More than 200 entrants across fifteen categories are expected to vie for honours at the second annual Depa Middle East Hotel Awards.
The awards - which are open to any five-star hotel in the region - will be presented at an "Oscars" style gala ceremony at Cairo's Semiramis Inter-Continental Hotel on April 18. Sponsored by hotel design and construction specialist Depa Hotel Interiors, the awards celebrate the achievements of the Middle East's growing hospitality industry. The categories include best new hotel, best design project, most progressive employer, and top business, leisure and conference hotels. A special award will also be given to the Middle East hotelier of the year, selected from the region's leading general managers. The judges panel will be composed of an international panel of hoteliers, designers, consultants and restauranteurs. The Depa Middle East Hotel Awards were launched in April 2001 in Dubai, and are now recognised as one of the leading events in the international hotel industry calendar. Winners in 2001 included the Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai, the Grand Hyatt Amman and the Ritz-Carlton Sharm El Sheikh.