About 30 new hotels will open in and around Abu Dhabi city during the next three years.According to Abu Dhabi Hoteliers group, among them there will be no less than five Marriott hotels, including a 60-room Marriott Executive Apartments, a 195-room Courtyard by Marriott in the Central Market, a 244-room Edition hotel (a Marriott brand) and a giant 532 Ritz-Carlton, one of Marriott's luxury brands, near Maqta Bridge. Apart from Ritz-Carlton, planed for opening in 2013, all other brands are scheduled for 2014.
Among the 30 new openings announced between 2012 and 2015, a few are already receiving guests. Among them, is Anantara's third hotel in Abu Dhabi emirate, the Eastern Mangroves, owned by Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC).
"This is our first business hotel, so we can now offer a unique 360 degrees experience for our guests, with island – the Anantara Desert Islands on Sir Bani Yas – desert – the Qasr Al Sarab in Liwa – and city – the Eastern Mangroves by Anantara – destinations," said David Garner, regional director of sales and marketing of Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas in the Middle East.
As a business hotel, the one three weeks old Eastern Mangroves Anantara is expecting to get 45 per cent of its business from the corporate market, 30 per cent from the leisure market and 25 per cent from MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions).
"In the first year, we expect to have 70 per cent of occupancy from UAE and the GCC countries," mentioned Garner.
"We are planning to offer combination packages, starting with one or two nights in the city, then fly our guests to Sir Bani Yas for three or four nights, then drive to Qasr Al Sarab for a few nights and finally back to the city. This way, international visitors get to see what Abu Dhabi has to offer," he added. To start with, Anantara Eastern Mangroves is charging Dh1,200 per room, but it gives back exactly the same amount as credit to be spent in the hotel's restaurants and spa.
Other hotel openings include five new properties by Rotana, including two in the Capital Centre, the development around Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the 414-room Centro Capital Centre opening this year and the 300-room Capital Centre Rotana opening next year. Also announced is a 400-room Saadiyat Rotana Resort for 2015 and a mammoth 600-room Arjaan next to Marina Mall.
Khaleej Times
28 June
