Rixos Hotels, the Turkish operator of hotels and resorts, has said that it is planning to have 13 new hotels in its portfolio by the end of 2020 — up from its current number of 27 — and is planning to grow its presence in the GCC.
The company has five new hotels planned to open by the end of 2018, including two in the UAE. The new Rixos Jumeirah Beach is scheduled to open within Al Fattan Group’s Crystal Towers mixed-use development next year, while in Abu Dhabi a Rixos Hotel will open at Saadiyat Island in 2018. It currently has two hotel in the UAE, including a resort hotel at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai and the Rixos Bab Al Bahr property in Ras Al Khaimah.
Erkan Yildirim, the senior vice-president of operations for Rixos Hotels, said it had decided to open a second property in Dubai because it “is the most popular tourism destination in the Middle East” and would allow the group to increase its market share.
The group said is also targeting further openings in Oman and Saudi Arabia — most notably in Jeddah, Muscat and Salalah — and expects deals to be signed soon.
“Oman is another potential tourism destination and, in my opinion, Rixos Hotels will flourish in a country with such beautiful surroundings and scenic landscapes,” added Mr Yildrim.
The company currently employs about 10,000 staff and has properties in nine countries including Turkey, Egypt, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Switzerland.
mfahy@thenational.ae
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