Central Hotels & Resorts has unveiled its 2026 growth strategy, prioritising high-yield demand from the CIS and key European markets, alongside a dedicated plan to accelerate growth from France.
Built for profitable performance and long-term commercial resilience, the strategy strengthens focus on markets with proven value and consistently strong travel intent to Dubai.
For 2026, Central will concentrate on three priority source markets — CIS, Germany and the United Kingdom — while actively developing France through targeted initiatives and tailored offerings aimed at year-on-year growth and stronger engagement versus 2025, supporting the group’s broader European expansion ambitions.
“2026 is about focus and momentum — strengthening the markets that already show strong intent for Dubai while investing in the channels and guest touchpoints that drive conversion and loyalty,” said Abdulla Ahmad Ali Al Abdulla Al Ansari, Chief Operating Officer and Group General Manager at Central Hotels & Resorts. “We are building commercial resilience through a clearer market strategy, an improved digital booking experience, and sustainability initiatives that are practical, measurable, and embedded into the way we operate across our hotels.”
The strategy is designed to reinforce performance across Central’s commercial ecosystem, with a strong emphasis on accelerating direct booking growth, improving channel efficiency, and elevating guest experiences that also support revenue resilience.
With travellers increasingly seeking transparency and ease when booking, the group’s 2026 direction also prioritises a consistent value proposition across every platform where guests discover and choose the brand, it said.
Digital transformation
A core pillar of the 2026 roadmap is an accelerated digital transformation, including an upgraded brand website featuring the latest hospitality technologies and the integration of new partnerships with The Hotel Network (THN). The initiative is intended to enhance the guest booking journey and facilitate smoother, more intuitive reservations, while reinforcing Central’s commitment to offering guests the best available rates across online platforms, including OTAs, travel agencies and its direct booking channels. By strengthening the booking experience end-to-end, Central aims to drive improved conversion, stronger customer confidence and a more competitive presence in its priority markets.
Sustainability remains a parallel priority, guided by practical action and a people-led culture of responsibility. Central Hotels & Resorts has implemented refillable liquid amenities dispensers in guest bathrooms to replace individual 50ml bottles, creating a meaningful reduction in waste while simplifying storage, minimising inventory space and improving cost efficiency. Associate engagement has also been strengthened through the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” initiative, contributing to a noticeable decrease in landfill waste compared to the previous year.
To embed sustainability more deeply into daily operations, Central’s Learning and Development corporate team has integrated the group’s environmental sustainability programme into the associate induction process, helping build awareness and participation from day one. The launch of Environmental Sustainability Champions further strengthens the sustainability roadmap, ensuring Central’s culture and values remain people-led and consistently reflected across properties.
In line with its broader digital evolution, Central has also advanced towards a paperless guest experience through QR-based hotel directories and room service menus, alongside fully paperless check-in and check-out processes that enhance convenience while reducing paper consumption. The group is also collaborating with local authorities to follow sustainability guidelines that support broader recognition and potential certification as environmentally responsible hotels and resorts, strengthening long-term competitiveness as responsible practices increasingly influence traveller choice and corporate travel decisions. – TradeArabia News Service
