Ras Al Khaimah is a welcoming and liberal emirate that offers a genuine UAE experience. It's only one hour away from Dubai. It is situated in the northernmost part of UAE and has a wealth of offerings like white sandy beaches, majestic Hajjar Mountains and splendid desert sand dunes. In recent times, it has become the destination of choice for tourists wanting to escape the cities. As a result, many resorts are now a part of Ras Al Khaimah hotels. With a mandate of attracting tourists from all over the world, hotels are promoting the emirate's rich tradition, traditional culture, educated locals, rugged landscape and pure coastline as the main USPs.
In recent past, several major hotels at Ras Al Khaimah have opened up, including Waldorf Astoria and Rixos Bab Al Bahr Resort- the largest all-inclusive resort in the UAE. The entry of big names has been a key to the emirate's growth. Others include Marjan Island Resort & Spa; the DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa, Intercontinental Hotels Group. The Santorini Hotel is scheduled to open by 2015.
A lot of tourists prefer Sharjah due to its conservative environment. Several ambitious projects are already underway and the hospitality sector is set to undergo exciting changes in the coming years. A number of projects that have been announced in Sharjah are hotels, including new properties from Accor, Hues and Starwoods. Starwood Hotels & Resorts will open a 5-star Sheraton Sharjah in March 2015 and a 4-star Four Points hotel in September 2015. Accor will start a new 4-star Novotel Sharjah Expo. Recently, Hues Hotels & Resorts opened its first boutique hotel in Sharjah and now plans to open a second property.
As the capital of the UAE and one of the fastest growing cities in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi is a key market for hospitality and hotels are seeing a lot of potential for their brands, with demand driven by the leisure, corporate and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions segments. A busy conference season is keeping Abu Dhabi hotels on their toes. Numerous high profile events including the Abu Dhabi Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition, F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ISAF Sailing World Cup, National Day celebrations, have all been instrumental in rising demand for hotels in Abu Dhabi. Over 1.7 million visitors checked into hotels and hotel apartments this year.
Martin Wynn
