Qatar hotels rooms’ yield growing in double-digits on robust occupancy

17/04/2014 06:14 AST

Qatar’s hotel industry opened the year 2014 on a positive note with its rooms’ yield growing in double-digits on robust occupancy and average room rate, according to Ernst and Young (EY).

In comparison, the hospitality industry in most of the neighbouring countries witnessed slower gains in rooms’ yield year-on-year in January, EY said in its Middle East Hotel Benchmark survey.

Doha’s hotels, whose occupancy surged 9% to 70%, saw their room’s yield (RevPAR) expand 21.1% to $171 with average rooms’ rate growing 5.7% to QR243 in January 2014, it said.

Manama, which had the lowest occupancy among the Gulf Co-operation Council cities, however, saw its hotel rooms’ yield drop 15.2% to $97 despite a 12.7% surge in average room rate to $224. Occupancy rather declined 14% to 43%.

In the UAE, Dubai-City saw its hotel rooms’ yield gain 10.4% to $243 on the back of an 11.4% jump in average room rate to $264, even as occupancy was down 1% to 91%.

In Al Ain, the hotel rooms’ yield grew 4.5% to $88 owing to a 5.8% rise in average room rate to $131, while occupancy was flat at 67%.

In Abu Dhabi, a 3.3% rise in average room rate to $218 led to 1.9% rise in the rooms’ yield to $171, even as occupancy fell 1% to 78%.

The rooms’ yield in Dubai (overall) grew 6.2% to $294 mainly on a 9.3% rise in average room rate to $337, although occupancy was down 2% to 87%. The Dubai-beach hotels rooms’ yield gained 1.3% to $373 on an 8.4% jump in average room rate to $466. Occupancy had fallen 5% to 80%.

In the case of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah witnessed 7.6% expansion in hotel rooms’ yield to $203 on a 5.8% growth in average room rate to $272 and 1% in occupancy to 74%.

In Madina, the hotel rooms’ yield soared 14.9% to $164 as there was a 13% expansion in occupancy to 82% but average room rate fell 3.2% to $199.

Makkah witnessed a marginal 0.3% rise in rooms’ yield to $159 despite an 18% surge in occupancy to 86%. However, average room rate plummeted 20.5% to $183.

The Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh witnessed 3% rise in hotel rooms’ yield to $134 on account of 3% growth in occupancy to 59% even as average room rate fell 2.6% to $223.

Kuwait saw a 1.6% improvement in rooms’ yield to $190 on a 19.4% surge in average room rate to $361. Occupancy declined 9% to 52%.

Muscat saw a 15.5% rise in hotel rooms’ yield to $174 on the back of a 14% expansion in occupancy to 85% even as average room rate was down 3.5% to $203.

Gulf Times