Shaza Hotels reveals expansion plans

Shaza Hotels has opened its first hotel and revealed a list of upcoming properties planned for the Middle East and North Africa.

The first property, now open in Saudi Arabia, is Shaza Al Madina, a 469-room hotel in one of the Kingdom’s holiest cities.

Shaza Hotels president and CEO Simon Coombs said: “It’s very contemporary and I think a lot of people will be very surprised when they enter Madinah to see this property — but at the same time it has a very peaceful ambience when you go in there, it’s very welcoming in terms of tones and colours and in particular lighting”.

The hotel is owned and operated by Shaza Hotels, which will invest in up to 10 hotels via the Shaza fund managed by Guidance Hotel Investment Company.

“There are other properties where the fund has invested directly,” revealed Coombs.

“Next will be Marrakech, Fez, Bahrain and Cairo. These are already committed and in various stages of construction and planning and design,” he said.

Shaza Hotels will also manage properties on behalf of owners.

So far, it has signed to operate hotels in Mashad, Iran and Karbala, Iraq in partnership with specialist developer Range Hospitality.

Both hotels will target the millions of religious tourists heading to these cities each year.

Coombs added: “We also have an interesting development in Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina, where we have the largest development in Bosnia Herzegovina with Sarajevo City Centre. That has Middle East interest in terms of ownership; the people involved there are from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. That will open sometime in 2013 as part of a large mixed use development right in the centre of the city opposite Parliament.

Shaza is a joint venture between Guidance Hotel Investment Company based in Paris and Kempinski Hotels S.A. based in Geneva.

The brand aims to have 25-30 hotels by 2016, up to 10 of which will be owned by the Shaza fund managed by Guidance Hotel Investment Company.