TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
One of the pioneering local Emirati brands born in Dubai, Golden Sands Hotels and Apartments is part of Al Moosa Enterprises, which holds 5,000 keys across the MENA region managed by worldwide chains such as Hilton, Marriott, IHG and Taj. Mohammad Khoori, General Manager of Golden Sands Hotels and Apartments share their plans with TRAVTALK.
Shehara Rizly
How important is WTM and what will you be showcasing this year?
WTM is one of the most important trade shows that we participate in every year, as it provides us an opportunity to meet with partners from across the globe. Europe is one of the most important source markets for us, hence we showcase all our new offerings at the event. WTM provides us a good platform to display and personally meet people to showcase our ventures.
What makes Golden Sands stand out against the rest?
It is a well-established local Emirati brand, which has received prominence over the past few years with many recognitions and accolades as a unique brand that caters to different market segments. Our brand is authentic, caters to family travellers, solo or group travellers considering everyone’s requirement. Our hotel apartments are bigger in size to accommodate families, and this is important to those who travel from Europe with their families or friends. Our service excellence is another unique point that brings back repeat clientele. Since we have many properties in different parts of Dubai and Sharjah, guests have many options to select a convenient accommodation suiting their needs.
As a well-established Emirati brand, what are the latest successful stories?
Recently, we have been expanding the brand to operate four and five-star hotels. We successfully opened our first 5-star boutique hotel last September (2021) and it has been performing remarkably well. As we rebranded to our local brand, within a short period of time, Golden Sands Hotel Creek has broken record after record in terms of performance and in terms of quality of service. Located at a prime location facing the Dubai Creek, the hotel rapidly proved a new favourite among European travellers and International visitors to Dubai, who are looking for an ideal base to take in a unique perspective of Dubai.
Could you share the emerging markets and current tourism position in Dubai?
There is no doubt that Dubai has been able to overcome the most complex global challenges, including the repercussions of the recent worldwide health crisis, to create a destination that offers rich value for travellers whether they are visiting for leisure or business. Modern Dubai is well positioned on the international tourism map as one of the world’s top destinations, and new emerging markets to this destination continue to make an impact on international visitation, further underscoring the success of Dubai government’s diversified multi-geographic strategy. Building upon the city’s drive to further diversify its offerings to ensure a broad choice to travellers of all ages and interests, 2022 saw the opening of new attractions and leisure landmarks, including the Museum of the Future. New strategic, legislative and regulatory enablers, including the recent announcement of more options for various Visa categories, as well as the increase in the duration of the tourist visa, are set to further boost visitor arrivals and encourage visitors to stay longer and explore the city’s diverse offerings, while also supporting those who are considering a permanent move to Dubai.
How is Golden Sands keeping up with Dubai’s constant demand for high quality standards?
Massive investments in newly built high-quality tourism attractions have made Dubai one of the world’s leading international tourist destinations and the fastest growing in the world. The most obvious and publicised outcome of tourism development in Dubai has been the intense and ongoing increase in the supply of high-quality tourism infrastructure, supported by Dubai Economy and Tourism Department’s constant drive for superior facilities and services in the tourism sector. In order to remain highly competitive and fulfill the government’s expectations of quality offering, we at Golden Sands are constantly improving our offerings to the guest, in terms of quality of the product or services, supported by commitment to sustainable activities, where we can experience reduced costs paired with maximum efficiency, all while elevating the guest experience and creating a feeling of connection between property and visitor. Improved technology and automated processes such as mobile room access and digital room guest directories are sustainable practices that we have incorporated in our recent property. While face-to-face interactions will never be completely replaced, implementing new technology can increase cost savings and help utilize resources more effectively.
