India’s Lemon Tree Hotels aims to cash in on growing Indian tourist and corporate travel to the UAE, with plans to operate eight properties in the next three years.
The mid-scale hotel operator is looking at a mix of hotels and serviced apartments in Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Dubai, where it expects to operate its first property.
“You go where your customer goes, or where the demand will be created, and it is the spending power of Indians that we are trying to harness,” said Rattan Keswani, the deputy managing director of Lemon Tree Hotels. “Moreover, most of the development here is in upscale categories and although a larger number of travellers are in the mid-scale, no body is filling the gap.”
India was Dubai’s top source market for tourists last year, contributing with 11 per cent of its 14.2 million visitors.
Lemon Tree has tied up with the Sydney-based real estate agent Raine and Horne to open Lemon Tree properties in the region, including in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The company, which operates properties under the Lemon Tree and Red Fox brands, said the planned hotels would have between 60 and 100 rooms on average, and could include pool, spa and up to three restaurants.
Lemon Tree Hotels is also looking at Sri Lanka and the Thai capital Bangkok.
Sanjay Chimnani, the managing director of Raine and Horne, said it would be looking at neighbourhoods in Dubai such as Jaddaf, Business Bay, City Walk, Al Barsha, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Jebel Ali and Jumeirah Village Circle to open more properties.
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