Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
In the GCC's hospitality market, it's the people - not the perks - making the biggest impact.
According to the Hotel Service Index: 2025 GCC Edition, personalised attention, friendly staff, and repeatable excellence are the key factors that keep guests coming back to a hotel - and talking about it.
The index, covering the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain, was released by AI-driven behavioural platform Atiom, a Hub71 startup.
It relied on real-time guest reviews to assess what matters most to today's travellers. The data showed that the highest-rated hotels across the GCC are not necessarily the most luxurious, but the ones that consistently deliver personalised experiences, recognise returning guests, and ensure human connection at every touchpoint.
"Luxury hotels and legacy brand names in hospitality do not top every ranking," the report stated. "Instead, hotels where guest reviews called out great service rose to the top – even at lower-tier hotels."
At the heart of this shift is the human element. In one example, a single staff member at a top-performing hotel was named 14 times in guest reviews.
Moreover, the index found that while service excellence earns guest satisfaction, personalisation prompts guests to leave positive reviews. "Where guests felt personally attended to, positive reviews followed."
"It's never been timelier for MENA's hospitality leaders to consider what drives positive guest experiences as they gear up for a record summer season and growing regional traveller volumes, with markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia forecast to receive over 60 million combined visitors in 2025," Matthew Spriegel, CEO of Atiom, said in a statement.
Among the highest-ranked hotels in the UAE were Vida Emirates Hills, Conrad Dubai, and Radisson Blu Hotel in Ajman.
These were followed by Al Khoury Courtyard Hotel, Vida Dubai Marina and Yacht Club, Rove Trade Centre, Ramada Downtown Dubai, Kempinski The Boulevard Dubai, Fujairah Rotana Resort and Spa, and The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection.
"The UAE has long enjoyed its reputation as the region's hospitality and innovation hub. It's already a mature hospitality market where the competition is fierce," the report stated.
"If your hospitality team can make it in a city like Dubai, they can make it anywhere. Abu Dhabi has also become a fiercely competitive market as more tech firms attract both leisure and business travellers to the area," it added.
In addition to examining hotel performance, the report tracks broader tourism trends across the region.
"The hospitality industry in the GCC and wider MENA region is undergoing a major transformation, presenting a huge opportunity for hoteliers," said Kerry Healy, Chief Commercial Officer for Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and Asia-Pacific (Premium, Midscale, and Economy Brands).
"With rising demand and rapidly evolving guest expectations, today's travellers are seeking highly personalised experiences tailored to their unique needs. In an increasingly competitive landscape, it's more important than ever for hotel leaders to ensure their teams are delivering consistently high service standards and deeply understand what guests expect in each market."
Tourism and hospitality continued to fuel economic momentum in the UAE last year, with the hotel industry posting solid gains.
In April, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, reported that hotel revenues in the country reached approximately Dh45 billion in 2024, marking a 3% year-on-year increase.
Hotel occupancy rates also rose to 78%, placing the UAE among the top performers both regionally and globally.
This growth was supported by the opening of 16 new hotels across the seven emirates in 2024, bringing the total number of hotels in the country to 1,251 by year-end. The number of hotel rooms also climbed to 216,966 by the end of 2024, up 3%.
