09 August 2014
Occupancy rates at a number of hotels in Makkah, especially those located near the city center, declined by 70 percent in the days after the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Many hotels in the city center, including those in Al-Aziziya and other neighborhoods close to the Grand Mosque had reached full capacity during the last 10 days of Ramadan.
The head of the reservations department at one of the hotels overlooking the Grand Mosque confirmed to Arab News that all rooms in the hotel were booked during Ramadan. He said that the price of one room during the last 10 days of Ramadan reached around SR40,000.
He also added that most of the hotel bookings were for officials and businessmen from within the Kingdom and other Gulf countries.
A reservation desk clerk at another hotel said the price of one room at the hotel reached SR70,000 due to its close proximity and view of the Grand Mosque.
According to market statistics, revenues from hotels amounted to around SR2 billion in the last 10 days of the holy month. High occupancy rates were not limited to three, four and five-star hotels, but also included high-end furnished apartments and condominiums due to the increased demand from pilgrims and visitors.
Sources confirmed that the service programs offered by Haj and Umrah service companies played a vital role in hotel bookings, indicating that occupancy rates will increase in residential units in the upcoming days with the influx of Haj pilgrims.
Occupancy rates at a number of hotels in Makkah, especially those located near the city center, declined by 70 percent in the days after the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Many hotels in the city center, including those in Al-Aziziya and other neighborhoods close to the Grand Mosque had reached full capacity during the last 10 days of Ramadan.
The head of the reservations department at one of the hotels overlooking the Grand Mosque confirmed to Arab News that all rooms in the hotel were booked during Ramadan. He said that the price of one room during the last 10 days of Ramadan reached around SR40,000.
He also added that most of the hotel bookings were for officials and businessmen from within the Kingdom and other Gulf countries.
A reservation desk clerk at another hotel said the price of one room at the hotel reached SR70,000 due to its close proximity and view of the Grand Mosque.
According to market statistics, revenues from hotels amounted to around SR2 billion in the last 10 days of the holy month. High occupancy rates were not limited to three, four and five-star hotels, but also included high-end furnished apartments and condominiums due to the increased demand from pilgrims and visitors.
Sources confirmed that the service programs offered by Haj and Umrah service companies played a vital role in hotel bookings, indicating that occupancy rates will increase in residential units in the upcoming days with the influx of Haj pilgrims.
© Arab News 2014
