For the New Year weekend, there aren’t any hotel rooms available at some of Dubai’s trendiest spots. This year, any traveler hoping to make a last-minute reservation will be disappointed.
On the off-chance that his luck is still intact, he might have to shell out Dh6,000-Dh7,000 for the one-night stay at a hotel in Downtown Dubai and catch all the New Year’s eve action, including the fireworks display lighting up the Burj Khalifa to mark the entry into 2023. Hotel rooms on the Palm Jumeirah, not surprisingly, are all taken up, many of the bookings made well in advance as Dubai reaffirms its global credentials as the place to welcome in another year.
Are you considering spending a night at Atlantis The Palm this weekend? No chance. All categories of stay options at the iconic hotel are booked, according to travel aggregator Booking.com. At the Atlantis, the only available room (at the moment) is the ‘Neptune Underwater Suite’ priced at Dh150,000, including taxes.
Hotel reservations in certain areas across Dubai have exceeded 95 percent, especially properties in Downtown Dubai and Palm Jumeirah. Serviced apartments are recording occupancies of more than 70 percent and which should easily hit higher levels over the next 72 hours, several hoteliers have told Gulf News.
100% occupancy
Mohamed Rashad, Front Office Manager at Grand Millennium Dubai Barsha Heights, “Hotels in Dubai are reporting occupancies of nearly 90 per cent on room bookings across the emirate and around 100 per cent in Downtown and Burj Khalifa areas ahead of New Year’s Eve.”
After a two-year slump caused by pandemic-triggered restrictions, New Year revelers – residents and visitors alike – are going all-out this weekend. And this NYE marks the first one without mandatory face masks or social distancing norms. While rooms in Dubai are reaching maximum occupancy levels by the hour, bookings at hotels in Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain are also hard to get.
“This year, we have seen an increase of approximately 31 per cent hike in demand during New Year compared to the previous year,” said Madisse Matar, Director of Sales and Marketing Crown Plaza Dubai Marina. “Leisure travelers are the biggest contributors during this time of the year as corporate travel takes a back seat from December 20 to January 5.”
Hotel room rates
Such has been the demand room rates have soared in sync. At Downtown Dubai, hotel room rates average Dh3,100-Dh8,000, depending on how close you are to Burj Khalifa. On Palm Jumeirah, rates average from Dh3,609 to Dh17,455 for the NYE weekend. Most standard rooms are sold out, and only luxury suites are available.
In Abu Dhabi, hotel room rates range from Dh872 to Dh3,300, depending on the locality. In Ras Al Khaimah, the room rate average at Dh1,700 to Dh3,700 for beachfront properties.
Rates for hotels and resorts on Al Marjan Island are up to Dh3,600 and above. Affordable options are still there “Hotels in Barsha Heights are some of the most affordable hotels compared to hotels in Palm Jumeirah or Downtown and Burj Khalifa,” said Rashad. (Grand Millennium Dubai Barsha Heights is charging Dh2,440 for a two-night stay from December 30 to January 1, and which will drop to Dh720 a night after.)
Judit Toth, General Manager at INK Hotel, said room rates during the New Year phase have in many cases doubled over regular tariffs.
Staycation deals
Hoteliers have also reported that most of the incoming demand this weekend is from tourists rather than UAE residents seeking an end-of-year staycation. Rashad said only 1 percent of hotel guests are UAE residents looking for a staycation.
Madisse said, “We have seen less demand for staycation deals this time of the year. Demand is driven by international tourists coming to Dubai to check out the extravagant firework display, concerts, and other festivities.”
Where are the revelers coming from?
Joseph Karam – Group Director of Operations Ishraq Hospitality, said, “The key (source) markets for guests coming to Dubai regularly include CIS countries, India, the GCC and UK.” INK’s Judit said most of the guests are from Saudi Arabia, the UK, Russia, India, Poland and Hungary. “As for the type of travelers, we are seeing families, solo travelers, and corporate groups – and our hotel seems to be most popular with couples.”
