Mansard Riyadh, a Radisson Collection Hotel, is the hotel group’s latest offering in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Located in the city’s new heart, the soon-to-be-open hotel is styled using the famous Baroque French-inspired “Mansard-style roof” while remaining committed to local cultures and Arabian hospitality.
Revealing exclusive details about the Mansard Riyadh, Elie Milky, the vice president for Business Development in the Middle East, Cyprus, Greece, and Pakistan at Radisson Hotel Group, said: “This is our second Radisson Collection hotel in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia and will support us to grow our luxury lifestyle footprint in the kingdom.”
Milky is responsible for driving expansion opportunities and leading the group’s strategic growth and hotel portfolio in the regions he is looking after. He has several years of experience in development and asset management with international hospitality consultants and a global hotel operator.
“In line with Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision, we are making sure that we are part of the kingdom’s enormous potential to deliver more hotel rooms and a more diverse branded hospitality offering across the market,” he added.
50% of Radisson’s Middle East portfolio in operation and under development is in Saudi Arabia, where the group has more than 25 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments. Additionally, they have 3500 keys across the kingdom, with a pipeline that is set to double their portfolio by 2025.
Milky explained: “Moving forward, we aim to continue our growth journey across sub-markets, asset classes and key owners, where we are selectively targeting key developments and benefiting from the tourism fund with key partners where we could add value.”
He stated that this new hotel is part of Radisson Collection, which is their luxury lifestyle collection, adding that “while the character of each Radisson Collection hotel feels authentic to its location, all of them offer the ultimate template for contemporary living.”
The Mansard Riyadh has 191 rooms, suites, apartments, and villas – each designed with high-quality fabrics, modern furnishings, and marble and hardwood floors, paired with a soothing colour palette.
Elaborating on how the group maintains its variety and uniqueness within each new hotel, Milky said that local elements are always implemented to make the design more relevant and appealing to the target market. At the same time, the social and environmental conditions that the hotel operates in also play a part.
Hotel Development in the Middle East
Hotel investment and development activity continue to grow, given the underlying potential in the region.
Milky noted: “In countries such as the UAE, some markets are becoming more mature with select asset classes filling the remaining gaps in the hospitality landscape. In other countries such as Saudi Arabia, the potential is massive as the kingdom has room to double and triple its hospitality offering in the coming years. Investors look long term when it comes to hospitality real estate, and we are working with them to deliver all the relevant product types and the suitable brand value proposition.”
“As we continue to grow our portfolio of hotels, resorts and serviced apartments in the region and globally, we remain one of the most preferred partners for investors and developers,” he added.
Earlier in the region, luxury and upper-upscale hotels, resorts, and serviced apartments dominated the scene. However, there has been a drastic shift towards branded midscale hotels, beach resorts, more branded serviced apartments, lifestyle hotels, and agro-tourism and wellness resorts.
“The pandemic has accelerated that trend, coupled with a changing mindset amongst many investors as well as a rising demand for these new asset classes from consumers,” concluded Milky.
About Radisson Hotel Group
The hotel group’s portfolio includes Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels. It has nine distinctive hotel brands, and more than 1,600 hotels in operation and under development in 120 countries.
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