Selma Roth Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – Travel agents and corporate businesses got the chance to meet representatives of new Hyatt properties in Vienna and Dubai during the Hyatt “Round the Gulf” roadshow that kicked off on Sunday at Park Hyatt Jeddah. Following this city, the five-day roadshow, this year in its 10th edition, will make a stop in Riyadh, Kuwait and Qatar, and finalize in Abu Dhabi. A selection of 17 Hyatt properties from 12 different cities join in the event, including from Bangkok, Dubai, Istanbul, Milan, Paris and Sydney. According to Tareq Daoud, regional vice president of Global Sales in the Middle East, the promotional trip around the Gulf states targets tourism agencies, corporates as well as individuals before the summer season starts. The peak season is expected to begin late this year due to Ramadan, which will fall throughout the month of July. “We're inviting the major key players from the travel industry and convention sector,” Daoud said. The roadshow comes three weeks before the Arabian Travel Market, the Middle East's major travel and tourism event held from May 5 to 8 in Dubai, where Hyatt will be present as well. “I think [this roadshow] is a good opportunity right before the Arabian Travel Market and followed by the summer season. It's about two months' time where people can have enough time to plan and to decide where they want to go during the summer,” Daoud said when asked whether it wasn't late to organize the show in the month of April. “In fact, we're a bit early,” he added. The new Park Hyatt Vienna, which will open its doors on June 2, is located in a historic building in the city's “Goldenes Quartier” right in the heart of Vienna's UNESCO-enlisted Old Town. The Golden Quarter consists of shops and the hotel, surrounded by the oldest square in Vienna as well as the most famous shopping streets, all of which are pedestrian zones. “Guests can window shop from their rooms,” said Roko Palmic, director of Sales and Marketing at Park Hyatt Vienna. He said the building, which will celebrate its 100-year existence next year, was originally a bank. The building has been completely renovated while keeping the original materials and structures. The other new property present during the Roadshow, Hyatt Place Dubai/Deira, will open this month. It is the first property of its kind in this region and fourth worldwide outside the US following openings in Hampi (India), Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Yerevan (Armenia). The new concept is a four-star category usually located near the airport or in the city center. It features “gallery hosts” who will be available 24/7 and do everything from checking in customers to serving dinner in the restaurant. “The gallery hosts are multitasking and do everything for you,” explained Pranav Vohra, director of sales at Hyatt Place Dubai/Deira. This way, the person who works in the hotel is flexible, being able to help wherever needed, he said. Unlike most Hyatt properties, the Hyatt Place concept does not include a spa, no complimentary valet parking, no porter service, and no room service, which makes it attractive for young and dynamic customers who like to go around by himself, Vohra said, adding that Hyatt Place Dubai/Deira, located right next to a mosque, the Gold Souq, the Spice Souq, as well as the metro station, ensures an authentic Dubai experience for travellers. According to Regional Vice President Daoud, “Saudi Arabia is one of our main focus (countries) right now. We have seven properties in Saudi Arabia under construction.” The first one to open is Hyatt Regency Riyadh on Olaya Road, followed by Makkah Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place, and Hyatt House. In Jeddah, an additional two properties, Grand Hyatt on the Corniche side and Hyatt Regency on Tahlia Street, are currently under construction. In Riyadh, Park Hyatt Riyadh on King Fahd Road will open in two or three years. “We're very excited to see in the next four or five years an additional seven properties beside this one (Park Hyatt Jeddah) and maybe more to announce later on,” Daoud concluded.
