World Cup influx drives up N-day hotel staycation rates

As UAE residents gear up for the last long weekend of the year with the National Day, hotel staycation rates in Dubai have spiked further due to massive demand for rooms from fans who have travelled for the Fifa World Cup.

Hoteliers in Dubai are reporting a 100 per cent occupancy rate from now until well past the National Day long weekend as football fans from Europe, the US and Middle Eastern countries throng Dubai, which many have made their base to watch the mega event in Qatar as as Flydubai and Qatar Airways operate up to 120 match-day shuttle flights from November 20.

Ayman Ashor, general manager of Al Bandar Rotana and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana, said staycation rates are heading north in conjunction with the World Cup kicking off, as, true to projection predictably, hotels see full occupancy from this week.

Abdulla Al Abdulla, COO and group general manager of Central Hotels, added: “Central Resorts and Hotels (is seeing) an average occupancy rate of 90 per cent due to the surge of visitors into transit hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, creating more demand for accommodation.”