For travellers from the Middle East, the Riviera or Côte d’Azur is perhaps the second most popular French destination after Paris, well known for its promenade along the Baie des Anges.
Overlooking the Baie des Anges is the Radisson SAS Hotel, Nice. With its seafront location, its proximity to the old city centre and Nice International Airport, which offers a convenient gateway to most cities in the Riviera, the hotel has a major presence in the business tourism market.
The hotel has 331 rooms and suites, of which 188 rooms have sea views. Eric Talou, director of sales and marketing said, “2008 has been a good year. We expect to close at 68 per cent occupancy ratio. We have had a very good summer, keeping in mind that the French Riviera is a seasonal destination. The Middle East accounts for approximately 3.83 per cent of them.”
“Our source markets from the Middle East are mainly from Saudi, Qatar and Dubai, which is now a major hub for us. We work very closely with Emirates and also accommodate the crew on their stopovers in Nice,” said Talou.
While the Middle East market has always been drawn to Cannes in the French Riviera, with the large number of new flight connections into or via Nice, a new breed of guests are now keen to stay back in Nice.
The hotel underwent a $35 million refurbishment five years ago giving the bedrooms, restaurants and conference roomsa completely new look. The hotel’s new décor is in harmony with the brand philosophy “Fresh, Host and Easy”, according to Talou.
The Hotel offers guests access to a private beach facing the hotel during the summer months. Dining options include The Bleu Citron restaurant, The Summer, open during the summer months, the Promenade Café and The Lobby Bar. Other facilities include an outdoor swimming pool on the rooftop and a fitness club. It offers business and events planners 12 conference rooms and a ballroom that can accommodate up to 380 people.
“The format of the hotel is ideal for MICE. We have the largest capacity in town for conference rooms and all our rooms are well equipped to suit the business travellers need,” added Talou.
The major MICE markets have traditionally been France and the rest of Europe, but with the recent addition of a five times weekly flight service to Nice on Emirates Airline, the hotel hopes to see an increase from the Middle East MICE market in the future.