THE National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels (NCT&H) has launched a new hotel brand in Abu Dhabi.
Danat Hotels & Resorts, the group’s umbrella brand, will cover eight UAE hotels and one in Morocco that are either owned and/or managed by the group, or where the group is the owner-representative.
According to a company spokesman, the launch of the Danat brand should open up new avenues for tourism and incentives in Abu Dhabi, led by the opening of two beachfront properties: the boutique Al Raha Beach Hotel and the Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna, the first deluxe resort on the west coast. Several existing properties, such as the Mafraq Hotel, Liwa Hotel, Dhafra Beach Hotel and Mirfa Hotel, across Abu Dhabi, will now come under the Danat brand. The company is also the owner of the Hilton Rabat in Morocco.
According to an NCT&H spokesperson, the launch of the Danat brand repositions the group’s hotel offering under one flag. “The establishment of Danat Hotels & Resorts is the first step in the group’s expansionist strategy – and the two new resorts opening this year will give us a showcase to demonstrate that we mean business, and can deliver a product that meets every international standard. Our vision is to develop and manage high quality, reputable and service-oriented hotels that will be able to hold their own with international hotel brands outside the UAE.”
The launch responds to current buoyant conditions in the tourism and hospitality sectors, where government figures show a 32-percent increase in hotel guests in the UAE during 2003. A Danat spokesman said key industry indicators have demonstrated that there is an exceptional demand for quality accommodation in the emirate. “Industry experts are reporting hotel room rates and occupancy at their highest levels for a decade in the region, with average revenues per hotel room up 36 per cent in the first quarter of 2004 – one of the highest increases in the world,” he said.
The brand’s flagship will be the 109-room Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna, a deluxe resort located 240 km west of Abu Dhabi city opposite the Sir Bani Yas island nature reserve. As the first five-star hotel on the emirate’s west coast, it will boast exceptional facilities aimed at attracting regional visitors on short breaks, overseas tourists, plus corporations seeking a new venue for either meetings or incentive travel events.
Complementing these facilities, Danat Hotels & Resorts will also launch Abu Dhabi’s first boutique hotel this autumn, when the Al Raha Beach Hotel is opened on the new corniche development adjacent to the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Centre of a new leisure and retail centre, the hotel will offer a private waterfront, sea views and a luxurious spa as part of its unique package.
“Already, forward contract bookings at the Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna indicate that the new brand has registered as a viable entity with overseas tour operators, and we look forward to demonstrating our hospitality management skills to future guests,” said the spokesman.