Senior Vice President of Arabian Adventures and Congress Solutions International, Fred Bardin, said Dubai hoteliers must start being realistic about hotel room rates. Mr. Barnes said that although RevPar and occupancy rates have dropped this year in Dubai, “we still have some of the highest rates in the world – these hotels are still living in Utopia.”
Mr. Barnes said the strategy of cutting rates at the last minute to fill rooms during slow periods is not a solution, and counter productive. Tour operators don’t have time to reprice last minute deals, and they are turning their back on the Dubai market. He also criticized hotels for overcharging on F&B, which makes Dubai uncompetitive. He conceded that because of more availability in the market, terms and conditions for group bookings have improved, and the Dubai market has made some progress with room rates during the recession.
Also known as the Temple of the Jade Mound; Den Ngoc Son is a small temple on an islet in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. The temple is open daily from 8am to 6pm, and there is an admission charge. The patron of Den Ngoc Son is believed to be Tran Hung Dao, a legendary general. Within the temple is a sculpture of a fabled tortoise from the legend of the lake. The temple grounds offer great views of ...
Opinions are divided over whether this tower is hideous or futuristic, especially with the babies crawling up the city’s tallest landmark. The lifts go up to a 93m observation deck and there is a restaurant on the 66 floor but it is overpriced. About the babies, originally designed by Prague’s artist of choice David Cerny during Prague’s reign the European City of Culture, the babies served as an ...
The Johannesburg Art Gallery is the home for impressive collections of 17th century Dutch, 18th and 19th century British and European, 19th and 20th century South African art, as well as a print cabinet of works from the 15th century to the present time. Address: King George Street (off Klein Street), Joubert Park Telephone: +27 (0)11 725 3130 Website: www.joburg.org.za/whatson/fine...
Located along the Grand Canal, this beautiful Gothic palace was constructed in 1434 by Marino Contarini for his wife. To express his love for his wife, he literally created a "Golden House" as the palaces marble traceries and ornaments were embellished with pure gold. Ca' d'Oro palace again became a gift of love when a 19th-century Russian prince presented it to Maria Taglioni, a famous classical ...