We last spoke to Rotana CEO and president Omer Kaddouri in July 2014 when he was six months into his new role at the helm of the home-grown hotel management company, after co-founder Selim El Zyr stepped down.

At the time, the company had set itself a target of operating 100 hotels by 2020. And from what Kaddouri is saying, Rotana is well on its way.

Turkey saw the most recent openings, with Burgu Arjaan by Rotana and Tango Arjaan by Rotana marking the brand’s entry into Istanbul. It has also signed further agreements for two properties with Turkish construction company Dap-Yapi — the Dalga Residences and Vazo Residences, both located in Cevizli.

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Kaddouri tells Hotelier Middle East: “We announced the opening of Turkey on the first of July, which was a really great milestone for us to be opening up hotels outside our immediate region.”

He candidly calls the GCC and the Middle East Rotana’s comfort region, and says getting used to procedures in different countries has been a valuable learning exercise — especially if Rotana wants to expand worldwide.

Kaddouri is optimistic that the hotels inTurkey will hit their targets at least by next year. He says: “Turkey is going to be a very big market for us. We have another five hotels to open in Turkey over the next three to four years. This is the first one [where we are] getting to know the market, and so far we’re very pleased.

“We have more than 300 keys and we’re running at occupancies of around 30% after two months and we’re hoping to hit the 60%-65% mark by the end of the year and for next year.”

The growth of Rotana outside its birth place has been organic. Kaddouri reveals that investors from abroad have viewed Rotana’s success in its home market, and approached the team for global agreements. “The majority of our hotels are actually being signed that way,” Kaddouri reveals.

He insists that Rotana’s comparatively smaller size in relation to the bigger global hotel brands is a plus point. “It’s my job and that of the development team to let investors know what we can do and how we’re not that different from the big boys. The only difference is that we’re a smaller company, so I can devote more time to the owner and the hotel, and give the same results.”

Kaddouri confirms what he said back in July 2014 — the group is looking at Europe, and is working “very hard to secure something in London”. This dream is why Rotana can be found at events like World Travel Market, pushing its USPs.

The busy CEO has also been to and fro’ Western Australia and Perth to look at potential opportunities. He teases: “It’s still cooking. It’s just simmering on the stove there.”