Hospitality sector officials in the UAE report that hotels are launching promotional offers to boost patronage of their food and beverage facilities by residents, daily visitors, and hotel guests alike. They confirmed to "Emirates Today" that the hotel and hospitality sector no longer focuses solely on accommodation services but now includes a comprehensive ecosystem of facilities such as restaurants and swimming pools. Hotels are striving to become daily destinations for leisure and dining, rather than just places to stay, offering a complete hospitality experience that combines service quality, diverse options, and flexible pricing. A survey by "Emirates Today" covering several hotel establishments revealed an expansion in restaurant promotions, with discounts on meals ranging from 20% to 30%, along with packages combining dining with recreational facilities, and flexible options allowing visitors to use the offer value at multiple outlets within the hotel. In detail, the General Manager of "Al Habtoor Grand Hotel", Khalid Saeed, stated that "the hotel market has recently launched a variety of restaurant offers that are not limited to food only but also include other facilities such as pool access and recreational activities, in addition to the possibility of using the offer value within the restaurants". Saeed added that these initiatives have seen good uptake from guests, families, and individuals from across the country, describing the prices as encouraging. He mentioned that diverse menus designed to meet various expectations have contributed to enhancing response rates and increasing traffic to the hotel's facilities. He explained that the promotional offers aim to increase demand and boost patronage of food facilities, not just from guests but also from residents and daily visitors. Integrating dining services with recreational facilities like pools has enhanced the appeal of the offers, increased average visitor spending, and attracted a broader segment of families and residents seeking flexible and affordable leisure options. The CEO of "Carlton Hotels", Husny Abdel Hadi, stated that "promotional offers include breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as part of a strategy aimed at attracting customers and increasing patronage of food facilities". He noted that the prices are designed to be accessible to a wide segment of the public. Abdel Hadi explained that the hotel sector no longer focuses solely on accommodation services but now includes a comprehensive ecosystem of facilities such as restaurants and swimming pools, prompting hotels to develop all-inclusive offers that enhance the guest experience and increase usage rates. He confirmed that the prices offered by the hotel market are encouraging, as the offers are diverse and flexible, with discount rates reaching up to 25% in some cases, either as part of accommodation packages or as standalone offers for customers. Other models involve providing a spending credit for room bookings that can be used in restaurants, ensuring that spending is directed within the hotel and encouraging guests to experience multiple facilities during their visit. Abdel Hadi added that hotel establishments are seeking to attract a broader segment of customers by offering added value that combines quality with attractive prices, while also increasing non-room revenue. These offers also aim to improve restaurant occupancy rates and transform hotels into daily destinations for leisure and dining, rather than just places to stay. The General Manager of "Coppthorn Dubai", Wael Bahi, stated that the offers on hotel restaurants come as part of a broader trend to provide a comprehensive hospitality experience that combines service quality, diverse options, and flexible pricing. He noted that these offers target not just guests but also residents seeking daily recreational experiences within hotels. Bahi added that hotels have developed packages combining dining with the use of facilities, enhancing the value offered to visitors and increasing patronage rates while balancing local demand with the demand from tourists. Bahi highlighted that the restaurant sector is one of the main drivers of non-room revenue, and adopting attractive prices helps attract new segments of customers, especially residents, thereby enhancing the role of hotel restaurants in the emirate's food market. He mentioned that providing flexible and open experiences for customers enhances competitiveness and supports the hotel and hospitality market as integrated destinations offering accommodation, leisure, and dining within one complete ecosystem.
