CARLSON Hotels Worldwide, offering a selection of brands from luxury to economy, has an impressive range in the Middle East.
Some already established and some in the pipeline, among them are Regent Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts and Park Inn hotels.
“Certainly the Middle East has been a good focus for Carlson. We have been busy in the hotel and travel agency business as well as our restaurant and marketing businesses – so all four sectors are active in the Middle East,” Hubert Joly, president and chief executive officer of Carlson told TTN.
“We have developed Radissons in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt and Jordan so we have had growth in that area of our hotel business. In the last year the hotel businesses have slowed down so this may have an impact among the pipeline hotels, so growth may slow down a little bit, but I assume that things will come back.”
He said that the Middle East was taking a long term perspective and Carlson was continuing to develop hotels in the region.
The following properties are under development: Radisson Blu Tripoli, Libya; Park Inn and Radisson Blu Abu Dhabi, Yas Island; Missoni Kuwait; Radisson Blu Cairo Heliopolis (all expected to be completed before or by the last quarter 2009); Park Inn Riyadh (Q2 2010); Radisson Blu Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia (Q4 2010); Radisson Blu Ras Al Khaimah (Q4 2010); Radisson Blu Fujairah and Park Inn Makkah early in 2011; Missoni Oman; Radisson Blu Sohar, Oman; Radisson Blu Jumeirah Dubai; The Regent Abu Dhabi; Radisson Blu DMCC Dubai; unbranded hotel DMCC Dubai; The Regent Doha; Radisson Blu Makkah (all in 2012); and the Radisson Blu Trade Centre District Dubai (last quarter 2013).
Joly was among the invited speakers debating new forms of partnership to help stimulate the global economic recovery at the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) recent summit.
As a member of its executive committee, Joly felt it important for the travel and tourism industry to exist as an industry and deal with key topics.
By Cheryl Mandy