 |
Lindsey
Ueberroth, President & CEO, Preferred
Hotels & Resorts.
|
France,
Turkey, USA and Spain round out top five destinations as Preferred Hotels &
Resorts reports 21% growth in outbound bookings from Middle East
Preferred
Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest global provider of sales, marketing
and distribution services to independent luxury hotels, has announced that room
nights from outbound business originating from the Middle East region increased
by 21% in 2015, when compared with 2014.
According
to Preferred Hotels & Resorts boking data, the UK, France, Turkey, USA and
Spain were the top five ‘preferred’ destinations for Middle East travellers in
2015, pushing annual revenue generated for member hotels through the brand’s
channels, up by 18.1% with an average room rate of US$237 and length of stay up
from 3.03 nights per booking in 2014 to 3.14 nights per booking last year. Globally,
Preferred Hotels & Resorts, generated more than US$ 1 billion in revenues
for its member hotels, a 15% improvement over the same reporting period in 2014.
“The
financial results from the Middle East are exceptional and played a significant
role in our company’s overall growth. The figures clearly demonstrate a
positive response to our comprehensive rebranding last year, which has helped drive
stronger brand clarity and create greater brand awareness of our unique
portfolio. Subsequently investing in brand communication roadshows in 14
different countries paid dividends, with 91 new properties in 35 countries joining
our portfolio in 2015,” said Lindsey Ueberroth, President & CEO, Preferred
Hotels & Resorts.
“Our focused sales
and marketing strategy employed throughout the Middle East, has put us in a favourable
position for significant growth. Underscoring our commitment to our hotel
partners in the Middle East, Saurabh Rai our executive vice president, will
oversee the restructuring of the regional operation and the expansion of the
management team at our new regional headquarters in Dubai,” added Ueberroth.
To emphasise that undertaking, Preferred Hotels &
Resorts which now has 650 distinctive
hotels, resorts, residences, and unique hotel groups across 85 countries,
recently entered into a master partnership agreement with Katara
Hospitality in Qatar, to represent its standalone hotel operating division,
Murwab Hotel Group. So far the partnership has embraced four of Murwab Hotel
Group’s existing luxury hotels in Qatar and Switzerland with five additional
properties in London and the Middle East, when they come on stream in 2018.
“In
addition to the exciting ongoing partnership we have with Katara, our 2016 development
campaign is gaining further momentum, with the recent signing of the Nassima
Royal Hotel located opposite to the Dubai World Trade Centre, which was
previously known as the Radisson Royal. That of course followed momentum gained
in 2015 from securing the representation for the recently opened Palazzo
Versace Hotel in Dubai,” commented Saurabh Rai, Executive Vice President
Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
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| Saurabh Rai, Executive Vice President Preferred Hotels & Resorts |
The company will also be participating once again at
the 2016 Arabian Travel Market the region’s largest ravel trade exhibition, which
will be taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 25-28 April.
For
more information on Preferred Hotels & Resorts, its member hotels,
programs, products, and services, visit www.PreferredHotels.com.
