More than 20 five-star hotels plus several more premium properties and hotel apartment blocks are to open in Ras Al Khaimah in the next five years, tourism officials have announced.
The new hotels are expected to more than triple the current number of rooms in the emirate and help accommodate the projected 2.5 million tourists expected each year by 2012. There are at present 1,800 rooms and the new properties will deliver up to 3,700 more.
The wide range of hotel brands attracted to the emirate by RAK Tourism will provide a diverse selection of speciality offerings and services to suit various tourist profiles. The newcomers will include Banyan Tree, which will operate two hotels, Jumeirah Group, Millennium Hotels, InterContinental Hotel Group, Rotana, The Luxury Collection and the Coral Hotel International. Al Hamra will be developing new hotels and expanding its operations.
"Hotel development has jumped to a new level in Ras Al Khaimah as tourism activities continue to attract domestic, regional and international tourists to the emirate," said Khater Massaad, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA).
"It is part of our strategy to look out for unique and innovative hotel operators in a bid to diversify our portfolio. There is still so much room for expansion in this sector and we are looking forward to establishing partnerships with more world-renowned hotel brands in the future."
Occupancy rates are high with most of the major hotels exceeding 85 per cent. And the emirates is consolidating its reputation as a premier business tourism destination, particularly for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, says RAK Tourism, which was set up to support and promote the industry. Leisure visitors, however, continue to make up the majority of Ras Al Khaimah's hotel guests, drawn by natural attractions such as the Hajar Mountains, more than 64km of beaches and deserts. Ras Al Khaimah's existing five-star properties – Al Hamra Fort Hotel and Beach Resort, Al Hamra Village Townhouse and Golf Resort, Khatt Springs Hotel and Spa, the Hilton Beach Resort and Spa and the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah – collectively offer nearly 1,000 rooms. Hilton plans to open another hotel by December 2008, supplying an additional 325 top-class hotel rooms. And Ras Al Khaimah offers a selection of four-star, three-star and two-star hotels and hotel apartments.
"We already have an impressive line of reputed hotels," said RAK Tourism Manager Hilary McCormack. "We are now eyeing some exciting new names in the industry that have both a solid regional and global following. "We are also seeing rapid market gains in developments such as Al Marjan Island, Mina Al Arab and Saraya Islands. The momentum we have gathered will be vital in sustaining our efforts to further enhance the tourism landscape of Ras Al Khaimah."