www.7days.ae/business
7DAYS
WEDNESDAY MAY 13, 2009 15
HOTEL BOOKING: WHAT ARE CUSTOMERS LOOKING FOR?
A global report by market researchers Synovate looked at what travellers really want when they travel:
>> 10 per cent of travellers decide to choose the first hotel they find that suits their needs
>> 39 per cent of those surveyed in the UAE research all options in their chosen location
>> 20 per cent of travellers use word-of-mouth asking colleagues, friends or relatives about hotels
>> 9 per cent want to go green and will not stay in a hotel unless it has an environmental policy.
>> 75 per cent of UAE travellers said they would not return to a hotel if they got bad service
>> 63 per cent of UAE travellers are prepared to try a new hotel
36%
Q1 drop in Dubai
room revenues
70%
Dubai hotel rooms
that won't be built
now estimates that spending on commun- In 2003, the Hotel Grande Bretagne
ications and technology infrastructure for implemented a $100 million refit but recently
hotels in the Middle East in 2009 and 2010 is some Arab specific amenities were added.
9%
forecast to rise to nearly $290 million. “This includes providing a compass, prayer
“This is a very large market relative to the rest mats, notification of prayer times, Arabic
of the world and is a reflection of the record cuisine, Arabic-speaking staff, and Arabic radio
Fall in Dubai hotel
retention. number of hotel projects upcoming in the and TV channels available in all rooms and
The down- region in spite of the impact of the global suites, as well as a selection of Arabic news-
occupancy in Q1
turn will see a downturn,” says Moore. papers and magazines available in our gift
shift away from Around the globe more hotels are seeing the shop. We will also be adopting the iftar and
high-end hotels towards potential of the Arabian market and adapting suhoor concepts during the month of
budget brands, believes their models to suit this lucrative market. Ramadan,” said Ananiadis.
Deloitte, especially in Dubai. For “One of the effects of this increased awareness Similarly for this reason Hotels.com reports
Darroch Crawford, managing director is that many hotels and facilities in the west that it has recently launched an Arabic version
of Premier Inn Hotels Middle East, the are realising the importance of making of its web site in order to attract more Arab
downturn in Dubai property prices has accommodations and implementing certain customers. The fanadeq.hotels.com uses IP
looking actually been a good thing for the hotel group’s measures in order to provide visitors and based country recognition, local-language
for a cheaper model. growth plans. Premier Inn does not manage guests from the Arab world with the facilities interface and local currency pricing and
While Sayess is hiring, a new survey of hotel hotels but actually buys its properties and that are necessary to them for their culture and payment methods.
redundancies, by Catererglobal.com, found operates them, therefore the more property religion,” said Tim Ananiadis, general manager At a press conference at the Arabian Travel
that 21 per cent of hotel staff in the Middle prices drop across the region the cheaper it of the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Greece. Market, Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan
East and North African region were made will be for them to acquire properties. The summed up the feeling in the industry when
redundant in the last 12 months. The web site’s brand recently launched its second hotel at “THIS IS A BUSINESS OF CYCLES he said that “this is a business of cycles and in
sales director Peter Willis believes such drastic Dubai Silicon Oasis.
redundancies may be damaging in the long Most people now book online, therefore web
AND IN THE PAST FIVE TO TEN
the past five to ten years we have encountered
fuel, war, SARS, tsunami, now a credit crunch
term. “Wide-scale redundancies may lead to access should not end at the hotel. Hotels that YEARS WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED and the potential outbreak of a flu. You cannot
future problems, including incurring heavy do not have online access are at risk of losing
FUEL, WAR, SARS, TSUNAMI, THE
take your eye off the ball”.
costs - both in terms of time and money - to business, said Maggie Moore, exhibition
recruit and train new employees when market director of The Hotel Show. The recent Reuters
CREDIT CRUNCH AND THE
Current market conditions are unprecedented
but the travel industry appears to be putting
conditions improve,” said Willis. However the Synovate survey also found that 47 per cent of
POTENTIAL OUTBREAK OF A FLU”
plans in place to try and cope. It remains to be
report did find that 67 per cent of HR directors travellers now make sure a hotel caters to their seen how markets will react and who will wea-
have put in place schemes to address staff technology needs before they book. Moore
JAMES HOGAN, CEO ETIHAD AIRWAYS
ther the storm and who will be blown away.
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