The Middle East Peninsula – Every Architects dream come true but inhabitants nightmare come home

Khaleej Times Online recently reported 97 new hotels are likely to be added by 2010 in UAE with a combined capacity of more than 30,600 rooms. In the same period, Qatar is expected to add 39 new hotels (9,835 rooms), Kuwait 19 hotels (4,115 rooms), Bahrain 15 hotels (3,615 rooms) and Oman 4 hotels (766 rooms). The report was based on an interview with Frederic Theux, President of Reed Exhibitions, who will be organizing the prestigious Equip Hotel Middle East in Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from December 14-16, 2008.

According to Theux, "Currently the total hotel room capacity in the above countries stands at 33,925. Abu Dhabi is planning to increase hotel room capacity to 25,000 by 2015 and develop over 100 hotels in the next ten years. The Emirates is investing over Dh367 billion in the next 5 years in a combination of projects that include upgrading the UAE capital's airport, building a new port, establishing new townships and tourism development. The ADTA is implementing an aggressive tourism development strategy including the establishment of world class tourist attractions such as the Louvre and Guggenheim museums on Saadiyat Island and the hosting of a Formula 1 Grand Prix on Yas Island in 2009”.

The Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) stipulated that the number of hotels and hotel apartments in Dubai is set to rise to 554 by 2016 from 439 currently, with the existing room capacity of hotels and apartments expected to nearly triple. Every other day we hear of major ego massage projects being announced in Dubai. The 50000 m 2 ski dome, the world islands and the 360 degrees rotating tallest building only the latest to add to the list . All these in a long list of never ending wants and desires. To the extend that Dubai is no longer constructed on land but has conquered the oceans with a world map that can be seen from space. A virtual Disneyland for grownups which has helped Dubai brand itself astonishingly fast and well. Is this going to be the end of achievements. Is everyone satisfied and ready to call it a day. Somehow I don’t think so. 2006 saw 6 million tourist visiting Dubai and 2010 is slated to have over 15 million visit. The worst dilemma today seems to be finding the newest and best WOW factor to construct.

And what does this mean for the people residing there, for the environment and for the future generations to come. Spending power is fast becoming a sickness, here where everything available must be bested, no matter the cost to man and nature. The oil money, ensures that Dubai is a safe haven for the rich and spoilt, a paradise on the Persian Gulf. How does this affect the common man except for further bridging the gap between the haves and the have nots. And what happens when the oil money runs out. Are they suitable ‘other’ trades available to satisfy the masses flocking to these cities. Perhaps not.

There are artificial islands, artificial trees and artificial air – enough to make one wonder if anything is real anymore. There are buildings and more buildings and then some buildings which perhaps got left out previously by some stroke of luck. It’s a virtual concrete jungle with the people stressed, stretched and uneducated with what is real. The roads of Dubai are fast running out of moving space, water is scarce and housing is a very real nightmare for the common folks living there. And from the looks of it most of the children are not going to get educated since the waiting lines for admission seems endless, one that the best of references nor money can fix. Eking out a living, a laughable term there since Dubai is the fast bucks Mecca, can ensure that where money is plentiful, sharks tend to prey. Everyone is interested in this business called money. Buying and selling are religions in themselves, and serious ones at that. You are only as good as your previous sale or purchase. The unshakeable belief in the Gold Souks of Dubai ensure that all citizens, rich and poor, are prone to hoarding this invaluable currency. Anyone ever wonder why prices are escalating?

Governance, minimum wage bills, elections, parliament, employment protection laws, tenant protection statements all seem to have taken a back seat in this city of mega enterprises. It is norm to deposit your passport at the work place for the duration of the contract, bans from Dubai for life are commonplace. Should someone be trying to terminate these archaic, barbaric and totally unacceptable rules in today’s world of freedom – I would say definitely yes.

According to Theux, the exhibition is slated to take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and will support the rapidly expanding hospitality sector in the GCC region. Equip Hotel Paris is well-established and considered the leading international hospitality show primarily targeting the European market. Taking a page out of the artistic world, I guess the show must go. But it would have been nice if the sheikhs of the big dollar spends could spend a moment of thought for the common Middle East Resident. If they could carry the masses along with them on this journey of prosperity and development rather than leaving them to cope with issues which though perhaps not poverty linked can be as devastating as a plague. If they could spare a thought for the needy and perhaps apply even 5% of themselves to charitable causes.

There is light at the end of every tunnel and we can only hope that the Middle East construction mania does not decide to try and conquer the entire world’s natural wealth in its quests. We have created enough damage on the planet to last a few generations after us and it would have been nice to have at least left the seas and oceans untouched by the damaging hand of man. Does the corrupting influence of money, only paper after all, enable the rest of the world to forget principles as it stands by and watches Dubai and the Middle East encroach on what is after all Gods gift to entire mankind and not a chosen few.

Excerpts Source: Khaleej Times Online

Taj Bookers – Watch Out!

You called a Taj hotel, bargained hard and made a reservation thinking you had gotten the best deal possible. Correct – No. In fact you could not be further away from the truth. Let me take you through another scenario. You are a corporate with a fantastic not to be matched deal across all the Taj properties in the Indian Peninsula and you make a booking on this special rate. Did you get the best deal? Wrong. You have been cheated. Or you want to make a booking for the Base category room in the Taj hotel and are told that the same category is not available by the Reservation Desk / Sales Desks and you will need to book a higher (translated to more expensive) category. Is the hotel telling you the truth? No they are not.

Bookers at the Taj should always check the rates in the online internet world first on their branded website http://www.tajhotels.com/ and then on a third party website like http://www.expedia.com/ or www.Travelocity.com. Reason being that you may find that your very discounted, special rate is higher than what is available online or surprise, surprise the supposed sold out Base Category rooms are mysteriously available online. How can this be, you ask yourself and immediately call up the hotel in question demanding some sort of insight into this gross error. You are very calmly and coldly told that these rates are internet rates and not available when booking directly with the hotel, never-mind the special corporate status you hold. Do you feel shocked and cheated? Yes and If you don’t, you should unless being made a sucker of is okay with you.

The above are real-life experiences of a Major Corporate Booker in India…

Dinning at the Taj in India – as a single woman

Judging by my recent experience, I would say that it is taboo… a complete no no. Oh the starting was fine. I was welcomed into the five star hotel , invited to be seated in a beautiful restaurant and a menu proffered.

And that’s when the problem started. The steward captain decided that a) I did not understand the menu and b) he knew better than me what would be palatable to my stomach. Under much duress I ordered , luckily something that I wanted to eat and not what the captain wanted the chef to cook. Why have a menu, if half the items are not available or not recommended. After the long winded ordering process, I settled down to listen to a half not bad band that was performing live in the backdrop.

Now when I normally go out, I like to enjoy a quite peaceful meal in leisure which is why I purposely choose times when an educated guess says that the restaurant will be nearly empty as was the case tonight also. In a restaurant of over 50 covers, there were only 5 occupied including myself. Just the way I like it, I thought to myself, as I slowly tapped my feet to the music.

The meal was served within typical five star time frames and palatable enough as I took a tentative bite. I was asked if anything else was required to which I replied not at the moment and studiously went on to ignore the captain and steward watching me very very closely. The meal proceeded under constant surveillance with one visit from the steward followed by a second one from the captain. By the 5th visit, I was insistent that I would call them if anything was required and it would be kind if they left me to enjoy my meal in peace. I also stressed that I am sure there were other guests who needed their good service. The peace I managed to get for 15 minutes, till the duo returned to ask me if the meal was over and they might clear the plates. Now I do know that a closed plate with cutlery in position warrants for such service, but my plate was very open and my dinner only half eaten.

By now I was starting to feel like a prisoner in jail what with all the un-asked for scrutiny and I am not even pretty or anything like that. I once again asked for permission to perhaps be allowed to finish my meal in quiet without interruption, stressing on the word Peace. Good training shows and five minutes later a new gentleman, this time the restaurant manager himself was back at my table asking if I had finished my meal. I closed my plate with a clatter in front of him and said Yes unfortunately I had and if I could have my bill in lobby, I would be happy to settle the same. I then proceeded to the lobby to pay the bill. I had this insistent urge to get out of here without any further delay. The manager followed me to the lobby to ensure that I did not have a quick getaway in mind and I paid my bill. Not surprisingly since they are so full of self-congratulations at their own expertise, at no point of time did any of the management and at that time there were approximately four senior managers in the lobby think that there was something wrong in a woman insisting on paying her dinner bills in the reception rather than in the restaurant as most normal folks do. Any reasons for apologies from their side – of course not, I mean who are we kidding here. On the contrary, I wanted to apologise for making the mistake of choosing to dine in their restaurant.

Was this a one time happening at a particularly badly managed hotel, judging buy a few other incidents I have witnessed over the years, I somehow don’t think so. As I read all that hotels are supposedly doing for single women what with single woman floors, beauty treatments etc, I look back at this not so long ago incident and wonder if we really need all this paraphernalia. Honestly speaking, No special service is required. We are also human beings and at the end of the day, just need the service and respect any guest should be expecting and deserving. All these frills and fancies seem like pulling cloth over the eyes, when the basic fact is that in an Indian mindset, a single woman should not be dinning on her own in a restaurant, even if it is a five star restaurant. The only woman who do so, do not come from “respectable backgrounds” and hence should not be treated with any dignified behaviour. This is an centuries engrained mindset and I would like to ask hotels what they are doing to remove traditional biases before they start bringing on the frills to woo woman travelers into their hotels….

Hotels - Are they the biggest Price Fixers in the market today?

“We offer the Best rates of the Day on our branded website”. How often have we heard this marketing line from hotels worldwide especially the ones belonging to International chains. It’s a good gimmick and hotels are even managing to ensure that their published or the much abused Best Rate of the Day (BAR Rates) are the cheapest rates in the market.

And how do they manage to do this? Initially Hotels started controlling market trends with their published rates. Then they took it a step further and decided to have discounted rates which could change everyday, sometimes to lower levels than special contracted rates with Travel, Airline and Corporate Partners. Till here the picture was still within ethical business processes, though perhaps sometimes verging on the borderline of conspiracies.

Now came the final crunch. Today, most hotel chains are starting to ensure that their published rates are not undercut. In fact, they have been known to insist on a one-way contract guarantee that the price the operator sells to the public under no circumstances should no lower than the hotels advertised price for a day. The penalty for this can be equivalent to having any special rates being revoked or worse, the business partner being banned forever by the hotel. An uncomfortable scenario for Travel and Airline partners, to say the least but what surprises me even more is that nobody is asking ‘is this kosher business practice?’. Do these agreements constitute price fixing by the hotels. Ask the Travel or Airline partner who does not know what rate to quote to a potential customer for fear that they may unknowingly break this one-way agreement.

Are Travel, Airline and Hotels are so dependent on hotels that they are willing to be blackmailed into unfair pricing vexations? What is the final impact of these pricing strategies on the traveler who has to pay what the hotel is demanding? Why have hotels succeeded in wiping out a concept called fair market play? The implications of these questions are profound and the answers could affect the way the hotel industry organises itself. I know of no other industry which allows such muscling in tactics even if it is clothed in snobbish fineries.

And finally I think we need to ask, Are hotels breaking competition law?

A Stroll in the Lobby

Having heard and read so much about 'Gods own Country', Kerala and Cochin, 'The Queen of the Arabian Sea', I was over the moon to be finally visiting. Excitement mounted as I was driven from the airport to the Le Meridien hotel. I passed coconut groves, backwaters, quaint little houses with red tiled roofs and I remembered all that I had read about Cochin. A conjugal meeting of the old and the new, the historic and the modern, the long lost and the renewed and my stomach was in my mouth as we crossed the last backwater to drive into the hotel porch. I was greeted by a smiling Darban and I smiled to myself 'Ah the pleasures of Indian hospitality!'. I stepped into the lobby and stood stock-still. My eyes wandered around like a child and I took in the kaleidoscope of colours. Each corner a gem waiting to be discovered and I embarked on my treasure hunt, a journey towards enlightenment...

The lobby was a panorama of colours and green plants mingled with heritage. I immediately felt the Essence of Cochin, the ancient and the modern, the historical and the classical, all lovingly placed by a lover of arts and history. I was drawn to the tall, majestic columns in the lobby, each with its own little world of green plantation, located amongst Kerala furniture. As I drew my eyes upwards to the ceiling, I paused, for the sky was smiling down upon me . There were fresco paintings of the sky in Church like domes on the ceiling and for a moment, I thought I was in Rome. The tick of an old Grandfather clock revived me and I stepped towards the reception where smiling guest relation executives were calmly seated to cater to my every need, whim and fancy. Above their heads, I saw Ravi Verma paintings and I appreciated Kerala, land famous for its art and culture. The paintings depicted his favourite subject - the female form. Being a true connoisseur of Arts, he loved all forms but was particular to the female form when it came to expressing his ideas on the canvas. A quick check-in and I was ready to continue my explorations.

I paused by the house phones and my eyes riveted to an intricate, wooden carving depicting a temple scene, mounted on the wall. As my eyes studied the scene, my hands automatically folded in prayer to Vishnu - the God of Life, Krishna - his avtar, Brahma - the creator and Shiva - the lord of destruction. The artists faith and love in Hindu mythology was apparent in every curve, every feature of the carving . I was at once reminded of an old Tamil poem which described Shiva, the dancing Natraja, 'With each step he took, he scattered the stars into space. With each movement of his outstretched arms, he enveloped space and time. With his long hair flying in the wind, he danced in ecstasy, to the delight of his devotees'. My feet ached to move along and at last I forced myself away from the faithful to the left wing which was a panel of Kutch embroideries, each lovingly framed to capture the intricate work in ever-long captivity. Unobtrusively masterful was a magnificent Tanjore wooden frame showing the Goddess Mahalaxmi, the Goddess of wealth being offered prayers by her devotees.

Silent in a corner but lit by a light of its own, was the Oman sword bestowed to the hotel by the Sultanate of Oman to commemorate the opening of the Oman Conference Hall (the biggest in kerala). As my eyes took in the carvings etched in silver, I could feel its power. This was no ordinary sword, for this sword had tasted blood many times and I shuddered involuntarily at the thought of such a beautiful piece of art wrecking so much havoc. Leaving the Oman battle, I ventured upon another battle front - the battle of the seas depicted on paintings. The deep thunder of cannons, the sailormen cries, the sound of the water hitting the bow and it was time to hoist sails. A long, long time ago, the first canvas sails were spotted on the horizon and Cochins Deep maritime history has since then written itself. Today the mixed cultures reflect this incredible history.

As I walked towards Jules Bar and the Treasure Trove Restaurant (ominously pirate sounding names), I was welcomed by the 'Dwarpalakam' (the greeter). Carved in stone, the life sized Dwarpalakam along with his lady, stood head bowed in mute reverence, as I did a 'Graha Pravesham' (step into the house). In his hand was the pot of water for the 'Padha Puja' (washing of feet) and the lady stood by for a 'Pushpa Versham' (showering of flowers). As I studied the serene statues and the sweet jasmine smell assailed my nostrils, I felt a jasmine brush past my cheek in welcome and I startled with a smile at the foolishness of my imagination. I looked up and I saw the model of a 'Tall Ship' (ancient sailing war ship). The salty air, the cry of the gulls, the howl of the winds, a spray of sea water, the plunge of the bow as she cuts through the waters, the whirl of the sails and I was in dreamland again, complete with cutlass and a seaman's cap. Furthering my adventure, I saw two elephants in the lobby center, standing in ever-ready welcome. These I was told, had been single-handedly carved from a single piece of wood and the craftsmanship was simply superb. The urli (big brass bowl) on the floor with the floating lotus's (an accepted symbol of Kerala welcome) made me imagine the light of the Ayirathrivilaku (lamp of thousand lights) erected near by, reflecting the flowers beauty at night.

The road to Lagoon, a seafood specialty restaurant, where my lunch awaited, was all about the seas and maritime life. I could see the ghost of Blackbird, the pirate, sinister with his knife and eye patch, singing 'Yo, Ho, Ho and a bottle of rum' atop the sea chest standing quietly by the entrance. A serene canoe alongside complemented the torrid with peace, two sides of the same coin. Another Tanjore window frame told the story of the 260 year old Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple. Padmanbha, the deity of the temple, in a re-incarnation of Lord Vishnu, rested in the sacred inner sanctum. Darshan was through the three door opening. The lower section showed Lord Vishnu in a playful mood with his two consorts, Riddhi and Siddhi. Kerala is incomplete without Kathakali - a Kerala dance form of story telling. I saw two life-size Kathakali dancers paintings beckoning me into the Library Lounge Bar. I swiveled around and the bull heads mounted on the wall begged me to ask the forbidden. Are there still Bull fights in India?. A quiet smile from my guide told me more than I should know. The Kerala Spice Cart narrated the tale of hidden secrets behind Kerala's famous cuisine and the quaint Kashmiri Shop brought to fore the versatility of India, where all was different and yet so Indian.

I saved the best for the last and my eyes lovingly followed her curves from Bonnet to Bumper, for she was a beauty. A ford no less, right there in the lobby silently preening herself to my loving touch. Alas! My journey had come to an end - but what I learnt from the journey, would perhaps haunt me forever...