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Hotel establishments in Dubai, that welcomed more than 11.6 million guests in 2014 are set to see some action this year, with Dubai leading the Middle East and Africa for new hotel developments. Some 1 lakh rooms are to be added by 2020.
Activity in the hospitality sector appears to be at an all time high, with 96 projects and 36,523 rooms in the pipeline slated to come up in Dubai. The new rooms are to be added to the existing 65,000 currently available, according to a report published ahead of the Hotel Show Dubai 2015.
In 2014, Dubai’s hotel establishments welcomed 11,629,578 guests, recording a 5.6 per cent increase over 2013’s total, according to Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
The figures for 2014 indicates that Dubai is continuing to maintain growth at a sustainable level, the Department noted, while also growing its portfolio of hotels and hotel apartment establishments, thus taking another step closer to achieving its Tourism Vision for 2020, which aims to welcome 20 million visitors a year by 2020.
DTCM data showed that Dubai’s hotel portfolio grew during 2014 from 611 hotels and hotel apartments to 659, recording a 7.8 per cent growth over the course of the year. With a number of additions to the mid market segment opening during the year, further additions to the portfolio of three and four star hotels are expected to open in the coming years as a result of incentives launched by the Government of Dubai.
As of January 2015, Dubai had 93,030 hotels, and the figure is forecast to rise to 140,000. The additional hotels will comprise different asset classes, including hotel apartments, with around 20,000-35,000 hotels being from the mid market hotel sector.
Mid market brands
The recently announced partnership between Hilton Worldwide and the UAE based Wasl Hospitality and Leisure to introduce the mid market Hampton by Hilton to Dubai and the Middle East, are some of the mid market brands that would be on show. Hampton by HiltonDubai Al Qusais and Hilton Garden Inn Dubai Al Garhoud are slated to open in 2017, adding more than 550 guest rooms. Two Hilton Garden Inn properties are to open in Dubai later this year, with a third slated for opening at Mall of the Emirates in 2016.
In another partnership between Dubai companies, Emaar Hospitality Group and Meraas Holdings, six properties are to open across Dubai before 2020, with its mid market lifestyle hotel brand, Rove Hotels.
Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing noted in a statement that though Dubai is known for its impressive array of luxury properties, the government is keen to ensure that the city also caters to those on a more restrictive budget, by offering mid market accommodation.
Several mid market brands like Premier Inn, Hilton’s Garden Inn, Ibis and Holiday have earmarked Dubai for development.
High activity
Even as InterContinental’s Hotel Group is slated to open its 450-room Holiday Inn Dubai World Central and 250-room Staybridge Suites Dubai World Central this year, some 30 new projects are to open their doors to the public in 2017. These include the city’s first fully solar powered hospitality development, Hotel Indigo in Dubai Sustainable City, as well as the upcoming Bulgari Hotels and Resorts, and the first Dubai property of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Six 5-star hotels are coming up at The Dubai Pearl development and are slotted to launch early 2018. This would include Dubai's first MGM Grand and Bellagio hotels, both of which are famous brands and the mainstay of Las Vegas, USA.
In the neighbouring region, while Morocco has some 46 active projects, Riyadh has 43, and Doha has another 38 hotels coming up soon. Of the 694 hotel projects in the pipeline, 528 are listed as being in the pre planning, planning or construction stages.
Between January to December 2014, visitors from Saudi Arabia were the topmost source of tourists, while tourists from India were the second highest to Dubai, followed by those from the UK, USA, Iran, Oman, China, Kuwait, Russia and Germany, respectively.
amritanair.ghaswalla@thehindu.co.in
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