Wyndham group plans expansion in UAE

Wyndham Group intends to expand its operations in the UAE given its fast growing market with a plan to open a new hotel in Dubai in the first half of 2015, the general manager of Tryp by Wyndham Abu Dhabi Hotel has said.

Mr Milad Andrawus noted that the Windham brand is of Spanish origin and is currently the world’s largest hotel group, managing more than 7,600 hotels worldwide.

He said Tryp by Wyndham Abu Dhabi Hotel in the heart of Abu Dhabi city is one of the most luxurious four-star hotels in the country, adding that occupancy far surpassed expectations, standing at 81 per cent in the first eight months of its operations.

He expected further growth in business next year based on early bookings and major events organized by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre and Etihad Airways.

He said the hotel is the first in the UAE to offer “executive lounge” to businessmen round the clock as well as the “media room” comprising all business services.

He revealed plans to open the new Royal Indian restaurant and Rock Pool Café in early 2016 to expand services to customers and visitor5s.

He said the hotel comprises 146 rooms and lounges besides two restaurants and a rooftop lounge next to the swimming pool, an SPA, conference halls and cafes.

He said the group has plans to expand family rooms at its Abu Dhabi hotel and the hotels that will be opened in the UAE and other Gulf countries.

He said the hotel offers a very good value for money to customers as it provides some  free services including laundry, WI FI and limousine shuttle.

He expected the number of tourists to Abu Dhabi to increase in 2016 given the emirate’s advanced facilities and infrastructure as well as the services offered by Etihad and the new Abu Dhabi airport which is due to be launched in late 2016. He added a tour ship unit at Port Zayed and the planned international museums on Sadadiyat Island also play a key role in activating tourism in the emirate.

“We will make special offers to customers when those museums are opened…at present, we are providing free transport to our guests to Ferrari World as well as to shopping malls in Abu Dhabi and other facilities,” he said.

He noted that Europe, mainly Germany and the UK, are the main markets for the hotel in Abu Dhabi, adding that it will participate in the Berlin Travel Market next year to attract more customers to the hotel. He said the hotel would also attend other local and global events next year.

He said China has also become a key market for the Abu  Dhabi hotels and expected the number of Chinese tourists to the emirate to surge by nearly 25 per cent in 2016.

He said EXPO 2020 in Dubai would give a strong push to tourism inthe UAE in the long term.