Premier Inn to develop hotels in RAK and Umm Al Quwain

Premier Inn, the British budget hotel chain that has a partnership with Emirates in the region, has secured sites in Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain for developing hotels.

It already has sites at Dubai Investments Park, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai International Airport and Dubai Al Jadaf and in Abu Dhabi at Capital Centre.

The company aims to operate more than 6,000 rooms across the GCC by 2012.

Darroch Crawford, managing director of Premier Inn in the Middle East, said: “We are delighted to add these two excellent sites in the northern emirates to our portfolio. It is our aim to provide high quality, low cost accommodation throughout the region, offering customers a value for money which is unprecedented in the region.

“We hope to announce further sites soon in Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Doha and throughout the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

In Ras Al Khaimah, the hotel will be located on the corner of Bridge Road and Bin Dahir Road near the Creek and will boast 232 rooms.

The property in Umm Al Quwain will be situated on the Ajman-Ras Al Khaimah Road and comprise some 186 rooms, all of the same high standard that the Premier Inn brand has become associated with.

Premier Inn Hotels is a joint venture between Premier Inn and the Emirates Group.

Derek Swan, senior vice-president of Emirates corporate development, said: “Following the successful opening of the first Premier Inn property in Dubai Investments Park it’s clear that there is a big market for low cost accommodation in the hospitality sector so we were keen to move on with our plans and secure more sites and offer a “value” hotel model to as many people as possible across the region.”

Gulfnews

Projects worth Dh300bn under way to attract tourists

The Northern Emirates’ hospitality industry is undergoing a major boom with projects worth more than Dh300 billion due to be completed by 2011.

The number of tourists visiting Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain is increasing rapidly and is expected to reach more than five million a year.

“Ras Al Khaimah is emerging fast as a major tourist destination,” said Hilary McCormack, Manager of RAK Tourism. “The emirate’s government and its partners in the private sector have acted swiftly in response to the growing number of tourists, commissioning several new developments to enhance the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and expand the amenities and facilities for both leisure and business travellers.”

Visitor numbers in Ras Al Khaimah are expected to increase by 400 per cent by 2012 from last year’s total of 500,000. Hotel occupancy rates have reached 93 per cent.

The emirate has invested heavily in leisure, business and eco-tourism and its airport is undergoing an upgrade that will enable it to handle 1.2 million passengers by 2009. Read more