How are you adapting your strategy to suit local tastes?
Barceló Hotel Group’s success stems from our 90-year legacy in international hospitality, adapting our “Forward Hoteligence” approach to each operational market and the constantly changing market realities. Our flexible attitude and strong footprint in key international source markets has made it possible to enjoy continued success.
What sets Barceló Hotel Group apart from other brands?
Barceló properties in the region offer guests the perfect blend of Arabic culture, distinctive care and Spanish flair for hospitality, creating a unique experience, which is tailored to each operation market in the region. Our properties cater to every guest, including short and long stays, business and leisure travelers, families and adventure seekers, as well as solo travelers.
How are you working toward making the company stronger and ready for market recovery?
Our adaptive and agile approach enables us to efficiently understand emerging trends within the market and offer our guests affordable and attractive long-stay and staycation promotions across iconic Barceló properties in the region, including Dukes The Palm, A Royal Hideaway Hotel, Barceló Residence Dubai Marina, Occidental Dubai Production City, Occidental Sharjah Grand and Occidental Al Jaddaf and our recently opened property in Oman, Barceló Mussanah Resort.
How important is the Omani market for your brand?
Oman has immense growth potential and has been a prospective source market for the Barceló Hotel Group. We have a deep-rooted understanding of the Arabic culture, and our values are aligned with the 2040 Oman Vision to adapt, improve and innovate, which is why we felt it is the right time to enter the Omani market. To further enhance our understanding of the market, we have partnered with OMRAN Group, as they have expert knowledge in the values and cultures of the sultanate.
Where do you see Barceló Hotel Group in five years’ time?
We are focused on expanding Barceló’s Hotel Group’s presence in the region, further enhancing our position as the leading Spanish hotel chain in the Middle East and wider source markets. This year, we will be launching five hotels and 720 keys in the Indian Ocean, with the successful launch of our four-star resort in Sri Lanka in June and Occidental Eden Beruwala in October 2021, as well as two hotels in the Maldives and one resort in Bali before the end of 2021.
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About author
Rita Ghantous
Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.
