TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
UAE-headquartered TIME Hotels is on a steady road towards expanding its footprint across the Middle East and North Africa. The hotel recently opened its new Central Reservations Office (CRO) in Cairo, Egypt. Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels, shares details of growth plans over the next two years.
TT Bureau
What is your focus at Arabian Travel Market this year?
Arabian Travel Market is an occasion to meet our partners and share our experiences in an industry that is increasingly becoming more competitive. We recently announced the signing of a new agreement to operate Dunes Hotel Apartments’ three properties located in Al Barsha, Al Qusais and Oud Metha – further reinforcing our growth strategy to expand our footprint in the UAE. In line with our expansion in the Middle East and Northern Africa, we have recently relocated our Central Reservations Office to Cairo.
TIME Hotels has seen an increase in the number of GCC travellers looking for short breaks and staycations, and the UAE is the destination of choice. Our popularity with guests from the GCC market is due to TIME Hotels’ family-friendly facilities and competitive room rates. Our convenient location close to major attractions, malls and business hubs ensures our popularity with this market. We have been very strategic with our current pipeline of hotels and residences.
What is the role of the new Central Reservations Office?
The new CRO in Cairo will be managing the room inventories for all hotels as well as coordinating and managing all reservations and providing up-to-date rates and availability for various distribution channels including TIME Hotels’ online booking engine, its global distribution system and online travel agents. Supported by the existing TIME Hotels – Egypt Office, the new CRO will help ensure the efficient use of resources and funds as well as provide better operational support across the MENA region.
Why did you decide to open the CRO in Egypt?
Opening our new CRO in Cairo not only reflects the potential of the Egypt market but also its strategic geographical position, serving the wider MENA market, in particular the Levant and the North African markets.
Could you share some of your expansion plans?
New openings are scheduled to take place in Dubai, Sharjah, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, taking our total portfolio to 20 properties by the end of 2020. This year will see the opening of TIME Hotels’ first beach resort in Egypt, TIME Nozha Beach Aqua Park Hotel & Resort, a four-star property located in Ras Sudr, on Egypt’s Red Sea coast.
