Australian hotel management company StayWell Hospitality Group and the UAE-based Cristal Group are joining forces to develop businesses with a key focus on the Middle East.
StayWell CEO, Simon Wan, said the company is seeking further expansion into the UAE market with the upcoming openings of Park Regis Business Bay and Park Regis Boutique Jumeirah this year, followed by the opening of Leisure Inn Jumeirah and Park Regis Makkah in 2018.
“This significant alliance represents an important step forward in cementing the future expansion of the Park Regis and Leisure Inn brands,” he said.
“This partnership will bring our combined portfolio to 13 hotels with approximately 2,600 rooms in the Middle East region,” he added.
As part of the agreement, StayWell is entitled to use Cristal’s brand on hotels outside the Middle East, while Cristal can use StayWell’s brand on hotels located within the Middle East.
Cristal will also adopt key StayWell sales and marketing platforms and programs to further elevate their operations and hotel offerings.
Cristal Group CEO Kamal Fakhoury said: “With both groups now present in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Erbil, and with properties opening within the next 12 months in Amman, Abha, Riyadh and Makkah as well as further properties in Erbil and the UAE, the expansion plan is very healthy and we expect to increase the portfolio to 20 properties within the next five years.
“We are excited and very proud to forge a strategic alliance with such a well-known hotel company as StayWell, and we are looking forward to working as a team to achieve the combined proposed goals,” he added.
