Opening a hotel in Dubai is high on the agenda for Tsogo Sun, which recently re-entered the UAE with a property in Abu Dhabi.

The South African company soft opened the 353-room Southern Sun Abu Dhabi opens in emirate’s Tourist Club area at the beginning of May. It was the first hotel in the UAE for the company since its management contracts for two Downtown Dubai properties – Al Manzil and Qamardeen – came to an end in 2012.

Speaking to HotelierMiddleEast.com recently, operations director – offshore Andrew Hosking explained the company’s eagerness to once again have a hotel in Dubai.

“One of the reason we base our regional office in Dubai is to stay close to market and stay on top of any opportunities that come up,” he said. “We’re keen to re-enter the Dubai market.

“There are definitely some prospects – two or three – and if they come to fruition we will be very excited.

“We’ve looked at product offerings in Muscat, Jeddah in the past. In terms of large cities we would definitely consider those. Dubai is a priority.”

He added that Southern Sun was a particularly suitable brand for Dubai as it falls in line with the emirate’s strategy to have more four-star properties.

Source: Hotelier