The Rotana chain plans to open a dozen new hotels from Istanbul to Abu Dhabi by the end of next year.
It will add 12 hotels accounting for 3,360 rooms to its existing portfolio. These include Boulevard Arjaan by Rotana in Amman, Sedra Residences by Rotana in Qatar and ART Rotana in Bahrain by the year’s end. Hotels scheduled to open next year are Capital Centre Arjaan by Rotana and Capital Centre Rotana in Abu Dhabi; Banader Rotana in Bahrain; Burgu Arjaan by Rotana and the hotel apartments Tango Arjaan by Rotana in Istanbul; City Centre Rotana and the Centro Doha in Qatar; Rosh Rayhaan by Rotana in Riyadh; and Amman Rotana.
By 2020, it also expects to enter Iran and expand in Sudan.
Rotana currently manages 12,607 rooms across 47 properties mostly in the UAE and the Gulf. In Abu Dhabi, it manages seven hotels and four hotel apartments. The hotel sector is booming in the Middle East and Africa region with 637 properties in the pipeline accounting for 151,205 rooms as of September, according to STR Global.
This year, 139 hotels with 33,232 rooms have opened in the region with another 82 hotels with 18,538 rooms expected to be completed before January. At least half of these are in the upscale to luxury segments.
Next year, 145 hotels with 32,371 rooms should open their doors, STR said. The French operator Accor has 34 hotels under development across 10 countries in the Middle East. It currently manages 66 hotels in the region.
Also last month, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) signed a deal with the Dubai-based Abjar Hotels International to manage the 450-room Holiday Inn Dubai World Central and 250-room Staybridge Suites Dubai World Central.
IHG expects to open nine hotels in the next five years, including InterContinental Dubai Marina and Crowne Plaza Dubai Marina.
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