Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region, is preparing to open 17 new properties in the Middle East before the end of 2018, adding more than 4,500 keys to the company’s existing room count.

The upcoming properties will be showcased at the Arabian Travel Market, taking place in Dubai from April 24-27.

Key Rotana properties that will be on display at the high-profile exhibition includes Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas - a luxurious five-star hotel in Abu Dhabi set to open in the fourth quarter of 2017 on Saadiyat Beach. Featuring 354 upscale rooms and suites in addition to 13 private beach villas, the luxury resort will be the 15th Rotana property to open in the capital of the UAE.

Visitors to the Rotana stand at ATM 2017 will also receive a glimpse into the traditional charm of The Cove Rotana Resort, a spectacular property located on an idyllic water inlet on the Ras Al Khaimah beachfront. Currently undergoing large-scale refurbishment, the extension is due to open its doors in Q2 2017.

Rotana is looking to use the ATM platform as an opportunity to build on its strong start to the year, with its hotels in the region showing a 4.8 per cent increase in average occupancy rates during the first quarter of 2017, as compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Rotana hotels in the UAE witnessed a 3.1 per cent growth in occupancy year-on-year, with Dubai up by 3.7 per cent, Abu Dhabi recording a marginal increase of 0.9 per cent while the Northern Emirates region grew the fastest at 9.3 per cent.

Omer Kaddouri, president and CEO, Rotana, said: “2017 is an important year for Rotana as it marks the 25th anniversary of the company’s founding. The year also holds immense strategic significance as far as Rotana’s future direction and growth is concerned, as it heralds our entry into new geographic markets as well as our continued expansion in our stronghold markets, with a number of openings lined up for the last three quarters of 2017. We are hoping to keep our momentum going with a strong participation in ATM 2017, where we will be showcasing our upcoming hotels.”

“Rotana is today firmly positioned as the leading hotel management company in the region, with an operating portfolio of 56 properties and more than 15,000 rooms across all markets. We are currently one of the largest hotel operators in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Bahrain, and our ongoing expansion means we are on track to becoming the dominant player in several more markets in the region,” he concluded.

Rotana recently made its long-awaited debut in Africa with the opening of the five-star Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Africa is a key focus market for Rotana and the company currently has a number of projects under various stages of development across the continent including Marrakesh, Luanda, Nouakchott, Dar es Salaam and Lagos.

Rotana is also looking to strengthen its presence in Turkey by adding two more hotels in Istanbul. With the scheduled opening of the inter-connected properties under “Centro by Rotana” and “Arjaan hotel apartments by Rotana” brands in Q4 2017, the company will add a combined 305 rooms to its inventory while taking its total number of operating properties in Turkey to four hotels.

Even as it pushes into new markets and keeps extending its geographical reach, Rotana continues with its aggressive expansion plans in the GCC, with a total of four new hotels set to open in Saudi Arabia this year alone – adding 888 keys to the company’s existing supply of 969 rooms in the Kingdom – and two hotels to open in Qatar by 2019.

In the coming two years, Rotana will open six properties in its home market of UAE, where the hospitality industry is projected to sustain its steady upward trajectory despite global challenges, with both Dubai and Abu Dhabi set to witness an increase in visitor numbers. Leisure travellers are expected to account for a 60 per cent share of total visitor arrivals in Dubai in 2017, with business travellers making up the remaining 40 per cent while the comparative ratio for Abu Dhabi is projected at 60 per cent business travellers vs. 40 per cent leisure travellers. Rotana has been aggressively reaching out to new markets such as Poland and the Czech Republic to support the leisure segment in the UAE.

In total, Rotana will open 12 new hotels in 2017, and five more in 2018. Property opening in Q2 2017 includes Erbil Arjaan by Rotana, Kurdistan, Iraq (168 keys). Those launching in Q3 2017 include: Centro Waha, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia(290 keys); Sundus Rotana, Muscat, Oman (215 keys); Pearl Rotana, Abu Dhabi, UAE (315 keys); Centro Salama, Jeddah, KSA (189 keys), and Al Bandar Rotana and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana, Dubai, UAE (280 keys). In Q4 2017, Rotana will be launching: Centro Istanbul and Arjaan Istanbul by Rotana, Istanbul, Turkey (305 keys); Centro Olaya, Riyadh, KSA (156 keys); Centro Corniche, Al Khobar, KSA (253 keys); Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, Abu Dhabi, UAE (340 keys).

This will be followed by five openings in 2018: Sulaymaniyah Rotana, Kurdistan, Iraq (240 keys); Rayhaan Imam Reza by Rotana, Mashhad, Iran (272 keys); Al Jaddaf Rotana in Dubai, UAE (338 keys), Sundus Arjaan by Rotana, Muscat, Oman (102 keys), and Beach Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi, UAE (326 keys). - TradeArabia News Service