Mena Hotels & Resorts, the hotel brand launched by Saudi-based Al Hokair Group in 2008, plans to operate 15 hotels in the Middle East and North Africa by 2017.
Two hotels will open in Riyadh this year and further opportunities are expected to be announced across the region, said Mena Hotels & Resorts director Fadi Mazkour.
“We’re looking at two projects in Muscat, one in Jeddah, possibly a hotel to be rebranded in Dubai, we’re looking at even Beirut in the downtown area. We are under negotiation with a property in Morocco, which is very preliminary. That’s the area we are looking at,” he said.
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Mazkour said the “optimistic” growth would partly be achieved by the reflagging of Al Hokair-owned hotels currently run by other operators.
“Yes we are looking at that. It’s been highly looked at,” he said. “There will be a Mena hotel in Dubai fairly soon, it will be one of these hotels to be reflagged, yet to be announced.”
The company is also looking to take over the management of locally-owned and operated hotels in Saudi Arabia.
“As we all know, Saudi is an appealing market to start with so we’re really looking at that and encouraging the self-owned hotel and hotel apartments to put a certain quality in their properties by not only taking a brand or a particular brand name, but calling some professionals to come and manage their properties for a better deal, a better income and a better yield. This is our focus,” said Mazkour.
“Some property owners don’t understand management, they’ll say ‘give me a certain guarantee as an operator and you run the hotel the way that you want’. That’s not the way we want to look at this. We want to introduce what management is and how it will add revenues to them,” he added.
Finally, growth could also come from “calling other investors or other owners to be under the flag of Mena”.
“There are a lot of developers or investors who would like to go for a professional who talks his language and understands the culture. I always say with all respect to all other nationalities that the real hospitality came from Bedouins — they are very welcoming by nature, especially in the Arab countries. Hospitality is in their blood,” said Mazkour.
However, Mazkour acknowledged the “difficulty” in competing with the big operators with existing names and proven records”.
Mena Hotels & Resorts encompasses three brands: Mena Grand, Mena Suites and Bayti Suites.
A 400-room Mena Grand will open in Riyadh in June, followed by a Mena Suites also in Riyadh.
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