Attending ITB Berlin for the first time in 2010 is City Seasons Group of Hotels, UAE. Established in 2004 by Sheikh Musallam Salem Bin Ham of the Bin Ham Group, City Seasons Group currently owns and operates four hotel and suite properties in the UAE, with a luxury 5-star hotel and shopping mall due to open in Muscat, Oman late 2010 as well as three further hotel projects under development in the UAE.
Strategically positioned in city centre locations, City Seasons Hotels are firm value-for-money 4-star properties with 5-star service, targeting the business and leisure traveler both regionally and internationally.
With a solid background in agriculture, construction, oil drilling, engineering consultancy, property investments, print, publishing and media as well as general trading, the Bin Ham Group has quietly established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the regional hospitality market.
Recognizing the need for a structured approach to its future growth, CEO Sheikh Mussalam Bin Ham appointed seasoned hotelier Mr Thomas Tapken as Group General Manager in November 2009, to establish the foundations for growth and spearhead international development.
Commented Mr Tapken:
‘Even during the past year of economic challenges, the City Seasons Group has achieved a respectable occupancy rate of 82% with average room rates around AED 420, reflecting the market’s continued interest in solid 4-star properties. Our city centre locations are perfect for business and leisure travelers wanting more than a beach resort, and our destinations allow for exploration of the country beyond Dubai. We are not seeking to change the business model, but to further develop it within the UAE and internationally.’
The Group operates the popular City Seasons Hotel and City Seasons Suites in Dubai, directly adjacent to the City Centre Shopping & Entertainment complex, and ideally located within metres of the City Centre Metro Station. Both properties boast enviable year-round occupancies, as does the City Seasons Hotel Al Ain – recently fully refurbished and located in the UAE’s ‘garden city’.
Tapken is overseeing the addition of two new restaurant concepts in the Al Ain property as well as the current renovation of the City Seasons Al Hamra Hotel, Abu Dhabi. Located on Electra Road in the Business District, City Seasons Al Hamra Hotel has been extended and renovated with the first 180 rooms now completed and operational, and a further 114 to be ready by the 3rd quarter of 2010, bringing the total to 300 rooms and suites by end 2010. Total investment in the project has been AED 80 million to date, and occupancy rates are anticipated to climb to 85% by the end of the year.
The Group’s Oman hospitality, retail and leisure development consists of a 5-star 380-room hotel boasting luxury rooms and suites, within a shopping mall and entertainment complex which is currently being developed by the hotel owners, Bin Ham group. City Seasons Muscat will be the second largest hotel in the city and is located close to the Diplomatic Area. Due to open by end 2010, City Seasons Muscat will target regional and international tourists, and is an appealing weekend getaway for UAE residents.
Says Tapken: ‘City Seasons Group is a firmly established UAE hospitality chain with the ability to develop steadily according to its business plan. We are also looking at acquisition of international properties as well as the development of a management company to further broaden the reach of the group, and have a very exciting year ahead of us.
During ITB, I will be meeting with tour operators, travel agents and regional partners to bring them up to date with developments and to forge new partnerships for the coming years.’
