Record year for Abu Dhabi hotels

Abu Dhabi has recorded its most successful year ever in terms of hotel guest arrivals with some 2,111,611 people staying in the emirate’s hotels and hotel apartments – beating its 2011 stretch target of 2 million by 6.5% or over 100,000 guests. The highly encouraging result in a year which has seen substantial additions to Abu Dhabi’s hotel and resort inventory, including several five-star beach properties opening up Saadiyat Island to guests, leaves the emirate well placed to build for 2102. Annual growth was recorded across a number of key metrics including: guest nights, which were up 22% to 6.3 million; occupancy levels which rose 7% to 69%; revenue, which rose 3% to AED 4.375 billion (US $ 1.2 billion) and length of stay which expanded 5% to 2.97 nights. Room revenue increased by 2% to AED2.3 billion (US $631 million), though the average room rate slipped by 14% to AED 490 (US $133), while food and beverage revenue increased by 6% to AED1.605 billion (US $434.721 million).