Millennium Hotels & Resorts opened its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi and said its plans to develop 35 hotels in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) over the next five years, including its three-star brand.
The company intends to expand its participation at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) next month to push its plans.
"Our approach to the market will mainly focus on management contracts which will cover different levels ," said Ali Hamad Lakhraim, President of Millennium Hotels & Resorts for Middle East & Africa.
According to Lakhraim, the company's Millennium brand will focus on five-star, Copthorne brand will be aligned with four-star, while the Kingsgate brand will be focussed on upper three-star brand.
"Our Kingsgate brand, for the three-star ranges, existing mainly in Australia and New Zealand will be launched within a few months with its first property in Abu Dhabi and will target a different type of clientele focusing on the basic requirements of the guest.
"We envisage this brand to grow quickly with a plan to have more than 20 hotels in the area for the next three years." Millennium Hotels had signed a management contract for a new 218-room hotel in Doha, the group's first hotel in Qatar due to open in September 2006.
Existing properties in the region include the Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi (325 rooms), Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai (496 rooms, the Millennium Hotel Sharjah (259 rooms) and the Coral Beach Diving Hotel in the resort of Marsa Alam, in Egypt (206 rooms).
The Millennium Tiran Hotel & Resort at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt is due to open early in 2007 with about 440 rooms.
"Upon completion, Millennium Hotels & Resorts will have about one third of its global room capacity in the Mena region," said Manfred P Simons, vicepresident, operations and devel opment of Millennium Hotels Mena.
Millennium owns, manages and/or operates more than 100 hotels in 15 countries.
By Emirates Today Staff
© Emirates Today 2006
