Auris Hotels to launch 15 hotels by 2015

Home-grown Dubai hotel brand Auris Hotels is on an ambitious expansion drive to launch 15 new properties across the Middle East and North Africa region over the next three years.

Auris Hotels currently has four properties in Dubai – Auris First Central Hotel Suites, Tecom; Auris Hotel Apartment, Deira; Auris Boutique Hotel Apartments, Al Barsha and the three-star Auris Lodge, Al Barsha – which have opened in the last two years.

A further two Dubai properties – Metro Central Hotel Suites, Tecom; and Auris Plaza Hotel, Al Barsha - will be added to the portfolio early next year.

Hatem Gasmi, managing director, Auris Hotel Management said the company was currently “in negotiations” to sign further deals outside Dubai.

“We have said from the beginning that we are a regional company and our plan is to grow in the Middle East and North Africa.”

“In the UAE we are targeting Reem Island in Abu Dhabi. In Saudi Arabia we are targeting Riyadh, Al Khobar, and Jeddah. Some will be take-overs and some will be new projects - these are expected to open in two years time.”

Gasmi said Auris was keen to capitalise on new opportunities that have opened up in North Africa since the Arab Spring revolutions.

“Now there have been some big changes that have happened in some Arabic countries; and these changes will evolve into big opportunities for hotel operators to come in – for example Libya. I also personally visited Tunisia in the summer just after the revolution and saw that many people were visiting the country and the resorts there. So we are working to identity potential projects in Libya and Tunisia.”

Ammar Kanaan, director of operations, Auris added that the company was particularly keen to make a move into North Africa in the next two years.

“The whole of North Africa has potential,” he said. “Egypt, Tunis, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Sudan. All these countries where they have less hotels than others. South Sudan is interesting – there is a big demand for Juba and I think it is the right time for investors to be there.”