NEWS
MARBELLA ELIX TO OPEN IN JUNE 2020
Abra Dunsby
ABU DHABI UNVEILS RAFT OF HOTELS AND ATTRACTIONS
Rob Gill
Abu Dhabi will be promoting a host of new attractions and hotels at WTM London as the emirate bids to keep itself in the spotlight in 2020.
The destination will also be boosted by the new Midfield Terminal at Abu Dhabi International airport before the end of the year, which will increase capacity by up to 45 million passengers per year. New openings include Al Qana National
Aquarium, while Clymb (above) on Yas Island will be the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall at 43 metres (140 feet). Also opening in 2020 will be $1.2 billion Reem Mall which will also feature Snow Abu Dhabi indoor snow playpark. Ali Al Shaiba, executive director of
tourism and marketing sector, Department of Culture and Tourism –
Abu Dhabi (ME200), said: “Next year will be exciting, with the opening of Al Qana National Aquarium and the expansion of The Galleria Mall on Al Maryah island. We also have a number of highly anticipated hotels.” Those hotel developments include the
opening of W Abu Dhabi on 1 November at the Formula 1 track, while upcoming properties include the 641-room Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Resort. Currently there are 16 hotel projects
ongoing in Abu Dhabi, adding nearly 4,000 rooms to the emirate’s roomstock over the next few years. The number of hotel guests staying in Abu Dhabi rose by 0.5% year-on-year to 168,700 during the first eight months of 2019 with total guest nights of 650,900 (up by 3.5%). The average length of stay has also risen by 3% to nearly four nights on average.
MarBella Collection (EU1100) is to open a third property, MarBella Elix, in June 2020. The new five-star hotel is located close to the Greek village of Perdika on the Karavostasi coast and is aimed at clients with a “more adventurous and inquisitive mind”, said MarBella Collection owner Vassilis Dracopoulos. The hotel has partnered with outdoor specialists The Exploration Society to offer clients guided adventures and experiences including mountain exploration and archaeological visits. Dracopoulos said the hotel’s location
will appeal to guests. “The hotel is just a short drive away from some of the most important natural treasures of Greece such as the Zagori mountain villages and the Dodoni archaeological theatre.” MarBella Elix will feature 146 rooms and suites as well as four restaurants, three bars, a gym and a wellness centre. The MarBella Collection also owns
two Corfu properties: the adults-only MarBella Nido Suite Hotel and Villas and the family-focused MarBella Corfu. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the brand has launched a number of complimentary services, including free dine-out options and daily cruises to Benitses and Corfu for all-inclusive guests at MarBella Corfu, and free use of a rental car for suite guests staying at MarBella Nido.
FINNAIR ANNOUNCES NEW FAR EAST ROUTES AND CABIN UPGRADES Edward Robertson
Finnair (EU1840) is continuing to grow its Far Eastern connections as part of an ongoing strategy to grow its presence there. The airline is launching a new flight to South Korea’s second-biggest city Busan (right) on 30 March next year. The three-times-weekly flight onboard an Airbus A350 will take off from Helsinki, where British travellers can
connect via flights from Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh airports. The new flight will come after the
introduction of a new route to Sapporo, which will operate from 15 December to 17 March and will give travellers the chance to ski in Japan. At the same time the airline has added two weekly flights to its Tokyo route,
bringing the total to nine, while additional flights to Hong Kong are planned for the winter and next summer will see the return of double daily flights. Customers will also experience the new premium economy cabin from the end of 2020 when the airline will start rolling out upgrades including new seats.
04.11.2019 WTM OFFICIAL EVENT DAILY 15
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