Staff Report,
Dubai, UAE
Barceló Hotel Group, the leading Spanish hospitality management company, has revealed its 2024 global expansion strategy with a pipeline of new property openings in new and existing key source markets, totalling an investment of over US$400 million (Dh1.46 billion). In 2024, the Group is set to extend its presence in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey (MEAT) region, with a slated line-up of property openings in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Turkey over the year.
Barceló Hotel Group is set to debut in Bahrain in the second half of 2024. Located in the centre of Manama, the hotel will add 195 keys to the Group’s regional portfolio with further property openings set in the Kingdom. In the UAE, the Group’s Occidental Al Jaddaf will undergo a strategic revamp under the ‘Barceló’ hotel brand as the property attains a five-star hotel rating and will welcome guests as Barceló Al Jaddaf in Q4 2024. Barceló Hotel Group will also strengthen expansion plans in the Sultanate of Oman with a new property signings slated in the coming years.
José Canals, Managing Director for Middle East, Asia, Mediterranean and North Africa at Barceló Hotel Group, said, “In 2023, Barceló Hotel Group experienced incredible success across our global portfolio. Building on this, we have outlined a strategic expansion approach that will support growing our footprint across thriving global travel destinations. The MENA region has rapidly grown in demand for international tourism, and our growth strategy will focus on key source markets. At Barceló Hotel Group, we are poised to meet the needs of international and local travellers, enhancing guest experiences with the Spanish hospitality flair.”
The Group will expand its portfolio in Turkey, where it manages and operates Barceló Istanbul and Occidental Taksim in Istanbul, and Occidental Ankara in Ankara. In May 2024, it plans to open a fourth property with a five-star hotel under the Barceló brand in Cappadocia, as well as seek investment opportunities across Türkiye’s urban travel destinations such as Izmir, Bursa, Konya, Antalya and Bodrum in the coming months.
In Africa, the Group will debut its ‘Occidental Hotel & Resorts’ brand in Morocco with a 170-key four-star hotel in Tangier. It will also invest over US$85 million (Dh312 million) in acquisitions and transformative refurbishments of two five-star hotels under its flagship ‘Royal Hideaway Hotels & Resorts’ and ‘Barceló’ brands in Casablanca and Rabat, respectively. With the planned refurbishment of existing properties such as Barceló Fès Medina and Allegro Agadir in Morocco, Barceló Hotel Group is also working on the repositioning of the Barceló Palmeraie in Marrakech.
In Cape Verde, the Spanish hospitality group will open its first city hotel in Santiago and it is planning to extend to Sal and Boa Vista before the end of the year. In addition, Barceló Hotel Group will break ground on a luxury resort under its ‘Royal Hideaway Hotel & Resorts’ brand on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania.
Barceló Hotel Group is reinforcing its global footprint with strategic openings in Indonesia and the Maldives while targeting further expansion with recent openings in the Thailand and Sri Lanka markets. It will launch a new urban hotel in Malé and three five-star properties in North Male Atoll in partnership with Browns Investments – a subsidiary of Sri Lankan conglomerate, LOLC Group. The company is also growing its presence in Madeira (Portugal) with the recent acquisition of two hotels in Funchal; and Spain with the inauguration of the Royal Hideaway Corales Villas on the island of Tenerife, planned for H2 2024.
Raul González, CEO of Barceló Hotel Group, said, “Barceló Hotel Group’s robust expansion strategy aligns with the United National Sustainable Development Goals under the Barceló ReGen initiative, ensuring our growth drives economic and social benefits, promoting cultural enrichment and environmental preservation in the communities in which we operate,” concludes.
Barceló Hotel Group, the hotel division of the Barceló Group, is the second largest hotel chain in Spain. It currently has more than 300 four and five-star urban and holiday hotels, totalling more than 65,000 rooms across 30 countries.
Ends
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