AWTTE Lifetime Achievement Award to Nadhmi Auchi

BEIRUT -  October 2005

The opening of AWTTE 2005 took place at a dinner held at Le Royal Hotel under the patronage of the Lebanese Tourism Minister Joseph Sarkis.

Four distinguished figures received “Lifetime Achievement Awards” in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the field of tourism and travel.

The honorees were Nadhmi Auchi, Chairman of the General Mediterranean Holding (GMH) Group, Owner of the Royal Hotel chain, Mohammad Al-Hout, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Manager of MEA, and Mazen Salha, and Marwan Salha, Owners of the Greater Lebanese Hotel Company, the Phoenicia and Le Vendome Hotels.

A1 Team Lebanon Set For Race Debut In England

LONDON - September 2005

The Arab region’s first national motor racing team, A1 Team Lebanon, will be making its race debut  at the Brands Hatch race circuit in England. The team’s two Lebanese racing drivers, Basil Shaaban and Khalil Beschir, are eager to represent their country in the new A1 Grand Prix series, as this new concept in motorsport starts its inaugural season of 12 races taking place around the world including Australasia, South Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific, USA, South America and the Middle East.

A1 Team Lebanon will be flying the flag for the Arab region, with the A1 racing car liveried in the colours of the national flag and the Cedar tree enveloping the engine cover. Team founder, Tameem Auchi, says of the team’s upcoming debut, “Brands Hatch will see the culmination of months of hard work preparing this new team to compete on an international stage. Lebanon does not have a heritage of single-seater motor racing, so we’ll be making history next weekend when we line up on the grid for the first race alongside many other great nations. A1 Grand Prix, through its worldwide broadcast coverage, will put the spotlight on our region and I hope we will be an inspiration to Middle Eastern people throughout the world.”

Medal of Merit from Brasil for Mr Auchi

BRASILIA - May 2005

Marconi Perillo, Governor of State of Goiás, Brasil, has awarded Mr Nadhmi Auchi Chairman of GMH, the Medal of Merit, the highest decoration in Brasil, for his achievements in public affairs and business sectors.

The decoration took place during the recent visit of Mr Auchi to Goiás and was attended by Brazilian ministers and businessmen.

Mr Auchi was also received by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Le Royal sponsors ‘Oscars of the Airline Industry’

LONDON - May 2005

Continental Airlines named OAG Airline of the Year 2005 at glittering ceremony at Park Lane Hotel in London.

LONDON – Le Royal Hotels Group has sponsored the annual OAG Airline of the Year Awards, considered the ‘Oscars of the Airline Industry’. OAG Airline of the Year Awards celebrates the very best in global air travel and publicly recognizes the highest standards within the industry. OAG provides the databases for the airlines industry that includes the timetables for 300+ airlines and covers over 3000 airports worldwide.

Continental Airlines was named OAG Airline of the Year 2005 at a glittering ceremony at The Park Lane Hotel in London, winning the overall award for the second year running. Continental also won the Best Executive/Business Class category and was voted Best Airline based in North America. The airline was also short listed in two other categories.

OAG presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Maurice Flanagan, Vice Chairman and Group President of the Emirates Group. Emirates also won the Best Marketing Campaign for its New York route launch.

“We couldn’t have missed sponsoring the ‘Oscars of the Airline Industry’. Le Royal group of hotels is now transiting to the Le Royal brand,” said Mr Nasir Abid Vice Chairman of the General Mediterranean Group (GMH) which owns Le Royal Group.

“Le Royal Luxembourg opened 21 years ago is our flagship hotel and since then we have gradually expanded with other five star hotels. The majority of them are members of the Leading Hotels of the World and two are soon to be affiliated with the Preferred Hotels Group. The group also owns hotels in Madrid, Egypt and South of France,” said Abid. Abid confirmed that Le Royal Group is currently in advanced negotiations in the Gulf area to build and operate new five star hotels.

“Similarly to the airline industry, we are in the People business where providing a genuine quality guest experience is essential. It is therefore no surprise that the Airline of the Year Award recognizes excellence in both the air and on the ground – and it is for this very reason that Le Royal is making a sizeable investment in the development of its people this year and introducing its own Guest Satisfaction Program which speaks about attitude and behaviour as opposed to service skills,” added Abid.

“OAG is delighted to have Le Royal Hotels as Official Sponsor of the OAG Airline of the Year Awards 2005,” said a spokesman for OAG.

Le Royal is the hotel and leisure division of GMH Group headed by Arab businessman Nadhmi Auchi. Le Royal latest additions to its deluxe portfolio are Le Royal Beirut and Le Royal Amman; both considered landmarks in the Lebanese and Jordanian capitals. The group also owns and operates Le Royal Hammamet; Tunisia, Le Royal El-Minzah, Tangiers; Morocco, and Le Royal Luxembourg. Majority of the hotels are member of the leading hotels of the world and the others will be joining the preferred hotels group.

It is currently in the planning stage of building Le Royal London, a landmark complex that is set to dominate the north London landscape next to the new Wembley Stadium. Le Royal also sponsors the A1 Grand Prix in Lebanon.