Business Desk
Daijiworld Media Network - UAE
 
Dubai, Apr 4: We often hear people say ‘home is where the heart is’  which means that home is the place one loves to be. Home is one place that offers freedom, privacy, comforts and everything else one looks for in life.  Realizing this fondness of people to get the feel of being at home wherever they go the concept of  hotel apartments or service apartment is fast catching up and is becoming the need of the future. Travelers the world over prefer  furnished  apartments  as against  hotels for all practical purposes,  including the privacy factor,  which the apartment hotels are able to guarantee to the fullest to its occupants. 

Dunes Hotel Apartments, Dubai,  caters to this segment of travelers who prefer to have a homely atmosphere even when they are on the move on business or on a holiday. For discerning travelers in Dubai who are in the look out for hotel apartments, that are cozy,  with a home like atmosphere,  then Dune Hotel Apartments will be the right choice and offers value for money.  Dune Hotel Apartments is owned by Mohammed Jaber Abdulla Al Harbi, a leading  business investor and is managed by the hospitality division of HAS group.   The company has three such hotel apartments in UAE, all strategically located, to provide maximum convenience and comforts to its valued  customers. 

Vast Potential

It was in the year 2003, the company took the foremost decision of entering  into hotel apartment business and got into action.  The group’s Managing Director saw the potential in Hotel Apartment business and soon the company had its first property Oasis Court in Bur Dubai. However, this company was handed over back to the owner in 2010.  Dunes started its first hotel apartment in 2007 with its property at Muhaisnah, near Lulu Village.  The company then  opened its second property in Barsha, located behind the Mall of the Emirates.  The third and brand new property of the company was opened on March 17, 2011 in OUD Mehta, opposite American Hospital, Dubai. 

Dunes Hotel Apartment located on Amman Street in Muhaisnah is an  ideal location in the city both for tourists and business executives.  Dunes Hotel Apartment at Barsha is ‘the’ location  for corporate  clients as well as for leisure travelers who are looking for something out of the ordinary in Dubai, to make their stay both enjoyable and memorable one.  Dunes Oud Mehta is majestically located closed to Dubai’s historic Creek, a central and an ideal location with an array of facilities like hospitals, malls, and other services in close vicinity.  All these apartments offer 1B/R and 2 B/R apartments  as well as 3 B/R Royal Suits for those who want to enjoy the felicity  of   luxury living. 

Having built a reputation that is hard to beat in terms of quality, service, facilities, amenities and locations, the company is all set to go on a massive expansion plan with two more apartments to come up in the near future.  A new deluxe hotel apartment in Al Barsha Area (Ivory Grand Hotel Apartment) with  220 deluxe room capacity and a  380 unit deluxe 5 star hotel in Fujairah (AI Salam Palace Hotel and Resort) are in the pipeline to take the total tally of groups hotel apartments properties to 5.    

Convenience and Comfort

General Manager of Dunes Hotel Apartments Rochelle Lobo states “the thrill of providing world class services, the pleasure of interacting with varied customers and good returns on the investment were the reasons that prompted the company to get into hotel apartment business”.

Rochelle Lobo

For those who are in the look out for hotel apartments in Dubai which are comfy, reasonable and with a standard better than those of the other hotel apartments, Dunes hotel apartments provide the best bargain that money can offer.  All their hotel apartments are fully furnished and equipped aimed at providing convenience and luxury to their customers.  The company has spacious accommodations which are better than those of the hotel rooms with other facilities like lounge/sitting area, kitchen/cooking facilities etc,. Other amenities like individually controlled air conditioning, satellite TV channels, covered car parking facility, currency exchange, airport transfers and tour arrangement are provided for the customers.  All kitchen accessories including  microwave, toaster, utensils and washing machines, iron and iron board are provided.  Recreational  facilities like state of the art gymnasium, steam bath, temperature controlled swimming pool and Jacuzzi are provided for the occupants.   

At Dunes Family hotel apartments customers can book apartments for a day, week, month or even for a year and that too at an affordable budget.  To put it succinctly,  Dunes Hotel Apartments is an one-stop-dwelling  centre  with their  strategic locations, easy access to Dubai’s innumerous attractions and venues.  To the budget conscious travelers Dunes Budget Apartment Hotel offers lavish and  hospitable service at a discounted price. 

There is a marked difference between staying in a hotel and staying in an hotel apartment apart from the space factor.  As Rochelle puts it “ A hotel apartment gives the customer a ‘home away from home’ feeling which is not found in hotels.   In hotel apartments the occupants are free to cook their own meals, entertain guests in their living room  without the barriers of rules and regulations and indulge in the simple pleasure of ‘being at home’.  Unlike hotels, which usually cater to short term guests,  Dunes hotel apartments  accommodate the needs of long  term guests and also cater to families and corporate clientele”.  Rochelle says they  target corporate clientele, leisure travelers, families and guests who come for a short holiday or business executives.  “We also have a large number of guests who stay with us for a long duration, enjoying the services we offer and the availability of modern day conveniences like laundry, housekeeping, internet, concierge, 24 hour reception and security services.  

What is it that makes Dunes Apartment Homes a cut above the rest?  Rochelle is quick to add “our hotel apartments function as per standards set by  DTCM & Dubai Municipality.  The   difference between us and others is in terms of the quality of service.  We strive hard to stay true to our tagline ‘a stay that’s sure to make a difference’ and we have spared no efforts to live up to this unique identity for our apartment homes.  We have a battalion of well-trained and disciplined staff who ensure a comfortable and hassle-free stay for our customers.  We are the first company in Dubai to organize a city tour to our staff so as to acquaint them with the knowledge of the city.  The knowledge of the staff would go a long way in providing vital information and assistance to our esteemed guests”. 

Rich Dividend

The reputation  earned by the company has borne good dividends as the  awareness spread through by word of mouth has immensely benefited the company brining in more and more customers.  The company is also registered with a number of reputed booking websites like booking.com, agoda.com, wotif.com and a few others.  

Recession had a bad impact on the hospitality industry and Service Apartment industry was also badly affected.  Though many Hotel Apartments in Dubai are running under loss and some are even closed down following recession, Dunes has been able to maintain its standard and quality largely due to the efforts of its dedicated work force.  Recession is still the major challenge facing the industry says Rochelle. “During recession many guests were asking for discounts which, at times is not feasible as the rates we charged were not enough to meet the overhead costs”, she points out.

Rochelle Lobo, who has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Wollongong, Australia, now manages a dedicated team of over 150 staff working under the Umbrella of Dunes Hotel Apartment.  With the company going in for a expansion drive in the next two years,  she expects her hospitality division team to grow to over 500 members by the year 2013.  However, the journey so far has not been easy  mainly  because hotel business has evolved beyond expectations in the last one decade.  Today service is the name of the game in this industry.  Rochelle points out that their experience of the past few years has helped them to gauge the needs and requirements of the customers and make them more customer-centric.  Dubai is a cauldron of people of diverse nationalities and their needs and requirements differ.  However, for the well-trained staff  are able to face this challenge with ease and that has given the company a distinct edge over their competitors. 

It is said that success entails lot of hard work, dedication, innovative approach  and willingness to take risks and face challenges. Dunes Hotel Apartment is  armed with all these vital components and in the coming years it is sure to forge ahead with more vitality to strengthen its position in the field.

More about Dunes : http://www.dunesdubai.com/