Taj Plans Further Expansion in Middle East

AFTER OPENING and running successfully for three years in Dubai, Taj Hotels is now eyeing at other areas of the Middle East for expansion. Other than Dubai, the group is planning to spread its reach with a focus on Bahrain and the holy city of Mecca. Delhi BW Hotelier spoke to Ranjit Phillipose, General Manager, Taj Dubai who briefed us about their upcoming plans, at the recently concluded two-day Taj Sales Mission at Taj Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi.

“Dubai is a key market for all the economies across the world and is quite stable. We are looking for expansion in two areas, one in Palm Island and another in Jumeirah Lake Tower (JLT) within the UAE,” Phillipose said. The Taj at Palm Island will be a more leisure-centric property while Taj JLT will be inclined towards the business clientele according to him.

Presently Taj Dubai has 296 rooms and after its expansion it plans to add between 320 and 350 rooms to its portfolio. Phillipose believes that despite bigger brands in Dubai, what makes Taj Dubai stand out is its quality of service. “As hotel operators from India, we are the custodian of Indian hospitality and the whole ‘Tajness’ factor differentiates us. Our biggest achievement is being an India brands with global recognition,” he said.

Establishing a brand in a saturated market and creating its own presence was not a difficult task for Taj Dubai. Being a player in the global market, the hotel have a great mix of 28 nationalities on its rolls.

Giving emphasis to the F&B department, Phillipose stated, “F&B plays a very important role in our development. Very soon we will be launching MissTess, with a street food concept and acrobatic waiters.”

Apart from this, Taj Dubai has various other restaurants like Tesoro, Tree House, The Elequont Elephant and The Byzantium Lounge to serve the taste buds of Dubai. Its hallmark, Bombay Brasserie, an Indian branded restaurant has recently been ranked fourth among 3000 restaurants in Dubai by Tripadvisor.