Dubais-luxury-hotels-are-cutting-prices-and-pushing-staycations-as.jpeg

Dubai’s luxury hotels are cutting prices and pushing staycations as Middle East travel chaos dents tourism

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Dubai’s glitzy hotels are slashing prices and pushing staycations to fill rooms.

With air travel limited and governments around the world advising their citizens not to travel to the UAE, hotels are offering staycation deals to ease the impact of lower international tourism.

The Jumeirah hotel chain, which operates the 5-star Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the iconic Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, among others, has been touting staycation offers on its Instagram stories this week.

These offers, specifically for UAE residents, include up to 30% off stays and perks such as 2-for-1 spa treatments. Outside these resident discounts, the cheapest rate for two adults at the Burj Al Arab is $905 this month, rising to $1,514 in April. The hotel chain did not respond to a request for comment.

Shangri-La Abu Dhabi, another 5-star hotel, also promoted its staycation deal on Wednesday, which included 15% off dining.

Address Beach Resort, a 5-star hotel based in JBR, said it’s offering UAE residents up to 30% off to stay at its resort between March 5 and April 30. This month, the cheapest rate for two adults without residents’ discounts is $320 a night at the resort. It jumps to $571 in the middle of April.

Roda Beach Resort, a 4-star hotel located in Jumeirah, said it has received “multiple extension requests” and requests for a “staycation for a lower price” within a day of posting its staycation offer on Tuesday. The resort said it is offering deals on its rooms starting at $108 over the next three weeks.


Two people carrying surfboards walk across the beach in front of the Jumeirah Burj Al Arab and Marsa Al Arab

Dubai is known for its luxury hotels.

Christopher Pike/Getty Images



Hotels are cutting prices

The war in Iran has dealt a major blow to Dubai’s hospitality industry. The conflict is estimated to be costing the Middle East at least $600 million per day in international visitor spending, according to research by the World Travel & Tourism Council.

For a prospective tourist, being unfazed by the conflict is only half the battle. Several airlines, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Air Canada, have canceled flights to major hubs in the Middle East, including Dubai.

Though staycations have long been a core offering for many hotels in the UAE, price drops are likely drawing in some residents.

A website that launched on Sunday — “Hotel Drops Dubai” — is live-tracking pricing at dozens of four and five-star hotels in the city. According to its estimates, some of these hotels are discounted by nearly 60%, including the Al Khoory Atrium Hotel and the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai.

The UAE also recently announced it would move spring break forward by a week for schools and universities, making domestic getaways even more appealing to local families right now.

Poppy Johnson, a UAE resident and UK-born creative director for brands and businesses, said she booked a two-night Friday-to-Sunday stay at the Grand Hyatt using its GCC Residents Offer, which provides up to 20% off rooms, dining, and spa treatments, and complimentary breakfast and waterpark access.

It cost $114 per night for a king-size room, she said. She described the staycation as a much-needed “reset” after a disruptive 10 days.

“We wanted a bit of a reset” and a “change of scenery,” she told Business Insider. “Breaking patterns from over the last 10 days. To feel like we’re on holiday without having to get a flight.”

Do you live in the UAE and have a story to share? Contact this reporter via email at rshahidi@insider.com or Signal at @royashahidi.36. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.




Source link

Photos-show-damage-to-Dubai-luxury-tourist-hotspot-after-Iranian.jpeg

Photos show damage to Dubai luxury tourist hotspot after Iranian strike

by with No Comment Xpandfy

  • The US and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on Saturday.
  • Iran’s retaliation involved strikes across six Gulf nations.
  • Photos taken during and after the strikes showed damage to a luxury hotel in Dubai and other spots.

The attacks launched by the US and Israel on Iran escalated on Saturday, with retaliatory strikes hitting nations across the Gulf.

Hours into what the Trump administration is calling Operation Epic Fury, Iran responded with attacks on more than six countries, from Dubai to Bahrain. Iran said it targeted bases that host US forces in the Middle East.

Satellite pictures also show extensive damage to Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei’s residence. Khamenei was killed on Saturday, though it is still unclear if he was at the Tehran compound when it was struck.

Intercepted missiles were seen streaking across the sky in Dubai, a tourist hotspot, and their debris appeared to spark fires and other issues. Fairmont’s famous luxury property on the Palm was hit.

Chaos was also abound at airports, amid mass flight cancellations as planes scrambled to clear the airspace over Iran.




Source link

This-company-gives-away-free-trips-and-luxury-cars-to.jpeg

This company gives away free trips and luxury cars to its top employees every year

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Companies are getting creative with rewarding standout workers, but few are giving out $170,000 luxury cars or cruises to the Bahamas.

ThreatLocker, an Orlando-based cybersecurity firm with about 700 employees, gives luxury cars to its two most collaborative workers at its annual holiday party, the company told Business Insider.

The firm, which also has offices in Dublin, Dubai, and Australia, receives hundreds of votes each month for the two most helpful employees — one in the US, and one abroad. It flies in its international workers in for the holiday party.

Additionally, every manager votes for the best performer on their team that month. At the end of the year, the total votes for the top performer and the most helpful employee are combined to determine the two car recipients, the company said.

The firm usually awards an electric model, but has also handed out a $125,000 Porsche Panamera. The company hasn’t announced its car for this year yet, but told Business Insider one of the models is worth $173,000.

The tradition began in 2021 as a prize for the top performer, but CEO Danny Jenkins said it created a “dog-eat-dog” work environment. In the cybersecurity industry, teamwork is crucial to the company’s success, he said. Jenkins said the firm operates 24 hours a day with an average pick-up time of 23 seconds for any customer support issue, and colleagues need to work together to achieve that.

“Everything we do is with this matter of urgency,” Jenkins said. “So if you don’t have this teamwork where people are willing to get on a call at 2 a.m. in the morning and help each other and collaborate, then it doesn’t work.”

Jenkins said he works about 100 hours a week, and he keeps his phone on 24/7 in case issues arise.

Retaining the top

AI development has led to a boom in the cybersecurity industry, resulting in heightened demand for qualified talent. Jenkins said the company has never done layoffs and is currently hiring 40 to 50 people a month.

“I’d like to be in a situation where I don’t feel like we’re drowning because we’re constantly struggling to hire and onboard people fast enough,” said Jenkins.

That makes it all the more worthwhile to retain top talent and those who contribute to a strong culture.

He said that before the car winners are announced, between 14 and 16 runner-ups are honored in front of the company, and then offered a spot on a fully paid long-weekend getaway.

Jenkins said the trip has included a Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas, as well as trips to Boston or New York. The group typically includes employees from various departments, and they all receive a spending budget of $2,500 on their trip, he said.

ThreatLocker also offers other perks to standout employees. Jenkins said that most employees work 40-hour workweeks, but sometimes teams may have to put in 18 or 19 hours straight to address an issue. Jenkins said when workers push through tight deadlines or go above and beyond, the company may reward them with court-side seats at games in the Orlando Kia Center, where the company has a permanent box.

Jenkins said the trip and car giveaway have bolstered employee success and that no car recipient has ever left the company.




Source link

Luxury-tycoon-Bernard-Arnault-just-put-one-of-his-sons.jpeg

Luxury tycoon Bernard Arnault just put one of his sons in charge of an LVMH holding company

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Luxury goods mogul Bernard Arnault is the world’s richest person.



Eric Piermont/Getty Images


Bernard Arnault’s fourth child has been named head of one of the family’s holding companies that control luxury giant LVMH.

Frédéric Arnault, a 29-year-old, was also appointed to the LVMH board alongside his brother Alexandre in April. Those additions mean four out of Arnault’s five children now sit on the LVMH board.

Arnault is currently the world’s richest person with a net worth of about $215 billion, according to estimates by Bloomberg. In 2023, he became only the third person to surpass the $200 billion mark, following tech moguls Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.

Arnault cofounded LVMH in the 1980s and is its CEO and chair. The French luxury conglomerate owns a range of brands covering fashion, perfume, jewelry, watches, and alcohol, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Moët & Chandon, Fenty Beauty, and Tiffany & Co.

In February 2023, Arnault’s daughter, Delphine Arnault, became CEO of Dior. But it’s not just Delphine who has risen up LVMH’s ranks. All four of Bernard’s sons work at LVMH and its brands, too.

Bernard, 75, has not said who he wants to take over from him, but it’s a topic that gets discussed every time he gives one of his offspring a new role. In 2022 LVMH raised the age limit of its CEO from 75 to 80, extending Bernard’s possible tenure.

“The best person inside the family or outside the family should be one day my successor,” Bernard told The New York Times in September. “But it’s not something that I hope is a duel for the near future.”

Bernard has primed his children for leadership roles at the company since birth, though they say he never forced them to join LVMH. His offspring were sent to the best schools and as children would get quizzed on their math skills nearly every night, The Times reported.

“I didn’t want them to start going to big parties,” Bernard said of his children. “I made them work.”

The Arnault family has been compared to HBO series “Succession,” which sees the children of media mogul Logan Roy vying to take over as CEO.

“I know it’s disappointing for a lot of people,” Antoine Arnault, Bernard’s oldest son, told The Times, “but we actually get on well.”

Delphine and Antoine already sit on LVMH’s board, leaving only Jean — the youngest of the siblings — off the board.


Source link