QE2 is coming to Mina Rashid

Setting Sail

On the 26th November 2008, the most famous cruise liner of our time will make her final journey. Just before sunset QE2 will dock in Mina Rashid in the Arabian Gulf, and this will be the very last time she docks at any port in her current capacity as the world’s most famous cruise liner. 2010 will see her re-emerge transformed into an ultra-luxurious floating hotel.

The magnificent ship will form the pinnacle of a palatial pier that will stretch 300 metres out from the trunk of the Palm into the waters of the Arabian Gulf. A grand entrance to the pier will provide the gateway to a luxury residential and hotel quarter, which will feature elegant apartments, a private club, bars and restaurants, a wellness centre and gardens.

A high-end yacht club will service a major marina attached to the pier, giving residences on the trunk marina views. The QE2 precinct will also feature public promenades, retail outlets, cafés and restaurants as well as a heritage museum displaying artefacts from QE2 and local maritime history.

The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai

The Address to be!

At a vertiginous 306 metres in height, this brilliant behemoth of a hotel is 63 storeys of unsurpassed luxury. The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai, developed by Emaar Hospitality Group, is the latest in high-end hotel style. It’s the second tallest tower in Downtown Burj Dubai, next only to the world’s tallest building. There are 196 rooms and suites with a rich array of amenities that appeal to both business and leisure travellers. The striking art decoinspired architecture makes a sophisticated first-impression, particularly at night when the building is creatively illuminated.

All the rooms at The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai vary in design and aesthetics thus assuring guests highly individualised choices. Apart from spectacular views of Downtown Burj Dubai and the aweinspiring tower, the contemporary rooms feature lifestyle amenities such as a large flat screen television and iPod docking station. The well-designed bathrooms with their double vanities, marble floors and mosaic finishes feature luxurious toiletries from renowned brands that serve to only enhance the in-room experience.

The Dubai Mall is much more than a simple shopping experience

Retail Therapy

Walk through the doors of The Dubai Mall and you are immediately aware that you are embarking on much more than a simple shopping experience.

You could spend days in here whether perusing the 1,200 stores, which will include Bloomingdales and Hamleys toy store as well as the region’s largest collection of luxury brands on the mall’s fashion avenue, or if the shopping becomes too exhausting, relaxing in the aquarium and having a quick zoom around the indoor ice rink.

The aquarium itself is set to be huge (50m long) and will be flanked by two glass tunnels offering the public a window into an underwater world. Shoppers will come face-to-face with sharks, stingrays and myriad species of fish. And both children and adults alike will be able to learn more about the aquatic world with a visit to the Discovery Centre. The mall also has a SEGA indoor theme park and an innovative children’s edutainment centre called KidZania, which means kids young and old will never want to leave.

Thomas Cook Stars this year in Dubai

The DTCM UK and Ireland accompanied and presented at Thomas Cook’s annual reward conference for top sellers. The trip provided a wonderful opportunity to meet and communicate with a highly motivated group of around 120 agents, placing Dubai and the breadth of product available front of mind.

The group enjoyed a luxurious stay courtesy of Starwood Hotels, and were thoroughly pampered from the moment their feet hit the desert sand. Agents welcomed the opportunity to experience the diversity of Dubai firsthand, visiting both the souks and designer malls, gourmet dining along the creek, thrills’n’spills at Aquaventure and reclining beneath the desert stars for a Bedouin banquet.

The trip also included site inspections at some of Dubai’s key beach and city properties,
presentations from partners and business seminars on ‘How to Drive Business into Dubai’.

Another reason to fly emirates

On December 1 2008, London will join the elite by being the second destination served by Emirates’ A380 airbus.

The new London to Dubai route is being introduced at this time of year to capitalise on the traffic boom from the UK in the run up to the festive season.

The aircraft configuration will entail 14 private suites in First Class, 76 flat bed seats in Business Class, and 399 seats in Economy Class. Emirates has invested heavily in onboard features to ensure that its A380s are the finest, most comfortable in the sky. The jewel in the aircraft’s
crown is without a doubt the First Class Shower Spa, two fully equipped bathrooms in its First Class cabins, including shower facilities. Passengers will also notice a difference in the Economy Class cabin, most notably the straight walls which give the impression of increased spaciousness. This feature, combined with the advanced mood lighting system and noticeably quieter cabin, works to combat the effects of jetlag.