More mid-market hotels in the Middle East
THE boom in mid-market
accommodation stock
in the Gulf – in Dubai
particularly – has been
welcomed by rand-fatigued
travellers from South Africa.
In the last two years, Dubai
developers have shown a
significant swing away from
the über luxurious hotel,
to mid-range new builds,
where a noticeable gap was
acknowledged.
The change in focus was
a deliberate one by the city,
which temporarily exempted
three- and four-star property
developers from a 10%
municipality fee levied on
each night of occupancy.
This move was intended to
stimulate delivery of new
hotels in the sector and
advance Dubai’s objective of
20 million annual visitors by
2020.
Further, the construction
approval process was
streamlined and reduced,
and government-owned
land allocated to new
developments.
The emirate, as of the end
of January 2016, now boasts
some 21 000 four-star rooms,
over 20 000 one- to three-star
rooms and 15 500 standardrated
hotel apartment keys.
Another 16 three- and fourstar
properties, as well
as standard-grade hotel
apartment establishments,
are due to open this year.
(By comparison, Dubai has
31 300 five-star rooms and
9 600 deluxe/superior hotel
apartments.)
“There will be a sustained
effort to encourage growth in
the mid-market sector, to offer
tourists greater choice and
ultimately position the emirate
as a destination catering for
travellers of all budgets,”
reads a statement from Dubai
Tourism.
Dubai’s mid-market hotel
facilities now include brand
names such as Holiday Inn
Express, ibis, Hilton Garden
Inn and Hilton Hampton.
According to Wendie White,
director of the Southern
African Representative
Office of Dubai Tourism, the
following four-star properties
are working well with the
South African travel trade and
have invested time to ensure
they are in touch with our
local client needs:
Vida Hotel in downtown
Dubai, a 15-minute walk
from the Dubai Mall and the
Dubai Fountains;
Manzil Hotel, also in
downtown Dubai, a
contemporary Arabic-themed
hotel only 3km from the
Dubai Mall and the Dubai
Fountains;
Marriott Harbour Suites
Hotel at the Dubai Marina,
where one- to threebedroom
suites provide
accommodation for groups
of people working together
on Dubai projects.
In neighbouring Abu Dhabi
new hotels span the three- to
five-star range. The emirate
currently has a complement
of 35 000 rooms, operating
at 75,4% average occupancy.
A further 8 000 rooms will be
built by 2017 but, with the
ultimate goal – according to
the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030
– of 80 000 rooms, building
cranes will be a fixture for
some time.
Among the familiar Hyatts,
Hiltons and Radissons, is the
four-star Southern Sun Abu
Dhabi operated by Tsogo Sun.
It offers 353 rooms, six food
and beverage facilities, and
a city centre location that is
convenient for the airport,
business districts and tourist
attractions.
Jean Martins, country
manager for the Tourism and
Culture Authority (TCA) Abu
Dhabi, lists the following
properties as appealing to
South Africans:
Traders Hotel Qaryat Al Beri
Abu Dhabi, ideally positioned
on the creek, with a good
beach and access to a mall;
The three-star Premier
Inn situated at Abu Dhabi
International Airport, offering
quality accommodation for a
quick overnight stopover;
Yas Island properties, such
as the Centro Yas Island
and Park Inn by Radisson
Abu Dhabi Yas Island.
This emirate is claiming a
50% growth in tourist arrivals
from South Africa, including
both business and leisure
sectors, since the opening
of a TCA Abu Dhabi office
in Johannesburg in March
last year.
Christmas in the Gulf
CRUISING in the Gulf
is the ideal option for
South Africans looking
for an affordable holiday
this December. In fact,
according to George
Argyropoulos, md of
Cruises International,
Gulf cruises should be
in the basket of typical
destinations that travel
agents offer their clients
for the festive season.
“European schools close
around December 22 or
23. This is ideal for South
African families because
our schools close on
December 7, which
enables SA travellers to
take advantage of the
first and second sailings
before the super peak
season starts.”
Cruises International
sells Royal Caribbean Gulf
cruises with sailings every
Monday from December
12. George says the two
early sailings offered
on December 12 and
December 19 are ideal
for South Africans
because the cruises are
unlikely to be crowded by
the European market and
also these two sailings
would be less expensive
than the ones following,
which would enter the
high season. “Over the
Christmas and New Year
period the prices of the
sailings go up.”
However if South
Africans miss these two
earlier sailings, George
says a cruise is still an
attractive option as the
Christmas and New Year
sailings are a fantastic
time to visit because, as
it is winter in the Gulf, the
temperatures are much
lower. If travellers cannot
make those sailings,
George says February
is the best alternative
for travellers who enjoy
a good bargain, as it
is during this time that
Dubai has its shopping
festival.
Fun without the hassle
While cruising in the
Gulf, travellers can
experience the same type
of activities that they
would if they had visited
the emirates on land, but
without the planning that
would come with such a
trip.
Following departure in
Dubai, the first port of
call of Royal Caribbean
International’s Dubai
cruise is Khasab in
Oman. Khasab was
isolated from the rest of
the region until the new
road from the UAE was
built. The city is seen as
a good starting point to
explore the Musandam
Peninsula. On the third
day, the cruise stops in
Muscat, where travellers
spend the day. “In Muscat
travellers can enjoy the
exceptional diving around
the area,” says George.
The last port of call is in
Dubai, where travellers
can explore the huge
shopping malls as well
as the Bedouin desert
experience. “Because
of the overnight [stay]
in Muscat and Dubai,
you have two proper
nights to explore the
destinations which are
diametrically opposite
in the experience they
offer.” George adds
that Dubai offers a
“unique culture with a
mix of cosmopolitan
people” and is a lot
more commercialised
than Muscat. “Muscat
is relatively new to the
tourism industry.” He
adds that Muscat’s
appeal is its local colour,
culture and architecture.
Photocap: Free stopovers with Etihad
If you book your customers on an Etihad first-class flight, they can take advantage of
a complimentary stay for two nights in Abu Dhabi or Dubai at any of the following
five-star hotels: Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara, InterContinental Abu
Dhabi, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Rosewood Abu Dhabi, The St. Regis Abu Dhabi,
Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi and Bonnington Jumeirah Lake Towers. Customers booked
in business class can enjoy one free night. Simply book your customers in first or
business class, complete the hotel booking form at etihad.com/stopovers and you will
be contacted within 48 hours to book the complimentary stay in the selected city.
Upon hotel check-in customers should present their Etihad boarding pass and booking
confirmation to access their complimentary room. The offer is valid on confirmed
Etihad Airways first- or business-class flights into Abu Dhabi with a connecting flight
to an onward destination. Booking must be made prior to travelling.
WLH extends portfolio
WORLD Leisure Holidays has
partnered with JA Resorts &
Hotels, a relatively unknown
property group from Dubai
that owns hotels and resorts
that offer affordable options
for both leisure and corporate
travellers.
“JA Resorts & Hotels
has a fantastic portfolio of
properties, including JA Jebel
Ali Golf Resort, which offers
an all-inclusive package
in Dubai, which is vital for
leisure travellers and, most
importantly, is a great offering
for the MICE market,” says
Cathie Bester, national sales
manager for World Leisure
Holidays. She says this allinclusive
package is ideal for
cost-conscious companies
looking to travel internationally
for conferencing.
The all-inclusive value
package at the JA Jebel Ali
Golf Resort in Dubai includes
breakfast, lunch, dinner and
snacks at the beach bar and
restaurants. It also includes
all beverages – soft drinks,
internationally branded wine,
beer and spirits and cocktails
during or without meals.
Activities that form part of
the package include kayaking,
dinghy sailing and windsurfing
at the Watercooled Water
Sports Centre. Tennis, squash,
badminton, table tennis, a
gymnasium, beach volleyball,
aqua gym and camel rides
are also offered. Travellers
will also have access to
the CoolZone kids’ club for
children between four and 12
and access to the ChillZone
teens’ club for children over
12. The package also includes
free access to the JA Wibit
Water Park, a floating water
park in the sea.
The JA Jebel Ali Beach
Hotel also offers excellent
conferencing facilities, as do
the JA Hatta Fort Hotel and JA
Oasis Beach Tower.
The 51-room JA Hatta Fort
Hotel in the Hajar Mountains
can be booked exclusively and
offers complimentary branding
possibilities.
The JA Oasis Beach Tower
has 180 serviced apartments
and rooms on Jumeirah
beach in Dubai. The hotel
is known for its sea-view
meeting rooms and also offers
a group cooking or cocktailmaking
class.
Good air access
WITH the recent dissolution
of the SAA/Etihad Airways
partnership, air access to
the Gulf underwent some
changes, notably the
reduction of flights from
Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi
from two flights a day to one
daily.
Jean Martins country
manager TCA Abu Dhabi
in South Africa, points out
that Etihad Airways will be
introducing a larger-capacity
A330 on the route in April
and a B787 in November.
The airline will also up its
service to Johannesburg
with the introduction of three
flights a week between July
and September.
Emirates continues to
serve Cape Town twice
daily, Durban daily and
Johannesburg four times
daily. Agents should note
that Dubai International
Airport has implemented
a new passenger facilities
charge (PFC) of AED 35
(R149) on all departing
flights.
Qatar Airways serves
Johannesburg twice daily,
Cape Town daily and Durban
via Johannesburg four times
a week.
Ethiopian Airlines offers the
following connections from
Addis Ababa to the main
access points in the Gulf.
All flights have less than
two hours’ connecting time
for the airline’s flights from
Johannesburg, Durban and
Cape Town.
Dubai International Airport:
Flights operate three times
daily;
King Abdulaziz International
Airport, Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia: Flights operate
daily;
King Khaled International
Airport, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia: Flights operate
daily;
Hamad international Airport
Doha: Flights operate three
times a week on Sundays,
Tuesdays and Thursdays;
Muscat International
Airport: Flights operate
daily excluding Saturdays.
Affordable Abu Dhabi
APART from Abu Dhabi
being more affordable than
Dubai, Ronel says she
would also sell it as a much
quieter destination. She
says Abu Dhabi is better
suited to travellers who
are looking for somewhere
that is less busy than
the more commercialised
Dubai. “Both destinations
offer the same desert
experiences, so ultimately
it would depend on what
atmosphere the client
wanted.
“The hotels are of a good
standard,” she says. “South
Africans are drawn to the
beach hotels and the hotels
in the Gulf are superb.” She
says the Anantara Qasr Al
Sarab in the Liwa Desert
was a definite highlight of
the educational. “This was
a real treat; it was like a
dream come true.” The
luxury hotel is a secluded
retreat with desert castle
décor. It is a two-hour
drive from Abu Dhabi and
has a Desert Excursion
Centre that organises camel
treks, dune bashing and
desert walks.
Ronel says the Park
Hyatt and Southern Sun
cater for brand-conscious
travellers: “[South Africans]
like branded hotel chains
because they generally
know what service and
room type to expect.”
For travellers who can
afford the more expensive
option, Ronel suggests the
five-star Emirates Palace,
which she describes as
incredibly lavish. “The door
handles are covered in
Swarovski crystals.” She
suggests a visit to the hotel
just so that travellers can
experience its grandeur.
A visit to the Sheikh Zayed
Grand Mosque is a must
for travellers wanting to
explore the local culture
in Abu Dhabi, says Ronel.
However, she advises travel
agents to remind their
clients of the dress code at
the mosque. Neither men
nor women need to wear
an abaya (black dress) but
do need to ensure that they
wear long (ankle-length)
trousers and long-sleeved
(wrist-length) shirts or suits.
Clothes can be any colour
but visitors cannot wear
beach wear, short trousers
or any transparent clothing.
Women are also required to
wear a headscarf to cover
their hair.
Abu Dhabi also offers
the Ferrari World Theme
Park which is home to the
world’s fastest rollercoaster.
It features 20 rides and
attractions designed to
tell the Ferrari story. “This
is a very popular sell,”
says Ronel.
Another recommendation
of Ronel’s is a visit to the
Etihad Innovation Centre –
a research facility designed
by the airline to ensure
that it delivers the best
standards possible –
ideal for travellers with a
curious mind.
“I think a three- to fourday
stay is ideal.” She says
the destination can be sold
to any market: families,
honeymooners or business
travellers and that it would
all depend how one would
package the product.
“Honeymooners who are
doing a stopover en route to
Europe could spend some
time at the resorts as they
are gorgeous,” she says.
There are many activities
that they can then choose
to do – visit a souk, a
desert safari or a Bedouin
dinner, for example.
