Dubai's first Mercure hotel said it expects a significant increase in the number of European guests this year following its rebranding from a Gold Swiss -Belhotel Dubai in January.

The Mercure Gold Hotel Al Mina Road Dubai is operating under a franchise agreement with Accor, one of the leading hotel operators in the Middle East.

The 184-room four-star property is located on Al Mina Road and situated close to Sheikh Zayed Road, the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre and Jumeirah Beach.

As part of its promotion strategy, the Dubai Mercure hotel will be taking part in leading travel and tourism exhibitions, the ITB Berlin, which runs from March 7 to 11 and Russia's leading travel exhibition the MITT from March 21 - 24.

The hotel currently receives most of its guests from the markets of the UK, Germany, Russia and India, however participation at this year's European travel exhibitions will help boost the European clientele of the property in the coming years, said a senior official.

Acting general manager Yohan De Zilva said, "Our rebranding to become Dubai's first Mercure hotel has opened opportunities to further our client reach especially in the European markets where the brand is well established, has extended consumer awareness and far reaching distribution channels through the Accor group network."

"By participating at these major European travel exhibitions we intend to re-introduce ourselves to the market, strengthen existing partnerships and generate new ones," he noted.

"The hotel is expected to prove popular among European travellers visiting Dubai for both business and leisure, especially with regards to its convenient location to major business centres, and courtesy shuttle services to Jumeirah Beach Park and leading shopping malls in the hotel's vicinity," he added.-TradeArabia News Service