Time Hotels’ Global Expansion Plans & GCC Growth: Exclusive Interview with COO William Costley
[Music] [Applause] hello I’m with William with time hotels in fhas 2024 in Dubai William how are you doing this morning very good thank you yeah it’s um as usual it’s a beautiful day in Dubai and it’s great to be FHS uh as time this is one of our strategic events that we continue to participate in um this year so far been in Saudi and now obviously back here in Dubai so yeah it’s great to be here tell me why this FH is so important for you this for well I think that there’s a couple of things within time uh this is a local homegrown brand which started in 2012 so it’s 12-y old brand and uh basically um it was predom l a residence and apartment uh Hotel pland okay but over the years we’ flourished out and uh we’ve had great success to grow the company uh we’re now based not just in Dubai but in other Emirates as well we’re in charia we’re also Market yeah we’re in uh Egypt we’re in Saudi Arabia we’re in Qatar we have a hotel in Liberia um as well and we have others coming in Morocco and later on this afternoon we will be making an announcement of our a very exciting announcement for us it will be our first venture outside of the GCC I hope ttw can break that yeah well it’s coming it’s coming 4:00 there’ll be an announcement okay William Tell me what kind of properties you have and you were managing in GCC Market sure well as I mentioned we did have residences and apartments was predominant where we started but now we have uh you’d say upper scale and upper upper scale BR uh hotels uh um we have uh predominantly City hotels um but recently in the last couple of years we expanded into Resorts we have a resort hotel in Egypt and actually two new hotels coming on board will be actually Resort Hotels also so this will compliment apartment residences City hotels and now a very exciting Adventure will be into residences and we’ve also um signed a couple of res uh hotels resort and City hotel in s Rec as well which will be formally announced in the coming weeks also so it’s a real pivotal time where our growth is exponentially growing and one of the reasons is when you’re a smaller company you you have to work harder to get hotels the big the big chains people normally call them MH um but we’re at this stage now because we’re so well known in the market that what we’re seeing is more investors coming directly to us which which is very exciting because it demonstrates the maturity of our brand in the GCC and hopefully now moving out of the GCC to other geographies so William Tell me when you mentioned you have properties like apartment and service apartment so do you get long stay guest or it’s only for the business people for a few nights they stay well it really depends on the location um in Dubai uh our Hotel and Residences because of their location they are close to obviously corporate and Leisure you know but people come to Dubai and actually sometimes for example GCC guests prefer to stay in an apartment than a hotel because there’s no alcohol it’s dry there’s large space they come with big extended families so actually residences and apartments especially in Dubai complement both shorty predominant Leisure M and corporate for long stay people as well so we have a mixture in our residences and apartments purely because of the Dynamics of Dubai okay the family leisure destination GCC but also people corporate who are here for 6 months or more on projects as well so we get the best of both worlds okay so uh tell me what are your key markets from where your main customers are coming to your properties and how they book it they book through which what kind of channels sure well again it really depends on theel on this location as well um obviously online is is very important to any business be it directly to our time hotels.com website obviously the big OTAs play an integral role um in my previous job uh international company we call them Frenemies okay because we have to work with them right you cannot live without them so online is important um obviously for some of our hotels the big um destination management tour operators are very important be online or offline as well um and of course we have the corporate guests as well who will come direct we have dedicated sales teams who focus on that part of the market so it’s very much you cannot depend on one segment for your business you must have a diversity for sure especially with seasonality as well so sometimes of the year a particular Market or a particular region be it GCC or be at Europe for the Leisure business or India which is very much both Leisure and corporate as well okay so diversity and Geographic origin of business is important but as well as the booking um engines be it direct or online are very important as well so we focus on having diversity you cannot depend on one booking Channel or one go uh for your business these days and what kind of travel events do you participate in B2B or b2c or both we do both for example we were an ITP in Berlin we’re an ATM um here in Dubai Dubai recently we’re being in FHS in Saudi we were in a great Market yeah we were in ah actually in uh uh wind hook recently for investment in Africa and also obviously here FHS and Saudi so it’s important to be as many places as possible one to continue to establish the brand as a regional player uh and two it’s great for networking and for investing to meet direct um as well as more ATM where it’s more um B2B but the commercial site right uh being the CEO of the company of the time hotels what’s your vision for next 10 years well one of the key Visions is to grow the company um you you must you must grow the company for it to be competitive and if you’re not growing someone else is growing so our number one goal is to grow the company I’m looking that we should go from our current 20 properties definitely we want to grow to 100 hotels wow um which sounds a lot but as I mentioned now companies and investors are coming direct we will probably sign six hotels definitely even by the end of this year okay and we have at least 30 other leads in a pipeline that we’re working on so although it sounds a massive growth to be honest with you um I think is realistic and uh and that’s a Target which we feel confident in and we’re investing in infrastructure to support it be people in particular um because you need the existing operating hotels to do well to then attract other investors that we can look after their assets and give them a good return for investment good good luck and thank you very much for talking to travel and World Willam thank you it’s lovely to see you thank you thank you thank you
In this exclusive interview, William Costley, Chief Operating Officer, Time Hotels , discusses the brand’s ambitious expansion plans and strategic focus at the Future Hospitality Summit 2024 (FHS) in Dubai. Founded in 2012, Time Hotels has grown from its initial base in Dubai to a multi-country presence across the GCC, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and beyond. William shares exciting news of Time Hotels’ first venture outside the GCC, with a major announcement to be made soon.
Time Hotels started primarily as a residence and serviced apartment brand, focusing on long-stay guests, but over the years, it has expanded into upscale city hotels and resorts. With properties now in major regional markets such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Time Hotels is continuing to diversify its offerings, entering new geographies and exploring the resort and leisure segment.
A key highlight of this interview is Time Hotels’ vision for massive growth—expanding from 20 properties to 100 in the next decade. William Costley, Chief Operating Officer, Time Hotels discusses how smaller, nimble companies like Time Hotels are now being approached directly by investors, which signals the brand’s maturity and success in the highly competitive hospitality sector. This growth strategy is supported by the company’s robust infrastructure, investments in people, and strategic focus on core markets.
William Costley, Chief Operating Officer, Time Hotels also sheds light on Time Hotels’ customer base, which spans long-stay guests, corporate clients, and leisure travelers. The brand’s properties, particularly its serviced apartments, are favored by GCC guests for their family-friendly nature, large spaces, and dry environments. Time Hotels continues to cater to a wide range of guests through multiple booking channels, including direct online bookings and OTAs (Online Travel Agencies).
He emphasizes the importance of participating in industry-leading events such as the Future Hospitality Summit, ITB Berlin, and ATM Dubai, which allow Time Hotels to network with investors, establish brand credibility, and expand business opportunities.
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1 Comment
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