PREMIER Inn Hotels has secured sites for new hotels in Fujairah, Umm Al Qawain and Ras Al Khaimah, and work is expected to start on the projects towards the end of the year. DARROCH CRAWFORD, managing director, Premier Inn Hotels in the Middle East, spoke to Cheryl Mandy.
Could you elaborate on the land deals for the projects secured at the end of last year?
We have bought plots in Umm Al Qawain and RAK and arranged to lease a plot in Fujairah.
Where are the hotel sites and what facilities are planned?
Our site in Fujairah is near the Port and Business Park. It will feature 200 rooms, a restaurant, a bar, a Costa Coffee store and a swimming pool. Ras Al Khaimah Premier Inn will have the same facilities as Fujairah, but with 232 rooms. The hotel is very centrally located on the same road as the Hilton, near the Creek and between the two main shopping malls.
Umm Al Qawain Premier Inn will be on the main road through Umm Al Qawain serving Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah. No swimming pool is planned for the UAQ property.
Will work start on the projects simultaneously?
We have no firm dates as yet, but there is likely to be considerable overlap. Construction contractors have not yet been appointed.
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Are you not put off by the global slowdown?
Historically Premier Inn has been very successful during periods of recession as a result of the outstanding value for money that we offer. We may however delay some projects in developing areas where business expansion is slowing down.
Why do you think the Premier Inn brand will be successful in these parts?
Premier Inn offers a unique combination of absolute reliability at a best value for money fixed price. Every guest pays the same rate on any given night. Our first opening in Dubai Investments Park has exceeded our expectations and is delivering returns higher than the business case. We have no reason to believe that our hotels opening in May at Dubai Silicon Oasis and in December at Dubai International Airport and elsewhere in the region in due course, will not replicate this success and indeed the remarkable story and growth of the brand as a whole.
When is work expected to be completed?
All Northern Emirates sites plus two in Abu Dhabi are expected to be operational by the end of 2010/ early 2011.
What about staffing – how many will you need?
The three hotels in the northern emirates will employ a total of around 250 staff.
What markets will you be targeting?
Premier Inn is aimed at anyone looking for value for money. In the UK our mix is 60 per cent business and 40 per cent leisure. In Dubai it is more 80/20 per cent in favour of business travellers, which is partly down to our average length of stay which has surprised us at almost eight nights. We do anticipate however, that our hotels in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah will have strong demand from people looking for affordable weekend breaks.
What other projects are in the pipeline in the Middle East?
In addition to those mentioned above, we are currently working on sites in Muscat, Doha, Bahrain, Riyadh and Jeddah.
[Premier Inn Hotels, the UK’s biggest hotel brand, operates in the UAE under a joint venture between Whitbread (owners of the Premier Inn brand) and the Emirates Group.]