World Bank Group sets aside US$200 million for upgrading Lebanon's roads

The World Bank Group has earmarked US$200 million for upgrading Lebanon’s road network, seen as a risk to public safety as well as an impediment to urban-rural development and equitable economic growth. The funds will be used to repair around 500 kilometres of roads in the first phase of a broader government plan to revamp the country’s crumbling road sector.

The Roads and Employment Project includes a US$45 million grant from the Bank-administered Concessional Financing Facility (CFF). It is the first time Lebanon has received funding from the CFF, a facility created in 2016 to support middle-income countries that have in the past been recipients of regular World Bank financing, but are currently experiencing unusual social and economic duress.

“This is to help Lebanon continue to offer basic services both to its citizens and to Syrian refugees in the country,” said Ferid Belhaj, the World Bank’s Director for the Middle East. “By hosting refugees, Lebanon is offering the international community a global public good. International financial support needs to increase to match its generosity.”

The presence of more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees has put unprecedented pressure on Lebanon’s already strained infrastructure. It has also fuelled social tensions, and changed the labour market by increasing the workforce by 35%. The road repair works would help provide more low-skilled jobs.

“Historically, the construction sector has been a primary source of income for poorer Lebanese and Syrians,” stated Ziad El Nakat, Senior World Bank Transport Specialist. “And it continues to play this role.”

The Roads and Employment Project would “also improve the quality and safety of the road network, particularly in less developed regions of the country, improving connectivity, reducing the cost of transport, and helping local economies develop through better access to markets and services,” he said.

Lebanon has one the highest per capita rates of road accidents in the world. The World Health Organization estimated the total number of road traffic fatalities in 2015 at 1,088, and their associated economic cost at between 3% and 5% of GDP.

The importance of regaining public confidence by investing in the road sector is highlighted in a five-year, US$510 million government plan. The Bank-financed project is aligned with this, and will help the government mobilise other international development partners to provide additional funding.

The first phase of the plan has four key objectives:

i) the rehabilitation and maintenance of existing road networks;

ii) the improvement of road safety systems;

iii) the purchase of equipment for emergency roadworks; and

iv) the capacity building to improve management and efficiency in the sector.

The project will include a survey of up to 6,000 kilometres of primary, secondary, and tertiary roads in all Lebanese regions to identify those in most need for rehabilitation.

The non-grant US$155 million loan portion of the package is repayable over 32.5 years, including a seven-year grace period. With this new package, the World Bank’s current commitment to Lebanon in grants, loans, and other concessional financing rises to US$1.3 billion.

TripAdvisor shares 2015 Certificate of Excellence hotel winners

Source: TripAdvisor website.

A number of hotels in Asia Pacific and the Middle East have received accolades from their visitors via TripAdvisor. The Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award this year, for instance.

“Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is a true source of pride for the entire team at Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers and we’d like to thank all of our past guests who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor,” said Akhmad Fadholi, General Manager at Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers. 

“There is no greater seal of approval than being recognised by one’s customers. With the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence based on customer reviews, the accolade is a remarkable vote of confidence to our business and our continued commitment to excellence.”

A TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence has also been awarded to the Coral Beirut Al Hamra Hotel, recognising its popularity with guests and quality product and service.

According to Hartmut Grauel, General Manager of the Coral Beirut Al Hamra Hotel, the Certificate of Excellence reflects a team effort and demonstrates the commitment of staff to the true spirit of hospitality. “Our major objective is to make every guest feel welcome, and the high level of positive comments received on TripAdvisor demonstrates how much they appreciate this warmth, as well as other benefits of the hotel such as a convenient central location in Beirut, spacious rooms, private parking and free Internet access,” he said.

Now in its fifth year, the award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great reviews on TripAdvisor. An establishment that receives a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the fifth consecutive year is inducted into the travel website’s Hall of Fame.

The Grand Millennium Dubai has just entered the Hall of Fame, one of only 9% of restaurants, attractions and accommodation providers in 2015 to do so. According to General Manager of the Grand Millennium Dubai, Peter Mansourian, this latest accolade from TripAdvisor was a bonus during a busy year for the team at the hotel:  “With a revamp of our restaurant offerings, plus further competition from new accommodation opening up in Dubai, we have had to strive to be at the top of our game,” he said.

“Winning the 2015 Certificate of Excellence for the fifth time – and joining the Hall of Fame – is excellent news and demonstrates we are providing service with a smile for our guests as well as a product that delivers everything they require, whether visiting Dubai on business or leisure.”

Marriott Executive Apartments in Bangkok, which consists of Mayfair-Chidlom, Sathorn Vista, and Sukhumvit Park, they also entered the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame. 

“Receiving the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence five years in a row and inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ is a true source of pride for the entire team at Marriott Executive Apartments Sukhumvit Park Bangkok and we’d like to thank all of our guests who have taken the time to complete a review over the past five years,” said David Lance, General Manager at Marriott Executive Apartments Sukhumvit Park Bangkok.

“At Marriott Executive apartments our moto is you don’t stay here you live here, even if it is only for one night and providing great service that creates a homelike atmosphere allows us to achieve this. There is no greater seal of approval than being recognised by our guests consistently over the last five years. With the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence based on customer reviews, this is a remarkable vote of confidence to our hotel and our continued commitment to excellence.”

Certificate of Excellence winners include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a superior customer experience.

When selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor uses a proprietary algorithm to determine the honorees that take into account the quality, quantity and recency of reviews and opinions submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period as well as business’s tenure and ranking on the Popularity Index on the site. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

"TripAdvisor is pleased to honour exceptional hospitality businesses that have received consistent praise and recognition by travellers on the site,” said Marc Charron, President, TripAdvisor for Business. “By putting a spotlight on businesses that are focused on delivering great service to customers, TripAdvisor not only helps drive increasing hospitality standards around the world, it also gives businesses both large and small the ability to shine and stand out from the competition.”

TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel website with 45 sites in 28 languages. It features more than 225 million reviews and opinions on nearly five million hotels and other accommodation, restaurants and attractions.

Coral Beirut Al Hamra adds two Ambassador Suites to room options

Coral Beirut Al Hamra Hotel has added a new category of suites with extra-large rooftop terraces and outdoor seating lounges. The 87 sq m Ambassador Suites are on the 11th floor and boast fully equipped kitchens, spacious living rooms as well as luxury bathrooms and amenities.

Hartmut Grauel, General Manager of Coral Beirut Al Hamra Hotel, said that the new category of suites has been designed to appeal to discerning travellers. "There has been a sustained demand for a full-size apartment with a kitchen and living room. As the trend is increasing to mix business with pleasure, many business travellers also prefer such facilities to enjoy a relaxing time in a spacious setting," he said.

The  four-star Coral Beirut Al Hamra has 100 rooms including 39 Business Suites, 20 Executive Suites and two 2-bedroom Ambassador Suites. Located 10km from Hariri International Airport, the hotel is convenient for both business and leisure, with facilities including a restaurant with outdoor terrace, 24-hour in-room dining service, business centre, a column-free ballroom and daylight meeting room with an outdoor terrace, gym, free Internet and private parking.

Cristal Group develops proprietary multilingual commission-free reservations tool

The Cristal Group will become the first hotel management company worldwide to develop its own zero commission based reservations tool that promises cheaper hotels.

A new multilingual website based on a proprietary booking engine will launch this month. According to Cristal's Chief Operating Officer Kamal Fakhoury, the new website will make it easier for customers to book Cristal Hotels, with extended language options that will include Arabic, and Chinese among other languages. 

“With hotels in Abu Dhabi, Iraq, Lebanon and more to come in Saudi Arabia, we are building an international client base and it is vital that we can communicate with potential customers in their language,” he said.

“Looking ahead, China and Russia have been identified as major growth markets for the future, with 140 million Chinese alone visiting overseas destinations in 2015 – while Germany remains a strong source market for destinations such as UAE.”

Further benefits of the new website will be competitive pricing, as the proprietary booking engine ensuring that hotels do not pay direct web booking commission and can pass this saving on to owners and customers. The new website will also feature a dedicated media, marketing and HR portal, he added.

“We will ensure we have international reach through partnering with global distribution experts, Travel click, but have determined the scope of the new brand website through intensive research that ultimately benefits both the client and the hotels.”

The Cristal Group was established in the UAE in 2007 followed by the British Virgin Islands in 2012 to deliver hospitality consultancy, technical services, asset management and brand management. Its vision is to be the premier business and leisure hotel operator in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. 

Bank offers live videoconferencing in Beirut

Bank Audi has opened a flagship Novo branch in the Palladium Building in Beirut Central District. The Novo branch, open 365 days a year from 10am to 10pm, provides interactive access to banking services.

In addition to smart ATMs which allow cash withdrawal, cash and cheque deposits, and credit card settlement, the branch features, for the first time in Lebanon, interactive teller machines (ITMs) which offer customers live video conferencing with personal tellers. Through ITMs, they can perform banking transactions, manage their accounts, deposit and cash cheques, deposit and withdraw cash, pay bills, transfer money to a Bank Audi account, and get live assistance.

A Novo advisory room is also available for customers and enables live video chat, browsing and applying for services, loans and cards, in addition to account opening, as well as instant debit card issuance.

Another facet of the Novo branch is Cards to Go, a vending machine for prepaid cards. The machine includes the Card Artist feature which gives them the possibility of designing their own prepaid card and issue it on the spot.

The new branch also includes a Novo information station that offers live video chats with Bank Audi advisors, as well as the possibility of instantly browsing through services, loans and cards, and accessing home showrooms with loans, cards and services simulations.

*Image from Bank Audi.

LUSH opens third store in Lebanon

LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, a manufacturer and retailer of ethical skincare, haircare, bath, and body products, officially opening its third store at ABC Achrafieh in Lebanon in early November.

Source: LUSH.

The newest LUSH store in Lebanon is the third in under three years. The other LUSH stores are at ABC Dbayeh and Beirut Souks. 

LUSH is known for its ethical and innovative approach to bath, body, haircare and skincare. LUSH pioneered beauty products such as fizzing bath bombs, bubble bars, and solid shampoo bars, and emphasises ingredients like fresh organic fruits and vegetables and the finest essential oils. LUSH produces high quality products that are vegetarian, preservative-free and free of wasteful packaging with absolutely no animal testing being done on LUSH products or ingredients. These ethics are at the heart of the brand and will remain there with every new shop that opens globally.