As Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts’ (MH&R) aggressive expansion strategy continues in Egypt, the Swiss domiciled chain is demonstrating its depth of understanding of the hospitality industry and the increasing sophistication and expectations of its clientele.
MH&R has earned an enviable reputation in Egypt from a corporate image based on true Swiss values yet the group successfully integrates its properties in the local community to create a fusion of east and west.
Andreas Mattmüller, senior vice-president MH&R Middle East, says: “Building a reputation is a far simpler task than either maintaining it or, as is our goal, to improve upon it. Repeat business is the key to prosperity of a hotel chain and although we enjoy high customer loyalty we are always endeavouring to upgrade our existing properties in Egypt.”
The largest ongoing renovation project is taking place at the Elephantine Island Resort in Aswan. Mövenpick assumed the management of this idyllically located hotel last year, offering 234 guestrooms, including 38 duplex junior suites and eight private villas. According to the project managers, there will be no structural changes made to the landmark property but the hotel will be “repaired, redecorated refurnished and resystematised.”
Guests will appreciate the new look even before their arrival at the hotel itself. The island approach area including the boat landing docks on the mainland and the island will be renovated and redecorated to give an appropriately grand first impression of the property.
A little further to the north, the Jolie Ville Mövenpick Luxor Resort, is a unique retreat on privately owned Crocodile Island. Since the property welcomed its first guests in 1983, upgrading and renovation has been a continuing process over the years, but this year has seen the addition of superior facilities and refurbishment.
MH&R’s first move out of Europe was to Egypt in 1976, to manage the Mövenpick Resort Cairo – Pyramids, ideally located to afford magnificent views of the Great Pyramids of Giza and only 15 km from the city centre. Famed as a “garden” hotel, the rooms are housed in bungalows with terraces spread over a large area of lush, manicured gardens.
The award winning Mövenpick Resort El Quseir opened an extension to the property in 2002 adding 250 spacious new rooms housed in Nubian style bungalows set in luscious gardens. Now new first-class staff accommodation is being built in a different location to make way for a new lobby bar and a fun pub specifically designed for the convenience of late departure guests.
When MH&R opened Mövenpick Hotel Cairo Media City in 2002 having recognised the potential, it was considered another pioneering move on behalf of the company. During the last three years the infrastructure of the city has grown rapidly providing hospitals, schools and universities. “MH&R showed great foresight,” said general manager, Cherif Hosny, “we are running at an average of 85 percent occupancy so the figures speak for themselves.” Boasting the second largest conference facility in Egypt, the multi-functional centre has a capacity for up to 2,500 people enabling the property to secure an enviable share of the MICE sector.
On the Red Sea in El Gouna, the Mövenpick Spa & Resort recently opened a 110-room extension and added a large swimming pool and Il Limone Italian Speciality restaurant. The Resort now covers a total area of 300,000sq m with a total of 533 rooms and suites, and a wide range of gastronomic delights served in the eight restaurants and bars.
In addition to the ten operating properties in Egypt plus the Mövenpick Taba Resort due to open this autumn, MH&R are also renowned for their two luxury Nile cruisers. Radamis I, the first of these magnificent floating hotels was completed in 1991.
The massive expansion and renovation programme coupled with the development of new properties will give MH&R a very strong base to additional customer loyalty and build on the already solid reputation as the premier hotel chain in the region.