While the global economies cautiously stepped onto the road to recovery in the second half of 2010, current unrest in certain parts of the Middle East and soaring oil prices are posing new questions about future hotel performance in several parts of the region.

The Middle East Hotel Survey 2011 includes 352 hotels and some 93,500 hotel rooms (an increase of 36% on last year) across 52 cities in the Middle East, making it one of the most reliable benchmarking surveys in the region.

Full story:

www.hvs.com/article/5206/2011-middle-east-hotel-survey-shifting-sands

Hala Matar Choufany is the Managing Director of HVS Dubai and is responsible for the firm's valuation and consulting work in the Middle East and North Africa. She initially joined HVS London in 2005, moved to HVS Shanghai in September 2006 where she helped grow HVS Shanghai office and business in the Asia region. She relocated to Dubai in September 2007 and looks after HVS interests in the Middle East.

Before joining HVS International, Hala had four years of operational and managerial hotel industry experience. She lectured at Notre Dame University in Lebanon on International Travel and Tourism.