Dubai: As tourism grows in the Middle East, a new breed of alcohol-free hotels is trying to make its mark on the travel business.
Operators of those companies say the Sharia-compliant hospitality model is good for both culture and commerce.
Such no-alcohol hotel chains are among a number of new hoteliers that have come up in the Gulf amid a wave of hotel construction activity.
Alain Guernier, chief executive officer of recently-launched Tamani Hotels & Resorts, said business potential is huge "as people from the region are travelling more and more and would like to stay in hotels which respect their values and culture."
Tamani, part of the UAE-based KM Holding, plans to open luxury properties both in major Middle Eastern cities and other regions.
Shaza Hotels, an alcohol-free luxury hotel firm launched last year, is opening seven hotels within the next three years.
Shaza, which means fragrance in Arabic, is an initiative of private equity firm Guidance Financial Group and Kempinski Hotels.
"Sharia-compliant hotel chains are providing the right product and environment for many people of the region and from outside. They are part of a culture which needs to be respected and also provide great alternatives to international hotel chains. We abide by Islamic principles and are providing true Arabic hospitality, which is what a lot of people want to experience when they travel to the Middle East," Guernier said.
Their expansion plans show the companies are aggressive about achieving long-term growth.
Target
Tamani aims to manage about 16,000 rooms that KM Holding plans to create in various categories, including furnished apartments, in three to five years. Countries being targeted are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Morocco, Turkey, Indonesia and Malay-sia.
Similar plans have been unveiled by Shaza. It hopes to have a portfolio of 30 hotels in the next few years.
Naseem Javed, president of ABC Namebank International, a firm that advises on corporate brand-building, believes the formula adopted by Sharia-compliant hotels can be successful. "The international rules and laws customised to Islamic issues and properly applied to projects will create great name brands," he told Gulf News at a recent hotel conference in Dubai.
Dubai-based Coral International recently launched an "environment-friendly" budget hotel brand.
Numbers
The sheer number of hotels being built in the Gulf has created room for new Gulf-based players. Dozens of hotels are under construction in the UAE alone.
However, not all hotel operators from the region belong to the alcohol-free category.
Sometimes it is pointed out that alcohol-free hotels receive low food and beverage revenues that can affect their profitability.
But Shaza chief executive Christopher Hartley describes the issue as "irrelevant." "It is totally irrelevant. Our study showed that we will be overcompensated in revenues by introducing specialist culinary concepts," he said.
Have your say
Would you prefer an alcohol-free hotel or would you go somewhere else? What do you think about the concept of a no-alcohol hotel?
Your comments
It looks as if the Sharia compliant hotels is an excellent move from an Islamic or Middle Eastern Perspective. It is about time we have our own developments adhering to our values as Muslims. This will make travel more comfortable and allow Muslims to feel less guilty in regards to being in a halal environment when travelling. This looks as if it will get a lot of support and insha'Allah become an excelling business.
Dania
Kuwait City,Kuwait
I think alcohol free hotels will prove a good example, I love this idea which complies with Islam.
Tafseer
Dubai,UAE
It is a brilliant idea to have alcohol free hotels in the GCC, being as a Muslim, I welcome such an idea.
Abdul
Dubai,UAE
It is a wonderful thing, to have hotels without the bad smell of alcohol. If I visit Dubai, I will stay in a Sharia-compliant hotel.
Iqbal
Gaberone,Botswana
The alcohol-free hotels will be highly accepted by people all over the world. The Islamic substitute of the banking system has already proved a success. It is a very nice idea to launch hotels based on Islamic values and culture.
Abdul Azeez
Dubai,UAE
I wish this company and others like it all the best. I think the market for such a concept is huge and I wish that such hotels existed when I brought my wife to Dubai on our honeymoon.
Obviously, and unfortunately, non-alcohol is not everyone's cup of tea, but for those who value such ideals this is great.
Fahed
London,UK
Well, I would love to visit one of those in due course. Yes, this is a great venture to start a hotel chain where people practising Islam can have a nice and comfortable day out...
Z. Iqbal
RAK,UAE
This is a very good idea, provided it works long-term.
Riyaz
Dubai,UAE
The concept of making alchohol-free hotels is a great idea indeed. They're an excellent alternative to international hotels which serve alcohol.
Sadiq
Ajman,UAE
More than no alcohol, I want to see a hotel that has a ladies swimming area. It's a tragedy to live in the Gulf as a Muslim woman and have virtually no place to swim. I realise that the wealthy have pools at home; however, for the average working female professional, there are very few options.
Sakeena
Abu Dhabi,UAE
It won't make a difference to me if there's alcohol in my hotel or down the street from me. Either way it's my choice to follow Sharia or not.
Sam
Dubai,UAE
We would love to see alcohol-free hotels in Dubai. Muslim families do need to stay in an Islamic atmosphere while visiting the UAE.
A. Shaukat
Little Ferry,United States
