Eng. Mohamed Shimy follows up on work at the construction site of an annex to the Steigenberger El Lessan hotel to add 62 rooms
Damietta Governor: El Lessan hotel achieves occupancy rates of up to 100% during the summer season
During his visit to Damietta Governorate, Eng. Mohamed Shimy, Minister of Public Business Sector, made a field visit to follow up on the progress of work at a number of hotel establishments and projects affiliated with the Holding Company for Tourism and Hotels in the city of Ras El Bar, accompanied by Dr. Ayman El-Shehaby, Governor of Damietta, as part of the state's plan to support tourism infrastructure and attract investment to this vital sector.
During the visit, the minister and the governor inspected the final preparations of the new Hotac Arakan hotel ahead of its opening in the coming period. The hotel is being implemented in partnership between the Holding Company for Tourism and Hotels and Arakan Hotels and Tourist Resorts Management Company, at an investment cost of about EGP 125 million. The hotel consists of a basement, a ground floor, a mezzanine and four typical floors with a capacity of 60 hotel rooms, and is classified as a 3-star hotel.
The minister's tour also included an inspection of the Steigenberger El Lessan hotel and its private beach in Ras El Bar, which enjoys a unique location where the Nile River meets the Mediterranean Sea. Owned by the Holding Company for Tourism and Hotels, it is the first 5-star hotel in the central Delta. It opened in December 2019 and has 153 rooms and suites, consisting of a basement, a ground floor and five floors, in addition to various facilities including conference and banquet halls, restaurants, cafes, a private beach and a swimming pool. The minister praised the hotel's standard and the quality of services provided to guests and visitors.
During the tour, attended by Amr Attia, Managing Director of the Holding Company for Tourism and Hotels, the minister was briefed on the construction site of a new annex to the El Lessan hotel, which is set to add 62 rooms and suites to the hotel's capacity, meeting the growing demand for high-end tourist accommodation in Ras El Bar. The project is expected to be completed and opened by 2027.
The minister stressed that the El Lessan hotel represents a true success story in investing in one of the most important and unique tourist sites on Egypt's map, making it an exceptional destination and a top-class tourist attraction. He added: “We are working to maximize the investment value of this distinguished hotel by implementing a new annex project that responds to growing demand and boosts capacity. The hotel is also a successful model of partnership with international management companies and one of the strategic assets we are keen to develop in line with the state's vision of upgrading tourism infrastructure and stimulating local and foreign investment.”
Shimy explained that these projects come as part of the Ministry of Public Business Sector's plan to develop tourism and hotel assets, maximize their returns and add new capacity, especially in promising tourist cities such as Ras El Bar. He stressed the state's interest in the tourism and hospitality sector as one of the sectors with a direct impact on the national economy and job creation, affirming the ministry's continued efforts to maximize the benefit from hotel assets and develop them in cooperation with major investors and international management companies, and to build new hotels in the Delta region.
For his part, the Governor of Damietta stressed that developing the tourism sector in the governorate, particularly in Ras El Bar, is one of the top priorities given the city's unique tourism assets, noting that the governorate is highly keen on having multiple hotel units at different levels and on maximizing the use of assets to support this important sector, given the large and growing influx of tourist groups the city receives from inside and outside Egypt. He revealed that the El Lessan hotel sees occupancy rates of up to 100% during the summer season, which prompted expansions to the hotel by adding an extension to the currently available space. According to the official Facebook page of the Egyptian Cabinet.
