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Centara to open hub in Dubai by year-end

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Bailey ... expanding footprint

Thailand-based Centara Hotels and Resorts, which has a notable presence in the Middle East, plans to create a hub for itself in Dubai.

Part of decentralising its operations, the Dubai hub will help the group better serve the Middle Eastern and Indian Ocean markets, says Centara Hotels & Resorts chief operating officer Chris Bailey.

The hub will start functioning by the end of the current year or in Q1 next year, Bailey tells TTN.

Bailey says the group will continue to expand its footprint in the Middle East. 'We would like to introduce new products and services to the market, especially our entry into the Doha, Muscat and Dubai markets with some exciting new properties. It is also a great opportunity to increase brand recognition in the market and to connect with potential and existing partners,' he says.

Centara is opening a property each in Muscat, Doha and Dubai. The planned Muscat property in Oman will be four-star, and feature 152 rooms along with a luxury spa. It will have substantial Mice facilities keeping in tune with Oman’s efforts to market the destination as a Mice hub. It will have four meeting rooms and a ballroom and open in Q4 2016.

The group is also looking at projects in Saudi Arabia and Iran. It will also open two properties in Doha, Qatar, first of which will open in Q4 2016 and will be branded five-star, as Centara Grand and situated in the West Bay area in Doha.

The 261-key property will feature rooms, out of which 96 units will be divided into serviced apartments to the tune of one- to two-bedroom. Centara is building on its brand strength by also establishing properties in Dubai, Cuba, Turkey and undergoing further expansion in current destinations. With two properties scheduled to open in Q4 2016, Doha and Muscat become Centara’s first properties in the Middle East.

There will be further expansion in Doha with two additional properties. Centara West Bay Residence & Suites will open in Q2 2017 in the West Bay area close to the Centara Grand. Slightly further down the pipeline in 2018, there will be a third luxury property to open that will have 514 keys in the West Bay area as well.

Cuba, as a destination, is going to provide Centara with other growth opportunities. The first property, Centara Grand Beach Resort Cayo Guillermo, will have approximately 250 keys and will be the first truly five-star product in the region. Given the trusted reputation of Centara, the property in Cuba will allow loyal guests to travel to new destinations with the comforts of the Centara brand standards.

This property will mirror the successful Centara Grand in the Maldives with the introduction of over water villas. This property is scheduled to open late in 2017. Additionally, Centara is working on two more projects in complementary locations.


TURKEY DEBUT

Centara Grand Lykia World Resort & Spa will be the first venture into Turkey. The property is located in Denizyaka, between Belek and Side, on the coastline of the river Koprucay. The resort will have 449 rooms, 10 restaurants and 10 bars and will offer an all-inclusive concept, allowing guests to experience a cash-free stay. 'As we start to create a presence in Europe, I think it’ll become apparent that blending the Centara/Thai quality with the local culture and styles will allow us to deliver unique, premium experiences for our guests,' says Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts.

The Maldives has been a key destination for Centara, which has encouraged the company to further invest in the region with four new properties. Centara has been very strategic in the products and services offered at their current two properties. The Centara Grand Island, which has been open for over six years, was one of the first properties to introduce safe family travel in the Maldives.

The expansion plans will take Centara Hotels & Resorts to new levels. Currently Centara has about 14,000 rooms over six brands in their portfolio across Asia, Indian Ocean, and the Middle East, which span city, resort and beachfront destinations.

Bailey says: 'We are expanding our sales offices in the Middle East with the addition of a Saudi Arabia office. This will cover Kuwait as well as Saudi and will open mid-year. It will strengthen our reach in the region and complement the efforts from our current office in Dubai.'

'We have had several properties open in the past few months in Thailand, in Rayong and Jomtien, destinations that have a great deal of potential. There are also a variety of other projects currently under way with scheduled completion in 2016 and 2017 in destinations such as Krabi, Pattaya and Samui in Thailand, as well as exciting expansion into China, Cuba and a few other key destinations,' he says.

2015 was a year of positive growth for Centara, even in the wake of declines in tourist numbers from some important source markets and an act of terrorism in Bangkok. Thanks to the group’s strategic sales and marketing focus on building a diverse geographic customer mix, it avoid being over-reliant on any one market and can continue to drive success, he says.

'Overall in 2015 we grew our business by almost 10 per cent versus the prior year, with strong increases in both occupancy and RevPar.'

Falling oil prices had created a ripple effect in the tourism sector too, however the outlook remains positive with the upcoming spring holidays and summer vacations, he says.

Thailand and the Indian Ocean are always popular with the Middle East guests for a great holiday that suits all budgets. 'Trends continue to evolve but we are certainly seeing bookings being made with shorter and shorter lead times, something that looks set to continue throughout the year and beyond, guests becoming more and more experience-driven and we notice travellers seeking for value for money at all levels of travel,' he explains.


By K S Sreekumar

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