Friday, September 28, 2007

Burooj signs deal for luxury time share suites

Dubai: Burooj Properties, the real estate investment arm of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, has signed an agreement with hotel operator group Millennium & Copthorne to manage the 164-room luxury Burooj Suites in Dubai.

Adel Al Zarouni, managing director of Burooj, said the luxury furnished suites will be offered on a timeshare investment basis.

"We see tremendous opportunities in this particular segment of the market. We are optimistic the property will add to the diverse range of the UAE's tourism industry," he said.

"With Millennium & Copthorne Group's expertise and track record, we are sure the group will offer guests at the Burooj Suites true value for money," Al Zarouni added.

Burooj Properties is engaged in both local and international project investments.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Find the best vacation deals

H ere's a tip sheet on how to ferret out the best deals on your own.

Important: When considering a package deal -- whether it's from a travel agent, a third-party booking site or a vacation discounter -- always price out the individual components at the source to make sure it is an actual deal.

1. Check the aggregator sites. Reputable sites that compile travel deals weekly include Smarter Travel (www.smarter travel.com), Travel Zoo ( www.travelzoo.com), Independent Traveler (www.independ enttraveler.com) and ShermansTravel.com (www.shermanstra vel.com). You can sign up to be notified about new offerings by e-mail every week.

2. Register with the so-called big three travel booking sites -- Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity -- to receive e-mails about deals and special offers that they broker with travel providers.