In a hospitality market defined by rising competition and shifting traveller behaviour, Premier Inn Middle East has revealed how it set a regional benchmark for direct digital performance.
With 11 properties across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, the brand set an ambitious goal in the second quarter of 2025 to double its direct bookings to 15 per cent by 30 June, compared with the previous quarter.
Success metrics of the Premier Inn campaign
Partnering with strategic agency Crowd, Premier Inn Middle East didn’t just meet its target, it exceeded it with effectiveness.
In data revealed to Campaign Middle East, the campaign proved to unlock:
- 46 per cent growth in direct website bookings;
- A remarkable 262 per cent lift in booking revenue;
- 124 per cent surge in organic search revenue;
- 126 per cent increase in active site users; and
- 106 per cent spike in overall site traffic.
“This wasn’t a stroke of luck, it was the result of smart planning, deep segmentation and agile marketing execution,” said Liyana D’silva, Director at Crowd and Client Lead for Premier Inn Middle East.
Strategy behind the campaign’s success
Crowd’s creative and media approach zeroed in on three key traveller segments: business professionals, leisure explorers and airport transit guests.
Airport transit guests held special strategic weight, given that Premier Inn’s properties are adjacent to key regional airport hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
As such, the campaign emphasised on book-direct benefits, delivered through the travel-funnel across;
- Social media;
- Google and Meta search platforms;
- Leveraging localised, hyper-segmented messages with creative variants for each traveller type; and
- Using AI-powered automation plugged into the booking engine.
The AI-powered automation boosted retention, reclaiming abandoned carts and retargeted potential customers.
The campaign was activated in regional markets, including the UAE, KSA, India, the UK and Qatar with a wider international rollout following the initial 30 days.
Through the campaign, Crowd helped Premier Inn Middle East check in more guests and check off an entire roadmap of revenue transformation.
“This wasn’t just a media buy, it was a relationship built on trust, innovation and precision,” D’silva said.
She added, “Our collaboration with Triptease and Amadeus gave us the tools to activate this with intention, while the Premier Inn Middle East team’s belief in the strategy made all the difference.”
Simon Leigh, Managing Director at Premier Inn Middle East, echoed that sentiment, saying, “The partnership with Crowd has been brilliant. Together, we’ve built something enduring, an ecosystem of smarter guest relationships, increased direct bookings, and long-term, sustainable growth.”
“Premier Inn Middle East’s success in Q2 2025 is more than an isolated spike, it’s a masterclass in performance-led hospitality marketing,” Leigh added.
With direct bookings no longer an afterthought, brands in the MENA region can view this as a blueprint to reclaim digital ownership, deepen guest loyalty and build commercial resilience.
