MEA hotel leaders prioritize rates, integration and loyalty

By Daniel Okafor

Six commercial leaders from Rotana, Hyatt, Accor, Marriott International and United Hospitality Management have put three priorities at the center of Middle East and Africa hotel strategy for the next 12 months: integrated commercial teams, rate discipline and loyalty-led guest relationships.

HSMAI Middle East & Africa President Mona Faraj gathered their views for the Commercial Strategy Conference MEA 2026, themed “Resilience. Agility. Results. The spirit that defines MEA.” The Nov. 17-18 event at Conrad Dubai follows a year of limited visibility, repeated plan changes and results delivered under pressure.

The leaders behind the strategy

• Sam El Asmar — corporate VP, revenue and distribution, Rotana.
• Ahmed El Meligui — regional VP, sales, revenue and business development, MEA, Hyatt.
• Mark Flower — VP, commercial market strategy, Middle East, Africa & Türkiye, Accor.
• Kiran Kumar — regional director, marketing and communications, Middle East & India, United Hospitality Management.
• Victoria Sertic — senior VP, brand, marketing and loyalty, Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Accor’s Premium, Midscale & Economy businesses.
• Andrew Watson — chief commercial officer, EMEA, Marriott International.

What changes inside the hotel?

Revenue, sales, marketing, digital and distribution must become one data-led commercial function, according to El Meligui: “Sales, revenue, marketing, digital and distribution can no longer operate independently.”

AI will speed integration, but El Asmar and Kumar reject algorithmic final calls. El Asmar sees technology supporting decisions while people interpret markets and set strategy. Kumar said: “I don’t believe AI is going to replace the commercial leader. If anything, I believe experience and judgement will become even more valuable.”

The commercial remit now reaches beyond room revenue. Kumar wants total guest value and total asset profitability, measured across rooms, F&B, wellness and experiences. Flower called the shift from room-centric to total revenue management non-negotiable.

Sharp occupancy declines across the GCC and UAE during the 2026 crisis exposed rooms-only revenue as a vulnerability, Flower said. Properties quickest to stabilize converted lobbies into co-working hubs and launched local lifestyle campaigns under an “Asset Re-Imagined” strategy.

Watson wants broad, segment-based marketing replaced by insight-led demand generation: the right customer, right offer, right moment. Sertic expects transaction management replaced by guest lifetime value and personalized experiences across every touchpoint.

What happens to rates, demand and owner economics?

Discounting remains the central temptation as demand normalizes. Flower urged hotels to resist cutting rates to chase occupancy: price cuts create little demand when safety concerns restrict travel and dilute brand value. His answer pairs firm pricing with targeted loyalty offers, lifestyle packages and total revenue management.

Flower said Accor’s combination of pricing discipline and targeted offers contributed to a 60% increase in weekend occupancy and 16.7% growth in domestic UAE demand during the crisis. Kumar frames the next 12 months as cautiously optimistic and commercially disciplined: generate the right business at the right price and cost, not merely fill rooms and close the month.

El Asmar expects new supply in key Middle East markets to pressure rates and share despite strong demand, prompting sharper segmentation, pricing and channel mix. Sertic calls MEA and APAC travel demand incredibly strong, supported by growing middle classes, connectivity and destination investment, but says competition demands distinction.

Watson cites EMEA growth in luxury, branded residences, safaris, domestic travel and midscale, alongside experience-driven expectations. He favors customer insight, loyalty, localized strategies and brand strength.

Flower and El Meligui expect shorter booking windows and more regional demand. Domestic and intra-regional travel, MICE, events and loyalty create opportunity, while international demand can recover quickly. Hotels must know source markets and unite sales, revenue, digital and marketing.

What does this change for MEA hotel operators?

For operators, the change is an owner-economics model rather than a room-fill model: forecast demand, protect rate, integrate commercial decisions and use loyalty to widen each guest’s value.

El Meligui defines resilience as staying focused through change, agility as changing the plan quickly and results as disciplined execution. Flower sees resilience in protecting brand value and trust; agility means shifting investment, activating loyalty channels and launching targeted offers.

Victoria Sertic and Andrew Watson pair long-term brand and loyalty building with fast, decisive responses to changing customer behavior.

El Asmar ties resilience to strategies that survive demand shifts and results to measurable value, requiring forecasting, faster decisions and alignment across revenue, sales, marketing and distribution. Sertic extends this to loyalty and operations; Kumar expects separate departmental targets to disappear.

Watson measures results through profitable revenue growth, stronger channel mix and loyalty engagement. Kumar says activity is not impact; the test is profitable revenue, better customer value and owner value.

The debate continues at the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference MEA 2026 (CSC MEA 2026) on Nov. 17-18 at Conrad Dubai. The program offers 18 hours of learning across 40 sessions, nine content formats, 65-plus speakers, seven ROCKSTAR award finalists and four hours of networking for sales, marketing, revenue management and distribution leaders.

• Destination partner: Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
• Platinum partners: Amadeus, Global Hotel Alliance and Yango Ads.
• Gold partners: JBR, Plusgrade and RateGain.
• Educational partners: Glion and Les Roches.
• Cocktail reception: Blastness.

For operators, the next 12 months will test whether unified teams can convert stronger regional demand into profitable revenue without surrendering rate or customer trust.