ROTANA PLANS DYNAMIC EXPANSION
Rotana’s repertoire is once again loaded with new projects in the Middle East. Joseph Coubat, area vice president for Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Congo and Syria, shares more insight.
1. How would you describe the performance of Rotana in fluctuating markets? We have just tapped into the Turkish market. Despite the current situation, the pace is steady and is actually gradually increasing. In Lebanon, we are close to 80 percent occupancy for our two properties, Gefinor Rotana and Raouché Arjaan by Rotana, both located in Beirut. The hospitality market surveys and audits show we are ranking within the top hotels in the competition segment in Lebanon. This indicates how Rotana hotels are fighting back in productivity and performance. To maintain our ranking and to meet our budgets, we are focusing on revenue by tackling all income-generating opportunities, such as building our strategies around indicators, using an aggressive sales force, not diluting rates and leveraging the global sales offices. We are well equipped to address a crisis.
2. How competitive are the Qatari and the Kuwaiti markets? Rotana operates four properties in Qatar: The Oryx Rotana, City Centre Rotana Doha, Capital Centro Doha and Sedra Residences by Rotana. For Qatar, we encountered different experiences when launching three hotels in various timeframes, although today, the market is much more similar. Currently, we are facing a number of challenges in the market, due to the current economic situation. Moreover, lots of oil and gas companies, along with many construction firms, have reduced their production in Qatar. When it comes to Kuwait, Al Manshar Rotana provides us with a huge opportunity to grab business linked to the opening of the Fourth Refinery, since the property is located in the famous Fahaheel area, even though the market in the city center is suffering. The hotel always meets its budget. We are also planning a full renovation in terms of rooms, meeting rooms and adding a new ballroom in October, along with an extension to the F&B outlets. We will also add Rotana’s Italian restaurant brand, Prego’s to our existing operations.
3. What future developments do you have planned? In the near future, the bustling city of Istanbul will welcome Centro Rotana, located in the heart of the city center, along with the Centro Residence. Three more Rotana properties will begin operating in Qatar. Gefinor Rotana in Beirut will undergo a full renovation, including the rooms and the ballroom.