Rotana, a leading hotel management company in the Middle East and North Africa, is expanding its portfolio to over 70 properties by 2014. The move is the result of new management agreements signed by the company for properties across the region, including new projects in Cairo, Jordan, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
“Year after year, Rotana is gaining strength and positioning itself as an industry leader within the region,” says Omer Kaddouri, Chief Operating Officer with Rotana. “This is part of our strategic aim to have a property located in every key city in the Middle East and North Africa, a goal steadily being achieved through careful long-term planning and timely action.”
By the end of 2010, Rotana will have opened eight new properties, making a total of 43 hotels, resorts and hotel apartment complexes currently in operation. It now has many properties under construction or in development and is confident that as long as it is able to manage growth efficiently, there is scope to take up further properties in the coming years.
“The brand is driven by passion, personal warmth and the delivery of consistent quality standards, combined with a keen understanding of regional markets, commitment to research and significant investment in systems and people,” explains Kaddouri.
Rotana is comprised of four key brands: Arjaan Hotel Apartments by Rotana, whose properties have been developed with both long-term guests and families in mind; Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts by Rotana, an entirely new concept in the region and on the market; Rotana Hotels & Resorts, which offers something for every type and level of traveller; and Centro Hotels by Rotana – delivering superior accommodation at an affordable price, this is a contemporary concept that is original in its presentation and dynamic in its offerings.
In 2009, Rotana saw reductions across all markets, in line with the overall world economic turndown. Its Dubai properties were the most affected and it must be borne in mind that Rotana currently manages more hotels in Dubai & the Northern Emirates than any other single operator. Despite this, the group has achieved, and in many cases surpassed, its budgets.
It is important to recognise that the RevPAR of hotels in Dubai remains amongst the highest in the world, which is rewarding and certainly positive,” explains Kaddouri. “We have also reached out to guests from new markets in Eastern Europe, South America, and the Far East, such as China, Malaysia and Hong Kong.”
Since inception, the brand has become widely recognized and much admired. “We are geared towards another challenging year, as we continue to develop,” he continues.
In view of the recent slowdown in arrivals from primary source markets like the United Kingdom and other European countries, it is imperative to focus on feeder markets like Far East, Australia, India and Iran that are still experiencing outbound leisure travel, argues Kaddouri.
For the full article, please see the December 2010 issue.
|
