First boutique hotel opens in Sharjah

Hues boutique hotel in Duba Hues plans two more properties in Sharjah and Fujairah, sees promising outlook for tourism sector Hues Hotels and Resorts, a full-service hospitality management company, sees promising outlook for tourism and hotel industry in the UAE and plans to expand its presence in the country by setting up two more properties, its top official says.
Daousser Chennoufi, concept creator and partner of Hues Hotels and Resorts, Dubai, said the hospitality sector in the UAE is booming and it will continue to grow in days to come. The company, which inaugurated its second property in the UAE by launching first boutique hotel in Sharjah on Wednesday evening, plans to establish one more 185-key property in the emirate and one in Fujairah.
The 72 By Hues, Sharjah's first boutique hotel dedicated to business and leisure travellers in the emirate, hosted its grand opening ceremony under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Chairman of the Sharjah Petroleum Council and Chairman of Sharjah Media Corporation. High-profile figures in the travel and tourism industry from across the region attended the ceremony.
"We are always looking for new investment opportunities, and Sharjah's potential and economy made our decision to expand into the emirate easy,” Chennoufi said.
Sharjah is continuously growing and is rapidly becoming a tourist hub. There are over 70 hotels throughout the emirate and the hotel occupancy rate shot above 70 per cent in the first quarter of this year, and crossed over 90 per cent during special events. This highlights the potential of Sharjah, luring in investors into the tourism sector.
Chennoufi, who is also chairman and key architect of the Draw Link Group, Dubai, said the hospitality sector in Sharjah is rapidly growing and is witnessing a much larger number of tourists. He said the emirate welcomed 1.9 million visitors last year compared to 1.7 million in 2012. "We wanted to introduce a unique product to Sharjah's hospitality market that did not exist, providing the increased number of visitors a wider selection of accommodation options,” he said.
"Sharjah has dynamically started to follow Dubai in developing its tourism activities. It ideally complements Dubai in terms of attracting more tourists' attention on Islamic culture and the history of the UAE, and not just modern entertainment,” Chennoufi told Khaleej Times.
The new hotel, which has 72 distinctly designed and tastefully appointed rooms, provides an attractive addition to Sharjah's tourism industry. It offers all the modern facilities of a five-star hotel, as well as a breath-taking panoramic view of Khalid Lagoon and Buheirah Corniche. "We are very excited to have launched 72 By Hues and believe that its unique design and concept will be welcomed by locals and tourists alike,” Chennoufi said.
"Naturally we faced some challenges to reach this point as we had to convert an old office building into a boutique five-star hotel — a completely new hospitality product not previously available in the emirate,” he added.
After two successful years of operation, Hues Hotels and Resorts will continue its expansion within the UAE and beyond. Currently it owns and operates two UAE properties, Hues Boutique Hotel in Dubai and 72 By Hues in Sharjah. Future projects include the Hues Fujairah Resort and another hotel establishment in Minsk (Belarus), both scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014.
About the feedback on the company's first boutique hotel in Dubai, Chennoufi said it received tremendous response from the customers.
"We achieved an average occupancy rate of 86 per cent during first year of operation. This exceeded our expectations taking into account the challenging area of the hotel's location. Our target is to reach 90 per cent of average occupancy and to increase the average room rate, with the help of existing and upcoming food and beverage outlets in the hotel,” he concluded.
Source: Khaleej Times