Eid Al Fitr 2022: UAE hotels score with another staycation - and they are already planning for summer holidays

UAE hotels and resorts are buzzing with medium-to-high occupancy this week, helped by residents who took any staycation opportunity. This makes a third straight year of UAE hotels scoring with staycation packages.

Will this, however, be the last major staycation run for these hotels? Or can they hope to deliver another round of upbeat results come the summer breaks?

Because hotels will have to compete in full with airlines and all those destinations that are putting themselves up as places for UAE residents to take a summer break. Will summer of '22 mark the return of full travel?

Already, the signs are there. This Eid, leading travel agencies reported that demand from UAE residents was overwhelmingly in favour of travelling outside as opposed to a staycation. It was running at 2:1 in favour of travel over stay, industry sources report.

That split could head higher come August and September, and this is why hotels in the UAE will need a bit of re-strategising on their staycation promotions. The goal - score with staycations for a third straight year.

This Eid, UAE residents made full use of the 9-day break by travelling and enjoying their time away. Outbound flights to Georgia, Armenia, Egypt are at full load.

For those residents who were not in the mood to travel, Abu Dhabi and Dubai hotels offer a suite of staycation deals. And room rates that are touching 30-40 per cent higher over the average.

According to Godfrey Lopez of Uranus travels, “Beach properties or properties with access to theme parks are scoring this Eid.”

Staycation deals at the top end of Dubai's 5-star hotels are between Dh900 to Dh1,500, per night. Hotels in the Downtown have options at between Dh900 to Dh1,200. Resorts in Jumeirah and Palm are offering deals at Dh1,200 and over.

If a staycation at a 4-star is what the resident had in mind, all-inclusive options are available for Dh900 to Dh1,200 in Dubai this week. Whereas premium end of these hotels are offering deals at Dh1,800 to Dh1,900 a night.

Lopez said that the Abu Dhabi-based hotels are offering staycation deals at highly competitive prices compared to other emirate. “Abu Dhabi has been very strict with its COVID-19 protocols from Day 1,” said Lopez. “In order to revive the tourism sector, the emirate is offering staycation deals at a very affordable price.”

Five-star beach properties in Abu Dhabi have rooms at Dh650 and Dh675 for two per night. According to industry sources, demand for hotels on Yas Island have topped the charts.

Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah have priced deals in the Dh1,100-Dh1,400 range. Lopez says the two emirates will host a lot of European tourists over the 9-day break. “Europeans want to break away from the buzz in the city and go to Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah for a full-fledged holiday,” said Lopez.

Compared to previous years, hotels have narrowed their offers. “Earlier hotels used to give free spa, breakfast and other attractive offers, but now it is mostly to do with rates,” said Lopez. He reckons UAE hotels are back to pre-pandemic level operations. He said, “prior to the pandemic the occupancy levels were fluctuating, but with travel gradually coming back to normal, most of the hotels are witnessing steady demand.”

Hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are running at 70-80 per cent occupancy levels. Hotels in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah are not far behind with 50-60 per cent occupancy levels, so if you haven’t made a getaway plan, this is a sign for you to do so.

Or wait for the summer break...