Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Richreit Real Estate Development for one of its most high-profile projects yet – Mövenpick Hotel Apartments Al Burj Business Bay, located in Dubai’s sought-after Business Bay district. This striking 40-floor property with a modern yet elegant façade, will command a prime position on Burj Khalifa Boulevard overlooking the world’s tallest building, and is expected to open in 2017.

Michael Nugent, regional director, Jordan, Mövenpick Hotels talks to Breaking Travel News about the portfolio of properties offered by the brand in the destination, how the market is changing and what is on offer to travellers there.

Newly appointed Rania Bawalsa now sits at the helm of Mövenpick Resort Petra as the property’s new hotel manager. Bawalsa’s career in the hospitality industry began two decades ago in 1996 as a housekeeping coordinator for Le Méridien Amman Hotel where she later moved on to join Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts as executive secretary for the general manager’s office at Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea, where she honed her pre-opening and development skills.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts ended 2015 on a high note, signing 12 new properties and expanding its portfolio by 15 per cent. The Swiss hospitality firm, which currently operates 83 hotels worldwide, accelerated its expansion plans during the course of the year, inking one new hotel management agreement a month and adding 4,088 rooms to its inventory in high-growth markets across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Vietnam’s first ever integrated destination resort will be operated by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. In a strategic move that cements its presence in the fast-growing Asian hotel market, the Swiss hospitality firm has signed a management deal with Ngoi Sao Cua Duong Joint Stock Company for the high-profile Mövenpick Resort Phu Quoc.

The Mövenpick Hotel Riyadh has opened its doors, marking the debut of the Mövenpick brand in Saudi Arabia’s capital city. The five-star property, the result of a US$213.2 million investment, features 438 luxury rooms and suites and is located in the business district on King Fahad Road.