DUBAI, UAE, 15th March 2007 - Emirates Hotels and Resorts, the recently-launched luxury hospitality division of Emirates, has signed a deal for multi-property management system (PMS), with protel hotelsoftware GmbH, Germany.

The agreement will see the software system, complete with online booking capability, going 'live' by end-March, to support the division's Emirates Marina Hotel & Residence that launches in September this year.

Once fully integrated, Emirates Hotels & Resorts will roll out the system to all its hotel operations, including the Emirates Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Emirates Green Lakes Serviced Apartments, and the Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in 2008.

Protel hotelsoftware is a flexible management system that will ensure each property within Emirates Hotels and Resorts retains its individual service qualities, yet will provide a true multi-property working environment for front-office and central reservations, significantly enhancing co-ordination between them. It will become integral in optimising company-wide information, essential in providing top-notch service to customers, assisting in relationship management, and integrating data across its range of properties, regardless of location.

Tony Williams, Vice President Resorts & Projects at Emirates Hotels & Resorts said: "Guest relations and innovation is of paramount importance to us, as is clearly evidenced at the Emirates Al Maha. We were impressed with the flexibility provided by protel hotelsoftware which accommodates both - the highly individualised nature of small, super-luxury resort properties such as our Al Maha and Wolgan Valley resorts, as well as those properties with larger room inventories such as Emirates Marina and the Emirates Green Lakes."

He added: "The system's stability combined with its efficiency 24/7 means uninterrupted services to guests. Our management and staff members, who have commenced training on the system, are extremely happy with its capability."

Emirates Hotels & Resorts is also assured of highly-responsive customer service as protel hotelsoftware GmbH has a branch office at the Dubai Silicon Oasis.

Manfred Osthues, Managing Director of protel and one of its founders, stated: "We are delighted that Emirates has selected protel for its properties. Emirates has extremely high standards for IT, and we are both highly conscious of the security of systems as well as the protection of data, key to any business and its clients. We believe that Emirates will see an excellent return on their investments, and we are pleased with the trust that has been placed in protel."

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About protel hotelsoftware
The Protel Multi-property Edition (MPE) is a proven enterprise-class PMS/CRS solution. It is robust, highly scalable to suit different sizes and complexities in hotels, and is exceptionally functional. The database is fully integrated with Microsoft Products. The construction kit concept in protel enables customers to develop their own reports and customise their screens with only minor modifications. Protel provides excellent support on integrating with all the other supplier solutions to ensure a full suite of back-office functions. Through broadband lines the system is available to all users in the individual hotels 24 hours a day, allowing easy cross-reference and cross-selling between properties, even those located in other regions, without the necessity of going via a CRS.

About protel hotelsoftware GmbH
Started in 2004, today protel proudly counts over 3,300 hotels, resorts, hotel chains, hotel training centres and universities amongst its customers. Ranging from hotels with only 30 rooms, but with a high level of personalised guest services, to large 2200 room accommodation facilities, it offers a great range of hospitality software.

About Emirates Hotels & Resorts
Emirates Hotels & Resorts, the Emirates Group's new premier hospitality management division, is made up of a growing portfolio of award-winning, small luxury conservation-based resorts, five-star city hotel properties, spas, and a range of fully-serviced upmarket apartment hotels.

Part of Emirates' Destination and Leisure Management Division, Emirates Hotels & Resorts holds as its central vision the provision of exceptional services focussed on guests' individuality of needs, the best possible location in any destination, and luxurious facilities.

It will develop its portfolio of exceptional properties in Dubai and other locations to support and enhance the growth of Emirates, providing travellers with seamless quality travel and hospitality experiences.

Currently, its portfolio includes - Emirates Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Emirates Park Towers Hotel & Residence, Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Emirates Marina Hotel & Residence, Emirates Green Lakes Serviced Apartments, and the Timeless Spa. 

Visit: www.emirateshotelsresorts.com  

Contact:
Sheba Koonan,
Corporate Communications,
Tel: (+9714) 203.2287,
Mob: (+97150) 658.7912;
email: sheba.koonan@emirates.com,
visit: http://mediacentre.ekgroup.com

© Press Release 2007