R Hotels to reinforce presence

R Hotels’ Dubai properties – Ramada Downtown Dubai, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham JBR, ibis Styles Jumeira Dubai and The Retreat Palm Dubai – will take part in the annual Riyadh Travel Fair, to strengthen ties with tour partners and boost presence among Saudi travellers.

Saudi Arabia continues to top the nationality mix at Ramada Downtown Dubai and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham JBR, contributing 36% and 20% of the overall arrivals in 2017, respectively. The Retreat Palm Dubai, which opened in September 2017, welcomed guests from the Kingdom, which added up to 10% of its YTD total guest mix.
Dubai’s second largest feeder market, Saudi Arabia plays a major role in its overall tourism performance, with the emirate witnessing notable increase in arrivals and tourism-related spending during Saudi holidays, as well as during large-scale retail events.
Mark Fernando, General Manager, Ramada Downtown Dubai, noted, “Due to its proximity and accessibility, Dubai remains as the destination of choice for Saudi market. There are some travellers who fly to Dubai just for the weekend, or to shop. Apart from leisure travellers, Dubai also benefits from this market in terms of corporate segments, given the strong business ties between KSA and the UAE.”
Each of the property boasts features that are well-suited for the Saudi market, which R Hotels aims to highlight during the four-day Riyadh Travel Fair. Ideal for large families, both Ramada Downtown Dubai and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham JBR have spacious suites with family-friendly fixtures, amenities and services. The two hotels are also located in Dubai’s most prominent retail and leisure complex.
The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel, the region’s first holistic wellbeing resort, aims to cater to a specific niche in the Saudi market. “With a growing demand for wellness tourism in the region, the hotel seeks to tap Saudi female travellers who are looking for an all-inclusive wellbeing retreat, without travelling all the way to Europe or South Asia,” said Samir Arora, General Manager, The Retreat Palm Dubai.
Home to Rayya Wellness Centre, The Retreat Palm Dubai offers a wide range of tailor-made health and wellbeing programmes and packages. The centre features a luxury spa, stateof-the-art fitness centre and gym, wellness clinic, and a variety of recreation facilities.
“We aim to have a 20% share from KSA market for 2018 – which is a 10% increase compared to 2017, where our business mix projected only 10% from Saudi guests. There is a big demand for midmarket brands, specifically for families from GCC. The hotel has the right product features for Saudi guests and boasts strategic location,” commented general manager Muhammad M Haider. The hotel i s easily accessible to the city’s top leisure and shopping attractions including the newlyopened beachfront development, La Mer Dubai.
Mohamed Saad, Director of Sales and Marketing, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham JBR, will be attending the exhibition on behalf of R Hotels. He shared, “We are positive that our participation in Riyadh Travel Fair will bring fruitful results for our hotels. This exhibition is an excellent venue to meet our existing partners in Riyadh, as well as pursue new business deals from KSA.”