The Abu Dhabi-headquartered Rotana Group of Hotels, Suites and Resorts has unveiled plans to expand outside the Middle East and set up a separate company for investments in hotels.
Since its inception, Rotana has operated only in the Middle East as a hotel management company.
Selim Al Zyr, President of the Rotana Group, said: "Our core business is to be in the Middle East and the Arab world as a leading hotel management company.
"We are expanding to be present in every major Middle East city.
"But we will go beyond the Middle East once our goals in this region are accomplished."
"South Asia and China are the more likely places we plan to go, but Europe is an unlikely market because we see no scope.
"However, South Asia is seeing tourism growing very fast."
As a hotel management company, the Rotana Group has attained maturity, Al Zyr said.
"But we are looking now at owning hotels as well as managing them. We are trying to get the owners of Rotana to set up a company to invest in hotels."
Unveiling expansion plans, he said the group was pushing aggressively to manage 30 properties by 2007.
"We have signed 13 new management contracts for major properties in Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Damascus, Doha, Dubai, Khartoum, Kuwait and Sharm Al Shaikh."
These new additions will not only increase Rotana's portfolio in Lebanon and Dubai but will introduce the company to new markets such as Syria and Sudan.
The first to open will be the 110-room Queen Centre Rotana Suites in Damascus next month.
"We see tremendous potential in Syria and this is the first time we are entering there."
A property in Kuwait will open in late 2006, Rotana's fourth 250-room property in Lebanon will open in 2008 and the 400-room City Centre Rotana Hotel in Doha is expected to open in mid-2006.
In July this year the 600-room resort and spa in Sharm Al Shaikh, Egypt, will open, followed by the 400-room Khartoum Rotana Hotel and Suites in late 2007.
"Khartoum is another market with huge potential because after 30 years a new five star hotel is opening there."
Al Zyr said the group achieved record results in 2004 with revenues rising 35 per cent over 2003 and average occupancy touching 82 per cent, up 7 per cent over 2003.
"The Middle East and Arab region are enjoying excellent exposure and frequency of travel is high," he said.
Aiming for a bigger presence in the UAE
- The Rotana Group of Hotels will add eight new properties to its portfolio in the UAE, with six in Dubai, a company representative said.
- The other two will be in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. The group is looking at more properties across the UAE, said Selim Al Zyr, president of the group.
- In Dubai, Rotana operates 10 hotels with about 2,400 rooms. The new properties will come up on Shaikh Zayed Road, just off Shaikh Zayed Road and in Jumeirah.
- In Abu Dhabi, the group will be operating its fifth property when it begins managing the 400-room Khalidiya Rotana Resort and Suites. The 250-room Fujairah Rotana Resort is due to open shortly.
Gulf News
