Cristal Hotels and Resorts, one of Abu Dhabi’s fastest growing hotel chains, has announced that it has achieved one of the highest month-to-date occupancy rate among Abu Dhabi's 4-star and 5-star hotels, garnering 84 per cent average occupancy in January 2010. The figure is in line with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority's (ADTA) 10 per cent growth forecast in hotel guests in the emirate this year. Abu Dhabi accommodated around 1.5 million hotel guests in 2009, which according to ADTA will grow to 2.3 million by 2012 when the emirate's hotel capacity reaches over 27,000 rooms.

Cristal Hotels and Resorts' surge to the top of the rankings is a significant achievement as it outperformed more well-established 5-star hotels despite having started operations only in July 2009. Month-to-date occupancy of 5-star properties, most of which have been in the market for more than 10 years, stood at 76 per cent during the same period. Moreover, after its opening, Cristal Hotels and Resorts was able to achieve an average occupancy of 80.35% from August 31 to December 31, 2009.

Peter Blackburn, General Manager, Cristal Hotel Abu Dhabi, said: "2009 was a remarkable year for us despite starting operations only around the third quarter and we are pleased to have carried the momentum through to 2010. As UAE residents and citizens often prefer to stay in local brand hotels, Cristal Hotel has introduced a new brand of hospitality with a distinct local taste, which has been a key factor in our consistently strong market performance."

"The high-level occupancy we have achieved is a strong manifestation of how our guests appreciate our efforts to maintain the exceptional quality of our hotel offerings and services. On account of Cristal Hotel's key focus on business tourism, we are particularly pleased to have seen an increasing number of business guests over the past few months. With government-led tourism initiatives expected to boost room demand in 2010 and beyond, we are confident that Cristal Hotel's growing reputation as a quality-driven hospitality destination will enable us to sustain our strong performance in line with the increasing market demand," added Blackburn.

Located at the heart of Abu Dhabi's business district, the 4-star Cristal Hotel caters to both business guests and tourists and is one of the few completely dry hotels in Abu Dhabi. Cristal Hotel offers a total of 192 rooms and suites, all equipped with high-speed internet connectivity, executive desk and IDD interactive telephone with voice mail. Other premium facilities of Cristal Hotel include an executive lounge, the exclusive Cristal Spa, an in-door swimming pool, sauna, and a beauty salon.

Cristal Hotel is also fully equipped with a full range of business facilities, including a business centre with full secretarial services and touch-screen workstations, five multi-purpose meeting and conference rooms, an executive lounge, and state-of-the-art audio visual equipment. In addition, the meeting rooms and business centre offer an excellent view of the city's skyline.