Tourism & Hospitality | Saturday 9 May, 2015 3:48 am |

Carlson Rezidor, one of the most dynamic hotel groups worldwide, further strengthens its presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by announcing two Park Inn by Radisson hotels. The group’s first property in the holy city of Makkah will feature 330 rooms and welcome the first guests in 2016. In Najran, Carlson Rezidor develops a hotel with 120 rooms that is also scheduled to open in 2016.

“Saudi Arabia is a focus country for our group. The Kingdom actively develops its infrastructure and industries, and will play an increasingly important role within the travel & tourism sector of the Middle East. We want to be an active partner supporting this process, and look forward to further expanding our network together with our regional partners”, said Wolfgang M. Neumann, President & CEO of Rezidor.

The Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Aziziyah will be situated 6 km east of Makkah’s “Haram” or Grand Mosque, the most sacred place for the Islamic faith. The hotel will provide easy access due to its prime location along Al Masjid Road, an axis in the expanding Aziziyah district. A future metro development is expected to link the area directly to the “Haram”. Besides 330 comfortable rooms, the property will offer an all-day dining restaurant, a coffee shop, 3 meeting rooms, a business centre, male and female spas, 2 prayer rooms and a nursery.
The evolution of religious tourism has been a priority for Saudi Arabia’s government over the past years and has also resulted in considerable investment and interest from developers and operators alike. The holy city of Makkah is visited by more than 15 million people per year; with the annual Hajj being the world’s largest pilgrimage. “Makkah is one of the most important destinations worldwide for religious tourism. It offers the strategic opportunity to introduce our dynamic mid-market brand Park Inn by Radisson to the city and to further strengthen Park Inn’s growing presence in Saudi Arabia”, commented Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer of Rezidor.

The Park Inn by Radisson Najran will be built near the city center and next to Highway 15 that connects Najran with Makkah (850km) and Medina (1200km). The property will comprise 120 rooms, 2 restaurants, a bar, 4 meeting rooms, 1 board room and 1 pre-function room, a fitness center, a pool, and parking spaces.

Najran is home to the Okhdood archeological site, one of the most important monuments in Saudi Arabia. The surrounding area of the city is rich in minerals such a zinc and copper and one of the core non-oil industry destinations in the Kingdom.