of a bygone grandeur, which capture 

the spirit of Selman Marrakech and invite the joy 

of living. 

There are views of the horses from the terraces 

and the gardens where one can admire the 

majesty and poise of these creatures. Moments 

of pure grace add to the perfection of this 

timeless encounter. An essential and unedited 

experience, a return to the source of forgotten 

luxury, now found again under the light of the 

Selman Marrakech’s stars. 

The establishment’s owners, the Bennani Smires 

family, welcome friends and travellers as if into 

their own home. 

“I wanted to create a unique hotel project that 

offered the traveller a strong portrayal of our 

culture. The horse, profoundly linked to our 

history, seemed to me to perfectly encapsulate 

the spirit. I’ve had a chance to visit the most 

beautiful stables in the world, and each time 

it was an incredible experience. I wanted to be 

able to offer people the chance to gain access 

to and share in this otherwise closed equestrian 

world, to which access is normally only afforded 

by the invitation of horse owners. I want the 

guest to be able to enjoy the experience in all its 

glory. Through doing so, the guest experiences 

a sense of sharing which is a principle so dear to 

the Moroccan people,” says Abdeslam Bennani 

Smires. 



TRENDING HOTELS 




ESSQUE ZALU 

ZANZIBAR TO 

JOIN PER AQUUM 

PORTFOLIO 

A NEW “PARADISE 

EXPERIENCE” IN 

THE SEYCHELLES 

Framed by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, Essque 

Zalu Zanzibar is nestled in a natural cove on the north east 

coast of Zanzibar. 

The exceptional Boutique Resort, Essque Zalu Zanzibar is 

joining the PER AQUUM portfolio, within the Minor Hotel 

Group. A true meeting of minds, the Essque Zalu team shares 

PER AQUUM’s passion for defying expectations and delivering 

luxury that dares to be different. This transition will take place 

in 2017, under its new name – Per Aquum Zalu, Zanzibar. 

The hotel combines contemporary luxury with a real sense of 

place. It features the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean 

to one side, lush green forest to the other, and just a hint of 

spice in the warm and fragrant tropical air. 

Six Senses Spa Zil Pasyon opened its doors earlier this year, and 

offers some of the most enthralling sensory experiences in the 

world thanks to the synergy between its magical location and 

sophisticated island design. 

Created by Six Senses Architecture and Design team and Richard 

Hywel Evans of Studio RHE in London, the spa complements the 

natural features of this 652-acre (263-hectare) private island of 

towering rocks, boulders and its lush and verdant jungle, as well 

as the oceanfront. 

The spa accentuates the island’s natural geography through its 

materiality, texture and form. Combined with the integration of 

sustainable processes and technologies, it is designed to become 

an integral part of the island’s eco-system and a symbiotic 

experience of the surrounding environmental and built features. 

Essque Zalu Zanzibar 

Six Senses Zil Pasyon 

in the Seychelles 

Double treatment villa at 

Six Senses Spa Zil Pasyon

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA OUTBOUND 

MUSLIM TRAVEL 

ESSENTIALS 

When Saudi, 

Emirati and 

North African 

Muslims travel the world, 

what can hotels do to 

address their specific needs? 

Plenty of stories are written 

about the legendary hospitality 

extended to visitors by people 

across the Muslim world. 

But what about the reverse 

scenario? With Muslim 

travellers estimated to be worth 

around $150bn a year to the 

international travel business, 

how can tour operators ensure 

they are providing the best 

possible service? 

Crescent Rating, a leading 

expert on Muslim travel and 

a partner of ITB Asia, says 

it is difficult to generalise – 

because the Muslim world is 

home to such a diverse range 

of cultures and communities. 

But there are minimum 

requirements applicable to 

all followers of the Qu’ran: 

“The primary needs of a 

Muslim traveller are Halal 

food and access to prayer 

facilities – required by every 

Muslim,” says Crescent 

Rating. “Other needs 

include Muslim-friendly 

accommodation facilities 

such as water-usage friendly 

washrooms and fasting 

facilities during Ramadan.” 

FOOD AND 

PRAYER 

If Halal food and drink are 

not available onsite, the hotel 

staff should be able to suggest 

nearby Halal restaurants. 

Equally, on the subject of 

prayer, it is not enough simply 

to supply mats and sufficient 

space. It is also important to 

provide information about 

prayer times, because of time 

zone differences, and the 

correct direction of prayer 

(Qibla). 

Landmark’s Winter Garden, 

London, United Kingdom




Muslim-friendly hotels 

do not need to reach the 

stringent codes of conduct 

as Shariah Hotels. But other 

considerations for hotels that 

are serious about winning 

Muslim travel dollars include 

having a decent dress code for 

staff. It’s also important that 

alcoholic drinks are not stored 

in the room’s refrigerators. By 

a similar token, the hotel’s bar 

facilities should be discretely 

positioned so as not to offend 

Muslim guests. Tiny details can 

also make a difference if you 

want to win repeat business. 

For example, Emiratis often go 

to bed late when on holiday 

and rise after breakfast times 

– so lunch and dinner are the 

main meals. Coffee is preferred 

boiled rather than filtered or 

percolated. 

MUSLIM-FRIENDLY 

LOCATIONS 

Of course, many of the world’s 

most exciting tour destinations 

are multicultural cities – so there 

is a decent range of Muslimfriendly 

hotels to choose from. 

Premium Europe website cites 

Muslim-friendly hotels in Paris, 

including Hotel Fouquet’s 

Barriere, The Park Hyatt Paris- 

Vendôme, Hotel Lancaster, 

Shangri-La Hotel and Hotel 

Sezz. The latter has recognised 

the importance of keeping 

female Muslim guests happy by 

offering female housekeeping 

and room service staff on 

request. Female therapists are 

also available in the hotel’s spa. 

In London, Premium Europe 

recommends The Landmark, 

The Café Royal, Dukes 

Hotel, Haymarket Hotel and 

Corinthia Hotel. At Dukes, for 

example, Arabic TV channels 

are provided and bidets are 

available in rooms on request. 

Several of the above also have 

copies of the Qur’an. 

RAMADAN 

While Muslim travellers can be 

found all year round, Ramadan 

is a particularly important time 

of year. The 9th month of the 

Islamic Calendar, the exact 

timing of Ramadan changes 

each year, so this needs to be 

built into hotel planning. Next 

year it starts on May 27. 

The crucial thing about 

Ramadan is that it involves 

fasting during daylight hours. 

The morning meal taken before 

the beginning of the fasting 

period is called Suhour, and the 

meal taken at the end of the 

fasting period is called Iftar. At 

the time of Iftar, it can be a nice 

gesture to offer complimentary 

dates and water. Other services 

that can make guests feel at 

home during Ramadan include 

offering wake-up calls. 

If a hotel has a Halal-certified 

kitchen or restaurant, 

serving Iftar and Suhour is 

straightforward. If not, it could 

convert one of its kitchens 

to a Halal-assured kitchen 

during Ramadan. Alternatively, 

responsibility for these 

meals could be outsourced 

for the month. Failing this, 

it’s important to make sure 

that advice about nearby 

restaurants is available. 

FAMILY 

All of the above factors need 

to be balanced alongside the 

fact that most Muslims are 

seeking the same kinds of 

experiences as Western or Asia 

travellers, namely beautiful 

landscapes, stimulating cultural 

experiences and good value for 

money. However there is an 

additional demographic factor 

that needs to be considered, 

which is that 53% of Muslim 

travel takes place with families 

and is often multi-generational. 

So this love of family needs to 

be taken into account in terms 

of room availability, transport 

arrangements and in-hotel 

facilities. 

Dukes Hotel London, 

United Kingdom 

Hotel Sezz Paris, France 

A GROWTH 

MARKET 

ITB Asia, the Leading 

Trade Show for the 

Asian Travel Market, has 

established a partnership 

with CrescentRating. 

As part of the alliance, 

CrescentRating will host 

a Halal In Travel - Asia 

Summit 2016 conference 

and workshops, sharing 

invaluable insights on 

how delegates can 

strengthen their position. 

According to findings 

from MasterCard- 

CrescentRating Global 

Muslim Travel Index 2016, 

the global Muslim travel 

market is projected to 

grow to $220bn by 2020.

INNOVATIONS 





© YinYang - iStockphoto 

INNOVATING 

TROUGH THE SAVVY 

USE OF TECHNOLOGIES 

Innovating in the hospitality business 

through new ideas and through the savvy 

use of technologies has for a number of years 

been recognised as a major differentiator. 

In previous years, each technological item 

lived in its own little silo. Today, more and 

more devices are connecting to each other 

– creating smarter systems that enhance not 

only efficiencies for the establishment, but 

also add value to the guest’s stay. 

One such system is that being tested 

currently at the Grand Ambassador Hotel in 

Seoul. 

AccorHotels Vice President - Guest 

Technology and Innovation, David Esseryk, 

also delivers a wake-up call to tech providers 

to help them improve communication with 

hoteliers in his regular column.

In The Field 

with David Esseryk 

THE "INSIDE LINE" ON WHAT'S HOT IN HOSPITALITY TECHNOLOGIES 

41 


SMARTreport #31 #30 

2016 Summer Autumn Edition PART 14 

TIPS IN DEVELOPING 

MARKETING MESSAGES 

TOWARDS HOTELIERS 

A MESSAGE 

TO TECH 

PROVIDERS 

Most hotel tech companies 

spend countless hours 

crafting taglines, boilerplates, 

and elevator pitches, aiming 

to nail a complex product in 

just a few words. While at the 

same time, communication 

fatigue is leaving fewer 

opportunities for marketing 

messages to resonate 

with their target audience. 

Developing marketing 

messages is one of the most 

important steps you take 

toward market dominance, so 

with all that in mind, here are 

some tips from David Esseryk, 

AccorHotels Group’s Vice 

President Guest Technology 

& Innovation, to get you 

started. 

BE SUCCINCT AND KISS 

(KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID) 

Does your brand message connect with 

your core capabilities? Is your sales 

team able to easily find and reuse the 

messaging components they need to 

quickly communicate with buyers 

around their business issues? 

Get your message down 

to the fewest possible 

words that can 

convey whom 

your product 

serves and what it 

does. 

DON’T OVERTHINK 

AND MISS THE MARK 

Ensure that positioning and messaging 

addresses customer pain points and 

what customers want. Too often, 

messages get hung up on attempts 

to appear uber-innovative as opposed 

to letting the product speak for itself. 

Remember, you can make your audience 

respond without getting overly abstract 

and forgetting the point. 

TARGET THE MESSAGE 

When the message is too broad, it 

does not reach anyone. If you find 

your company trying to appeal to 

GIVE YOUR 

AUDIENCE 

SOMETHING THAT 

SPEAKS TO THEM. KNOW 

WHO IS BUYING 

YOUR PRODUCT AND WHAT 

PROBLEM YOU 

ARE SOLVING FOR 

THEM 

travel intermediaries and hotels 

simultaneously, it may be time to look 

more closely at your product. Divide 

and conquer. Sometimes this means 

creating two different products, and 

sometimes this simply means creating 

two distinct messages for different 

buyer personas. 

USE THE VOICE 

OF THE CUSTOMER 

Technology 

should be driven 

by the people who 

will benefit from it. Too 

much tech jargon, especially 

in an industry with plenty of nontechnical 

people, can be a turn-off. 

Give your audience something that 

speaks to them. Know who is buying 

your product and what problem you 

are solving for them: a GM, a marketing 

director, an HR person, a catering 

manager, and so forth. Then decide 

at what level your message should be 

written. 

Your brand messaging feeds all of your 

communication with your market. Use 

it in your sales literature and tools, your 

website and all of your campaigns. 

Test key messages with customers and 

tweak as needed based on results. 

SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE NEXT EDITION

INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGIES 

THE TECHNICAL 

EVOLUTION OF IN-ROOM 

TECHNOLOGY 

Meeting the challenges of tomorrow without disposing 

of yesterday’s infrastructure 

GUESTS 

EXPECT A 

SIMILAR 

LEVEL OF 

ENTERTAINMENT 

IN THE HOTEL 

ROOM THAT 

THEY HAVE AT 

HOME 

Ten years ago, the internet had become the new “cash cow” for hoteliers, 

replacing the telephone and VoD, which, one by one, went into decline, and 

eventually disappeared as profit centres for the hotelier. 

Indeed, when it came to return on 

investment, charging clients ten or fifteen 

Euros or dollars a day (or sometimes even per 

hour), HSIA (high speed internet access) was 

a real winner. Ten years ago, this was the key 

reason for any investment in IP infrastructure. 

Today, as we all know, this has changed, and 

guests expect not only free internet access, 

but it has to be fast and reliable. Otherwise 

many will not come back to the “offending” 

establishment. There are in fact many reasons 

that a hotel room should be integrated over 

IP network. According to recent research, HD 

IPTV, unified communication and integrated 

room control are the most important 

technologies when it comes to the guest 

experience and are worth investing in. The 

importance of migration to an IP infrastructure 

is becoming increasingly important. 

In the past few years, when it came to talking 

about “the big three” in terms of in-room 

technology – TV, Wi-Fi and Phone – it has 

become apparent that an “All IP” solution 

was the smartest. 

Indeed, in general, all new hotels have a 

solid network that enables the connection 

of devices of all kinds both in-room and for 

staff. 

In the case of re-fits, installing Cat 5 or 

Cat 6 cabling throughout (or even optical 

fibre) is in its easiest form an expensive and 

cumbersome headache, and in many cases is 

just not an option. The result is that countless 

properties continue to deliver under-par 

services in a market in which this can now be 

“make or break” in terms of business. 

So investment in upgrading one’s IP network 

is however vital for any hotelier. There is 

also a fast growing demand for interactive 

services in-room (and even in bars etc), guests 

expect a similar level of entertainment in the 

hotel room that they have at home, they 

have numerous mobile devices that need 

to connect to the network, and integrated 

room controls (which add a great deal of 

convenience for the guest during his or 

her stay) also increasingly require a local IP 

connection. 





This growing demand has, as we mentioned 

already, entailed the replacement of existing 

Coax to an IP infrastructure. 

The implementation of an All-IP Solution is 

made possible by using what is known as 

a CMTS (cable modem termination system) 

server. 

This unit, housed in a central location at 

the hotel converts IP to RF signals using 

“DOCSIS3.0”, to distribute IP contents over 

Coax cable. Data Over Cable Service Interface 

Specification (DOCSIS) is an international 

telecommunications standard that permits 

the addition of high-bandwidth data transfer 

to an existing cable TV (CATV) system. It is 

also employed by cable television operators 

to provide Internet access over their 

existing hybrid fiber-coaxial infrastructure. In 

a hotel, the cost of such a system had been 

prohibitive, due to the very high price of the 

server (generally over US$30,000), however, 

today, servers such as the one designed by 

Teleste are available for as little as US$2,000- 

3,000. 

This results in an investment saving of up 

to 80% compared to installing a new IP 

network. 

SAMSUNG INTRODUCES HE694 

Taking the logic of delivering IP 

to guest rooms via coax one step 

further, Samsung has developed 

HE694, a system utilising the TV as 

a “hub” for all services in the room. 

The creation of an Ethernet Bridge 

from the TV by using the “LAN-Out” 

feature offers additional connection 

KEY ADVANTAGES 

The advantages of such a system 

include the fact that there is no 

need for separate routers in each 

guestroom (meaning time and 

cost efficiencies), no need for 

reconstruction to support extra 

LAN cables, and the possible 

with IP devices, including Apple TV 

(offering Airplay service and iTunes 

content etc), VoIP installation – 

offering all the advantages of IP 

telephony, and LAN connection 

for laptops – enabling guests to 

connect directly to the network if 

they so wish. 

addition of Hotel Management 

System, Bluetooth music player, 

DLNA and even screen mirroring. 

There is no need to close down a 

hotel while refitting, as each room 

can be upgraded sequentially. 


INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGIES 

HILTON AND IBM 

PILOT “CONNIE,” 

THE WORLD’S 

FIRST WATSON- 

ENABLED HOTEL 

CONCIERGE 

YOU READ 

ABOUT IT… 

WE TRIED IT! 

Cutting edge HMS 

@ Grand Ambassador Seoul 

Hilton Worldwide have recently outlined a collaboration to 

pilot “Connie” – the first Watson-enabled robot concierge in 

the hospitality industry. Connie draws on domain knowledge 

from Watson and WayBlazer to inform guests on local tourist 

attractions, dining recommendations and hotel features and 

amenities. 

Connie, named for Hilton’s founder Conrad Hilton, marks the 

first time IBM has developed a Watson-enabled robot for the 

hospitality market. 

Imagine if you could bypass the line at the front desk and 

ask Connie about your checkout time, how to get to the 

gym or even the top sushi recommendations in the area? 

Using cognitive technology for hospitality not only builds the 

customer experience, but also expands the brand journey and 

enables staff to have more time to serve each guest. 

Currently stationed near reception at the Hilton McLean 

in Virginia, Connie is learning to interact with guests and 

respond to their questions in a friendly and informative 

manner. Connie uses a combination of Watson APIs, including 

Dialog, Speech to Text, Text to Speech and Natural Language 

Classifier, to enable it to greet guests upon arrival and to 

answer questions about hotel amenities, services and hours 

of operation. 

In recent editions of the SMARTreport, we covered a trial, at 

Seoul’s Grand Ambassador Hotel, of a new Hotel Management 

System by Samsung that allows guests to manage all functions 

of their room via their TV. Curious to know whether this was 

just hype or something really useful, our management and 

editorial staff recently stayed at the hotel, and tried out one of 

the “concept” rooms. 

The first difference one notices is the TV remote control, which 

is very modern and resembles the most recent remote controls 

one can find in consumer TVs. While there is a user notice, 

as the system is highly intuitive, it’s simple to find one’s way 

without added directions. 

Switching on the TV, you automatically get a specific menu 

for all in-room controls. It is fun to play with, but at the end 

of the day, it is frankly very useful, so it is fair to say this is not 

a gadget. If you don’t want to use the TV as an interface, 

there is a dashboard that gives the same functions right next 

to the bed - quite useful for the night or the morning when 

you don’t feel like switching on the TV. Our hats are off to the 

Grand Ambassador for leading with trials of this cutting edge 

technology.

Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #31

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