Ayman Ashor speaks during a media roundtable in Dubai.

Inayat-ur-Rahman

The Dubai hospitality sector is on solid growth track and is marching ahead bucking the global trends. Today, we are on the brink of a full-house occupancy at the hotel with 90 per cent occupancy rate that is expected to reach 100 per cent with the upcoming Expo 2020. We have already started accepting enquiries from guests who are planning their Expo 2020 visit ahead of time.

This was stated by Ayman Ashor, Cluster General Manager, Al Bandar Rotana and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana, during a media roundtable, adding that they have recently agreed with Expo 2020 Dubai team to have free shuttle buses for all guests staying at our hotel to be dropped and picked off from the closest metro station to Dubai South.

“With less than one year before Expo 2020, we are certain that the hospitality sector will continue witnessing growth to meet the rising demand of all expected visitors flying from over 190 countries.

Therefore, at Al Bandar Rotana and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana, we strive to deliver only the best to our local and international clienteles, and we look forward to welcoming Expo visitors at our premises very soon,” he added.

“With Expo 2020 coming home, Dubai will be splurged with tourist who would need accommodation. 71% of the 25 million visitors who are expected to visit Expo 2020 will be non-domestic visitors. The press media is now on its tip toes to fetch every minor details relating to Expo 2020.” “We can promise that the word Expo 2020 will be the most occurring keyword in the many years to come.”

Ayman Ashor, an accomplished hotelier with more than 25 years of experience, mentioned that the five-star hotel and the fully furnished apartments have been attracting a tremendous number of visitors from around the world and their major feeder market is Saudi Arabia, the GCC and EU with guest satisfaction rate of 92%.

“Due to technology and social media, guests are becoming more sensitive to prices and services, and 40 % of the millennials make hotel decision based on how Instagramable a view from the hotel is, and fortunately, we have the most Instagramable view along with the infinity pool, ” he added.

He mentioned that Rotana currently manages a portfolio of over 100 properties throughout the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, with an aggressive expansion plan in place, adding that they were planning to open four new properties ahead of Expo2020 in Dubai.

“We have successfully launched a waste management plan. We have launched zero-wastage initiative and we have been quite successful in minimising the wastage of food and recycling the wastages.”

“We are the champions in green initiatives. We are lucky of having  a new building so all the sustainable and eco-friendly ideas were taken into considerations in our properties. We have also been awarded by ISO 14001 certification, an international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS),” Ayman concluded.

Al Bandar Rotana and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana Al Bandar Rotana, a modern and elegantly designed five-star hotel that features 190 rooms and suites, and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana, which offers 90 fully-furnished serviced upscale apartments, are conveniently located on Baniyas Road at Dubai Creek. Situated in the heart of Dubai in close proximity to major attractions and landmarks, the two connecting hotels are the perfect retreat for business and leisure guests.

The properties feature a Business Centre and six state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment. The luxurious rooms, suites and apartments, which boast stunning views of Dubai Creek and Burj Khalifa, are all equipped with high-end amenities. Both the hotels offer a wide choice of five culinary offerings including Salt & Pepper, an all-day dining restaurant offering an international daily buffet; Gusto Italian Restaurant, located on the 18th floor of the hotel with stunning views of the creek and Dubai’s famous skyline offers a wide range of authentic Italian delicacies. Vanilla Lobby Lounge, an ideal spot for formal and informal gatherings over coffee and light snacks and The Deck, an attractive pool lounge for tropical cocktails and delicious snacks. There is also a 24-hour in-room dining service.

Rotana has chosen to acknowledge how precious time is by making all time spent in their range of hotels ‘Treasured Time’. This means Rotana has pledged to understand and meet the individual needs of all guests. In so doing, Rotana has evolved its product brands to include, Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Centro Hotels by Rotana, Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts by Rotana, Arjaan Hotel Apartments by Rotana and The Residences by Rotana. Treasured Time.