Rotana unveils ambitious expansion plans for 2015

Following the opening of new properties in Bahrain and Jordan so far this year, Rotana Hotels & Resorts has outlined plans to open a further 11 properties over the next six months.

With flourishing development being made in its growth strategy, Rotana will expand its portfolio across six different markets including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Africa, and entering Turkey for the first time.

The new properties – all of which are scheduled to open before the end of the year – will add 2,765 rooms to Rotana’s existing 13,359–strong room count across its global property portfolio.

The 11 properties set to open under Rotana management in 2015 are as follows:

• Burgu Arjaan by Rotana, Istanbul, Turkey
• Tango Arjaan by Rotana, Istanbul, Turkey
• Dalga Residences by Rotana, Istanbul, Turkey
• City Centre Rotana, Doha, Qatar
• Centro Doha, Doha, Qatar
• Downtown Rotana, Manama, Bahrain
• Capital Centre Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Centro Shaheen, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Centro Waha, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Rosh Rayhaan by Rotana, Saudi Arabia
• Kinshasa Arjaan by Rotana, Democratic Republic of Congo

Rotana’s launch into Turkey – one of Europe’s fastest-growing hospitality markets – will see the group open two hotels in Istanbul in July 2015 with a total inventory of 319 rooms.

Rotana is also set to strengthen its presence in Qatar where the brand will open its second five-star hotel and its first Centro branded hotel in Doha in August 2015.

Featuring a combined inventory of 600 rooms, the two openings will make the group the largest hotel operator in this Arabian Gulf State with a portfolio of four hotels.

Already the leading hotel operator in the UAE, Rotana’s number of properties in the capital will increase to 13 with the forthcoming opening of Capital Centre Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi.

Rotana is also poised to extend its footprint in Bahrain with the opening of Downtown Rotana, the group’s third property in the island nation.

A further three properties are set to open in Saudi Arabia – including the first five star Rotana hotel in the capital of Riyadh and the country’s first Centro branded hotel, to be located in Jeddah and Riyadh – which are expected to add 772 rooms to the existing inventory.

As part of its continued expansion in the African market, Rotana will open the 100-room Kinshasa Arjaan by Rotana in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo this year.

The new properties will create a substantial number of employment opportunities and Rotana plans to hire more than 10,000 employees across the next five years to operate the hotels.

Rotana president Omer Kaddouri explained: “Rotana has a very robust development pipeline for 2015.

“By extending the Rotana brand into new markets while also reinforcing our market leadership in the Middle East, we have come closer to realising our ambitious vision of operating 100 hotels by 2020.

“With a carefully considered international development strategy in place, we are constantly looking for growth opportunities and all of these markets presented opportunities for Rotana to extend our award-winning hospitality offering.”

He added: “Faster economic growth and the globalisation of travel have meant that middle income groups are contributing more and more towards tourist inflows into regional markets, and as a result, budget hotels have emerged as one of the fastest growing sub-sectors within the hotel industry.

“Rotana was among the first to recognise this trend and pioneered the concept of affordable hotels in the Middle East with its Centro brand.

“The opening of three new Centro properties this year reflects our confidence in the budget hotel sector and its continued growth in years to come.”