Emirates and Premier Inn to add 5,000 rooms in Gulf

Friday, Jul 13, 2007

Gulf News

Dubai: Emirates Group and Premier Inn, the UK's biggest value-for-money hotel brand, will add 5,000 new hotel rooms in the Gulf region, an emailed statement said.

"We are on track with our plan to bring 830 new rooms into the market over the next 18 months, and launch some 5,000 rooms throughout the GCC over the next five years. Premier Inn is well-positioned to service this demand.," Derek Swan, Emirates' senior vice-president, business development, said in a statement.

Premier Inn has secured a prime location to build its fourth hotel at Capital Centre - Abu Dhabi's new micro city comprising hotels, retail zones, and residential and commercial towers, a statement said.

On the plot, situated immediately opposite the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Premier Inn will construct a 250-room hotel, taking full advantage of the location's accessibility and proximity to the site of many major events.

"Demand from travellers seeking high-quality budget hotel accommodation in the UAE has been growing in tandem with the booming economy and massive tourism developments," Swan said.

The purchase agreement for the plot was signed by Darroch Crawford, Managing Director PTI Gulf Hotels, Derek Swan, Sanjay Tanna, Corporate Commercial Director of Capital Centre, and Mubarak Al Ameri, Deputy Commercial Director of Capital Centre.

Premier Inn in the GCC is operated under a joint venture between the Emirates Group and the UK's leading hospitality group Whitbread. The joint venture, PTI Gulf Hotels, recently broke ground on its first hotel property outside of the UK at Dubai Investment Park, and secured Dh200 million financing for its first three developments in Dubai.

Tanna said: "Premier Inn is an established brand with an excellent track record in providing a great value-for-money hospitality product."