SAM VAN Campenhout, general manager of Marriott Executive Apartments Manama Bahrain and Residence Inn by Marriott Manama Juffair, leaders of the extended stay hotels speaks to TTN about the growing popularity for residential living on the island.
What are the key differentiating features between the two brands and who do they cater to?
Our brands are positioned for different customer needs and sit in different lodging brackets. Our Marriott Executive Apartments brand offers comfortably upscale, more luxury focused residential living to global travellers and provides residents with five star services and amenities that enable a comfortable stay while living away from home. The Residence Inn brand is also an extended stay product, defined as a stay of five nights or more. Globally, one third of all business travel room nights occur as part of an extended stay trip.
Who are your key source markets and what is on the agenda to boost arrivals?
Our main source markets are the US and UK for the business travellers, and the GCC markets for the leisure travel. The lodging environment in the region is a very competitive one and we have a huge amount of respect for the achievements of all of our competitors. It is incumbent upon us to provide the strongest brands with the best performance and therefore demonstrate the benefits of choosing one of the Marriott flags to place on a hotel.
How competitive is the tourism market today?
Competition is always positive as it keeps the service up to high standards especially with a small market like Bahrain. For sure each hotel will have its share and now the customer has more choice. We opened our Residence Inn Manama in December 2011 and have been delighted with the speed of ramp up. Occupancy levels are fantastic and complement the high occupancy we have been running at the Marriott Executive Apartments.
Looking ahead, what are Marriott’s plans for the Kingdom?
We are still working with the construction team at the Renaissance Amwaj Island to bring this hotel to fruition. As we progress we will begin to place our resources at the hotel and take the hotel through pre-opening phase to grand opening. It is an exciting time for us. The Renaissance brand will be a significant and much needed addition to the city.
The JW Marriott Manama is also a work in progress and given its location in the central business district will be a wonderful addition to Bahrain’s hotel supply.