Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces have identified the Middle East as a priority market for the group's expansion plans, with Dubai to soon welcome two more Taj properties, officials at the 2016 Arabian Travel Market said.

"It is important for Taj to grow in regions that are important feeder markets into India, or are important outbound markets where Indians love to travel. From a global standpoint, Taj's presence in the Middle East is significant for us, given the successful launch of Taj Dubai, and we are only looking to make this stronger through expansion. We are delighted to announce that we have two hotels in the pipeline, which includes a 207 keys Vivanta by Taj, located at Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai, which has been signed by Signature Zinc Holdings; and a 325 keys Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, located at The Palm, Dubai by Arenco Group," revealed Chinmai Sharma, chief revenue officer at Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces.

Sharma also revealed that the group's focus markets in the Middle East included Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, and Bahrain. The group first entered the Middle East in 2015 with its first hotel in the Burj Khalifa Downtown area of Dubai. Taj Dubai opened with 296 guestrooms, including the Taj Club rooms, 20 junior suites and 14 luxury suites. Two lavishly decorated top floor suites - The Presidential Suite and The Maharaja Suite - have private dining and living areas with panoramic views over the Downtown area.

"Taj Dubai has opened to great acclaim; we have seen a tremendous response from both the GCC as well as global travellers and the hotel is seen as a showcase for us to expand further into the region," said Sharma. "This year looks very promising and encouraging and we are looking at clocking in a healthy growth in both occupancies and revenues. Currently we are doing approximately 70 per cent occupancy and this trend should continue.

"We have a great mix of corporate, leisure, and groups business owing to our location. Leisure guests and families love our views of the Burj Khalifa and easy access to the Dubai mall and Dubai fountains. Corporate clients find our complimentary shuttle service to Emaar Square and DIFC very handy, also considering they are just 4-5 minutes away. So we would like to maintain this happy mix," said Jason Harding, area director and general manager at Taj Dubai.

Harding also noted that the hotel has recently seen an increase of arrivals from growing markets such as Africa, Brazil, Iran, and expected the numbers to continue to grow. However, he revealed that these visitors expect more value for the rates they pay. "We remain cautiously optimistic for the coming year, and our focus will be on creating value, extending great service, and delivering on the promise of Taj hospitality that the company is renowned for." Like Harding, Sharma elaborated on the subtle touches that had made the brand popular with visitors in the region. "Taj Dubai with its excellent location, offering stunning and uninterrupted views of Burj Khalifa, global cuisines combined with the legendary hospitality of the Taj, is already becoming a favourite with global and GCC travellers. We receive very good feedback about the hotel, its facilities, global dining options, and the warm and sincere service Taj is known for. Guests have appreciated the subtle Indian touches in our interiors, uniforms, and the warm smiles of our associates who welcome them day after day."