As the Iran Nuclear agreement heads to Congress after recently receiving approval from the U.N. Security Council, hoteliers are anticipating new avenues for business and tourism. Hotel brands such as Marriott, AccorHotels and Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH) are awaiting news of lifted sanctions in Iran to open more hotels.
Hotelier Middle East reports that in recent years, hotel operators have been dissuaded from extending their brands in Iran due to negative media coverage. Before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, international brands such as Starwood, Hilton, Hyatt and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) operated luxury properties in Tehran.
Rotana Hotel Management Corporation was the first international brand to stake its claim in Iran, even before talks of a deal were in place. The UAE-based corporation opened properties in Tehran in 2013, and currently has four properties in various phases of development.
In the pilgrimage city of Mashhad, Rotana plans to open a 362-room property in 2017 and a 275-room property in 2018. Two more Tehran hotels, a 194-room five-star property and a 210-room four-star property, are planned for 2018. Rotana recognizes a need for hotels in the Persian nation that has experienced many years of isolation.
AccorHotels has also announced intentions to build two properties in the Iranian capital under its Ibis and Novotel brands. The French operator will open a four-star hotel this year, followed by another five-star property nearby. AccorHotels offers the largest number of hotel rooms in Europe.
HMH has a strong tradition of opening properties in the Middle East. It prides itself on being the first hotel chain to offer alcohol-free and halal-friendly lodgings. The management company has a keen interest in Iran, and is anxiously watching the status of sanctions. Marriott International is also looking forward to renewed relations with Iran and the international community.
For its population of approximately 12 million, Tehran offers just 16 four- and five-star properties among its low inventory of 96 hotels. Next door, Dubai has more than 650 hotels. However, numbers of tourists have increased in the last few years. A recent report from TRI Consulting states that 4.8 million tourists arrived in Iran in 2014, a marked increase from 3.1 million visitors in 2010. By 2024, Iran expects 5.2 million visitors.
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