Landmark Hotels to open three new Dubai properties

Dubai hotel management company Landmark Hotels & Suites is set to open up to three hotels in the emirate in 2013.

The company, which recently opened Ramada Deira — its first hotel run under a franchise — is also looking at launching hotels in Fujairah and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The expansion plans could see the company grow from eight hotels to 13 properties within the next 12 to 24 months.

Landmark Hotels & Suites chief executive officer Peter Janssen said: “We are looking now at one more property in Naif Road, Dubai, that should be open by the end of this year, we’re looking at Fujairah and at other states in the emirates”.

The hotels in Naif Road and Fujairah are expected to open this year, but Landmark Hotels is also “very close” to signing a large property in the Tecom area of Dubai and “negotiating another contract in Dubai Investment Park”, added Janssen.

“We are confident we can have at least two to three more properties this year,” he said.

Deen Sadiq, group director of the owning company Landmark Zenath Group, who is heavily involved with the firm’s hospitality projects, said some new hotels could be franchised, like the Ramada Deira.

“We have some new developments coming so we will look at which hotels will fit into Landmark and which hotels will need an international brand,” said Sadiq. “In that case we will look at Ramada with Wyndham because we’ve already had a good start with them and we’ve established a good relationship with them.”

He added that Landmark is also looking for a hotel in Jeddah, where the company already operates the Landmark Suites Hotel Jeddah.

In total, Landmark Hotels & Suites operates eight hotels, six in UAE, one in Saudi Arabia and one in India.