• Home

Hotels full as thousands of visitors flood the city

The rush is unmanageable, complained hoteliers, specially during the ongoing Gitex 2004 exhibition which brings around 100,000 visitors into the country against the 27,000 total rooms available in Dubai's 372 hotels and hotel apartments.

Hotel lobbies, crowded at checkout time with guests waiting in the hope to be accommodated, is a regular sight in most hotels.

“The rush is difficult to handle and our reservation and sales staff is completely stressed out over the last few days handling guests haggling for rooms,” an official of a Deira-based four-star hotel said. “We are overbooked and want to oblige our regular guests, but cannot find rooms to outbook these guests,” the official disclosed, describing the situation to be both good and bad for the hotel industry.

Abdul Rauf, General Manager of Bin Suloom Plaza Suites Hotel, said: “During Gitex, the room tariff goes up to Dh1,200 for a three-bedroom apartment. There are guests willing to pay any amount, but unfortunately, we have to refuse several new clients.”

Although, we do not believe in charging our guests more than the published rack rate, Pierre Abou Jaoudie, General Manager of Al Khaleej Holiday Hotel, said the hotel policy has always been to protect its image. However, he admitted that the rush is felt by the Dubai hotels each year during Gitex and other important events and the only solution is to have more hotels in the emirate to absorb the rush.

Sassine H.B, Aoun, General Manager of Hallmark Hotel, in Deira said that the peak rush season for Dubai hotels has begun. "This is visible with our occupancy during Ramadan already showing 75 per cent," he said, pointing out that Dubai's popularity as a favourite tourist destination and a busy transit hub is responsible for the big rush all round the year.

An aggrieved visitor to Gitex said he was forced to stay with a relative because he could not find a single room in any of the Dubai hotel.

“I was willing to pay up to Dh1,000, but could not believe that all hotels in Dubai are full,” S.D. Dang said, vowing to make hotel reservation at least three months in advance during the Gitex next year.

Joseph Wilson, General Manager of Lotus Hotel, while agreeing to advance registration by guests being the only solution he can foresee, explained that the rush is now felt not only during special events, but throughout the year since Dubai is positioned on the world map as a popular tourist destination.

Meanwhile, a Press statement issued by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said the present rush is the outcome of an aggressive marketing drive by the department and its constant endeavour to boost the image of Dubai.

The DTCM Director General, Khalid A. bin Sulayem praised the exhibition stating that it plays a very important role in adding momentum to hotel establishment occupancy rates — which are already witnessing increase throughout the year — besides familiarising the co-participants and the visitors about the numerous attractions that Dubai offers.

• UAE