JA Resorts & Hotels is soon to open Ocean View on JBR, the location where it previously operated Oasis Beach Hotel which was demolished several years ago
BRAND COMMUNICATION
One of the main considerations in any rebranding exercise is how to get the message out without alienating or confusing clients. To make this task simpler, initial talks of having sub-brands were discarded.
“We were looking at having a JA Collection at the upper end, JA Resorts and possibly JA something else – so three tiers, but in the end we decided that we wanted to be known for casual luxury, heartfelt hospitality at whatever level so, for the time being, that’s not going to happen,” explains Thomson.
“Trying to launch a new brand is difficult enough without then trying to introduce different tiers and segments,” he adds.
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A “brand boot-camp” is among initiatives done to communicate the changes to employees. For the clients, the operator has planned events and road shows in key markets including the UK, Germany and Russia, as well as trade- and consumer advertising campaigns.
“A lot of online work will go into supporting the brand as well. Part of the parcel of this is our central reservations office (CRO) we’ve launched, so we now have our own CRO with toll-free numbers from our key markets,” reveals Thomson.
The group’s new “re-skinned” website will go live on October 1 with a new look and feel, but the group is also in the process of producing a “completely new, all-singing all-dancing website”, says Thomson.
“That’s taking longer than we anticipated but it’s probably another six months away — it will be available in several languages including Arabic, Russian, German and English to start with then we’ll take it from there.”
The online overhaul is in line with targets to double the number of bookings made through its website from currently 10% of all bookings to “at least” 20%.
It is also expected that the company’s revenue will increase following the rebranding, though the positioning of the properties — mostly in the four-star market — will remain, as people feel more “comfortable” in four-star hotels, according to Thomson.
“We’ve made a conscious decision as a brand that the star rating isn’t foremost in how we want to deliver service to the guest. Ocean View [opening in Dubai’s JBR next year] is going to be stunning. People are going to say it’s comparable with any other hotel in the vicinity and they’re all five-star.
“We operated Oasis Beach Hotel at a higher rate frequently than a lot of our competitors because people still wanted or preferred to have a four-star experience than a five-star,” continues Thomson.
“That’s where the whole idea of casual luxury and heartfelt hospitality comes in, we do make families feel at home and relaxed regardless of whatever the star rating is and the Oasis Beach Hotel benefited from that. Ocean View is going to enjoy some good average rates comparable to the five-star hotels along The Walk.”
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