Dubai: The Ritz-Carlton, a luxury brand of US hotel chain Marriott International, does not currently plan to open more hotels in Dubai by 2020, according to the company’s top executive.
“From now to six years, there could be different opportunities but no precise plans for a hotel in Dubai under The Ritz-Carlton,” Bob Kharazmi, the company’s global operations officer, told Gulf News in an interview.
The company currently has two hotels in Dubai, including one in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and another in Dubai Marina, and one in Abu Dhabi (The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal).
Marriott International aims to boost the number of hotel rooms in Dubai from 2,700 to 10,000 by 2020, underpinned by the emirate’s successful bid last November to host the World Expo 2020. The six-month event is likely to attract 25 million visitors.
According to Kharazmi, the company does not currently plan to expand its existing properties in the emirate.
The Ritz-Carlton in Dubai Marina has been undergoing an expansion since January that will see the number of rooms grow from 130 to 260, which is expected to be completed by August-September.
“Once we finish our existing hotel in Dubai that doubles in size, the other properties are fully booked,” Kharazmi said.
Strike deals
Occupancy rates for The Ritz-Carlton’s properties in Dubai stood at more than 85 per cent in the first quarter of the year, which Kharazmi expects to continue in the second quarter.
The Ritz-Carlton expects to strike deals for three properties in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in the next five to six months, which are likely to open in two to three years, Kharazmi said.
Meanwhile, beyond the GCC, the company plans to open five hotels in the Middle East and Africa, including Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, by 2016. It currently has eight properties in operation in the region.
Globally, where it has 85 hotels, The Ritz-Carlton aims to operate 100 properties by 2016. It plans to open hotels in China, Indonesia and Panama over the next 30 months, with further development planned in Malaysia and India.
The Ritz-Carlton has over 30 hotels under development across the globe.
