Dubai Hotels To Be Given New Ratings

By Author: Alessandro Dubaldo
Total Articles: 19
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Dubai hotels are at par with the best in world, there is nothing new about it. However, the world is fast transforming and so is the hospitality sector, which is why perhaps the Dubai authorities decided to go about introducing a new hotel rating system. The new system will replace the existing one, which was introduced in 1998. A sea change has taken place over the last one decade, in the way hotels were being managed across the globe. The scope of services grew tremendously during these years, as the globalization kept on producing newer economies and a greater buying prowess throughout most regions.

One should note down here that Dubai's hospitality sector has been witnessing a double-digit growth over the last four years. A good showing in 2008 can make it five in a row, and there is every indication it may take place. Let us bring in some market data to explain this. The number of Dubai hotels and hotel apartments stood at 452 in 2007. This is expected to grow up to 488 by 2010. Which means the strength of Dubai hotel rooms will increase manifold in the next two years. This buoyant growth is indicative of the growing ...
... demand for Dubai hotels, and the latter's ability to deliver as a service provider.

The new hotel rating system would be based on the prevailing international norms and it should help in identifying Dubai hotels based on their niche, their level of comfort and the variety of services they may offer. For example, hotels may be classified either under city, business, leisure or other properties segments, with sub-categories running from theme park hotels to heritage hotels, budget hotels, spa and wellness hotels and so on. The new rating system would also look at evaluating the medical and disability access requirements of the hotels before pronouncing their ranks. Besides, the standards of conferencing, business center facilities, banqueting, spa and leisure facilities etc would also play a crucial role.

One should also look at the hospitality scenario of the Middle East before reaching out to any conclusion.
The performance of hotels from this region is regarded the top most in the entire world, in terms of occupancy and average rate. Couple this piece of information with the fact that 253 new Middle Eastern hotels are to be started within the next four years.
Bulk of these will be centered in the UAE alone followed by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Dubai hotels may receive up to 90K additional rooms by 2011. The amount of increase in the demand has resulted into scores of new developers and hotel chains entering into the city's market. Obviously, an upgraded hotel rating system had to be introduced sooner than later.

Dubai of the 21st century boasts not only about a seven star facility like Burj Al Arab, but also about the array of budget hotels standing across its territory. From the best in luxury to the most cost-effective options that could be garnered anywhere in this world, Dubai hotels send across a very rich and strong business proposition to the whole world.
The government has rightly taken a stand in this context by deciding to introduce a new hotel rating system.