Learn more
Learn more
The UAE hotel market had another big year in 2025, and it has made picking a PR partner harder, not easier. Dubai welcomed 19.59 million international overnight visitors, its third record year in a row, with hotel occupancy averaging 80.7% across more than 154,000 rooms (Khaleej Times). Abu Dhabi recorded 26.6 million visitors and hotel revenues of Dh9.1 billion, up 19.5% (Gulf News).
More rooms and more openings mean more noise. In 2026 a new hotel, beach club or restaurant in Dubai is competing with dozens of launches in the same quarter, and editors, creators and guests have learned to tune most of it out. The agencies that earn attention now are the ones with a clear idea, real media relationships and the discipline to measure what happened afterwards. This guide sets out how to judge them, then lists agencies worth a conversation, in alphabetical order.
Ask for hotel, F&B and destination work the agency has led in the last two years, with the people who did it still on staff. A launch, a repositioning and an always-on press office are three different skills. Check which ones the agency has actually done.
The three emirates have different media, different audiences and different calendars. Abu Dhabi has its own cultural and events rhythm, and Sharjah leans towards family, heritage and regional travellers. An agency that only knows Dubai lifestyle press may not serve a resort in Saadiyat or a heritage stay in Sharjah.
The best hospitality PR starts with a reason for people to talk: a concept, a moment, a partnership or a story only your venue can tell. Ask each agency what it would make happen, not just who it would send the release to.
Ask how they report. Coverage counts are a start, but you want reach, share of voice, booking or footfall signals where they exist, and a plain explanation of what paid support, if any, sat behind the results.
Your guests come from the GCC, India, Europe, Russia and beyond. Look for an agency that can work Arabic-language media and creators as well as the international travel press that feeds inbound demand.
Ask who will run your account week to week, how many other clients they hold, and how often you will see the founder or director once the contract is signed.
Listed alphabetically. Every agency here has a real track record in the market. The right fit depends on your brief, budget and audience.
Retainers vary widely with scope, from a lean press office for a single restaurant to a multi-market program for a hotel group. Ask for a fee broken down by people and hours so you can compare like with like.
Yes, ideally six to nine months out. Pre-opening is when the story, the media calendar and the first-look moments get built. Starting a month before the doors open leaves little room for anything beyond a launch release.
Usually not. Most agencies here cover the whole UAE from Dubai. What matters is whether they have current relationships with the media and creators who matter to your specific emirate and guest.
It means building ideas that people choose to talk about, in press, on social and in person, rather than relying on paid placements. Paid support can still play a part, but it amplifies something that already works on its own.
We Are Example's Middle East hub in Dubai works with hotels, venues and drinks brands across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the wider GCC. If you are weighing up partners, you can see how we work on our Dubai PR agency page.
