Proprietor of Dubai’s No 1 resort on TripAdvisor says metropolis wants extra inexpensive properties

Whenever you consider resorts in Dubai, photos of luxurious and opulence instantly spring to thoughts.

However the top-ranking Dubai resort, in keeping with TripAdvisor, couldn’t be farther from that gold-plated image.

Nestled down a facet avenue, midway between Dubai Mall and Enterprise Bay metro stations, the Leva Lodge shares its constructing, the Mazaya Centre, with a small mall that was first constructed in 1999.

Leva remains to be one thing of a secret, with the proprietor saying he typically has to place an indication out on the road letting folks know that the utilitarian constructing is definitely a resort.

“There’s a main overload of luxurious resorts in Dubai. It simply retains occurring with one luxurious property after one other,” mentioned JS Anand, the proprietor of the four-star property.

“There’s positively nonetheless a niche available in the market when it comes to affordability.

“You continue to can’t discover sufficient three and four-star resorts in Dubai.”

The 178-room resort was awarded the Traveller’s Selection 2021 award by TripAdvisor and is the No 1 Dubai property on the journey web site.

This was right down to numerous components, Mr Anand mentioned. Chief amongst them was a need amongst vacationers to spend much less on the resort they had been staying at and extra on what they had been doing through the day.

The price of a room begins at Dh290 per night time, on reserving.com, which is a far cry from the typical every day fee for a room in Dubai of greater than Dh890 – in keeping with the most recent figures from hospitality analysts STR.

“The market in Dubai has began to alter lately, there’s little question about it,” mentioned Mr Anand.

“Historically, resorts in Dubai have been about glamour in fancy buildings with a deal with how they’re made.

“However that’s began to alter as a result of the mindset of vacationers is altering as properly.”

He mentioned fashionable vacationers had been extra prone to put the emphasis on affordability than going all out on luxurious.

“The kind of visitors now we have right here don’t pull up in chauffeur-driven automobiles,” he mentioned.

“They’re extra prone to be in a taxi or simply off the metro. You gained’t discover hardcore luxurious travellers visiting us.

“What you’ll find are visitors who’re placing the emphasis on expertise.”

Visitors on the Leva Lodge are extra excited about going to the close by Dubai Mall than lounging round within the lap of luxurious, he added.

“That’s the query we get requested greater than another by visitors: ‘How can we get to Dubai Mall from right here?’” mentioned Mr Anand.

“We additionally run a shuttle bus twice a day freed from cost for our visitors.

“The bus takes them to Kite Seashore and La Mer.”

Occupancy at 90 per cent in Ramadan

Mr Anand believes his property’s location is one other issue behind its success, regardless of being in one of many metropolis’s older buildings.

“We’re so near Dubai Mall and now we have Metropolis Stroll proper behind us as properly,” he mentioned.

“The additional you go up the Sheikh Zayed Street in direction of the World Commerce Centre, the dearer the resorts turn out to be.

“However our visitors love the pliability they’ve of being in such an excellent location right here.”

He mentioned the Mazaya Centre and the encircling space had been untapped gems. Its inside is in stark distinction to its exterior, with a big, fashionable atrium and new furnishings.

“The constructing was first inbuilt 1999 and was combined use with flats, workplaces and a mall,” he mentioned.

“The mall remains to be there however we took over one half of the constructing after we opened in late 2018.

“There’s nonetheless a lot potential right here, particularly given its location, that hasn’t been realised but.”

There’s one other Leva property in Dubai, with the model managing serviced flats in Furjan.

Enterprise is wholesome on the property, as you may anticipate from a resort with such a excessive rating on TripAdvisor.

The occupancy degree is presently at 90 per cent, with many of the guests coming from Europe, he added.

Up to date: April 28, 2022, 6:55 AM