Continuing its expansion in the GCC, Swiss-Belhotel International (SBI) has entered into a management agreement with Omniyat Real Estate to operate the two signature properties. Swiss-Belboutique Bneid Al Gar and Swiss-Belresidences Al Sharq are under development in Kuwait and expected to open in 2018.
The steady growth of tourism in Kuwait, with a vision to welcome 440,000 visitors annually by 2024 is fuelling demand for quality hotels. The country is witnessing robust investments in enhancing tourism infrastructure as well as developing new leisure and lifestyle attractions. Kuwait is evolving into a multifaceted destination with the development of diverse attractions for both corporate and leisure visitors. This has significantly pushed the demand for quality hotels in the country. Swiss-Belboutique Bneid Al Gar will be a comfortable and stylish address for both business and leisure travellers offering a home-away-from-home experience. Featuring 58 rooms equipped with top-notch facilities, the hotel enjoys an exceptional location in Kuwait City with no other international hotel brand having a presence in the area. Swiss-Belresidences Al Sharq will serve as a great base for corporate travellers being strategically located in the business district near Souq Sharq. It will offer guests a choice of 68 one and two-bedroom hotel apartments with fully-equipped kitchen facilities. The hotel will also feature an all-day-dining restaurant, a deli corner in the lobby, kids club and a swimming pool. Kuwait is pressing ahead with multiple plans to boost tourism that will see billions of dollars being invested in projects such as the expansion of Kuwait International Airport, reaching 25 million passengers annually by 2025, and development of cultural attractions like Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Islamic Centre. According to figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council, travel and tourism investment in Kuwait is set to rise 1.5 per cent per annum over the next ten years. Corporate travellers accounted for 70 per cent of total visitor arrivals in Kuwait in 2016. However, Kuwait is actively working to diversify its guest segmentation to secure the projected levels of growth over the coming years.