Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure business of Emaar Properties, has marked a regional first by securing the ACTE-BCHA accreditation for 10 of its hotels in Dubai, underlining the strong value it brings for business travellers.

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) – Business and Conference Hotels Accreditation (BCHA) is the first hospitality industry global accreditation programme shaped specifically for business travellers. It focuses on safety and security, quality and added value in the hospitality offering for international business guests.

Ten hotels under Emaar Hospitality Group have received the accreditation across its three hotel brands – the premium luxury Address Hotels + Resorts, the upscale lifestyle Vida Hotels and Resorts and the contemporary midscale Rove Hotels. The ACTA-BCHA accredited hotels are: Address Dubai Mall, Address Boulevard, Address Dubai Marina and Palace Downtown – under Address Hotels + Resorts; Vida Downtown and Manzil Downtown under Vida Hotels and Resorts; and Rove Downtown, Rove Trade Centre, Rove City Centre and Rove Healthcare City, under Rove Hotels, developed by Emaar Properties as a joint venture with Meraas Holding.

BCHA relies on a global network of affiliate partners and has recently signed an agreement with dnata, which will look after the programme development in the UAE with the potential to expand across the Middle East.

Olivier Harnisch, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “The ACTA-BCHA accreditation, a regional first for our Group, underlines the exemplary standards we set for our guests, especially business travellers. Located centrally in the city, all our hotels focus on offering our guests, exceptional value through amenities that are tailored for business travellers. With Dubai and the UAE emerging as a global business and leisure hub, the accreditation will driver stronger interest in our hotels from corporate guests from across the world.”

By 2020, ACTE-BCHA plans to accredit 10,000 hotels worldwide focusing not only on emerging but also on European markets considering growing demand from the global corporate travel side to safety and security compliance.

Savio Vaz, Vice President Government & Corporate Travel of dnata, said: “We are proud to collaborate with ACTE on this initiative, which will provide international corporate travellers a choice of exciting accommodation options available in the UAE and the Middle East region. Travel executives will also have the opportunity to enjoy traditional Arabian hospitality, which will enhance their overall travel experience when they visit the region and the UAE in particular for business.”

Vadim Zelenski, CEO of ACTE-BCHA, added: “After the promising launch of ACTE-BCHA in Russia as a pilot phase of the project, the programme has proven itself to be extremely important for the needs of today corporate traveller and for corporations themselves as effective tool of applying CSR in today’s rapidly changing environment. I am happy to welcome dnata as a perfect partner for programme’s development in UAE and the Middle East.”

Emaar Hospitality Group has 13 operational hotels and three serviced residences in Dubai, and is expanding its footprint to key international markets including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey and The Maldives in addition to the expansion of its three hotel brands in the UAE.