5 Ways Hotels Drive Growth During Ramadan

Historically, the season of Ramadan has presented a challenge for the hotel industry, as many would-be travelers opt to stay home and spend time with their families and occupancy rates drop.

This recent holiday, however, was full of examples of hotels finding ways to enhance seasonal celebrations for their guests. Many properties and hospitality brands took advantage of the downtime to adopt initiatives that drove brand affinity for their guests, and strengthened internal operational capabilities for their staff.

Here’s how the savviest hoteliers have driven growth this past month:

#1: Special F&B offerings for Iftar & Suhoor

While daytime hours may slow in observance of the holiday, pre-dawn and post-sunset meals remain a time that guests and locals are looking to celebrate with friends, family, and colleagues. Iftar especially is a major event with some celebrants staying out until the early hours of the mornings while hotels help to elevate the occasion with lavish buffets, live music and other festive activities.

For example, the Fairmont Hotel Riyadh Director of Rooms, Yasser Younes, reimagined their dining experience at Che Figata! with a chef’s table in the hotel’s first Ramadan tent. This first-of-its-kind, large-scale Iftar celebration offered guests a compelling reason to choose their property during the holiday.

#2: Staycation deals

This Ramadan saw many hotels promoting staycation packages locally to offer guests a way to indulge without leaving home behind.

For example, the Gulf Hotel Bahrain promoted exclusive room packages at early bird rates through mid-month, inclusive of the Iftar buffet. They also offered group rates for private and corporate Iftar and Suhoor celebrations for up to 400 guests, giving local businesses an opportunity to celebrate with their teams.

#3: Ramadan wellness packages

Indulging during the holiday extends beyond Iftar and Suhoor meals. Guests are also looking to restore and renew with self-care, and your property’s spa could offer an ideal relaxing getaway. This Ramadan, many hotels offered special Ramadan restorative packages for loyalty members, discounts, and more to celebrate with a spa treatment.

The JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, for example, offered 20% off Hammam treatments, facials, and massages throughout the month to attract guests to their Saray Spa for a restful and restorative day.

#4: Ramadan CSR programs

The holy season is a reminder of our connection to our community and the joys of our responsibilities to each other. This year, more and more hoteliers found ways to give back, and help their guests and staff do the same.

Since 2023, Hilton has promoted their “Green Ramadan” in partnership with UNEP West Asia across hotels in Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia to improve local sourcing and reduce food waste. As a part of this initiative, Hilton properties in the region have composted excess food waste, prioritized local food sourcing within a 50-mile radius, promoted plant-based dishes, restricted plastic use, and partnered with local food banks to strengthen their commitment to building better operations for people and the planet.

#5: Team building

Many properties have taken advantage of the slower season to hone their competitive advantage with detailed housekeeping, staff upskilling, technology upgrades, and more. Hotels viewing Ramadan not merely as a seasonal slowdown, but as a chance for internal growth and operational strengthening emerge better equipped to succeed through the coming high season and all year round.

Quote we are pondering:

“Ramadan isn’t about deprivation—it’s about elevation. The hunger is fleeting, but the lessons learned will last forever.” - Unknown

We hope this time has brought the moments of giving, reflection, and growth that your team needed. As Ramadan comes to a close and we look forward to another Eid al-Fitr, now is the ideal time to reflect on how far you’ve come, and what you look forward to achieving in the coming year as we move into the busy season.

There’s never a bad time to hone your competitive advantage. If you’re looking to strengthen your operational capabilities and empower your team with superior tech, we’re here to talk, year round.