Khorfakkan: A true beach escape
The Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort and Spa is embraced by white warm sand and gleaming waters from the secluded beach with breathtaking views of the stunning Indian Ocean and lush greenery in a setting of the spectacular rolling hills of the Hajjar Mountains.
The resort offers an idyllic escape that makes the holiday experience for tourists a pleasant and memorable one. Reopened in April 2013, this fully refurbished hotel situated on the acres of UAE’s picturesque East Coast, tucked away in the coastal town of Khorfakkan, is a mere 90 minutes’ drive from Dubai and Sharjah international airports; only 20 minutes from the city of Fujairah. Offering family friendly accommodation, the hotel comprises 177 spacious guestrooms including 18 lavish suites and family rooms, 3 private sea facing villas that feature six spacious bedrooms, exceptional dining establishments, outstanding recreational and leisure facilities. Other family oriented activities include sports, sightseeing and tours, live entertainment and movie nights, water activities, one of a kind dive sites and so much more. This Arab ian resort has become one of the most leading hotel destinations in the UAE, being recently awarded as 2016 Travellers’ Choice winner by Trip Advisor in addition to its surpassing reviews and a Certificate of Ex- cellence award for 2 consecutive years, 2014 and 2015. Further to this the resort has been considered as the UAE’s No. 1 Family Friendly Beach Resort for 2015 by World Halal Travel Awards that made this resort perfect for a quiet retreat or a family break and exemplifies a true escape.
General Manager Ian Phillips says, “We were very pleased with our performance in 2015 which was considerably up from the previous year. We understand that the markets have been a challenge, however we have a clear strategy with some very good business partners who have helped us deliver a very good year’s performance. 2016 has started well, strategies have shifted slightly to allow for changing markets and I’m pleased to say that we are currently in line with budgeted revenue which shows further growth from 2015.
“We rely on a business mix which I’m sure is similar to many hotels in the region and the UAE.We have a very good relationship with several key partners, travel agents and DMCs and work very closely with these to ensure that we are correctly positioned and able to achieve our expected room nights on a monthly and yearly basis. The support of travel agents and DMC is an essential part of our business and one that we work very hard upon to grow and develop. From overseas we work closely with partners who specialised in CIS region, Germany and Central and Eastern Europe. Our plan is always to ensure that we have a healthy mix of business so that we can manage any market change and political situations to avoid any possible impact to our business.”
To further support its position and relationships with its partners, the hotel attends majority of the roadshows and exhibitions hosted by its partners and Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority to get closer to its business partners. Attending these take a lot of time and planning, however, this year it forms a vital part of their strategy.They are visiting COTTM, ATM, KITF, ITB, and WTM along with roadshows across CIS region, India, GCC and Central and Eastern Europe.
As a group they are constantly reviewing their service and facilities along with our guest feedback, which guides them to ensure all the changes are in line with guest expectations, Phillips says. “Within the group of hotels we would like to think that we can offer something attractive to all travellers within our three properties. From city breaks, family getaways, business meetings, special occasions and family getaway’s to the east Coast, we pride ourselves on offering a quality family destinations,” he concludes.
The support of travel agents and DMC is an essential part of our business and one that we work very hard upon to grow and develop. From overseas we work closely with partners who specialised in CIS region, Germany and Central and Eastern Europe