Airlines & airports Direct flights between Cairo and Madinah STARTING 14 June, regular direct flights will operate between Cairo and Madinah in Saudi Arabia. They will start as bi-weekly flights but officials confirm that the frequency will increase gradually according to the open sky agreement signed with the Saudi authorities. The agreement allows EgyptAir to operate additional trips, one daily trip or more, at the time of Hajj (pilgrimage) and Omra (off-season pilgrimage). EgyptAir officials will also increase the company's trips to New York from five trips to seven in the summer season. Lufthansa betterFly fares STARTING 3 April Lufthansa launched its new betterFly fares. From that date, flights could be booked for as little as 99 euros for a return fare, including taxes and charges. The offer applies to all Lufthansa non-stop flights from any German airport to destinations in EU countries, Switzerland, Norway and Turkey. BetterFly fares have no minimum stay or advance booking requirements. In addition, passengers will have the miles they have flown credited to their Miles & More account and can enjoy the full services that come with a Lufthansa flight. Never before has it been so cheap to fly with a quality airline to Athens, Lisbon or Riga. "After our successful experience on domestic routes in Germany and the launch of our betterFly fares in Hamburg, we have seen that an attractive starting price can have a very positive effect on the market. We want to make our customers appealing offers and open up further growth for Lufthansa," says Wolfgang Mayrhuber, chairman and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, explaining the new price concept. Any betterFly ticket can be rebooked, although a charge will be made for this service. However, tickets are non-refundable. For information or to book a Lufthansa flight, please contact the Lufthansa Call Centre on 0180 -- LUFTHANSA (0180/5 83 84 26). Reservations can also be made at Lufthansa- designated travel agencies and at Lufthansa sales counters at airports. Hotels & resorts Miss Egypt at the beach JW MARRIOTT Hotel Cairo was selected to host the Miss Egypt Pre-Final event that was held at The Beach. More than 700 invitees attended the event and were impressed by the beautiful step-up where a huge stage and catwalk were built in the swimming pool. Famous Lebanese singers; Iwan, Dolly Shahin and Madline Mattar performed live at the event and commented on the lovely ambiance, the personalised service and most of all the friendly atmosphere of the associates. Egyptian tourism ambassador MOUNIR Sami, Ramses Hilton general manager has nominated Sami Abul-Ezz from the Concierge Department for the Egyptian Tourism Ambassador Award on the occasion of the launch of the Ministry of Tourism's National Awareness Programme. A grand celebration was held at the Cairo International Conference Centre where Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, in the presence of Minister of Tourism Zohair Garranah, granted Abul-Ezz the award. Abul-Ezz has had long experience in the hotel industry. He joined the Ramses Hilton 25 years ago in customer service. He exhibits professional skills and is an exemplary employee to the hotel industry in Egypt. Miles & More AN AGREEMENT has just been signed between Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts (MH&R) and Germany's Lufthansa cooperating with the Frequent Flyer programmes. It means that with immediate effect more than 11.5 million Miles & More members will be able to collect miles at MH&R. From April 2006 members of the Miles & More Frequent Flyer Programme will be able to collect award miles not just when flying with their airline but also whenever they stay at any of 55 MH&R worldwide. Each overnight stay with MH&R is rewarded with at least 500 award miles, making MH&R the only hotel chain within the Miles & More programme to credit award miles per night rather than per overall stay. And in April and May 2006 the international Hotel Group is even offering its guests double award miles, with 1,000 miles per night. "We're delighted to be cooperating with Lufthansa, which like us relies on high standards of quality and a first class service," says Steven Nikolov, senior vice president of sales and marketing for MH&R. "For former members of the Swiss Travel Club operated by Swiss International Air Lines, who now benefit from the Miles & More programme, the transition has been seamless." From France to Taba ACCOR Hotels Egypt recently organised a familiarisation trip inaugurating the first charter flight to Taba from France. This inaugural charter flight carried around 190 French tour operators, travel agents and members of the French press to acquaint them with this enchanting destination located on the Gulf of Aqaba. This charter flight will operate on a weekly basis direct from France to Taba carrying 160 French tourists seeking sun, sea and comfort. Accor organised this trip in cooperation with the Egyptian Tourist Office in Paris, French tour operator 1001 Soleils and their Egyptian local receptive Triad Travel. The French delegation spent 48 hours in Sofitel Taba Heights, managed by Accor and owned by Orascom. The hotel was opened in September 2003 and comprises 294 guest rooms, a large health club and a number of restaurants, each with a different concept. Japanese- Egyptian delegation in town THE JAPANESE- Egyptian friendship delegation was invited to spend an enchanting oriental evening by the Nile in Aladdin restaurant in Cairo Sheraton Hotel where they enjoyed the most succulent grills to the sound of oriental music of the takht. This visit is an expression of the profound relationship between the two nations. Technological refurbishments at Sheraton Miramar SHERATON Miramar's Palace Royal Suite has undergone a series of technological refurbishments leading it to become one of El-Gouna's most prestigious and luxurious Royal Suites. Guests can witness the spectacular changes in the Palace, using the latest state-of-the-art technology to refurbish elegantly and create an intimate ambiance for guests looking for the height of luxury. This new luxurious revamp aimed to secure Miramar's guests' utmost comfort comprises a new BenQ Plasma Screen, a Sony NS 50 DVD, a Denon AVR 1906 Amplifier and a BOSE AM10 Speakers whose value exceeds LE35,000. "Our aim was to provide our guests with a luxurious deluxe Suite facility in El-Gouna, ideally designed for both long-term and short-term stays, featuring the ultimate in comfort and luxury," explains Klaus Christandl, general manager of the Sheraton Miramar El-Gouna. The Palace Suite features two luxurious bedrooms. The suite guests also have private lounge, private terraces, a reading room and a private pool deck. The Palace is an exclusive world of luxury inside the world of luxury that is the Sheraton Miramar Resort. "It's not just the Palace facility itself that's so special -- it's the private beach and the impeccable service that pampers the every whim of the guest," added Christandl. In addition to its 338 guest rooms, which include six junior suites, four executive suites and the two-storey Palace Royal suite, the Sheraton Miramar Resort provides the latest in state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities, all within a luxurious yet relaxed setting. The hotel's superb facilities include five swimming pools, an aqua center with an international diving school, water skiing, windsurfing and golf. Menaville safety award MENAVILLE Resort in Safaga has recently received a plaque and a letter of thanks from the international CRYSTAL Company for achieving a distinguished rate of compliance with good water and food safety standards. CRYSTAL system's function is to establish whether a hotel is following the correct methods with regards to control procedures for food and water safety. This kind of audit is based on quantitative analysis that provides a numerical value indicating the degree of compliance with the system according to international standards. Menaville resort is now listed on the company's website www.checksafetyfirst.com Press party FOUR Seasons Hotels and Resorts Egypt hosted a cocktail reception for top media people in Egypt to thank them for their continued support and cooperation. Welcoming the valued guests, Randy Shimoboku, general manger of Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence, Olivier Masson, general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza, Cesare Rouchdy, senior director of marketing of Four Seasons Egypt and Ashraf El-Manawaty director of sales and marketing of Four Seasons Sharm El-Sheikh. They thanked all the invitees for their endless effort in raising tourism awareness. Greek president in town GRAND Hyatt Cairo Hotel has recently hosted Greek president Karlos Papoulias during his official visit to Egypt to attend the inaugural ceremony of the Church of the Annunciation in Alexandria. A lavish dinner was held in his honour at the Nile Expo ballroom overlooking the Nile. Sweet sleepers in Alexandria STARWOOD Hotel Group is introducing over 40,000 Sweet Sleepers beds in Sheraton hotels in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. As for Egypt, Sheraton Montazah Hotel was one of the leading Starwood properties to start using these luxurious beds in its newly renovated rooms. The Sweet Sleepers beds have specially developed by Simmons Beautyrest mattress with barrel shaped high tensile springs. The bed linen includes crisp white 100 per cent combed cotton 200 thread count percale duvet cover and sheets, sumptuous white goose feather and down pillows and a coloured throw to tone with the room décor. "The Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed is the latest in a series of enhancements designed to position Starwood on the top of the upscale hotel segment," said Atef Wilson, general manager of the hotel. Taste of Thailand DUE to popular demand, the Cairo Marriott's weekly homage to Thai cuisine has seen extended indefinitely. Guests have enthused about the new live cooking stations, at which everything is cooked before their eyes by the hotel's brigade of Thai chefs. For more information call +202 739 4646. A new resort opens in Taba BETWEEN the cinnamon-coloured backdrop of the Sinai desert and the cool, sapphire waters of the Red Sea, InterContinental Hotels Group has opened its newest hotel in the region, InterContinental Resort Taba Heights. The resort, situated on the northernmost tip of the Gulf of Aqaba and located 35 kilometres from Taba International Airport, rests on a prime water front location boasting sandy white beaches, turquoise waters and stunning desert scenery securing it as a year round destination. InterContinental Resort Taba Heights is part of Taba Heights, a 4.2 million square metre destination and one of Egypt's newest and most beautiful resort developments on the Sinai's Red Sea coast, encompassing five kilometres of beachfront. The 503 room property, encompassing 27 junior, seven executive and one Presidential Suite is spread out over three buildings: the Pentagon, Atrium and the Crescent. Walkways and paths surrounded by the lush tropical gardens of the resort link the three buildings, with each room offering guests superb views over the idyllic coastline, pool, lagoon or mountains. InterContinental Resort Taba Heights offers the ultimate in luxurious accommodation including the private, white sandy beach, two tennis and one squash court, two free-form swimming pools, of which one is a heated, a salt water lagoon and a spa that features sauna, Jacuzzi, massage, beauty and facial care services, as well as an indoor heated pool. French press trip in Heliopolis INTERCONTINENTAL Citystars Cairo hosted recently a top French press delegation. The delegation included eight prominent journalists from French magazine Le Figaro, the Radio Français Internationale as well as other reputed media. The delegation, welcomed by the resident manager Jean Martin Fleisch, was invited to a warm cocktail reception held at Bellini Cocktail lounge. Romantic memoires IF YOU are a couple who have something to share -- whether it be a honeymoon, a special anniversary, a birthday or just a wonderful opportunity to escape to a private haven -- then you have to consider Four Seasons' Sharm El-Sheikh Romantic Memoires Package. The offer, a special three-night, four-day stay at the Red Sea resort, includes the ultimate in pampering for two. It includes a special welcome drink upon arrival, a host of amenities in the guests' suite including lovers chocolate cake and floral decorations. The package also includes a buffet breakfast, a candlelit dinner in privacy of the suite, on the outdoor terrace or at a romantic spot on the beach, and a spa for two including a one-hour massage in the resort's private couples-only massage suite. This romantic package will be available till 20 December 2006. For more information call +069 3603 555. Renovating the historical palace MENA House Oberoi Hotel is undergoing a huge renovation programme that includes the palace and the buildings of the Mena Garden that comprise 486 rooms. The first stage of the renovation scheme includes 146 rooms of the Mena Garden buildings and all the electric and mechanical works at a cost of LE70 million. Work is expected to be completed by the end of September 2006. The second stage includes 217 rooms, the establishment of a new restaurant, the renovation of the swimming pool and the surrounding area at a cost of LE60 million. Work will be terminated by the end of June 2007. The third stage includes the renovation of the 65 suites and rooms of the palace, the establishment of the spa and a new swimming pool for the palace, at a cost of LE65 million.
