The newly-opened Sheraton Amman Al Nabil Hotel & Towers in Jordan says the regional tourism industry is picking up after the dramatic drop in the wake of the September 11 events and is expected to grow "positively".
The hotel, which was inaugurated last October by King Abdullah, is the first Starwood property in the kingdom and ensures the international group's presence in all major Middle East business centres. A hotel spokesperson said the Sheraton Amman hosted the 8th Middle East & Africa Duty Free Symposium in January, the first regional conference since September 11 with participants from all over the world, highlighting the gradual pick-up in business. The hotel's public relations manager Nadine Batayneh says Sheraton Amman is committed to promoting Jordan as a tourist and business destination in the region. Batayneh said the hotel was focusing not only on specific market segments and destinations. The hotel is also focusing on organising package tours and promoting non-traditional tourism like Dana Natural Reserve and medical tourism, and eco-tourism. Sheraton Amman, which recorded an occupancy of 37 per cent last year, has lined up several packages to lure visitors to the hotel and destination Jordan in general, Batayneh said. She said the hotel also hopes to support and encourage social, economic and cultural activities in Jordan, especially as Amman has been declared the Arab Cultural Capital for 2002. "An example of our commitment was sponsorship of the Jordan International Rally for the year 2001. On the cultural front, Sheraton Amman also hosted the Annual Jerash Culture & Arts Festival," said Batayneh. The 268-room hotel offers 42 towers rooms plus 11 junior suites, 15 executive suites, one Diplomatic suite and one Royal suite. It offers a full range of leisure and business facilities including a pillar-less ballroom and state-of-the-art conferencing facilities. The Towers Lounge is a hotel within a hotel which offers guests personalised service. Guests have a wide choice in dining and entertainment facilities including the Al Rababa Restaurant offering Arabian cuisine in sumptuous surroundings; Spice Garden providing touches of Asia; EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), an upbeat and innovative Italian restaurant and Honeycomb Gourmet Emporium for gourmet desserts. The hotel's Club on Five offers extensive health and leisure facilities including an indoor lap pool, massage, steam rooms, sauna, state-of-the-art gym and an outdoor pool deck. A new shopping mall set to be completed next year will further add to the hotel's attractions.