Rotana eyes 100% occupancy for Dubai shopping fest

Rotana Hotel Management Corporation said it expects its 11 hotels in Dubai to run at 100 percent occupancy during the emirate's annual month-long shopping festival, which starts at the end of January.

Naeem Darkazally, area director of Sales and Marketing for Rotana Dubai and Northern Emirates said: "We can feel the recovery and indeed we are very optimistic for 2010."

He said all 11 hotels, boasting 3300 rooms, would be full during the shopping event.

Naeem also said that the group had two hotels scheduled to open during the first quarter of 2010, which will add 547 rooms to Rotana's inventory in Dubai.

Rotana has plans to expand its portfolio of properties to 68 by 2012 and is aiming to have a presence in every major city in the Middle East and North Africa.

Over the next four years, Rotana will open 10 hotels per year.

By 2012 the group aims to open eight properties in Abu Dhabi, one in Al Ain, two in Amman, one in Bahrain, one in Baghdad, one in Beirut, three in Dubai, two in Doha, five in Egypt, one in Erbil, one in Fujairah, one in Ras Al Khaimah, one in Salalah, two in Sharjah, one in Sohar and 17 in Saudi Arabia.