Hotel chain hosts DSF International Media Visitation Program as weekend occupancy increases during DSF

Dubai, 25 February 2009 - Award-winning hotel chain, Southern Sun, recently supported the Dubai Shopping Festival Office's (DSFO) International Media Visitation Programme for DSF 2009 while enjoying busier weekends during the DSF period.

This year Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels - operated by Southern Sun - warmly welcomed media practitioners from all over the region and the world who were invited by DSFO to witness the exciting developments in the DSF 2009 line up of events, offers and promotions as part of the DSF 2009 International Media Visitation Program.

At their conveniently situated up-market location, a stone's throw from prime retail centre The Dubai Mall in Burj Dubai, Qamardeen & Al Manzil Hotels hosted 23 media professionals from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and the UK at the time of the DSF Media Visitation Program's conclusion.

Home to the media for the duration of their stay, Qamardeen and Al Manzil Hotels provided luxurious accommodation, with high-speed Internet facilities in every room to enable the journalists to file their stories while temporarily based in Dubai.

Qamardeen Hotel has already been an active supporter of the DSFO's summer counterpoint initiative, the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) for two years in a row, hosting student delegates from across the region who trained under the DSS Apprenticeship Programme in 2007 and 2008.

"We have had a very fruitful association with DSFO in the form of the DSS Apprenticeship Programme. We will continue to support that initiative, but at the same time we thought that it would be great to be a part of another worthy Dubai initiative, the Dubai Shopping Festival," said Richard Weilers, Managing Director of Southern Sun Middle East. "This is one way we choose to show our unwavering support of Dubai's tourism efforts.  It is also a means for us to showcase Southern Sun's warm, vibrant and luxurious brand of hospitality."

DSFO Marketing Manager, Khulood Al Thani, thanked Southern Sun for their continued support saying, "A broader interaction between DSFO and Southern Sun only confirms that our relationship thus far has been successful and rewarding for both sides. We hope to continue this association well into the future."

Southern Sun Hotels, Africa's leading hotel group, entered the UAE in January 2007 and in two years has secured a firm foothold in the Middle East market, earning a reputation for excellence built on award winning service, superb cuisine and overall guest experience.

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Tracey Meskin
Marketing Services & PR Manager
Tel: +971 4 428 5888
Fax: +971 4 428 5999
Mobile: +971 (0) 50 655 3599

© Press Release 2009