LAURENT A. Voivenel, CEO, Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH), was recently in Saudi Arabia to assess the progress at Coral Al Madina Hotel that is in advanced stages of construction and is due for completion by the third quarter of 2016. It is one of the several properties scheduled to open next year under the HMH banner and will be a flagship hotel for the group in the holy city of Madinah. Pleased with the progress, Laurent commented, “The construction has really picked up pace over the last few months and it is wonderful to see the building taking shape. The developers have done a fantastic job and we are confident Coral Al Madina Hotel will turn out to be a preferred address for travellers to the city.” HMH is the most credible and leading chain of Halal-friendly hotels operating across the MENA region, and KSA is central to its expansion strategy with the group looking to double its existing portfolio of hotels in the country over the next five years. Laurent stated, “Coral Al Madina Hotel is going to be the biggest and most prestigious opening of the year for us and is being developed to be the first ‘Smart' hotel in Madinah offering the most advanced technology including high-tech smart rooms”. The luxurious 5-star enjoys an unrivalled location just across the road overlooking the Al Masjid Al Nabawi Al Sharief (the Prophet's Mosque). The countdown to the opening has already begun with the hotel in final stages of development. Featuring 400 plus rooms and suites, spread over 10 floors and five basements, Coral Al Madina Hotel is owned by Mobarak Hotels Group that has appointed Designs Company, specialized in providing integrated hotel solutions, to oversee their growth and expansion. All rooms are designed with guests' comfort in mind and offer the ultimate in convenience and luxury, coupled with incomparable views of the holy mosque. Laurent stressed, “Each room at Coral Al Madina Hotel is thoughtfully equipped to meet the needs of Haj and Umrah pilgrims and families. Included in the hotel's wide range of facilities are three specialty restaurants and a lobby lounge, two state-of-the-art meeting rooms with adaptable function spaces, business center, fully-equipped gym and spa, shopping arcade, large private parking as well as helicopter landing site”. According to industry reports, religious tourism is flourishing in Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom completes expansion of the Holy mosques. The country expects visitors to Makkah and Madinah reach 25 million every year by 2025 from just over 17.5 million in 2014.Therefore, to meet this growing demand, both Makkah and Madinah have seen a massive increase in investment in the hotel sector. Founded in 2003 in Dubai, Hospitality Management Holdings is a fully-integrated hotel management company that prides itself on being the first hotel chain in the Middle East to offer halal-friendly, alcohol-free safe environment. It provides hotel owners and developers a broad spectrum of comprehensive management solutions with five distinct, yet complementary, hotel brands catering to varied market segments from budget to luxury. — SG
