Jose KunnappallyDubai: At ATM this year, there was a homegrown Saudi hospitality brand. In fact, the only one-of-its-kind from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Makarem Hotels. With an impressive inventory of 1400 rooms across four hotels in the Holy City of Makkah (Mecca), Makarem Hotels is an experience beyond just accommodation and food. It combines state-of-the-art hotel standards with world-renowned Islamic hospitality. Each location has been carefully chosen to serve guests who visit the Holy City for Umrah, Ramadan or Haj.
“Many of the hotel brands operating in Saudi started off as tour operators managing Umrah and Haj pilgrims and later stumbled into the hospitality industry. Makarem was conceived as a hotel brand. We only do hospitality,” said Hassan Ahdab, President, Hotel Operations, Dur Hospitality Group, which owns the Makarem brand.
Globally renowned strategic brand consulting firm Landor Associates was hired to rebrand Makarem. They conducted thorough research on the spiritual and religious tourism industry and the core tenets of Arabian hospitality before arriving at the brand identity.
“From start to finish, Makarem manages all logistics and arrangements to the finest details, including travel, accommodation and food, and offers guidance pertaining to rituals.” At Makarem Hotels, the guest rooms are designed keeping the needs of pilgrims in mind. So, one can find a praying carpet, Holy Quran, TV and radio channels broadcasting prayers, prayer timings etc. to help the guests fulfil their religious commitments.
The rooms are spacious and everything from the beds to the wardrobes to the washrooms is designed for facilitating a peaceful stay. Pilgrims rarely travel alone, so the rooms can comfortably accommodate up to four guests. Spiritual Concierge, another novel concept launched by Makarem Hotels three years ago, has been a huge hit with religious tourists. The team of well-qualified and trained lady guides helps pilgrims with prayers and rituals in the Holy City. “Our Spiritual Concierge ladies accompany the guests and guide them at every step of the way.”
“The aim is to triple the portfolio in the next three years and touch 5000 rooms, all in the 4 and 5-star classification. We also want to have a presence in the Holy City of Medina. In Makkah, we have the Makarem Al-Bait Hotel, Makarem Ajyad Makkah Hotel, Makarem Umm Alqura Hotel and Makarem Mina Makkah. All the hotels are a few minutes away from Al Masjid Al Haram and have 24×7 shuttle service for pilgrims.”
A publicly listed company on Tadawul with a rapidly growing portfolio, Dur Hospitality is the oldest hospitality group in the Kingdom. The SAR 2-billion Group, headquartered in Riyadh, operates leisure resorts, hotels, restaurants and residential housings. It also runs eight hotels under IHG and Marriott brands in Jeddah and Riyadh. Another three new hotels are under construction.
Saudi Arabia is an untapped market open to the world, thanks to the progressive leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “The Saudi market offers immense potential and we are focused on promoting it from an investment standpoint,” confirmed Ahdab. India is an important source market of the future for Makarem. “We want to attract pilgrims from India. We have just received an approval from the Indian authorities for setting up an Umrah company in India – Dur4Umrah. We are looking for a local partner in India now.”
