Melia Hotels expands footprint in GCC
Chain aims to have 20 hotels in the region by 2018
Dubai: Spanish hotel chain, Melia Hotels International, plans to open three hotels in Dubai by 2018 and looks to enter Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman, according to a top company official.
In the next three years, the chain expects to “have a minimum of 20 hotels [in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries],” Maria Zarraluqui, global development managing director at Melia Hotels, told Gulf News at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) on Thursday.
Melia Hotels already operates Melia Dubai and Melia Doha. One new 235-room Melia property, called ME Doha, is expected to open in 2017.
In Dubai, the company expects to open the five-star ME Dubai by late 2016, followed by the four-star Innside JLT (Jumeirah Lake Towers) in early 2017 and the 258-unit Melia Downtown Residences, its latest project, in 2018. Melia Downtown Residences Dubai is being developed by Iconic Developments, the real estate division of RTC group.
“The Middle East has been a target. We have been willing to put our feet in the market. Dubai is like a hub here because of the tourist and hospitality components,” Zarraluqui said.
Further expansion
After entering Dubai and Doha, Melia Hotels is looking to enter Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain. In the UAE, it is eyeing a presence in Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah.
The chain is also looking to expand its presence in Egypt and Morocco.
Melia Hotels operates around 400 hotels in 40 countries. The Caribbean, where the company has around 80 hotels, is its largest market, contributing over 50 per cent of its total revenue.
Asked about the company’s expected performance in 2015, Zarraluqui said that she anticipates a “15-20 per cent” growth in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation [EBITDA] compared with the previous year, which stood at €213 million (Dh884 million).
