DAILY NEWS | EGYPT: As new hotel opens in Hurghada serving no alcohol, hotel groups call for reconsidering ratings system
Last week, the Les Rois hotel in Hurghada opened to the sound of breaking glass as bottles of alcohol were smashed in celebration.
The hotel was touted as Egypt’s first non-alcohol serving hotel, but the move has some recent precedents. When Abdul Aziz Al Ibrahim, a Saudi businessman who bought the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Egypt, prevented alcoholic drinks from being served at one of Downtown Cairo’s major luxury hotels, the move sparked some debate, spurring former tourism minister, Zuhair Garana, to threaten to cut the hotel’s ranking from five stars to two.
The owners of Les Rois have decided to not serve any alcohol to tourists at the hotel, in order to promote “a new kind of tourism”.
The hotel administration has also announced it will not be providing any services which violate Islamic Sharia law.
It will also be allocating a floor for women only, complete with female security guards, which will include a swimming pool, a restaurant, and a dance lounge.
The hotel owners said that the hotel earmarked the fourth floor as a women-only space because it overlooks a mountainous area, reducing the risk of violating “female modesty”. » | Hend El-Behary | Tuesday, May 07, 2013
