From Beach Day Passes to AI Pricing: DoubleTree Marjan Island's New Revenue Playbook

How DoubleTree Marjan Is Rewriting the Hotel Revenue Mix in RAK

Across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ras Al Khaimah, hotels are under pressure to grow beyond the classic room-and-F&B split. At DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island, commercial director Sunil Damani is clear on the approach: evolve with the guest, sharpen positioning, and monetize assets that used to sit idle. The goal is simple - build a balanced P&L that holds up in both peak and shoulder periods.

Shift the revenue mix

Rooms and F&B still carry the weight, but ancillary streams are pulling more than ever. A revamped beach area has driven paid day-pass demand across direct and third-party channels. Brunch activations and curated romantic dining are winning with residents and weekend visitors. Wellness is steady too - the spa delivers dependable off-peak revenue when treatment rooms typically sit empty.

Minimum spend as strategy

Minimum spend policies can feel controversial, but used well, they set the tone and filter demand. At DoubleTree Marjan, they help secure the right guest profile, keep the ambience high, and ensure the experience matches expectations. The financial lift pairs with perceived exclusivity - a double win for F&B and recreation.

The RAK guest has changed

With Ras Al Khaimah backing luxury, adventure, and sustainability-led projects, the guest mix is moving upmarket. More affluent, experience-led travelers are extending stays and spreading spend across dining, wellness, and partner excursions. Think Jebel Jais attractions, signature events, and retreat-style itineraries. For context on the destination's direction, see RAKTDA's official updates here.

Memberships and loyalty that pay

Hilton Honors continues to drive repeat business at a brand level. Locally, resident memberships keep cash flow steady through low seasons. Spa access, the beach gym, and wellness bundles turn underused assets into recurring revenue and deepen community ties.

Events as a demand engine

As the official hotel partner for the RAK Marathon, UAE Cycling Tour, and RAK Triathlon, the property benefits from sharp spikes in rooms, F&B, and bespoke activations. These partnerships also build destination credibility and lock the hotel into RAK's growing sports and lifestyle calendar. The lesson: own the weekends and shoulder periods with repeatable event playbooks.

AI-driven optimisation (without the hype)

Hilton's AI-driven revenue systems help the property price rooms in real time using live demand, market trends, and competitor signals. F&B and events still rely more on market feedback than full automation, but broader AI usage is on the way. If your team needs practical upskilling on AI for pricing, analytics, and marketing workflows, explore curated course lists here.

What's next: responsible gaming, MICE, and new source markets

Responsible gaming projected for 2027 will open doors to new source markets, including China, India, Israel, and KSA. Expect more MICE and business event traffic as RAK builds toward a conference and exhibition hub. Generic offerings and seasonal pricing won't hold. Precision, value-led experiences, and niche audience plays will win share.

Action plan for commercial teams

• Audit your non-room assets (beach, spa, gyms, cabanas). Package them for day passes, memberships, and off-peak bundles.
• Set minimum spend by time block and zone. Calibrate with demand data and protect ambience during peak windows.
• Design two hero dining activations (e.g., brunch and romantic dining) with strong resident appeal and third-party distribution.
• Build a resident membership with clear tiers: spa access, fitness, beach gym, and loyalty-style perks.
• Map the event calendar (sports, culture, business). Create rate fences, F&B pop-ups, and wellness add-ons for each event.
• Use AI-enabled dynamic pricing for rooms; for F&B/events, start with dashboards and weekly tests on price, portion, and bundles.
• Prepare for responsible gaming and MICE: multilingual pages, tailored packages, and partner excursions ready to upsell.
• Track a simple KPI set: Rooms RevMix %, Ancillary RevPAR, Spa Utilization (off-peak), Day-Pass Conversion, Event Weekend ADR vs. baseline.

The message is clear: diversify smartly, protect your positioning, and turn every asset into a product. That's how you build a P&L that compounds across the year - no matter the season.