Fujairah hotels team up for big events
by ArabianBusiness.com staff writer on Wednesday, 10 September 2008
The UAE east coast's beach stalwart Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort & Spa and its new neighbour, Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa, have been co-hosting big bashes - sharing the rooms while Le Meridien staged the actual conference - the former's general manager, Patrick Antaki, told MIME.
"We have plans to work together on this sector in future to attract bigger events," he said, confirming that conference rooms at the resort were currently being upgraded.
The meetings sector is one Jean-Francois Laurent, general manager at the Fujairah Rotana, is keen to exploit.
"There is definitely an increase in demand for corporate groups, incentives and workshops as this is a perfect destination where they can focus on their targets and benefit from the attractive packages," he explained.
"Currently the local market contributes some forty-five per cent of our occupancy, which illustrates that Fujairah is still driven mainly by domestic demand - it needs to be further efficiently marketed and will benefit from continual infrastructural improvements, including the airport, malls and leisure attractions."
Le Meridien's other next-door neighbour, Miramar Al Aqah Beach, also has the meetings market in mind.
"We are mainly a leisure hotel although we do have a conference room and have had an amazing season of corporate deals for meetings, team building and company functions," said marketing manager Noha Hossam El Din.
For corporate planners looking to Fujairah for value for money options, the future is looking bright.
A host of major hotel brands are lining up to hoist their flags in the emirate, both along the Al Aqah strip and in the city, where Rotana, Ibis, Novotel and Abu Dhabi-based Escan are planning properties.
These include a 180-room Ibis Fujairah, a 220-room Novotel Hotel & Residence and a 300-bed hotel at Al Fanar Towers, as part of Escan's three tower developments in the city, all scheduled for a 2010 launch.
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