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Few hoteliers realisethat their hotels, nomatter how grand,need to be upgradedfor it to match the

changing times and the new,modern hotels. Within lessthan a year of renovation andan investment of overDhs100 million, by joint own-

ers Majid Al Futtaim andglobal hotelier brand Accor,Pullman Dubai Deira CityCentre Residences re-launched its refurbished hotelapartments in November.

The hotel apartments,joined to the 5-star PullmanHotel and the bustling DeiraCity Centre mall, is offeringguests a distinguished resi-dential address to call theirown. Guests will likely enjoythe same level of service andquality as they would while

staying in the Pullman Hotel.The new residences have di-rect access to the DubaiMetro through the mall. Be-sides, the Dubai InternationalAirport too is within a maxi-mum drive of 15 minutes.

“Accor is very proud of thelatest addition to our Luxury& Upscale hotels in Dubaiwith the fully renovated Pull-man Dubai City Center Res-idences,” Denis Dupart, VicePresident Operations forAccor Luxury & Upscale

brands, Middle East andEgypt, said.

“Accor always strive tooffer our customers the high-est quality and the finest ac-commodations; thecompletion of The PullmanResidences will undoubtedlysatisfy our longer stayingcustomers. Guests staying atthe Pullman Residences willbe able to use all the facilitiesat the adjacent 5-star Pull-man Hotel - including thebars, restaurants, spa and

By Indrajit SenSenior Reporter

Pullman Dubai gets aDhs100mn makeoverPullman Dubai gets aDhs100mn makeover

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Residences have 133 keys,split between 7 studios, 63 1bedroom and 63 2 bedroomapartments. The two projectscombined employ nearly 400people from about 26 differ-ent nationalities. The Pull-man Residences proposeschic and comfortable living;plus an added option of con-necting rooms to create up to4 bedroom apartments.

Each layout type comescompletely furnished includ-ing a fully equipped kitchenalong with cleaning appli-ances such as a washer anda dryer. The residences alsoprovide a dining area, deskspace and amenities for cof-fee and tea.

For guests who are on atight schedule or simply in arush, Pullman has launcheda new ‘Grab & Go’ concept attheir ‘One Stop’ shop in thelobby, where guests can

enjoy a quick bite on the go.Moreover, guests will find thepantry stocked with all theirbasic grocery requirements.

A unique feature of thePullman Residences is thatresidents can find an exten-sive list of grocery itemsalong with their prices, ineach apartment; from wherethey can order for whateverthey need.

This service is part of themanagement’s commitmentto make lives as comfortableas possible for the guests.“We are very clear already.We want to be the best hoteland serviced apartments inour category in Dubai. Sothis is the target for all of ushere in this hotel,” said Laurent Chaudet, GeneralManager of Pullman DeiraCity Centre Residences.

Chaudet elaborates on an-other special feature of the

Pullman Residences: “Con-nectivity in a hotel has to befast, has to be clear. Technol-ogy should be advanced. Forinstance, in our hotel apart-ments we have interactiveTV and you can connect yourmobile phone to the TV. So ifyou have some informationor Internet on your phone,you can broadcast it on theTV. This feature is not every-where, but it is a trend in amodern hotel apartment. Theguests are looking for that.”

For more dining andlounge options, the PullmanHotel’s restaurant and barvenues are available to allthe guests, catering to differ-ent lifestyles and tastes. TheMedley restaurant is the per-fect venue for internationalfood aficionados, while LaFabrique Sports Bar catersto sports fans, Le Cafe hasan array of patisseries for

beauty salon. We are veryexcited to reopen this popu-lar residential hotel at theheart of Deira,” he com-mented.

The Pullman Residencesoffers cosmopolitan livingthat guests expect whenstaying in such a centrally lo-cated area. The ownersclaim their product to be oneof the only ‘really servicedapartments’.

According to them, theircompetitors just have hotelrooms with kitchens forguests, whereas they wanttheir guests to feel at home.The management feels whatdifferentiates them fromother hotel apartments is thehigh quality of services theyoffer to the guests.

“Majid Al Futtaim hasmade a substantial invest-ment in the refurbishment ofThe Pullman Dubai City Cen-tre Residences,” Simon Bar-low, Chief Executive Officer,Hotels, at Majid Al FuttaimProperties, said during thereopening ceremony.

“Our interior design teamhas brought a contemporaryand comfortable feel to the fitout of the apartments, whichwe believe will be very popu-lar for families visiting Dubai,business travellers on ex-tended stays and leisuretravellers shopping at thepopular Deira City CenterMall. I am very proud that therefurbishment of this hotel bythe Majid Al Futtaim teamhas taken just ten months tocomplete [having started inJanuary 2014] and will openseveral months earlier thanplanned, a great achieve-ment!” added Barlow.

What is specialabout Pullman?The Pullman Hotel itself 317rooms and suites, and thePullman Dubai City Centre

Simon Barlow, Chief Executive Officer, Hotels, atMajid Al Futtaim Properties (left) and DenisDupart, Vice President Operations for AccorLuxury & Upscale brands, Middle East and Egypt

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those with a sweet tooth andthe Azure Pool Lounge wel-comes shisha lovers.

Furthermore, the manage-ment of Pullman Dubai CityCentre Residences also rec-ommends their leisure, fit-ness and entertainmentfacilities for the lifestyle con-scious. Residents have ac-cess to the Fit & Spa lounge,fully equipped gym, tenniscourt or in the swimming poolthat features panoramicviews of the Deira district ofDubai.

MarketingstrategiesThanks to its excellent loca-tion in a vibrant district of thecity, with access to all thatone needs, the occupancyrates for both the PullmanHotel and the Pullman DeiraCity Centre Residences,have always been high. “Wehad almost 80-90% occu-

pancy in the previous yearbefore the renovation. Weexpect to run the same,”Chaudet states.

After the makeover, the

management has decided toraise the average rates foran apartment, somethingthat will create a ‘big differ-ence’, Chaudet says. For a 1

bedroom apartment, thehotel will be chargingDhs1,000-1,200++. How-ever, the room rates remainsubject to travel seasons and

“Obviously the supply (of hotel keys) is nowcoming more and more. The market does notabsorb this oversupply of rooms. But with manynew hotels, many more to open, you see themarket growing always at a very good pace. As aconsequence of that eventually there will be astagnation of the average room rates andoccupancy; eventually a decrease. But that is still avery good result and considering the activities inDubai, it is still great.”

- Laurent Chaudet,General Manager,

Pullman Deira City Centre Residences

A one bedroom apartment at the PullmanDeira City Centre Residences, Dubai

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Dubai. We expect about 30%of our total business fromsuch clients. Then we havethe people who come herefor short assignments, likefor 2 or 3 months, or to find apermanent accommodationin Dubai. Then there are theshort-stay guests, who stayfor 1 night up to 2 weeks;people who come for busi-ness and leisure trips. Onethird of our clientele is madeup of such people.”

As far as promoting thePullman Hotel in Dubai isconcerned, Chaudet saysthe management has beenadvertising the product inDubai. However, worldwidecorporate advertising is han-dled by the parent brandAccor, who strongly promotetheir hotel offerings globally.“For instance, last year inJuly, all the Pullman Hotelsaround the world decided topool in resources together topromote the brand. So we

have some huge advertisingpanels in Jeddah, LondonHeathrow, and other places.”

Faith in Dubai’shotel marketWhen asked about his opin-ion about Dubai’s hospitalitymarket, Chaudet smilinglyremarks, “Enchantment,that’s pretty clear.” He be-lieves Dubai is still faring waybetter than most other globalmarkets, as far as the hospi-tality sectors are concerned.

However he fears Dubaimight suffer from oversupply.“Obviously the supply is nowcoming more and more. Themarket does not absorb thisoversupply of rooms. And it’snew here; it started I shouldsay this year in July-Septem-ber, when we saw some fig-ures lower than the previousyear. And that did not happensince many many years in

Dubai. When we say lower, itis still very good compared toother locations in the world.But with many new hotels,many to open, you see themarket growing always at avery good pace. As a conse-quence of that eventuallythere will be a stagnation ofthe average room rates andoccupancy; eventually a de-crease. Anyway there is stilla very good result and con-sidering the activities inDubai it is still great,” heopines.

Pullman will be opening ahotel in Doha, Qatar within ayear. The brand alreadyowns a hotel in the holy cityof Mecca, and they recentlyopened a considerably bighotel, comprising 800 rooms,in Medina. In Dubai, Pullmanlaunched a hotel a year backin January, 2014 in JumeirahLake Towers, the ‘PullmanJLT’, which Chaudet calls a‘good hotel’.g

the volume of business,Chaudet reveals.

So what is more profitablefor the management, rev-enues earned from individualguests or bulk customers?“Individual customers book-ing online are more prof-itable. When you startdealing with a corporatecompany, you negotiate thevolume and automaticallywhen there is more volume,we decrease the rates, itscommercial latitude, I shouldsay. Short stay individualcustomers who book onlineare always the most valu-able,” Chaudet explains.

About 50 to 60% of thehotel’s business is generatedby the online travel agents.There are three types of peo-ple looking for accommoda-tion, Chaudet elaborates:“The one who wants to stayfor long, like six months toone year, because they wantto reside for a long term in

The rooftop Azure Lounge atPullman Hotel, Deira, Dubai