HYPERLINK "http://archive.gulfnews.com/home/index.html##"Print this page HYPERLINK "http://archive.gulfnews.com/business/Hotel_and_Tourism/10127823.html"Sharia -compliant hotels gain popularity HYPERLINK "http://archive.gulfnews.com/business/Hotel_and_Tourism/10127823.html"http:/ /archive.gulfnews.com/business/Hotel_and_Tourism/10127823.html 05/26/2007 02:25 PM | By Shakir Husain, Staff Reporter Dubai: As tourism grows in the Middle East, a new breed of alcohol-free hotels is trying to make its mark on the travel business. Operators of those companies say the Sharia-compliant hospitality model is good for both culture and commerce. Such no-alcohol hotel chains are among a number of new hoteliers that have come up in the Gulf amid a wave of hotel construction activity. Alain Guernier, chief executive officer of recently-launched Tamani Hotels & Resorts, said business potential is huge "as people from the region are travelling more and more and would like to stay in hotels which respect their values and culture." Tamani, part of the UAE-based KM Holding, plans to open luxury properties both in major Middle Eastern cities and other regions. Shaza Hotels, an alcohol-free luxury hotel firm launched last year, is opening seven hotels within the next three years. Shaza, which means fragrance in Arabic, is an initiative of private equity firm Guidance Financial Group and Kempinski Hotels. "Sharia-compliant hotel chains are providing the right product and environment for many people of the region and from outside. They are part of a culture which needs to be respected and also provide great alternatives to international hotel chains. We abide by Islamic principles and are providing true Arabic hospitality, which is what a lot of people want to experience when they travel to the Middle East," Guernier said. Their expansion plans show the companies are aggressive about achieving long-term growth. Target Tamani aims to manage about 16,000 rooms that KM Holding plans to create in various categories, including furnished apartments, in three to five years. Countries being targeted are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Morocco, Turkey, Indonesia and Malay-sia. Similar plans have been unveiled by Shaza. It hopes to have a portfolio of 30 hotels in the next few years. Naseem Javed, president of ABC Namebank International, a firm that advises on corporate brand-building, believes the formula adopted by Sharia-compliant hotels can be successful. "The international rules and laws customised to Islamic issues and properly applied to projects will create great name brands," he told Gulf News at a recent hotel conference in Dubai. Dubai-based Coral International recently launched an "environment-friendly" budget hotel brand. Numbers The sheer number of hotels being built in the Gulf has created room for new Gulf-based players. Dozens of hotels are under construction in the UAE alone. However, not all hotel operators from the region belong to the alcohol-free category. Sometimes it is pointed out that alcohol-free hotels receive low food and beverage revenues that can affect their profitability. But Shaza chief executive Christopher Hartley describes the issue as "irrelevant." "It is totally irrelevant. Our study showed that we will be overcompensated in revenues by introducing specialist culinary concepts," he said. (sumber : HYPERLINK "http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Hotel_and_Tourism/10127823.html"http://www .gulfnews.com/business/Hotel_and_Tourism/10127823.html) No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.0/818 - Release Date: 5/25/2007 12:32 PM
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