Simone Broekhaar
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
How has the year panned out for The Chedi Muscat?
The year has been amazing. The Oman Tourism Board has done a fantastic job promoting the destination. We are just 10 years young but we are still reinventing ourselves. We work together very closely with the airline to attract guests to come and experience the product.
Could you elaborate on any key developments in the coming year?
The Chedi Muscat is gained a niche for itself in the region. However, we are looking at a few developments which are in the pipeline. Once finalised, these products will certainly work well with the Middle East market especially catering to families with kids.
Which are your major markets?
The UK is a major market followed by Germany and Italy. In the emerging markets, we do have India and Scandinavia. The Scandinavian love the sunshine and outdoors.
What are the activities undertaken to increase awareness of the brand?
We undertake sales trips. This initiative is important to give agents a better understanding of the product. This is the same with trade shows too. Once we complete the training, we also bring agents to the property in order for them to experience the product.
Do you see the brand expanding into other market?
The GHM brand is definitely expanding. We are soon going to be opening in early December a property in Switzerland – The Chedi Andermatt. This hotel is very different in its offering, it will bring to guests a good mix of the Asian-Zen style atmosphere coupled with the Alpine landscape. The hotel will offer 104 rooms, six restaurants and 13 spa suites. We have also opened another new hotel in Bali, the Chedi Sakala and next year, we will see the opening of the Aayu Mumbai. We are growing slowly but our core focus is the brand experience.
What are the challenges you face in promoting the brand to regional travellers?
The GCC travellers tend to stay in grand hotels but the Chedi Muscat is very understated. We actually managed to grow the GCC market predominantly Dubai and Abu Dhabi especially for weekend breaks. Qatar and Kuwait has also increased. Our guest mix would combine around 60% international and 40% regional guests. The biggest chunk in the regional travellers would be from Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Are you looking at diversifying your booking options?
We continue to use the travel agents as a traditional method. However, we have the GHM website which is heavily promoted as well as work on social media very extensively. We are also working on launching an Instagram account. We are of the opinion that our properties showcase in pictures speak much more than just experiences.
What key developments can one look forward to in 2014?
We will soon open a regional office in Dubai. This is to boost our brand awareness in the market. In addition, we are in the process which is still a project looking at Doha. We are looking to expand the brand, as there are a lot of investors interested in building a different hotel.
Comments are closed.