Respect, authentic experience difference-makers for hotels

Dubai - With Expo 2020 Dubai still months away, hospitality sector booming and ready for mega event

Expo 2020 Dubai is only months away, and it is an opportune time for the hospitality sector to tap into the expected influx of visitors from both in and outside the UAE, a top official of one of the nation's fastest-growing hotel chains says.
"It's good timing... Expo 2020 is a big opportunity for us and other hotels as well," Abdulla Al Abdulla, chief operating officer of Central Hotels, said.
This is also because of the "full support of the UAE government" in promoting the country's tourism assets, which in turn helps operators tap business opportunities, he added.
Al Abdulla was speaking at the opening of the C Central Resort The Palm in Dubai on Wednesday, the newest property of the homegrown company.
The 203-key, five-star beachfront hotel is Central's fourth in the UAE, after those in Business Bay, Barsha Heights and another one on Palm Jumeirah.
It also has two more properties under development at City Walk and Deira Island, proving that it's growth is fluid; the company was established in 2015.
"We foresee a bright future and robust growth," Al Abdulla stressed.
The operator's top clients are travellers from the GCC, the Middle East, the CIS, Southeast Asia, the Far East, Europe and Latin America.
'Very conscious' efforts

Basel Eshak Butrs, the C Central Resort The Palm's general manager, said at the Press conference that the hotel industry is ready for Expo 2020.
But it isn't just about the preparedness of properties that's important; conscious efforts to provide guests an authentic Arabian experience is a key factor in Central Hotels' mission.
"We are here to show sincere respect to the local and cultural heritage," Butrs said during his presentation.
Respect, meaning "we are very conscious and aware of others' values, beliefs and opinions by appreciating the differences" of people.
Integrity is also key, "the consistent commitment to apply moral and ethical behaviour, incorporating with utmost honestly and openness", he stressed.
Butrs also lauded the efforts of the Dubai government in advancing the tourism and hospitality sector, and the initiatives it is rolling out in helping prepare concerned entities for Expo 2020.
And even if its properties are quite distant from the Expo site - particularly its Palm Jumeirah offerings - these offer a chance for guests to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
"Even if it's far from the Expo site... we are confident that we'll be doing well as we are doing now," Butrs said.
"We are sure that hotels are doing good business and already booming,"
Butrs pledged that Central Hotels will be fully-prepared for the mega event Dubai will be hosting in 10 months' time, part of its commitment to shore up the emirate's industry and economy.
"October is coming; hotels are ready," he quipped.
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com