The combined Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton pipelines in the Middle East and North Africa region is set to triple over the next two to three years.
"We’ve been saying since quite some time that there is a gap in the market for midscale brands," Hilton Worldwide VP of Development Middle East and North Africa Carlos Khneisser said. These brands, he noted, offer a "great formula for investors" because of the time it takes to build the hotel and rapid ROI.
Dubai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Egypt
Three new Hilton Garden Inns have opened in Dubai recently, and Khneisser said that the Emirate's pipeline for the two brands will triple within three years. Khneisser said that the top potential for limited-service brands in the UAE is in Dubai South, Deira, Downtown, Sheikh Zayed Road, and Business Bay.
Hilton Worldwide also signed its second Hilton Garden Inn in Qatar recently, and a hotel in Oman has already started construction work. In Saudi Arabia, the company is developing both the brands in both major and secondary cities.
In North Africa, the Hilton Garden Inn Tangiers City Centre will become a dual-branded property alongside a Hilton hotel. "We see a great momentum for midscale in Egypt as well, which is a bit surprising, because Egypt is mostly focused as a market on just core brands," Khneisser said. "Now we started introducing a different segment, Hilton Garden Inn, Doubletree by Hilton. And investors and owners have started seeing the value."
Source: Hotelier Middle East