By Joshua Trias
Dubai, UAE – Dubai, which has swiftly gotten on the path to recovery at the height of the pandemic, is now “top of the mind” and among sought-after destinations as Expo 2020, which starts on October, draws near, Paul Bridger, Director of Operations at Rove Hotels, told Dubai Vibes Magazine.
Bridger, noting the recent re-opening important regional and international markets such as Saudi Arabia re-opening its borders as well as staycations and monthly stays continuing to drive lots of interest, said Rove is looking forward to high occupancies in the months ahead.
Bridger, who has over 20 years’ experience across the Middle East, Asia, UK and Ireland, said Dubai, “has proven its strength by remaining one of the world’s most visited destinations from the start of the pandemic” last year.
“Despite the initial slowdown in visitors and activity,” Bridger said, “the hospitality sector bounced back quickly, demonstrating resilience and great dynamism.”
He added, “In the lead up to Expo 2020, the city is now top of mind and one of the most searched destinations around the world.”
Bridger, who oversees seven Rove hotels across Dubai, said he is “confident that the city’s hospitality sector will continue growing and come out of the pandemic stronger than before.”
“We are proud to see that despite the current climate, we receive lots of interest on the brand from the local and regional markets, and we are looking forward to continue expanding our portfolio in well-connected locations across the region,” he said.
He added: “We expect our hotels to remain on high occupancies throughout the summer months. In terms of promotions and new initiatives, we are working on a few really exciting and innovative launches for the coming weeks. Stay tuned!”
The Rove hospitality chain, which has over 4,000 rooms open or under development in the Middle East, recently launched Rove La Mer Beach, the company’s first property on the beach.
At least two more openings were scheduled for the year: Rove Expo 2020, the only hotel at Expo 2020 Dubai; and Rove City Walk, adjacent to the Coca Cola Arena.
Bridger said summer “is going to be a very busy period” for the hospitality chain.
“We’ll be preparing for the opening of our two upcoming hotels, Rove City Walk and Rove Expo 2020, as well as to welcome Rovers attending or working at Expo 2020 Dubai.
