HOSPITALITY Management Holdings (HMH) comprises four distinct hotel brands: the Coral Hotels & Resorts, Corp Executive Hotels, Ecos Hotels and Ewa Hotel Apartments. The Coral Hotels & Resorts, which is a five-star brand, is firmly positioned across the Middle East and so is Corp Executive Hotels targeted at business travellers. Ewa Hotel Apartments, the latest offering from HMH, has taken off well and offers serviced apartments for families and long-stay executives.
Speaking to TTN Yearbook, HMH president & CEO Michel Noblet, said: “2011 looks quite promising with nearly 12 new openings planned in quick succession. Middle East is our strong hold and we will expand our presence in markets like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. We remain committed to have 100 hotels by 2012.
“We also have a strong development taking place in Africa where we recently signed three new properties in addition to our existing three hotels. 2011 will also see us looking at new opportunities in the Asian market.”
According to Noblet, while 2010 has been a very challenging year for the industry, and while HMH properties suffered lower occupancy rates and low average revpar, not all months were dismal. “Months like March, June and October were particularly strong in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This was driven because of the strong domestic and regional demand,” he said.
Coral Hotels & Resorts with its signature Arabic hospitality, world-class facilities, alcohol-free environment, superb locations and boutique style, has found its niche in the market.
“We have just added Coral Hotel Aden to our portfolio and will continue to explore new opportunities in fresh destinations across the region,” said Noblet.
Looking ahead, Noblet is confident that the Middle East hotel industry is looking healthy. “There is a lot of competition that help us to offer the very best to our guests. Population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation and infrastructure development all point to a greater demand for hotels in the next few years in Mena region. We can expect to see more regional travel, new emerging feeder markets like China, Russia, India and other East European countries as well as greater use of new technology such as mobile bookings,” he concluded.