The owner and general manager at Mafraq Hotel in Abu Dhabi are confident that the recently revamped hotel will generate profit in 2012.
The National Investor (TNI) has invested US $50 million in upgrading the hotel over the past two years.
The group, which manages the hotel in-house, is now “100% focused” on reviving the operating efficiency of the property.
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TNI vice president real estate Robert Rowell said: “We’re very much focused on pushing forward into 2012, we’re very bullish on the short, medium and long term of the hotel and the area around it here so were focusing on operations now.
“We’ve just come out of development, so now it’s 100% focus on getting the operating efficiency back to where it was and employing staff, retaining the right staff and eventually making profit.”
General manager Ghassan Fares, employed by TNI, said rates at the hotel were in line with the market for a four-star property — in the AED 500s.
Fares added: “I’m not worried at all in keeping this property running and getting profit out of it. We did it in the tough days and when the property was really deteriorated, it wasn’t that great in terms of standing, now it’s brand new with a lot of facilities.
“It’s a product that can compete with other properties, whereas earlier it was challenging for me to compete with other properties.”
Despite additional supply in Abu Dhabi in Q4 2012, Fares said he was able to “convince clients looking for MICE business that we are the place for them”.
“Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has done well on promoting Abu Dhabi as a MICE sector; earlier we had 3-5% of business in MICE, now we’re expecting to have 10%,” said Fares.
“We’re bullish over the next 12 months despite the upcoming supply,” added Rowell.
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