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With the opening of three properties in the Middle East already this year, Swiss-Belhotel International is gearing up to make its mark in the region. Hotelier Middle East discovers its unique heritage and the diverse portfolio it has planned, including hotels in Oman, Jordan, Yemen and Sharjah, UAE

Swiss-Belhotel International Hotels & Resorts was founded in 1987 by Swiss national Peter Gautschi, famous for his 35-year career with The Peninsula Group, Hong Kong. Gautschi retired in 1999 and the company is run today by chairman and president Gavin Faull, a former Peninsula Group hotelier who joined Swiss-Belhotel International in 1990.

This background provides the base for a unique take on hospitality by the group, which has stayed true to its heritage and offers a flavour of the Far East with the fundamentals of Swiss hospitality, as reflected in the company name itself � which also coveys the aim of creating a 'belhotel', or 'beautiful hotel'.

The company has been branded since 2000 and Faull says it is 'slowly and gradually developing a brand. 'We see ourselves as a very strong four- to five-star market brand; 30% five-star and the balance of four-star.'  The company is strongest by numbers in Indonesia following a 20-year joint venture partnership, but it also has properties in Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Major growth is planned for these countries, with an office due to open in Shanghai later this year.

'We hope in the next two to three years to have at least two or three more properties in Australia, two or three in New Zealand, three or four projects in Malaysia, three or four projects in the Philippines and at least 10 new hotels in China,' says Faull.

And following its Middle East debut in 2007 with Swiss-Belhotel Plaza Kuwait and the opening in 2008 of Sohar Beach by Swiss-Belhotel in Oman, the company now has major plans to target the Middle East with properties spreading from the Dead Sea in Jordan to Sana'a in Yemen.

'We are probably signing a new deal somewhere in the group every eight weeks,' says Faull.
So what is enabling such a fast pace of growth? 'There are two or three factors,' says Faull. 'One, we've now achieved our critical mass, which allows us a lot of support; the second is we have made a major splash in the Middle East over the last two years; and the third is that a lot of developers and owners are looking for different brands and new brands, because there's a brand saturation in certain places where there are too many of the same brands from the same groups.'

Middle East openings:

Growth in the Middle East is being led by Edgar Solenthaler, vice president & operations and development for the region. With a background with The Peninsula Group plus seven years working with Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts in the Middle East, Solenthaler joined Swiss-Belhotel in 2006 and has been instrumental in its expansion.

Most recently, he has overseen the opening of hotels in Doha and Masirah Island in June, while Gold Swiss-Belhotel Dubai is opening soon. Swiss-Belhotel Masirah Island is a 'very unique little property' developed in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism in Oman, says Solenthaler.
'It is a small, four-star resort on the beachfront with 24 rooms and two chalets & it will be the new destination for people who like nature and relaxation but the comforts of home,' he says, referring to the island's famed turtle and bird sanctuaries. It marks the company's first foray into eco-tourism, and a close partnership with the Omani government has ensured rangers will be available to take people on tours to see the turtles and birds.

'In Masirah, we're going to use natural resources in food and beverage, recycle garbage, recycle water etc; this is nothing new but I have no option, there is no way of turning a tap on from a main pipe, we have to do it all ourselves,' says Solenthaler.

Faull adds that with another ecological project planned within mangrove swamps in Malaysia, eco-tourism actually goes beyond these basic green issues. 'All the time as a company you consider energy-saving and run-of-the-mill environmental things, but now what we are talking about is that the guest wants to be part of the eco-friendly experience; they want to also feel comfortable with it,' he explains.

'Eco-tourism is not just tourism now; we're talking about carbon neutral and it's not just for eco-friendly places; it's if we're going to survive into the next generation,' says Faull.

Upcoming projects include Winter Valley Dead Sea by Swiss-Belhotel in Jordan, which will open at the start of 2010 Also set to open next year are Swiss-Belhotel Sharma, Resort & Spa in Saudi Arabia and Swiss-Belhotel Sana'a in Yemen, a project Solenthaler is 'really proud of'.

'This is a complex of seven buildings, the youngest of which is 350 years old, on 11,000m² of land. It's in downtown Sana'a & there are 92 rooms and not a single room is the same. There are no nails in the entire building but the structural engineers that tested it say it's even better than any steel concrete structure you can find here, because it is so old,' reveals Solenthaler.

Finally. Swiss-Belhotel is scheduled to open Swiss-Belhotel Resort Sharjah in 2011 and has just signed a deal for a third project in Oman.
In total worldwide, the company has 26 hotels under development.

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