Abu Dhabi’s Jannah Hotels expands global footprint

New properties due to open in Dubai, Oman and South Korea, other possible markets are being examined

Jannah Hotels and Resorts, an Abu Dhabi-based hotel operator and developer, is expanding globally to cater to demand for luxury and mid-scale hotel apartments.

The company is planning to open six hotel apartment buildings under its luxury and midscale brands, Jannah and Jannah Place respectively, in Dubai by early 2018, for which three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have been signed.

“In Dubai, between institutions — like fund managers, developers and real estate companies — and private investors, we are in discussions on six projects. Dubai today is a very good area to grow in. There is a need for hotel apartments in the market because travellers that are coming here are looking for those,” Nehme Imad Darwiche, chief executive of Jannah Hotels, said in an interview yesterday.

Jannah Hotels is also planning to sign an MoU with an unnamed individual owner today to manage a hotel and hotel apartment building in Al Ain, which will be part of a development that includes a shopping mall, Darwiche said. He did not say when the project is expected to Hotel apartments in Dubai are popular with families, especially from the Gulf. The number of guest nights spent in Dubai’s hotel apartments grew by 4.1 per cent in the first half of last year over the same period in 2013, according to the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. The length of stay in hotel apartments grew to 5.7 days during that period. be completed. In neighbouring Oman, the company is planning to develop nine properties in a joint venture with an unnamed family-owned company. These include a luxury hotel apartment building (due to open in early 2016); seven three-star hotels under a new brand called Bedoinn (all likely to open by 2019); and a luxury boutique resort, an opening date for which has not been set.

The hotels under the Bedoinn brand will target young travellers.

“The millennials are travelling for the destination. They are not travelling to stay in the big brand hotels. They just need a great room that is clean with internet and great service,” he said

The company is also in discussions with three developers in South Korea to open a hotel apartment building under the Jannah brand by February 2017 in a joint venture. He declined to name the developers, but did say that he expects to strike a deal with them in late August this year.

The property, which will be located in South Korean capital Seoul, will target travellers from the Gulf.

“What we’re building are hotel apartments that target travellers from this part of the world that consider South Korea as a destination for leisure, business or medical reasons. I believe that more and more Emirati and GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] travellers are going to South Korea for medical [reasons] and tourism,” Darwiche said.

New target ahead

Jannah Hotels is also interested in expanding into North Africa and Europe. “Today we are not in discussions with developers but it is a target for us to be in North Africa and Europe. In Europe, we are in discussions with real estate portfolio owners ...” he said.

The company currently operates the Eastern Mangroves Suites by Jannah and Jannah Place Dubai Marina. Last week, it had the preliminary opening of its third UAE property — Marina Bay Suites by Jannah in Dubai Marina.

Meanwhile, the hotel operator has pushed back the opening of a hotel in Dubai Marina, under a brand called Solo, which was meant to open next year. It has not set a new opening date.

The company is also looking for land for a hotel in Fujairah.