Accor inks deal to build Dubai ibis amid economy hotel push

Accor Hotel Services Middle East said on Sunday it has signed a management agreement with India-based Hiranandani Group to develop an ibis Styles hotel in Dubai.

Located alongside Business Bay Canal, the hotel will have 350 rooms and a view over Downtown Dubai, the French hotel operator said in a statement.

Design of the ibis Styles Business Bay is underway, with completion expected in mid-2016.

The move is part of plans to fill a gap in Dubai's hotel market for economy brands. Five-star hotel rooms account for nearly 62 percent of the total branded hotel inventory in Dubai and nearly 50 percent of the upcoming inventory also in the upscale category.

"We are pleased to develop this new ibis Styles hotel with the Hiranandani Group and we look forward to a long-term partnership. The hotel's modern design, attractive facilities and great location will help to service the needs of Dubai's leisure and corporate guests," said Christophe Landais, CEO for Accor Hotel Services Middle East.

"Dubai's Tourism 2020 aims to bring in 20 million visitors every year, and we are well-placed as regional leader in the midscale and economy segments to capitalise on the increasing demand this will create. This signature fits perfectly into our strategy of strengthening our leadership in mid-market segments," he added.

Darshan Hiranandani, managing director of the Hiranandani Group, said: "We are pleased to have signed an agreement with Accor Hotel Services Middle East... The ibis Styles brand is ideally positioned to take advantage of the growing demand for midscale and economy hotel rooms in Dubai."

The ibis Styles Business Bay will be located next to the bridge (currently under construction) that will connect Business Bay to Dubai's Downtown area.

The hotel is envisioned to have 350 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant and bar, lobby lounge, swimming pool, fitness center, and up to three meeting rooms.

Accor operates seven ibis-branded properties in the UAE.

Landais added: "The ibis Styles in Business Bay represents the tenth ibis hotel under development, in addition to the 14 we currently operate in the Middle East. In Dubai alone, we currently operate 15 hotels, with ibis Styles Business Bay becoming the fifth under development in the emirate, reinforcing our position as leader in the region's economy segment."

Accor Middle East currently operates 65 hotels with more than 15,800 rooms in the region and has 31 hotels under development, bringing the number of properties to 96, thus closing in on its target to operate 100 hotels in the region within three years.