FOR Starwood, the majority of coming development in the Middle East will remain in the luxury and upper upscale segment with the St Regis and Luxury Collection brands.
This year, Starwood will open two new St Regis hotels, in Doha, Qatar and Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi.
Guido de Wilde, the company’s vice president and regional director Middle East, said: “We also have plans to open two additional St Regis hotels within the next three years in the Middle East – one in Dubai and a second in Abu Dhabi. In 2011, we will also open a Westin Hotel & Spa in Abu Dhabi marking the launch of the brand in the emirate. Luxury brands are enjoying the strongest revpar gains of any segment and, fortunately, we have the largest base of luxury hotels in the world.”
The Middle East was one of the most resilient markets for the industry in 2010. “Towards the end of 2010, our revpar accelerated around the globe and occupancies did rise. Average occupancies were above 70 per cent in the Europe, Africa and the Middle East regions at the end of Q3. This was led by strong demand in major gateway cities and, as we have seen in past recoveries, the strength of gateway cities is spreading to secondary markets such as Turin, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Stuttgart,” added de Wilde.
The brand also has new developments in Europe for 2011 including three new W Hotels in London, St Petersburg and Paris. Additionally, the second Aloft Hotel in Europe will open in London.
According to de Wilde, there has been an increase in the number of visitors coming from China and India, both of which are set to be major feeder markets for the hotels in the EMEA region. Another key trend is the rise of travellers from the ‘Y’ generation. “These young, independent-minded travellers are looking for a great value, design-led place to stay with a focus on accessible technology, comfort and convenience – we have developed the Aloft brand specifically for this group,” he said.