With the aim of capitalising on German tourists’ growing interest in the UAE’s diverse tourism offerings, hospitality group Rotana will be showcasing its portfolio of hotels at ITB Berlin, which will be held in the German capital from March 7-11.

At its stand at the tourism fair, Rotana highlights its strong inventory of operational properties and upcoming hotels. With a robust pipeline of 48 hotels and 12,437 rooms in 15 countries, the company continues to pursue its aggressive expansion plans. In the UAE alone, there are 4,609 keys under various stages of development.

Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, a luxurious five-star hotel in Abu Dhabi which will soft open in March 2018, took centre stage at the exhibition. Situated on Saadiyat Beach, a nine-kilometre stretch of pristine white sand on the sprawling Saadiyat Island, and featuring 354 luxurious rooms and suites in addition to 13 private beach villas, the luxury resort will be the 16th Rotana property to open in the UAE capital.

In addition, Rotana highlighted two stunning new hotels in Dubai - the five-star Al Bandar Rotana, and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana, fully-furnished serviced apartments - located on the north shore of Dubai Creek. Elegantly designed, the new properties feature a range of modern luxuries as well as state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities and dining lounges, making them an ideal destination for both business and leisure travellers visiting the emirate.

Rotana has seen a steady growth in the number of European travellers, and German visitors in particular, to its 58 operating hotels and 15,522 keys around the world. With its rising visitor footfalls, Germany has become the fourth largest feeder market for Rotana and its revenue contribution to the company’s business has increased to 6 per cent last year, as compared to 5 per cent in 2016.

Notably, the Western European country is the second and third biggest market for Rotana properties in Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively, with the German-speaking market contributing 8 per cent of their total revenue.

“Driven by the federal and local governments’ efforts to boost the country’s economy and hospitality sector, the UAE has been witnessing a spurt in the German business and leisure visitor footfalls. Being the fourth largest feeder market, Germany is a strategically important market for Rotana and our strong participation at ITB Berlin is a testament to the importance we attach to this European country. To build on the success of our hotels as our German guests’ preferred accommodation destination, we have planned several new exciting properties in the UAE and other markets,” said Omer Kaddouri, president and CEO, Rotana.

Rotana has wrapped up a successful 2017 during which the company cemented its leadership position in the region with three new hotels, and with 12,437 keys currently under development, the company remains on track to achieve its goal of operating 100 hotels by 2020.

Rotana is gearing up to open 11 new properties in 2018. Properties opening before the end of Q1 2018 include Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, Abu Dhabi (354 keys) and Pearl Rotana Capital Centre, Abu Dhabi (315 keys). Hotels set to be launched in Q2 2018 include Centro WestSide, Istanbul, Turkey (152 keys) and WestSide Arjaan, Istanbul, Turkey (153 keys); Centro Salama, Jeddah (189 keys) and Johari Rotana, Dar Es Salaam (256 keys). In Q3 2018, Rotana will open Beach Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi (326 keys); Centro Olaya, Riyadh (156 keys); Centro Corniche, Al Khobar (253 keys) and Imam Reza Rotana, Mashhad, Iran (272 keys) and in Q4 2018, Al Jaddaf Rotana, Dubai will welcome guests to its 338 rooms. - TradeArabia News Service