Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is gearing up for another year of significant portfolio expansion as it forges ahead with plans to open 11 new properties in nine countries by the end of 2018.

The global hospitality firm, which currently operates 83 hotels across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, will make its debut in five new countries – Bangladesh, Iraq, Kenya, Malaysia and the Maldives – while boosting its cluster of hotels in the UAE, Egypt, Tunisia and Thailand.

The next 10 months will see Mövenpick raise a flag in several commercially-strategic destinations, from two of Dubai’s most prestigious districts to The Maldives, where the company will make its Indian Ocean foray.

“In 2018, our global expansion drive really steps up a gear, with the 11 new openings planned, putting us firmly on track to meet our target of 125 properties by 2020 and introducing the Mövenpick brand in some very desirable locations,” confirmed Olivier Chavy, president and CEO, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

Three of Mövenpick’s upcoming hotels will open over the next few months: the family-focused Mövenpick Asara Resort & Spa Hua Hin - the brand’s seventh property in Thailand; Mövenpick Hotel du Lac Tunis, located on the banks of Lac de Tunis – its third hotel in Tunisia; and Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Nairobi in Kenya, marking the company’s debut in East Africa with a five-star hotel and conference property.

The remaining eight properties, which will be launched before the end of the year, will see Mövenpick enter four additional new markets, with the contemporary Mӧvenpick Resort & Spa Kuredhivaru in the Maldives introducing 105 units, including 72 over-water villas to the idyllic island destination; Mövenpick Hotel Basra capitalising on one of Iraq’s oil and gas hubs; Mövenpick Hotel & Convention Centre KLIA conveniently located close to Kuala Lumpur International Airport; and Mövenpick Hotel Sylhet, introducing an enticing mix of business and leisure facilities to this vibrant city in north-east Bangladesh.

In the Middle East, Mövenpick will be opening two hotels in the UAE: the stylish Mövenpick Hotel Apartments Downtown Dubai and a Mövenpick hotel in Dubai Media City, both introducing new dining, leisure and meetings concepts to two of the city’s most desirable precincts. The firm will also strengthen its presence in Egypt with the addition of Mövenpick Resort El Ein Bay, its second property in the desirable coastal area of El Sokhna.

In Asia, the hospitality firm will bolster its cluster strategy in Thailand with the opening of Mövenpick Resort Khao Yai, which will feature a raft of dining, business and leisure attractions.

With a current pipeline of more than 40 properties, Mövenpick will enter several additional new markets over the next few years including Muscat (Oman) and Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) in the Middle East and Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Abuja (Nigeria) in Africa, while consolidating its presence in countries with strong development potential. - TradeArabia News Service