Abu Dhabi witnesses 20% increase in hotel stays
A recent report published by Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) for the Hotel Show Dubai 2015 revealed that the Abu Dhabi hotel industry is experiencing positive growth with 5,200 rooms in the pipeline for 2017.
Of these, 2,300 rooms are set to enter the market by end of 2015 alone. The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTCA) also report a 20% increase in hotel guests in Q1 of 2015 compared to Q1 figures from 2014.
JLL revealed that 45% of current supply are five-star properties. Openings in the final months of 2015 include the Bab Al Qasr Hotel near Presidential Palace, set to offer 677 rooms and a private beach.
Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, executive vice president, head of hotels and hospitality Group Middle East & Africa at JLL said: “More than 70% of hotel room supply in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are in the four and five-star category. The proportion is higher for Abu Dhabi than for Dubai.”
JLL further reported that hotel construction is already underway and will bring the total room count in Abu Dhabi from 20,700 at present to 26,000 by 2017. Optimism for Abu Dhabi for the rest of this year has led authorities to increase hotel guest targets for 2015 to 3.9 million instead of 3.5 million.
