It’s hard to tell, when talking to the uber-enthusiastic management team at Marsa Malaz Kempinski (MMK) whether they fully expected the shape of custom they are experiencing at the hotel, or whether it is delivering unexpected challenges and opportunities.
But they certainly present a positive, optimistic front, and they are obviously proud of their property and its service. “It’s a special project, and special people have been chosen,” I’m told.
I get the full guided tour from three of general manager Wissam Suleiman’s trusted lieutenants, which allows me to appreciate the attention to detail that has been lavished upon the property, its rooms and facilities, of which more later…
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But what of those occupancy figures? “Around 90% of our guests are Qatari,” followed by Saudis, Kuwaitis and Emiratis, plus Bahrainis and Omanis, according to Steven Pieters, executive assistant manager F&B. “The locals use the hotel for staycations. They check in on a Thursday and check out on Saturday. We’re a destination within a destination for the entire family, for leisure and for F&B.”
This has given MMK an unusual occupancy profile of 80%-90% on the weekends and around 30% on weekdays, and obvious room for improvement.
If such a spectacular and luxurious hotel was located on Dubai’s Palm, or Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, for example, it would no doubt more frequently be fuller. But it’s not, and perhaps that misses the point.
This hotel has surely been built in anticipation of a growth in custom, rather than just for existing business. And the team is entirely relaxed about the pattern of trade. “We work hard on the weekend, and we regenerate during the week,” says Pieters.
At noon on the Monday I visit it is indeed noticeably quiet. The gleaming lobby is deserted, the outside pool area looks brochure-perfect, largely uncluttered by guests. But as we finish our lunch in the hotel’s Arabic-style Al Sufra restaurant, the place begins to fill up. “Look they’re arriving now,” notes Pieters.
“Qatar comes out later than most places – lunch guests arrive from 2pm onwards. By 5pm Café Murano will be full. And in the evening, it’s not unusual for people to come out at 11pm for dinner, coffee and treats.”
Locals are exploring the hotel’s services in their own time and at their own convenience. The F&B outlets – there will be 10 in total, seven owned and operated and three franchises – are proving particularly popular. And not necessarily because the hotel has the only liquor licence on the Pearl.
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