Park Hyatt on Saadiyat Island - a destination which has been slow to make progress with planned amenities. Park Hyatt on Saadiyat Island - a destination which has been slow to make progress with planned amenities.

Sharjah
In the past, hoteliers have attributed the success of hotels in Sharjah to their scarcity but, with a growing project pipeline, that could soon be set to change.
Today, Sharjah’s room count stands at 9016, split among 47 hotels and 53 hotel apartment buildings.

“The total number of hotel rooms in Sharjah is 5191, where as the number of hotel apartments is put at 3825,” Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority chairman HE Mohammed Ali Al Noman tells Hotelier Middle East.

The number of guests to the emirate rose 11% in the first quarter of 2012 on the same period in 2011 — from 421,516 guests to 466,218 guests. In anticipation of continued growth, various hospitality developments have been unveiled for the region over the past 12 months.

“Several new projects are coming up in Sharjah’s fast-growing hospitality sector. The recently-announced Kalba eco-tourism project by Shurooq [Sharjah Investment and Development Authority] on the East Coast of the emirate is easily the most ambitious project of its kind in the UAE,” says Al Noman.

The project in Khor Kalba — 15km south of Fujairah city on the UAE-Oman border — will be implemented in three phases. The first phase will see the development of natural reserves in Kalba (Hafiya and Al Qurm nature reserves), and the establishment of a centre within the reserve for visitors, as well as the restoration of archaeological sites within the project itself.

Story continues below
Advertisement

The second phase of the project comprises the development of Kalba Creek and the construction of a commercial complex which will feature shops and restaurants, as well as the development of a number of islands in the creek. Phase three will add 300 rooms and chalets overlooking the Gulf of Oman, Shurooq CEO Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal said upon the project’s launch in May.

This particular project, however, is not expected to be launched until 2018. In the meantime, a number of hotel projects have been earmarked for the emirate.

Following the entry of Hilton into Sharjah in 2011, Starwood is set to open its first hotel there, Sheraton Sharjah, at the beginning of 2013. The US-based operator also announced in May that it would bring its Aloft brand to the emirate in 2015 through a deal with UAE businessman Amer Eisa Moussa Al Amri.

Another newcomer will be the luxury Chedi Hotel brand from GHM. Already operating one hotel in Oman, Chedi will open its first Sharjah hotel in 2015 it announced in May.

Article continues on next page ...