Leading hotel management company Rotana has unveiled plans to open four new properties in Abu Dhabi, valued at $300 million, by 2020, said a report.

According to a report in Gulf News, President and chief executive officer Omer Kaddouri revealed that two out of the four properties would open this year, including the Pearl Rotana with 315 luxurious rooms and suites (scheduled to open in Q3 2017) and Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, a star property featuring 354 upscale rooms and suites (set to open in Q4).

This will be followed by the opening of Beach Arjaan by Rotana (326 keys) in the third quarter of 2018 and Marina Mall Arjaan by Rotana with 376 keys by 2020.

"Upon completion, the new hotels will add 1,371 keys to Rotana’s existing inventory in Abu Dhabi and take our total number of hotels in the capital to 16, the report cited Omer Kaddouri as saying.

Giving an outlook for Abu Dhabi’s hotel industry, Kaddouri expects growth at a moderate pace, as the widening portfolio of theme parks and tourist attractions is now helping the emirate become an increasingly popular choice for leisure travellers.

“Already, the emirate’s hotel industry has witnessed a 6 per cent increase in guest numbers in the first two months of 2017 compared to the same period of the previous year. Occupancy rates remain strong across all segments, with midscale hotels and hotel apartments in particular seeing high demand,” he said.

“Demand has been driven primarily by UAE nationals visiting from other emirates, as well as rising tourist arrivals from China, India, UK and the Saudi Arabia.”

The hotel group remains positive about growth prospects in the emirate in 2017 with a number of family-oriented attractions set to open in Abu Dhabi in the near future.

Rotana is forecasting corporate travellers to account for 60 per cent of their business in our hotels in Abu Dhabi this year, with leisure travellers contributing the remaining 40 per cent.

The group has a portfolio of 105 hotels in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe including 55 operating properties and 49 properties that are under development.