InterContinental Hotels Group prepares for Eid

With occupancy across the properties very high, the hotel group is bracing itself for a late surge of bookings in the lead up to the break.

Similar to the recent Eid Al Fitr holidays, InterContinental Hotels Group expects Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, the UAE and Oman to once again be amongst the hottest destinations during the January break.

"With the holidays lasting on average anywhere up to five days, people living in the region prefer to visit nearby destinations so they can enjoy the maximum amount of time away from home relaxing," explained Denis Johnson, vice president, sales and marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group Middle East and Africa. "Our amazing line-up of city and beach properties combined with the perfect weather at that time of the year makes the Middle East the number one holiday spot."

Driving demand for intra-regional destinations during the Eid Al Adha break is the not-so-attractive weather in Europe at this time of the year and the fact that more Middle East residents now prefer to take multiple mini-breaks spread over the year in contrast to one long annual holiday.

"The way people in the Middle East holiday have changed significantly over the past decade. Not so long ago it used to be fashionable for people to leave the region for extended periods during the hot summer months. Now though, with more activities on offer during the hottest part of the year people are choosing to stay within the region during the summer. The emerging trend now is for multiple short holidays spread over the year," he explained.

Plan Ahead to Enjoy the Holidays
With demand on the rise for regional destinations, InterContinental Hotels Group advises people to get in quick with bookings for the upcoming Eid Al Adha holidays. The hotel group, which has more than 70 InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn properties across the region, believes that with demand running higher than ever before, people should book ahead to avoid disappointment.

"In the Middle East, people have made a habit of waiting for holidays such as Eid to be formally declared before arranging their breaks. But now that more people than ever before are demanding hotel rooms, we don't advise people to leave bookings until the last moment," he said.

"Rushing to book accommodation means that customers can face premium prices, or in the worst circumstance - no available rooms. By booking ahead with InterContinental, using our online service or our toll free call centre, we take the hassle out of traveling."

During the recent Eid Al Fitr holidays the premier hotel group experienced high demand for accommodation in Jeddah. Similarly, the Crowne Plaza in Jeddah experienced more than 85 percent occupancy during the busy Eid Al Fitr break. At the stunning InterContinental Phoenecia in Beirut, the hotel was running at full occupancy for the entire three day break.