Centara Hotels & Resorts continues to expand internationally with the opening of a four-star, 152-room hotel in Muscat. The property becomes its fifth hotel outside Thailand and first of three planned for the Middle East.

Affirming its commitment to the growth and development of the tourism sector in Erbil and towards creating employment opportunities for Kurdish youth in the hospitality sector, Rotana has officially inaugurated the first hotel under its Arjaan hotel apartments brand in Iraq – Erbil Arjaan by Rotana.

Time Hotels Management has unveiled plans for a new four-star hotel in Dubai’s Al Barsha shopping district, Time Asma Hotel, which will aim for 80 per cent of team members to be female, led by general manager Ghada Mahgoub, with dedicated facilities for female guests.

Rotana will showcase its key upcoming properties at Arabian Travel Market, the region’s premier travel and tourism event which starts today. Rotana is preparing to open 17 new properties before the end of 2018, adding more than 4,500 keys to the company’s existing room count.

Mövenpick is set to open its first hotel in Oman’s capital city, Muscat. Part of a design-led upscale mixed-used development, the Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Al Azaiba Muscat will capitalise on its prime location in Muscat’s commercial hub, the Ghala District, adjacent to the Sultan Qaboos Highway and close to the new international airport and Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre.

First there was a deliberately depressing theme park, now Banksy is opening a hotel with views of graffiti-strewn concrete from every room. The Walled off Hotel is a three-storey immersive piece of art and also a fully functioning hostelry.