Monday, Aug 20, 2007
Gulf News
Dubai: Dutch chain Golden Tulip Hospitality is negotiating at least 10 new hotel management contracts in the Gulf in its efforts to expand in the under-served mid-range and budget accommodation segments.
Golden Tulip is operating 12 hotels in the GCC and six are scheduled to open in 2008 and 2009.
In the UAE, the company will be managing a 1,000-room, four-star hotel in Ajman and a 264-unit block of apartments in Sharjah next year.
A 119-room five-star hotel under the Royal Tulip brand will open in Dubai in 2009, according to Mustafa Chatila, Golden Tulip's area director for marketing and sales.
"We are negotiating eight new hotels in Jeddah, one in Dubai and one in Muscat," he said.
Chatila said Golden Tulip is mainly focused on developing four-star properties, which are in short supply in the region.
"We want to be one of the leading four-star hotel chains in the Middle East and North Africa," he said.
The company wants to attract corporate clients in Dubai, while in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi business is expected to come from both the government and corporate sectors.
The company opened its latest four-star property in the Al Barsha area of Dubai recently.
Golden Tulip operates a total of 36 hotels, offering about 6,000 rooms in the Middle East and North Africa, and aims to increase the portfolio by 14 hotels by 2010.
Shortage
Dubai is experiencing a shortage of hotel rooms to cater to the increase in travellers to the city.
According to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, the city has 90 hotels in the three- and four-star categories.
A number of UAE-based companies have unveiled plans to develop budget properties across the region. Istithmar Hotels, a unit of Dubai investment firm Istithmar, plans to build more than 50 budget hotels in the region in partnership with London-based easyGroup.
Emirates airline group has a joint venture with Britain's Whitbread group to build three Premier Travel Inn properties in Dubai and sees a potential of 4,000 budget hotel rooms in the Gulf.
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
