For many UAE residents, staying home this Eid holiday and traveling later is the best option

Dubai: Holiday at home this week – travel in August. That appears to be on the minds of many UAE residents, who would prefer to spend the Eid al-Adha holiday next week in a nearby hotel or resort. And save money on travel and the summer rush that comes with it.

Even a staycation won’t come cheap, with two nights in the country’s top hotels costing Dh3,000 or more during Eid.

Beachfront hotels in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah saw the biggest increases, as expected, according to travel aggregator Booking.com. Mainly driven by demand from UAE residents (and GCC tourists) to stay at home, hoteliers say room rates are up 10-15% compared to May.

The average room rate in Dubai for bookings between 28 and 30 June ranges from AED 1,965 to AED 3,510 (taxes excluded).

The combination of Eid al-Fitr and the upcoming school summer holidays has triggered a surge in demand for stay-at-home holidays. Schools in the UAE will close for the summer after June 22, and hotels are preparing to increase occupancy to at least 80% and above for the Eid al-Fitr season of demand.

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With Eid al-Adha approaching the summer holidays, we expect demand for stay-at-home holidays to remain strong.

– David Garner, Vice President Commercial, Middle East and Africa, Minor Hotels

The hotel also has a special offer for UAE residents staying at home until 2 September. “The average daily booking rate (ADR) in May was AED 650,” said Raj Shetty, founder of Ramee Dream and Ramee Group.

Properties in the Palm Jumeirah and some inner-city properties, especially in downtown Dubai, charge between Dh1,900 and Dh3,600 for a two-night stay. Beachfront hotels in Ras Al Khaimah range from AED 1,260 to AED 2,100 for a basic double room for Eid accommodation. Abu Dhabi hotels charge between AED 1,354 and AED 3,000 for long weekends. (Off-peak room rates at these hotels range from AED 850 to AED 1,650.)

According to Dubai Tourism, the average occupancy rate for hotels and hospitality in the city was 79.8 percent between January and April, making it one of the highest in the world. Room capacity in Dubai has increased by 26% so far this year.

Five-star and four-star hotels in Dubai had the highest occupancy rates at 78% and 80% respectively.

Murielle Morillon, director of sales and marketing at Novotel, ibis World Trade Center and ibis One Central, said beach hotels and resorts were always the most popular choice for families during Eid.

Decisions to stay home, especially during Eid, are often made at the last minute as guests actively browse for tempting deals. We expect the stay-at-home market to take a large share during Eid.

– Muriel Morillon

Some families also like to explore hotel accommodations in Ras Al Khaimah, Al Ain and Fujairah during their holidays, Shetty said. Despite the significant growth in room inventory in the UAE market, hotels remain optimistic about the opportunities, especially given the rising demand from international and domestic tourists.

“We are actively exploring diversification into new markets and seeking new areas of growth,” Garner said. “Markets such as South America, Israel and our traditional core European markets are showing great potential as the Emirates network expands.”