Guidance needed
Despite being known for their sharia concepts, neither V. Five Continents nor Rotana profess to be fully sharia compliant. Instead, elements of sharia law are used to develop a brand.
For example, V. Five Continents intends to define itself by incorporating ‘green’, wellness and sharia aspects in its hotels.
“We want to prove wellness doesn’t necessarily mean a hospital or spa. It depicts a wider environment,” says Jaoude.
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Other hotels, such as Tamani Hotel Marina, Dubai follow the basic fundamentals of sharia, such as no alcohol and separate public areas for men and women as indicated by the Muslim hotel owners.
These differences mean that currently there is no set standard for sharia hotels. “There is no benchmark. Sharia is not very well defined. Different people have different interpretations of what sharia is,” asserts Tamani GCC sales and marketing director Roddy Gordon.
Similarly, the Radisson Blu Residence, Dubai Marina — a sharia compliant property — is still fine tuning its sharia values.
“The sharia law is very demanding, but we’re not 100% compliant. We’re not serving alcohol and we have separate recreation areas for women and men,” explains general manager Cornelia Erhardt.
But that was not always the case; the hotel used to have a mixed, outdoor pool. However, during a sharia inspection the hotel was advised this could not be permitted.
To accommodate guests, Erhardt will soon be launching a shuttle bus service to the beach for families who wish to sunbathe and enjoy the water together.
While the hotel claims to receive a healthy mix of guests; 70% international: 30% intraregional, communicating the message of what the hotel offers to potential visitors familiar with the Radisson brand can be a challenge.
Sending the right message
“We try to announce right from the start what the hotel does and doesn’t offer. When any Europeans come to an Islamic country, it’s very nice for them to experience the traditional Islamic offering. So we promote it positively, because a sharia hotel is another environment,” says Erhardt.
Similarly, Jaoude says the company’s “education process” starts with the bookers. If the person selling the hotel is clear on the concept, the guest will be, where as Tamani hotels “understate” the sharia aspect in the company’s communications.
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