Jumeirah: Most favored hotels amongst Kuwaitis

Kuwaiti travelers to Jumeirah Carlton Towers recorded an increase of 8 percent in occupancy rates in Q1 of 2018 compared to the same period last year. Room revenues from Kuwaiti travelers doubled in European hotels in general in Q1, including London, Frankfurt and Mallorca, with the increase accounting for 220 percent. The most favored hotels amongst Kuwaitis are Jumeirah Frankfurt and Grosvenor House Suites by Jumeirah Living. Kuwait Times spoke to Luc Delafosse, Regional Vice President of Jumeirah Europe and General Manager of Jumeirah Carlton Tower, to learn more about Jumeirah’s operations in Europe.

Kuwait Times: Tell us more about Jumeirah’s overall operations in Europe.

Delafosse: The operations of Jumeirah in Europe are composed of five properties currently in operation. Three are in London, where we have the famous Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel and Grosvenor House Suites. We operate Jumeirah Frankfurt in Germany, and it has an ideal location in the city center. We also have a nice resort in Mallorca in Spain.

KT: How did Jumeirah’s European hotels perform in 2017? Have you seen any particular significant movements in terms of source markets?

Delafosse: In the last few years, Jumeirah’s European hotels witnessed a great performance, where we recorded a good growth in the market. Also, our Jumeirah hotel in Dubai has always enjoyed a very positive performance. We are aiming in 2018 to remain up in summer in Europe.

KT: What trends are you noticing within the tourism industry in Europe? How have these trends affected Jumeirah, especially to attract Kuwaiti tourists?

Delafosse: Jumeirah is always very active in the region. For example, we frequently visit Kuwait along with our partners. I will stay in Kuwait for a week, and I’m visiting 15 to 20 travel agencies every day. We have a global sales management team traveling the world including GCC countries. We have strong ties with Kuwait and GCC and I’m very pleased to see Jumeirah is doing extremely good in these markets.

We notice that Kuwaitis are very good travelers. Kuwaitis love to travel on weekends; people are increasing the number of trips they make yearly. They want to increase the number of nights that they are staying and they want good value for their money. What I noticed about the

Luc Delafosse, Regional Vice President of Jumeirah Europe and General Manager of Jumeirah Carlton Tower. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Kuwaiti market is that Jumeirah is maintaining a great relationship with the people, and this is what matters.

KT: In Europe, Jumeirah manages a diverse portfolio. What is Jumeirah’s competitive advantage as a luxury operator?

Delafosse: Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts is known for its luxury portfolio. Our properties are all unique and elegant modern business hotels in the heart of Europe’s financial capitals. Jumeirah has become an iconic brand in the region. The focus now is to develop it outside the region, and we have strong values for that. Our focus is on services, where we want to develop them for our guests. Also, we want to have the best products and would like to be recognized as one of the best hotel companies for the food and beverage experience.

KT: What is Jumeirah’s plan to attract Kuwaitis and the GCC nationals during Eid and summer?

Delafosse: Our three properties in London have the best locations. Summer is a low season in GCC countries and high season in Europe. Our special offer is to book for five nights and pay for four. We always have special offers for the summer.

KT: What are your greatest challenges in the role of marketing, particularly in this digital age where consumers are constantly changing?

Delafosse: The greatest challenge in the digital age is to be able to communicate. The marketing team is working on choosing the right channel to reach the right people, and this is not easy. We are considering digital marketing to reach out.

KT: Are there key markets that offer greater opportunities for expansion, and what are your plans to introduce new properties?

Delafosse: Next year, we will open the fourth Jumeirah’s property in London, and are looking for big cities and big hits in Europe to be our target.