Marc Descrozaille, President, Middle East & Africa, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts

There are many factors to consider when assessing a hotel’s performance in any location or region, including Key Performance Indicators that include Revenue Per Available Room and Net Operating Profit, as well as  Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA), an indicator that helps us determine the value of our owners’ asset – the hotel. We also compare our Average Daily Rates (ADRs), RevPAR and occupancies to those achieved by other hotels in our competitive set.

The MENA hotel sector continues to perform well. The latest statistics from industry analyst STR reveal that many key markets even achieved occupancy growth during this year’s Holy Month of Ramadan, compared to the corresponding four-week period in 2017. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has a proven track record growing its portfolio in partnership with like-minded investment companies in strategic locations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. We focus on growth markets where we have development experience and strong business and guest relationships, and offer owners a range of models to maximize the success of each property we manage, based on the specific requirements of the local market and our business partners. Our approach to owner relationships is also flexible and based on trust, respect and the personal touch, in line with our ‘we make moments’ business philosophy. When owners partner with us they benefit from our personal approach and of course, our expertise across every facet of the hotel management business, from commercial and IT strategies and operations to brand development and ownership of the guest experience and journey. When it comes to specific successful concepts, they depend on the market and the location and every hotel concept. We roll out on extensive due diligence and market research, as well as collaboration with our owners and business partners in each market.

Our portfolio comprises a balanced mix of hotels, resorts and residences, all strategically located and developed according to current and upcoming market trends and demand. Serviced apartments have proven a successful hospitality concept. In the Gulf region there has been an under supply of upscale branded properties in this segment, particularly in markets such as Saudi Arabia. The serviced apartment model is in demand due to several factors. Not only are the apartments larger than most hotel rooms, they provide hotel services that residential apartments do not offer. These are highly appreciated by Gulf families that tend to travel in large groups, as well as the region’s expat community. The Gulf attracts professionals from all over the world and they often require short- to medium-term accommodation. The serviced apartment model perfectly meets their requirements. As for our relationship with MENA hotel owners, many of them have signed multiple hotels or projects with us, which is testament to the strong and meaningful business relationships we have forged with them.

Our owners are experienced and sophisticated about the way the evaluate opportunities, performance and concepts. We pride ourselves on working in close partnership with our owners to ensure we maximize our KPIs and ROI. Our development strategy is to expand our regional portfolio, strengthening our presence in existing locations by adopting a cluster strategy and entering new markets with strong growth potential for our upscale hotel, resort, and serviced apartment concepts. We will also be capitalizing on our new cloud-based CRM technology to improve recognition by enhancing the guest experience and relationship across every point of the customer journey.

Movenpick.com