AFTER a stabilising 2010, Rezidor is looking forward to higher occupancies and a strong increase in revpar in 2011 which will see the launch of the lifestyle brand Hotel Missoni in Kuwait as well as the opening of another Radisson Blu in Downtown Dubai.
Area vice president Marko Hytonen said: “The region in 2010 has been a mixed bag with strong performances from markets in Egypt and Saudi Arabia and we have seen the occupancies in Dubai performing well. It is still a little early to say that the region has recovered but it’s fair to say that things are looking up.”
The company plans to venture into new markets in the region this year. “We see a lot of potential to further develop our resort portfolio and we will also look to grow our Park Inn by Radisson brand further in the region. In terms of locations, our development remit covers 16 countries across the Middle East and parts of Africa,” added Hytonen.
“I think there are still many opportunities out there for us. We have two emerging brands in the region – Park Inn by Radisson and Hotel Missoni – where there is clearly a lot of potential to further develop both. We believe that lifestyle brands have high potential in the region. We also see a number of opportunities to further increase our presence with our core brand Radisson Blu.”
Rezidor has already set a benchmark with Green Key certification in its six hotels in the UAE and Hytonen now aims to have the entire regional portfolio Green Key certified in 2011. “It is a challenging target but as a responsible business company, we feel now is the time to recognise our efforts through third party certification,” he said.