Jumeirah Group drew a high share of German visitors to its portfolio of international hotels last year and hopes the trend will continue this year as well.

Alison Broadhead, chief commercial officer, said: “Germany has historically been a top source market for Jumeirah, both for our hotels in the UAE, and for a number of our international hotels, in particular Jumeirah Frankfurt, Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa in Mallorca and Jumeirah Dhevanafushi in the Maldives. In light of the challenging times the market faced in 2016, our portfolio performed well, continuing to attract a high share of German visitors, and we are confident that the strong end of 2016 we experienced will continue throughout 2017.

“The opening of Jumeirah Al Naseem in December and the major enhancements made to the guest experience at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, including the opening of The Terrace, were warmly welcomed by both our trade partners and our guests. Our close partnerships with the German travel trade combined with initiatives to drive consumer awareness, which included hosting five episodes of Deutschland Sucht den Superstar – a primetime German TV show, will continue to provide opportunities to drive more room nights from this key market.”

A number of Jumeirah’s beachside resorts in Dubai, are currently being featured on the Deutschland Sucht den Superstar show, including Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf – which was the temporary home to the contestants – and Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, both stages for the set-piece auditions.

Burj Al Arab Jumeirah saw strong growth in German guests in 2016, largely attributable to a series of new guest experiences, including The Terrace – the ultimate luxury lifestyle facility with more than 150 sunbeds, 32 butler serviced air conditioned cabanas, two pools and a beach.

Jumeirah Al Naseem, the fourth and final hotel at Madinat Jumeirah opened on December 1, 2016 and recently featured in a German documentary called Megahotels. The new hotel offers authentic Arabian culture and its design is re-imagined for the Dubai of today, delivering a strong sense of place and the Jumeirah 'Stay Different' brand promise.

Jumeirah Beach Hotel celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The hotel is set to become even more compelling following the refurbishment of 334 rooms and suites and a number of guest facilities, a programme which is set to start in May and be completed in November. The 618-room hotel will remain open throughout this period. The refurb includes the Family Pool; Sinbads Kids Club; and the landscaped promenade between the gardens and the beach, connecting Jumeirah Beach Hotel with its sister properties in the Madinat Jumeirah resort.

A number of internal changes have been made to the Dubai hotel management team, in order to support the brand’s continued commitment to enhance and redefine the guest experience. Margaret Paul has been appointed general manager, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, moving from her role at Madinat Jumeirah.

Mahmoud Sakr has been appointed to the new role of area general manager for the Dubai city hotels and also becomes general manager of Jumeirah Emirates Towers, while Sven Wiedenhaupt moves to the position of general manager of Jumeirah Beach Hotel. - TradeArabia News Service