Dubai hotels head for record summer

The forecast was delivered on the eve of The Hotel Show, the Middle East's biggest exhibition for hospitality products and services, by Guy Wilkinson, Director and General Manager at PKF The Consulting House.

The company, which provides business advisory services to the region's leading hotel owners and developers, believes security concerns in other parts of the Middle East will help Dubai hotels continue to build on record figures last year.

"Our research shows that Dubai's 30 five-star hotels, for example, averaged 85 per cent occupancy at an achieved average market-wide room rate of Dhs.790 (US$ 215) in 2004," said Wilkinson.

"Unprecedented demand for all types of accommodation has allowed hoteliers to concentrate on the highest-yielding segments, and increase room rates on a monthly basis. Due to the recent unfortunate security problems in Lebanon and Egypt, which are traditionally among the popular summer destinations for Middle East intra-regional tourism, Dubai is now likely to attract even more visitors than usual this summer season."

The forecast is more good news for the many hotel owners and developers who will be among the visitors to The Hotel Show, which opens tomorrow (Sunday) at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, with a line-up of more than 400 exhibitors from a record number of 41 countries.

"We're pleased to learn that there is increasing demand for hotel accommodation in the UAE as this is likely to attract increasing investment in existing and new hospitality infrastructure," said Bernard Walsh, Managing Director of dmg world media Dubai Ltd.

The three-day event is a launch pad for the latest hospitality industry products and services, including anything from high-tech security and guest entertainment systems to the newest leisure equipment, furniture and accessories.

Visitors to the exhibition will include leading hotel owners, developers and operators who bring with them extensive shopping lists for the dozens of new hotel properties under development and existing properties undergoing refurbishment or a replenishment of existing supplies.

The Hotel Show will run daily from 11 am to 7 pm from Sunday (22 May), until Tuesday (24 May). Attendance is free for trade visitors.