2012 has been a record year for Kempinski, according to Duncan O’Rourke, chief operating officer of Kempinski Hotels.
“The main thrust of business has been from the European markets while other markets like China continue to show strong results,” he said.
The Middle East and Africa markets stayed above targeted levels in occupancy and RevPAR (revenue per available room), mainly fuelled by the excellent performance by Kempinski Mall of the Emirates and Kempinski on the Palm, as well as hotels in Ajman and Djibouti. While some destinations suffered from continued unrest, at the same time other hotels, such as Dubai and Doha, benefitted from the redirected demand. The Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah had the highest average rate in the company for the year to date.
Kempinski’s leisure destinations in the region have seen great demand from the main feeder markets in Q4, confirming the attractiveness of the product and services. Total revenues for the entire region are up by 15.4 per cent compared to last year.
“In 2013 we will launch several new exciting hotels. We have always maintained that we will not have more hotels than how old we are – which is 122 this year. We believe that luxury is limited and so we cap our growth,” he added.
New Kempinksi properties set to open this year include the Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, Kempinski Hotel Nikols’kaya, Kempinski Palais Hansen Vienna, Olare Tented Camp Masai Mara, Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi, Grand Hotel Kempinski Batumi, Black Sea, Emerald Palace Kempinski Hotel Kiev and Kempinski Hotel Crescent Baku.
In the Middle East there plans are underway to open two hotels in Saudi Arabia in late 2013 – The Kempinski Hotel Al Othman Al Khobar and the Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski Riyadh. The Kempinski Hotel Royal Maxim Cairo and Kempinski Hotel Pearl Island Doha Qatar are scheduled to open in 2014.
2013 will also see the brand introduce the first European Spa brand called Resense, the renaissance of the classical European Spa. A fusion of modern and traditional design, art, music, therapy and bathing, its first spa will launch in early 2013 in Accra, Ghana, with another three currently in development.