Hotels & Accommodations
3-day weekend: UAE residents plan staycations; hotels expect near full occupancy

Several hotels in the UAE are expecting near full levels of occupancy next weekend, which will be a long weekend. Most families looking for staycations prefer to take all-inclusive packages for their short breaks.
“City hotels are expected to maintain occupancies of around 85–90 per cent, while beachfront, waterfront, and resort properties are likely to be almost sold out, reaching 98–100 per cent occupancy,” said Anura Mathai, Director of New Initiatives at Flora Hospitality UAE and India.
UAE announced a paid holiday for public and private sector employees on Friday, September 5, on the occasion of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, which means most employees and students will get a three-day long weekend.
Other industry experts also said they are seeing a positive response to the long break. “The interest is continuing to build as the long weekend approaches,” said Cameron McNeillie, General Manager, InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort & Spa.
“Many guests are looking to take advantage of the holiday to enjoy a quick escape by the sea, and bookings are showing healthy momentum compared to regular weekends.”
How trends differ
According to Anura, long weekends traditionally see higher demand for beach, waterfront, and resort properties, while city hotels are usually quieter. “However, this time city hotels are also enjoying healthy bookings, driven mainly by strong movements from the Africa and India markets,” he said.
He added that the trends differed according to the location of the hotel. “At our city hotels, guests are opting for simple room-and-breakfast packages,” he said. “On the other hand, at beach, waterfront, and resort properties, the demand is largely for all-inclusive packages covering stay, meals and beverages.”
Cameron agreed. “Our all-inclusive and half-board packages are seeing strong interest, especially from families who appreciate the ease of having everything taken care of,” he said. “At the same time, couples and smaller groups are opting for more personalised chilling experiences, such as villa stays with private pools or curated dining journeys.”
He added that they are expecting to be “running at a very high capacity” throughout the holiday, driven by both “stay-cationers from across the UAE and international visitors” seeking a resort-style getaway.
Onam festival
While many families are flocking to hotels for staycations, others are choosing to stay at home. For those hailing from the southern Indian state of Kerala, the long weekend will be a time to celebrate the state’s harvest festival Onam, which will fall on Friday, September 5. Dubai resident Manju Sreekumar said she is looking forward to celebrating the festival with her entire family after many years.
“Both my sons are working, and they don’t get a day off on Onam,” she said. “This year, because it is a public holiday, we will be able to celebrate together after more than five years. I will be inviting my friends as well as some relatives who are here in Dubai looking for a job for lunch to my house.”
One of the highlights of the festival is a fully vegetarian fest, called the Onasadhya, which serves over 30 curries on a banana leaf along with rice. Many families cook these meals at home, while others choose to eat out at restaurants.
Hotels & Accommodations
SAMHI Signs Lease for 260-Room Hotel in Hyderabad

SAMHI Hotels Limited, a leading branded hotel ownership and asset management platform in India, has announced the signing of an Agreement to Lease (ATL) through its wholly owned subsidiary, Barque Hotels Private Limited. The agreement is with Mrs P Pramoda, Mrs P Harika, and Aurean Eskar (collectively referred to as the “Lessors”) for a new mid-scale hotel comprising approximately 260 rooms to be developed within a mixed-use project in Hyderabad’s Financial District.
The building will be constructed by Aurean Eskar and handed over to SAMHI for fitouts and branding. The estimated development cost for SAMHI’s scope of work is expected to be between Rs 1.25 billion and Rs 1.43 billion.
This transaction has been structured as a long-term variable lease, strategically linking land value realisation to the hotel’s operating performance. This alignment allows SAMHI to benefit from market upside while maintaining a capital-efficient expansion model.
Aurean Eskar recently completed One Golden Mile, a 500,000 sq ft premium commercial tower in Hyderabad’s Kokapet Business District, which is now fully leased and houses a mix of boutique offices and high-street retail.
The new mid-scale hotel will become SAMHI’s third property in the Financial District, complementing its existing presence with the Sheraton (326 rooms, including 42 under development) in the Upscale+ segment and the Fairfield by Marriott (232 rooms) in the Upper Mid-Scale segment. With this addition, SAMHI will offer a comprehensive range of pricing options, targeting diverse customer segments within this rapidly developing micro-market.
This move reinforces SAMHI’s strategy of building scale and density in high-growth micro-markets by offering multiple branded hotel formats. The approach is designed to optimise portfolio returns and create long-term value.
The agreement remains subject to customary post-signing conditions, including the receipt of necessary building sanctions, following which the final lease deed will be executed.
Commenting on the agreement, Mr Ashish Jakhanwala, Chairman and Managing Director of SAMHI Hotels Ltd, stated:
“With this agreement, we are deepening our presence in Hyderabad’s Financial District by adding a mid-scale offering alongside our existing upscale and upper mid-scale hotels. This strengthens our ability to serve a wider customer base and demonstrates our disciplined, capital-efficient approach to growth. The long-term variable lease structure aligns performance and capital prudence, ensuring value-accretive expansion.”
Hotels & Accommodations
InterContinental Hotels Group Executes Share Buyback

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InterContinental Hotels ( (GB:IHG) ) has issued an announcement.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC announced the purchase of 33,350 of its ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange, as part of a buyback program authorized by shareholders. This move is aimed at optimizing the company’s capital structure by reducing the number of shares in circulation, potentially enhancing shareholder value.
The most recent analyst rating on (GB:IHG) stock is a Hold with a £87.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on InterContinental Hotels stock, see the GB:IHG Stock Forecast page.
Spark’s Take on GB:IHG Stock
According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, GB:IHG is a Neutral.
InterContinental Hotels Group’s overall score reflects strong earnings call performance and technical momentum, offset by financial stability concerns and a high valuation. The company’s strategic initiatives and share buybacks are positive, but financial leverage remains a risk.
To see Spark’s full report on GB:IHG stock, click here.
More about InterContinental Hotels
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is a prominent player in the hospitality industry, offering a wide range of hotel services and accommodations globally. The company focuses on delivering exceptional guest experiences across its various hotel brands, catering to both business and leisure travelers.
Average Trading Volume: 461,224
Technical Sentiment Signal: Strong Buy
Current Market Cap: £13.55B
Find detailed analytics on IHG stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.
Hotels & Accommodations
Review | Is Capella Bangkok really the best hotel in the world?

Visitors to Bangkok tend to fall into two categories: those who love the buzz of the city centre around the Siam area, or those who prefer the quiet of the Chao Phraya River.
Already home to some of the city’s most prestigious hotels – including branches of Mandarin Oriental, The Peninsula and Shangri-La – the Chao Phraya riverfront has been revitalised with recent developments. Iconsiam, a gargantuan mall that has become a destination in its own right, along with the arrival of Capella Bangkok, the first Thai outpost of the Singapore-based chain, have put the area back on the map.
Part of the Chao Phraya Estate – a luxury complex that also includes the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, located next door – Capella Bangkok opened to little fanfare in October 2020, smack in the middle of the pandemic. But it made headlines last year when it was awarded the No 1 spot in the second edition of The World’s 50 Best Hotels, and also earned the title of Best Hotel in Asia.
What makes Capella Bangkok special is the way the property’s 101 suites and villas fully embrace riverfront living. With its floor-to-ceiling windows providing unobstructed views of the river and the lush greenery of its surrounds, Capella Bangkok prizes relaxation and privacy over buzz – you stay there for the scenery rather than the scene, so to speak. Even at full occupancy, you’ll rarely run into fellow guests, making your visit to Bangkok very different from what you would expect from one of the world’s noisiest and most crowded metropolises.
To fully experience the utmost serenity the property offers, you should book one of the Verandah Suites – their spacious terraces are equipped with jacuzzi plunge pools and cabanas. Alternatively, try one of the river-facing resort-style villas with private plunge pools and tropical gardens – the only accommodation of this kind in Bangkok.
The villas are near Auriga Wellness, the hotel’s spa, where you can indulge in tailored facials performed with products from cult skincare label Biologique Recherche. There are also body treatments featuring signature oil blends as well as products from Moringa Project, a Thai wellness brand that makes use of the seed of the moringa tree.
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