Westin Jeddah Hotel is the first Westin hotel in the Middle East. And this year at the ATM the hotel will be highlighting its distinctive architecture, comfort and sense of style, said Jean Piere Garnier, the general manager of the hotel.
Garnier stated that events such as the ATM were extremely important to a brand such as Westin, which are relatively unknown in the Middle East and Gulf region. As for now Westin Jeddah caters mostly to locals. "Tourism in KSA is very limited even though the county has a lot of archeological features to offer," said Garnier. He added that he did not foresee an increase in tourism from abroad before September of this year. But he was hoping that this summer would prove to be a success with more visitors coming in from within Saudi Arabia and the GCC. Garnier stated that the average traveller had become more aware of what was available and was ever-increasingly seeking "value for money". "Travellers around the world now have the ability to compare hotel chains and make informed decisions as to which ones offer better value," he said. Westin Jeddah is constantly upgrading furniture and the interiors of its lobby and rooms. In fact a complete refurbishment of the fitness centre is currently underway.