GOLDEN Tulip Hotels Suites and Resorts is the single leading brand in the four-star category in the region, says Amine Moukarzel, senior vice president for the Mena region.
With its strength in franchise and management, it is represented in nearly every city with more than 40 hotels at present and aiming to reach 65 by 2012, he says.
The company recently signed a merger with Starwood and Louvre Hotels bringing onboard more than 200 hotels in over 40 countries. Golden Tulip overcame the negative effects of a tumultuous 2009, and will now address two major business platforms: the first of which focuses on operating hotels and related performance and the second related to development and new hotels.
“We have established the brand and its equity for the last five years and this has started paying returns,” says Moukarzel. “Such vision has materialised properties in major destinations where we have added new hotels such as in Saudi Arabia, Tunis, Doha, Beirut and Jordan. We have also identified new territories with emerging markets similarly such as Erbil in Iraq, North Africa resort destinations and the holy cities of Madinah and Makkah in Saudi Arabia.”
“As to the performance of the hotels, we have witnessed pressure on the average rate (ADR), especially in Dubai and the emirates as a whole, which relates not only to the market economical depression but also to supply and demand and to the volume of patronage in exhibitions and conferences, to name but few,” he adds.
The company has a healthy portfolio of planned developments including Tunisia, which will see the opening of four new properties adding over 900 rooms. “In Doha, which is a new market for us, and Oman we aim to open two new properties by 2012. There are four properties planned for Saudi Arabia by 2012 and the Golden Tulip Ras Al Khaimah will open this quarter strengthening our presence in the UAE with nine operating hotels at present in almost every emirate,” he said.
Globally, the company has its sights set on India, Brazil and China, which continue to be the biggest regions to develop hotels with the support of Louvre Hotels.
“We are aiming to have 65 hotels by 2012 in the Mena region and 400 hotels worldwide adding also to our portfolio Russia, the Balkans and Turkey as well as further development in Europe especially in Germany, France and the UK,” Moukarzel adds.