Fairmont Raffles Hotels to participate at ATM 2013 28.04.2013: Swissôtel Success Rounds out Fairmont Raffles Hotels Portfolio in 2012/13 Group returns to Arabian Travel Market

 Swissôtel Success Rounds out Fairmont Raffles Hotels Portfolio in 2012/13 Group returns to Arabian Travel Market as Kingdom’s Hajj & Umrah visitor receipts rise to US$16.5 billion in 2012.


Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI)- Makkah, the operator of five-star Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel, Raffles Makkah Palace and Swissôtel Makkah in Saudi Arabia will participate in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) for the third consecutive year.


ATM is the premier travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals.


The FRHI Makkah executive team will meet with key travel industry partners at the four-day event, which takes place from 6-9 May 2013 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre.


“With all three of our Makkah properties now fully operational, following the opening of Swissôtel Makkah last Ramadan, we have great expectations from the market and from our presence at Arabian Travel Market. We look forward to capping off another  prolific business year for all three of our holy city properties.” said Khaled Yamak, Group Director of Communications & Business Development, FRHI Makkah.


“Hajj and Umrah tourism receipts were up by 10% last year compared to 2011 figures, reaching $16.5 billion. With the Saudi government also investing heavily into infrastructure projects, our strategy has focused on driving additional business by presenting a cohesive identity for three very unique – yet complementary – Makkah properties,” he added.


The 1,487-room Swissôtel Makkah - which is currently the largest hotel in the Middle East in terms of number of rooms - opened just before Ramadan last year, and Yamak reports that occupancy levels to date have exceeded initial forecasts with an average above 80%.


FHRI Makkah also reports that GCC travellers remained the number one source market for all three properties in 2012 and 2013 year-to-date, with Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Indonesia and Malaysia the main feeder markets last year.


Visitors to the FHRI Makkah stand at ATM will gain firsthand insight into the scope of services offered across the three distinctive properties, which Yamak says have been designed to meet the increasingly high expectations of today’s international travellers and religious pilgrims.


“We are incredibly proactive as an operator and understand that our guests are not only looking for high quality services and facilities, but also at the innovations and added value that we bring to the market.”


The FHRI Makkah hotels represent three renowned international brands – Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel – each of which delivers a distinctive experience, complete with unrivalled views of, and access to, Islam’s holiest sites - the Ka’aba and the Masjid al-Haram.


“The all-suite Raffles Makkah Palace, for example, is a residential sanctuary which offers round-the-clock personal butler service. The hotel is also home to its own Islamic library, with over 2,000 Islamic texts and books for visiting scholars and pilgrims,” remarks Yamak. 


The prestigious Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel rounds out the group’s portfolio as the second tallest building in the world. Perched on top of the tower is the renowned Makkah Clock, the highest point of athan (call to prayer) and prayer room in the world.


“Besides being an engineering marvel, you can imagine that the hotel’s views are truly breathtaking. Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel combines the very best of Eastern hospitality philosophies and Fairmont worldwide signature service, including the Fairmont Gold floors which provide an exclusive hotel within a hotel experience, and the newly opened Royal Floors- the height of exclusive top-notch hospitality in the holy city,” concluded Yamak.


According to Dr Sahal Bin Abdullah Al-Sabban, Undersecretary for Transport and Projects at the Holy Sites for the Ministry of Hajj, the Kingdom is forecasting further increases in the number of pilgrims expected to visit the country during the eight-month Umrah season. A total of 5.5 million pilgrims visited Saudi Arabia last year, versus 4.1 million in 2011.





About Fairmont Raffles Hotels International Makkah (FHRI)

Makkah Royal Clock Tower, A Fairmont Hotel


Located adjacent to the Masjid al Haram, Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel offers the finest hospitality in the holy city of Makkah. One of the world’s tallest, this 76-storey hotel is the focal point of the Abraj Al Bait Complex, part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project.


Among its outstanding features is a 40-metre Royal Clock, visible from 17 kilometres away, which announces daily prayer times. Meanwhile, the Lunar Observation Center and an Islamic Museum aim to preserve the Muslim heritage for future generations. In addition to the opulent and elegant comfort of the rooms and suites offered at this five-star hotel, 76 state-of-the-art elevators allow easy access to the holy Masjid al Haram for prayers.


And, at any time, ten exceptional dining venues are available to accommodate intimate or expansive gatherings. Makkah Royal Clock Tower offers authentic hospitality throughout its 858 rooms distributed across 29 floors.


Guests are able to select the view of the Kaaba - House of God – said to be built by Abraham and Ismail (Peace Be Upon Them), the Haram or the Holy City.



Raffles Makkah Palace

At Raffles Makkah Palace guests enjoy an outstanding location within the iconic Abraj Al Bait complex, directly adjacent to Al Masjid Al Haram – or Grand Mosque – and the Kaaba; offering easy access to King Abdulaziz Gate, the main entrance to the Grand Mosque.


Raffles Makkah Palace also offers exceptional dining experiences, a spa and wellness centre for both male and female guests, a superbly equipped business centre with secretarial services and state-of-the-art private meeting rooms fitted with full video conferencing facilities.


Just steps away from the Grand Mosque, Raffles Makkah Palace is a refined and elegant residential sanctuary featuring 214 suites with breathtaking views of the Grand Mosque and Kaaba, making a stay in the holy city of Makkah one of spiritual serenity. Spacious suites in this exceptional hotel offer separate living and dining spaces while bathrooms are thoughtfully designed. Personal butlers deliver Raffles’ signature service, complementing the residential experience.


Swissôtel Makkah

Swissôtel's first hotel to open in Saudi Arabia offers 1,487 luxurious rooms and suites, with a modern design that complements the values of contemporary Arabian culture. Part of the prestigious Abraj Al Bait complex, the deluxe Swissôtel Makkah is a contemporary five-star hotel located in close proximity to the holy Masjid Al Haraam, overlooking the Ka'aba and the Grand Mosque.


With a comprehensive array of facilities, Swissôtel Makkah is part of a new urban complex development. Boasting an all-under-one-roof concept, the hotel features 1,488 contemporary guest rooms and luxury suites, three restaurants, a tea lounge, three meeting rooms and business centre.


Jack Dulka, Shamal Marketing Communications Dubai also photo