Al Basel Consultancy, a leading consultancy firm and a member of Al Basel Group, has today (14, 04, 2008) signed contracts to aggressively promote four elite French hotels to Gulf markets. Under the terms of the contracts, Al Basel will assist renowned hotels Hotel Du Palais, La Soviliere, Raphael Paris, and Regina Paris in boosting their Middle Eastern presence. The contracts expand Al Basel’s promotion of hotels from the local and regional levels to the international stage.
Al Basel recently commenced operations in the Gulf, initially establishing a Dubai base to service the growing number of business interests seeking investment opportunities in the region. It specifically aims to help meet the needs of the 10 million tourists expected to visit Dubai by 2010 by promoting key regional hotels. The direct and indirect contribution of the tourism sector to Dubai’s GDP in 2007 rose 21 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively.
Basel Al Kasem, CEO, Al Basel Consultancy, said: “Al Basel previously concentrated on promoting local and regional hospitality facilities in the Gulf and the Middle East. Our latest agreements with four established French hotels expands our efforts to the international arena, which continues to be strongly attracted to our region’s various unique development projects and tourist attractions, especially those found in Dubai. We expect to influence major investments to Dubai’s construction sector, which has been one of the key contributors to the phenomenal growth of foreign direct investments in the UAE.”
Leading international hotel Hotel Du Palais, serenely located near the ocean, offers 122 rooms and 30 suites, an Imperial Spa and exterior swimming pools. La Sivoliere, a charming mountain hotel located in the French Alps, offers 20 rooms, 19 suites and a luxury apartment, indoor swimming pool, message room restaurant, and a business centre. Raphael Paris, the only Paris-based hotel that is independently owned, French, private and family-run, offers 38 suites, 52 rooms, and six conference and banqueting rooms. Finally, the Regina Hotel Paris, which belongs to a long tradition of luxury hotels typifying the warm French welcome exuded by Paris, features 20 suites and 100 rooms.
Dubai’s own portfolio of hotels and hotel apartments rose 25.8 per cent at 50,306 units in 2007 and is expected to increase by 3.4 per cent by 2010 at 63,317 units to meet demand. The emirate’s hotel and hotel apartments generated AED 13.262 billion in revenues in 2007 via an 82 per cent occupancy rate. The UAE’s total travel and tourism industry is predicted to surge 4.4 per cent annually in real terms towards 2016, with the broader Middle East’s industry investment estimated to reach AED 144.7 billion during the same period; such high figures translate to immense opportunities for both regional and international hotel operators and investors.
“We are confident that our partnership with Al Basel will efficiently expedite our entry into the fertile Middle Eastern hospitality industry. The Gulf, especially Dubai, is very similar to France in that it successfully combines old-world charm with fast-paced progress to provide visitors with a unique and pleasureable experience. We are very excited to be part of what is becoming a global tourist hub and look forward to providing our future guests with a memorable French experience in a Middle Eastern setting,” concluded John Louis, General Manager, Hotel Du Palais.
Al Basel Consultancy provides real estate investment consultations, partnership opportunities, market consultancy, share buying and selling consultations, and agency choice consultancy. It also offers advice and due diligence in all areas of the investment process. The consulting firm’s portfolio of high-profile clients include Belhasa International, Zainal Mohebi Group, Al Habtour Hospitality and H.H. Prince Saud bin Abdullah Al Saud, a famous poet, songwriter and published author. Numerous pioneering businesses are already in the process of formally acquiring Al Basel’s services.
