ABU DHABI -- Millennium & Copthorne Hotels and Resorts, a UK Hotel Management Company which owns and operates 91 hotels worldwide with 22,000 beds, said it has multi-million US dollar plans to expand the room capacity in Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, while new five-star properties in Qatar, Egypt will be opened to guests next year.
Dinky Puri, President-Services & Special Projects Millennium Hotels and Resorts told Khaleej Times in an interview that the Company is expanding its presence in the Gulf and Middle East where economic boom has increased manifold the leisure and business travel.
Already, the Company is operating a 325-room property, in Abu Dhabi while work on multi-million dirham Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai which has 496 rooms will commence shortly. The project included additional 276 rooms.
For the UAE, Dinky Puri said the Company was considering to set-up a hotel & serviced apartments in the Dubai Healthcare City. For the rest of the Gulf and Middle East, the Millennium & Copthorne Hotels has already three projects in hand costing $100 million aiming at capitalising on tourism boom in Qatar and Egypt.
A five-star 223 rooms Hotel in Qatar which will also have 20-serviced apartments would be ready by October next year. It will cost $30 million. One five-star property in the tourist-resort of Sharm El Shaikh, Egypt with 330 rooms is under construction and likely to be ready in December 2006, costing $55 million.
The corporate business represents the major segment of the Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi," said Moine Kandil, the General Manager of the Hotel. He added:" We have developed tailor-made strategies to suit and attract all market segments by going back to basics concentrating on what is important for our customers.
Kandil said that the occupancy rate has increased by approximately 20 per cent over the year 2004 and revenue increased approximately 40 per cent. Although the Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi is a typical business Hotel, yet the in-bound leisure segment expanded tremendously with the help of our regional sales office in London that contributed in promoting our property and introducing it to new business associates.
BY HASEEB HAIDER
© Khaleej Times 2005
