Europe’s leading international property investment fund The Hideaways Club has seen substantial growth in both its membership and property portfolio in the first three months of 2010 and this week formed two exciting new partnerships with Shangri-La Hotels and Etihad Airways.

Members of The Hideaways Club now have access to exclusive rates at Shangri-La’s luxury hotels in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. These hotels have been specifically selected as the perfect stop-over or twin centre destinations to the properties offered by The Hideaways Club. Benefits enjoyed by the Club members include special discounted rates for the Shangri-La’s Horizon Club rooms, which offer an even higher level of accommodation, enhanced levels of service, Club Floor check-in and check-out, all day complimentary refreshments and a personal concierge.

As a result of a new partnership with Etihad Airways, members of The Hideaways Club can travel in style and comfort with the award winning national airline of the UAE. Hideaways members will benefit from exclusive Etihad fares and services including private limousine transfers to Heathrow and Manchester airports, bespoke business class fares, use of spa facilities and fine dining options at airport lounges and automatic entry to Etihad’s frequent flyer programme, Etihad Guest. Etihad is the worlds’ leading airline offering its guests the highest standards in service and product development.

Commenting on these new alliances Mike Balfour, Chairman and co-founder of The Hideaways Club said, “We are delighted to have formed these two partnerships as both companies represent the highest standards of quality, service and comfort enjoyed by members of The Hideaways Club. These agreements further underline what is a very exciting time for the Club and we are greatly encouraged by the rapid expansion of both the membership and property portfolio over the past year. We firmly believe that the strong growth we have been experiencing is a powerful endorsement of our business model.”

THE HIDEAWAYS CLUB
With over 160 members and 27 solely owned properties throughout Europe, Africa, Mauritius and South East Asia, The Hideaways Club is now the largest Club of its kind in Europe. This year the company has added three stunning new properties in the South of France, Portugal and Ibiza to its burgeoning property portfolio, and with its recent alliances with US based Equity Estates and the Banyan Tree Private Collection, Members of the Club have the choice of over 45 beautiful properties in which to holiday.

Membership of The Hideaways Club is rapidly becoming recognised as the most financially astute way of investing in overseas property that combines a unique investment with a luxurious lifestyle while at the same time benefitting from medium to long term growth on their investment. For further information please access the website at www.thehideawaysclub.com.

SHANGRI-LA HOTELS
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, currently owns and/or manages 66 hotels under the deluxe Shangri-La and mid-market Traders brands, with a room’s inventory of over 30,000. The group has over 40 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Qatar, Seychelles, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

ETIHAD AIRWAYS
Etihad Airways flies 21 services a week from London Heathrow and seven flights per week from Manchester to its home base in Abu Dhabi. Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates based in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. Currently Etihad Airways offers flights to over 60 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Australia and Asia. For tickets and reservations, call 0800 731 9384. For further details, visit http://www.etihadairways.com or www.etihadmediacentre.com.

Citadel is proud to announce that it will be attending the Fractional Summit in Abu Dhabi as a Ruby Sponsor. The decision by Citadel to support this event which is to be held at the spectacular Yas Hotel on the 23rd and 24th of November 2010, reflects the increasing importance of the Middle East region and the potential it offers the shared leisure market. The Abu Dhabi Fractional Summit is to focus on all the main aspects of the shared leisure industry from traditional timeshare through to all the different types of fractional products.

Christopher Allen, Director, commented “This is an exciting decision for Citadel and we firmly believe that the event will provide us with the ideal platform from which we can launch our bespoke services in the region. Citadel already has many years of experience in Europe, Asia and the Far East, so we see it as a natural progression for us to now look towards the Middle East and the business opportunities it can offer”.

Piers Brown, founder of event organizer Fractional Life, said: “We´re delighted to have Citadel on board for our first event in the Middle East. This sponsorship demonstrates Citadel’s true foresight and commitment to growing the shared ownership marketplace and we look forward to welcoming delegates and sponsors from around the world to network and discover the opportunities in this exciting region”.

Further to the success of the UK Fractional Summit held earlier this year at the Marriott Grovesnor, London, Citadel is also proud to confirm that it will be attending the 2011 event and, for the fourth year running, it will be supporting the Summit as a Gold Sponsor.

Citadel, which also specializes in emerging products, such as green energy and biomass products, requiring stakeholder, trustee and escrow services, as well as Hotel buy-to-let schemes and other leisure related investment products. Citadel has grown rapidly over since its inception and is authorized by the UK Financial Services Authority to set-up, operate and wind-up Unregulated Collective Investments Schemes, an area of business which has seen very strong growth in recent years and one which will be of particular focus for the company in the future. The Group now boasts offices in the UK, Spain, India, Thailand and China and is involved with projects valued at over $2.5 billion.

For further information about Citadel, please contact Christopher Allen, Director, Client Services and Business Development, by email chrisallen@citadeltrustees.com or, call the company’s UK Head Office +44 (0) 1276 482015/16

Aloft Abu Dhabi Introduces Style At A Steal In The Capital Of The United Arab Emirates

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® (NYSE:HOT) and its new destination sensation brand, Aloft® Hotels, today announce the opening of Aloft Abu Dhabi, the first Aloft to open in the Middle East and the second Aloft to open outside of North America.

Ten years after Starwood Hotels & Resorts shook up the hotel industry with the launch of W Hotels, the innovative hotel giant has again reinvented hotel design with the debut of its newest brand, Aloft Hotels. Featuring loft-like guest rooms, a buzzing bar scene in the open lobby, an urban-inspired grab-and go café and industrial design elements throughout, Aloft delivers urban-influenced, modern and vibrant design and an energetic guest experience at an affordable price point.

The debut of Aloft Abu Dhabi highlights the strategic international expansion of the Aloft brand. After opening its first hotel in June 2008 in Canada, Aloft has since grown to nearly 40 hotels strong in three countries – the United States, China and Canada – with the United Arab Emirates marking its fourth. And looking ahead to 2010, Aloft will continue its global growth with slated debut openings in Belgium, India and Thailand. Aloft Abu Dhabi is also the first of two Aloft hotels coming to the Middle East in the next two years, with the Aloft Riyadh scheduled for a 2011 opening.

“The meaningful growth of Aloft in key markets such as the Middle East underscores the strength of the Starwood network and the strength of Starwood’s global relationships with experienced hotel developers,” said Simon Turner, President, Global Development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “The Aloft brand’s emphasis on high design and affordability translates globally and is attracting a growing group of developers and travelers who are very enthusiastic consumers of our global, high-caliber brands. In fact, Aloft represents one of the strongest brand launches in industry history, and its international expansion so early in the brand’s life cycle is unprecedented.”

Aloft Abu Dhabi introduces style at a steal to the region with 408 spacious, loft-like rooms, accessible technology and a vibrant, social atmosphere. A Vision of W Hotels, Aloft’s loft-inspired design, accessible technology and a stylish urban attitude arrives on the scene in the Middle East. Aloft offers atmospheric public spaces where guests can mix and mingle, read the paper, work on laptops, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends at the re:mixSM communal lobby area and w xyzSM bar. The re:chargeSM fitness center and splash pool give travelers options to de-stress and re-energize, or enjoy a meal at Dine, the hotel’s main restaurant with live-cooked international-style cuisine. Feel the buzz of our open kitchen and boost your energy at Dine. re:fuel by Aloft is a one-stop, 24-hour grab & go food and beverage area, offering sweet, savory and healthy food, snacks and beverages. Or visit relax@12, an indoor/outdoor lounge where guests can find oriental bites, yummy tapas and a sassy sushi selection. The re:charge fitness centre and splash, the outdoor pool, give guests options to de-stress and re-energize. Maï Café, the ultimate chill-out spot on the fifth floor, offers exciting international flavours, oversized beach chairs and unique custom cocktails, complimented by our eclectic mix of laid-back tunes and sunny grooves.

“We are thrilled to introduce Aloft to Abu Dhabi, a fitting choice for the brand’s debut in the Middle East,” said Brian McGuinness, Starwood’s Senior Vice President and Global Brand Leader, Specialty Select Brands. “The hotel’s strategic location in the hub of the capital city makes a bold statement about how the brand is taking its innovative, fresh perspective on hotels to the most desirable locations around the world.”

First time visitors to Aloft will immediately understand that Aloft is different from any other hotel experience. Guests are greeted by special features and visually distinctive iconic structures on the exterior, including a colorful, sloping signature carport cover and building roof-line, and colorful glowing linear light sources on the building facade inspired by the notion of travel and motion.

Aloft guest rooms feature the brand’s signature ceilings of nearly three meters high, oversized windows and an ultra-comfortable bed, as well as roomy walk-in showers and bath amenities created by Bliss® Spa. Each Aloft room is equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access and a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry all linked to a 42” flat-panel, HDTV-ready television making it a combination high-tech office and entertainment center in one.

The new hotel is linked directly to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition, Centre (ADNEC), the Gulf’s largest exhibition centre which is at the heart of the Capital Centre district, a micro-city consisting of premium office towers, luxury hotels and residences, restaurants, shopping and a marina. The hotel will even provide guests direct access to the soon-to-open Re:lax@12 rooftop bar, Mai Restaurant & Bar and Dine Restaurant – all located on site. Ideally positioned right next to the Capital Centre district, Aloft Abu Dhabi is close to numerous embassies and corporate offices, 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi and 15 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport.

About Aloft Hotels
Created to shake up the staid, traditional select service segment of the hotel industry, Aloft delivers urban-influenced, open and vibrant design and a social guest experience at an affordable price point. In the same way that W Hotels broke through the clutter of conformity in the upscale hotel arena a decade ago, Aloft is shaking up the industry for the next generation of traveler. Aloft hotels are geared toward savvy, design-conscious consumers who grew up with the democratization of design. Aloft hotels are wired for the future and an aggressive growth plan is in place with 40 properties set to be open by the end of this year from Abu Dhabi and Baltimore to Dallas and Beijing and everywhere in between. For more information, please visit www.alofthotels.com.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 982 properties in more than 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft® and Element(SM). Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

About Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC)
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) is a strategic international venue development and management company. ADNEC’s venue portfolio includes one of the most modern exhibition centers in the world – the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, and the UK capital’s largest exhibition and conference venue, ExCeL London. ADNEC is creating unique business districts to serve Abu Dhabi’s rapid expansion and emergence on the global stage. Development projects surrounding the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre include Capital Centre (a mixed-use development of 23 hotel, residential, commercial and mixed-use towers adjacent to the exhibition centre), Capital Gate (an iconic 35 storey gravity defying feature tower, featuring the 5-star hotel – ‘Hyatt at Capital Centre’), the Aloft Hotel and a 2.4km Marina zone on Al Bateen Channel opposite to the exhibition centre. In addition, ADNEC is expanding within the region, with The Al Ain Convention Centre, a residential and business micro city around a state-of-the-art convention centre.