Westin ATM party draws over 2,000: Pre-ATM bash declared ‘hottest’ party of the year



DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 6, 2008 – It was Open House at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina last night as the five-star resort flung open its doors to welcome in the world’s travel industry and give them a glimpse of Dubai’s very latest beachfront resort.
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Are you a hotel eMarketer looking for ways to better communicate, educate and develop the role at your property/ies? This article explores some of the issues surrounding these efforts, complemented by a dose of perspective and a generous helping of best practices, all garnished, hopefully, by your own ideas and experiences. By Jitendra Jain

Finding Meaning: Wikipedia attributes the word ‘evolution’ to the Latin term ‘evolutio’ meaning "unfolding". While the tech and Internet revolution have anything but “unfolded” upon us (“exploded” would be more appropriate, given the short span of time over which most Internet-related developments have occurred), there is something to be learnt from the nature of these changes.
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With the spectacular W Hotel in Doha set to open this year, there are plenty of opportunities for young talent to showcase their abilities at this landmark property. Check out the details below, including a full release on the hotel and some visuals!



W HOTELS. DOHA. QATAR. PRE-OPENING OPPORTUNITIES. TALENT. SHOW. Auditioning now for the following talent:

> Welcome Office - Welcome Agents
> Welcome Office - W Insiders
> Whatever/Whenever - Concierge
> Beverage & Food – Servers
> Beverage & Food – Hostesses
> Beverage & Food – Bartenders [Read More!]

10 photos from the underground work going on with the Dubai Metro Project. View the photos here [Read More!]

I came across this post called “The Top 20 Reasons Not to Move to Dubai (in no particular order!)” on the Net and felt that it did a pretty-good job of Dubai-bashing without necessarily substantiating everything objectively and looking at the pros. It’s a given that Dubai also has its weaknesses and flaws, but doesn’t every other place on earth? It’s important to look at the big picture and see how much this great city has also achieved in such a short span of time!

I, like most other expatriates have come to Dubai looking for good job opportunities, a decent standard of living and security. I think the city does a pretty good job of offering that to most people who’ve moved here for the right reasons and in the right frame of mind…! It would be naive to expect everything would be perfect and that everyone who comes to Dubai, like any other expat destination would be entirely happy. Hey - I have some issues that I’m particulary pleased about, but then again it all depends on your alternatives! If I have similar or other problems back home I have no right to gripe…and if conditions are better back home, why move in the first place? Continue reading [Read More!]

The Apple iPhone has been causing waves long enough in North America and the most users have found a workaround, hack or just a usuable alternative to get a hold of this magnificient device and start using it...even in the Middle East! Dubai is already flooded with a plethora of "distributors" - each who claims a working hack, spew of add-ons and the best deal you'd get in your life :) (Read the post and comments here for a preview of the frenzy!). How about buying and using an iPhone in Bahrain however? Though the official launch of the iPhone in most countries worldwide is still a few months away (mainly due to bundling and distribution issues with the local Telecom providers) the iPhone is already being sold and brought into the country and used with the hacks now easily available online. And while the phone has its drawbacks for advanced users, the beauty of the interface and the feel make it worth all the trouble! How has YOUR experience been with the Apple iPhone? Did you buy in Bahrain? What issues did you face with local distributors and making it work with Batelco / MTC Vodafone? [Read More!]

BATELCO (The National Telecommunications Company of Bahrain) has launched a new, first-time video mail service in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This is part of their 3.5G portfolio that promises the fastest broadband services to mobile users in the country:

Batelco’s 3.5G ‘portfolio’ includes mobile broadband, video calling and a new mobile portal with a wide range of exciting content targeting all segments in Bahrain. To use the exciting new services, customers need to subscribe to Batelco’s O services and register for video mail. Each customer will be assigned a video mailbox. The cost for registration is only BD1 and video mail forwarding is free of charge.

tags: batelco, voicemail, video-mail, video, broadband, mobile, telecom, 3.5g, mobile-broadband, bahrain, manama, kingdom, video-mailbox

The Qatar–Bahrain Friendship Bridge is a long-discussed bridge that is to be constructed between the two Gulf states of Qatar and Bahrain.

The link will be about 45 kilometers (28 mi) long. The beginning of the causeway in Qatar will be located at Ras Ashairij area, five kilometers South of the city of Al Zubara, and a similar spot will be located North of Askar village in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The link is expected to consist of a number of bridges combined with roads constructed on dams and will be a natural extension of the King Fahd Causeway that connects Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, thus linking the entire region.
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A complete visual and descriptive summary by Gulf News of the achievements in the Kingdom of Bahrain, marking the Bahrain National Day celebrations. Download or read the full supplement here: http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/2007tribute.asp
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Monday night was the coldest Bahrain has been in 31 years as the minimum temperature dipped to 6¼C in Awali and Sakhir, according to Civil Aviation Affairs. "The temperature at the airport was, however, 8¼C - the same as on Sunday night," a spokesman said yesterday. He said the last time temperature dropped to 6¼C in Awali was in January 1977. News Source


tags: bahrain, chill, weather, manama, kingdom, coldest, 31-years

US President George W. Bush can expect a royal welcome on Saturday from Bahrain's ruling dynasty and a loyal one from US sailors in the Gulf state but the Shiite majority are less impressed. Bush visits Bahrain after a stop on Friday in Kuwait as part of a Gulf tour aimed at mobilising Sunni Arab monarchies against Shiite Iran, arch-foe of Washington's main Middle East ally, Israel. He will be the first US president to visit the tiny archipelago -- a "major non-NATO ally" of Washington and home to the US Fifth Fleet, whose warships were involved in a standoff with the Iranian navy last Sunday. [Read More!]

The popular Gipsy Kings are all set to bring their musical talents to Dubai and usher in the new year with pomp and style! The New Year’s eve (December 31st, 2007) event will be held at the Al Sahra Desert Resort & Amphitheater and will include a five-star Gala Dinner, Champagne reception, unlimited beverages on selected premium brands, firewords display, music by DJ Jeff Price, complimentary transport to and from the venue in Dubai…and of course, Live entertainment by the Gipsy Kings! The Gipsy Kings are also set to rock Dubai with it’s first New Year concert on the 1st of January 2008 at the same venue. Doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm. The event is being organized by Destinations of the World and tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketingboxoffice.com or by calling +971 4 2141313 or +971 50 5596909. Dress Code is Black Tie or National Dress.
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Patrons of the Hotel & Hospitality industry (and certainly those that run it) are no stranger to the glitz and glamour associated with it. A world different than most, comprised of the most beautiful places, experiences, designs and gastronomic delights…all driven by the dynamic and hardy people who define the industry. But while we hear so much about the tangible elements of hospitality, it is rare to find a soulful look at the people who engineer the experiences that keep you coming back for more. [Read More!]

A comprehensive list of Campus based Hospitality, Hotel Management, Travel, Culinary and Leadership schools, colleges and universities in the US and Canada is provided here for your reference. Use the links provided to request more information from the respective schools - please note that this list is for US & Canada residents only and you may be asked to provide a ZIP / Postal code for any enquiries. Use the list below or use the advanced school search feature to find what you are looking for! [Read More!]

Here is a hand list of the most important online learning resources for hotels, hospitality, restaurant management, culinary arts, travel and tourism studies online. The first half covers Internationally available courses with eCornell and the second half covers online options for students based in the USA and Canada. Some basic resources to start with include the following:

Online Education Databases:

Online Schools | Online Hotel Management Schools | Online Restaurant Management Schools | Online Travel Agent Schools | Online Recreation Schools | Online Facility Management Schools | Online Event Management Schools | Online Culinary Schools

Other Useful Links:

Campus Based  Schools | Advanced College and University Search | Refer a Friend | Scholarship Search | MAPP Career Assessment | Hotel School Photo Gallery | Middle East Job Search | Free Top 20 Hotel Jobs Newsletter

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