Swiss-Belhotel Set For ME Expansion

Swiss-Belhotel International is poised for a new wave of Middle East expansion.

Gavin Faull, chairman and president of Swiss-Belhotel International, said: “We are looking at six projects in Dubai and three are certain.”

He highlighted Swiss-Belhotel, Swiss-Belresort and Swiss-Belresidence as the three within its eight-brand stable as most suitable for the Middle East. A Swiss-Belhotel is due to open in Erbil in six months, and another in Muscat later this year.

But he added that a two-star brand, Zest, which targets “down-to-earth mobile business travelers” and is set for imminent launch in Indonesia, could also be rolled out regionally in time.

“I want to get two or three open in Indonesia to see how the market reacts and the product operates,” he said.

“The five-star people are not going to increase travel, because they’re all wealthy and always travelled. Sure, there will be some upward mobility, but if you walk up and down a plane, you work out where the market structure is – it’s all in economy.”