Swissôtel to open 1,624-room hotel in Mecca

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to open its second property in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca.

The company – part of the FRHI Hotels & Resorts portfolio – said it has entered into an agreement with Sarah Towers to manage the 1,624-room Swissôtel Al Maqam.

Located in the Abraj Al Bait complex – part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment project – the hotel will overlook the Masjid Al Haram, the largest mosque in the world and the Ka’aba.

Along with the 1,624 guestrooms and suites, which range from 32 to 84 square metres in size, Swissôtel Al Maqam will also offer a couple of food and beverage options.

Al Khayraat, an all-day dining restaurant, will be able to accommodate over 3,000 guests in one seating, making it one of the largest restaurants in the world, a statement said. Masharif Tea Lounge will serve oriental and worldwide culinary options.

The new hotel is expected to open in September 2016 and will aim to cater to hajj visitors.

“Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest growing tourism sectors in the Middle East and is a country that continues to diversify with a strong focus on religious and business opportunities,” said senior vice president, operations, Middle East, Africa and India for FRHI Sami Nasser.

Swissôtel Al Maqam will be flanked by other FRHI properties already within the complex including Raffles Makkah Palace and Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower, in addition to Swissôtel Makkah, with the entire complex currently housing the largest number of guestrooms within the Abraj Al Bait complex.

“Given the success we’ve enjoyed within our tri-branded hotel complex in Makkah, we are delighted to be expanding our footprint in this region with another extraordinary property,” added Nasser.

Swissôtel Al Maqam is FRHI’s ninth project in the kingdom.

FRHI is expanding its portfolio in Saudi Arabia with hotels under development including Swissôtel, Raffles and Fairmont hotels in Jeddah – all slated to open before 2020.

The Fairmont Riyadh, Business Gate will also open in early 2017.

The Swissôtel brand is also expanding across the Middle East with Swissôtel Citystars Sharm El Sheikh and a property in ‘New Cairo’ – Swissôtel Katameyah planned within the next five years.

In total, Swissôtel’s parent company operates 19 hotels and more than 7,000 guestrooms in the Middle East, Africa and India region with another 19 hotels in varying stages of development.