Emaar Hospitality Group unveils expansion plans

Emaar Hospitality Group announced a major regional expansion plan at the Arabian Travel Market. This year marks the homegrown hospitality brand's fourth year as ATM's official hotel partner. The hotel group recorded a remarkable recovery after the pandemic, achieving high occupancy rates in Q1 2022, and these are expected to rise further during the year with a slew of new openings. We met with Head of Emaar Hospitality Mark Kirby and talked about the Group’s expansion plans in the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

The global tourism industry has experienced a remarkable recovery as hotels are nearing pre-pandemic occupancy rates.

This year marks a remarkable recovery of the travel and tourism industry around the world as hotels are nearing the same levels of occupancy as before the pandemic. Hotels across Emaar Hospitality Group’s diverse portfolio have achieved high occupancy rates in Q1 2022, and these are expected to rise further during the year.

Emaar Hospitality Group has been focused on reinventing practices and products along with new investments toward the expansion of hospitality brands across the region. The diverse portfolio of brands, including Address Hotels + Resorts, a premium luxury hotel and residences brand, and Vida Hotels and Resorts, an upscale lifestyle hotel and residences brand, will now extend to offer its iconic services to guests at new, exciting locations within the UAE and at up-and-coming, highly anticipated destinations across the Middle East.

Please tell us more about the Group’s expansion plans.

In Dubai, the expansion of the Palace Downtown is an exciting project for the iconic hotel, which is a part of the group's luxury segment and one of the original Address Hotels + Resorts properties in the UAE. Its expansion and renovation highlights the importance of the property which boasts Burj Khalifa views and remains a key luxury asset for the group.

The Palace Fujairah is set to welcome guests in the coming months in the culturally rich and scenic surroundings of Fujairah while five new openings under the Vida Hotels and Resort brand are to be unveiled in Dubai with properties located in Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina and Dubai Creek Harbour, all key developments of Emaar Properies. The opening of Vida Dubai Marina is scheduled for the end of 2022 while Vida Dubai Mall will open in 2023. Following the success of Vida Creek Harbour, three new hotels and branded Residences at the iconic waterfront development will see the area as a key focus for the group. Address Grand Creek Harbour is scheduled to open at the end of 2022 and will be followed by the openings of Palace Dubai Creek Harbour and Vida Creek Beach in 2023. The year 2021 saw international openings last year, including Address Istanbul and Vida Marassi Al Bahrain, and now, the group is preparing for further expansion across major and upcoming destinations in the region. Address Beach Resort Bahrain will open its doors this year, marking the debut of the Address brand in the country and will follow the currently operating Vida Marassi Al Bahrain.

Additionally, the openings of Address Marrasi Marina and Vida Marrasi Marina in Egypt will follow in 2023. Landmark launches are also planned in Saudi Arabia, with the opening of Address Jabal Omar Makkah scheduled for 2023. The two towers of Address Jabal Omar, which will offer 1484 rooms, will occupy a strategic location near the Grand Mosque and promises to become a major landmark in the area with its striking architecture.

Connecting the towers is a sky bridge which will also feature a prayer area with spectacular views of the Grand Mosque. Throught a joint venture with Giorgio Armani, Emaar Hospitality Group will be managing the highly acclaimed Armani brand in Saudi Arabia for the first time, following its success in Dubai and Milan. Moreover, the Group is pleased to announce its second opening in the Diriyah Gate development with the launch of Address Diriyah Gate.