Danat Hotels & Resorts set to develop new business in the emirate of Abu Dhabi

Less than a year after its formation as the hospitality division of Abu Dhabi-based National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels (NCT&H), Danat Hotels & Resorts is accelerating the pace of its expansion plans.

The group, which has launched two new hotels in the past six months, is mapping out a strategy to capitalise on the government’s aim of increasing visitor numbers four-fold within 10 years.

According to managing director, Abdulla Al Romaithi, the official blueprint to build a tourism infrastructure is now being put in place, and Danat Hotels & Resorts will play an important and crucial role in this success. 

He said, “The establishment of Danat Hotels & Resorts is the first step in the group’s expansionist strategy – and with two new resorts already open, these give us a showcase to demonstrate that we mean business, and can deliver a product that meets every international standard.” 

Danat Hotels & Resorts is an umbrella brand that covers eight UAE hotels and one in Morocco that are either owned and/or managed by the group, or where the group is the owner-representative.

The name Danat is the plural of Dana, an Arabic word for the most precious type of pearl, and the designation was chosen for the new hotel division to reflect both tradition and the appeal of each hotel property in the corporation’s portfolio.

The brand’s flagship is the 109-room Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna, a deluxe resort located 240km west of Abu Dhabi city opposite the Sir Bani Yas island nature reserve.

As the first five-star hotel on the emirate’s west coast, it has exceptional facilities aimed at attracting regional visitors on short breaks, overseas tourists, plus corporations seeking a new venue for either meetings or incentive travel events.

Complementing these facilities, Danat Hotels & Resorts also launched Abu Dhabi’s first boutique hotel last year - the 110-room Al Raha Beach Hotel which is centrally located at the heart of the new corniche development adjacent to the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

In addition, the group owns the InterContinental Abu Dhabi and the InterContinental Al Ain, and has a 15 per cent stake in the Hilton Rabat in Morocco, where it is Owner’s Representative and oversees management of the hotel by Hilton International.

Four-star properties in the Danat Hotels & Resorts portfolio range from the 66-room Liwa Hotel, ideal for exploring the deep dunes of the Abu Dhabi emirate to the 50-room Mirfa Hotel on the Abu Dhabi-Sila highway, plus the 120-room Mafraq Hotel by the international airport and the 196-room Dhafra Beach Hotel.

“We see a great opportunity to capitalise on the current vogue for Gulf travel,” said Al Romaithi. “By offering quality services and the level of luxury expected by guests, with the additional element of novelty in a ‘new’ destination, we can expect to attract a fresh wave of visitors to Abu Dhabi.

“Initial success at our two new resorts indicates a positive reaction to the new brand, both in the region and overseas – our local knowledge and contacts combined with international hospitality management skills underline the potential for Danat Hotels & Resorts to make a major contribution to Abu Dhabi’s future success in the leisure and business travel market,” he concluded.

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