Hotel occupancy rates in Dubai have fallen by as much as 25% this month, prompting a bout of heavy discounts.

Many middle-market hotels and those that rely on business visitors are experiencing occupancy rates of 70%, down from the high 90s in December last year.

'The extended honeymoon is over,' said Habib Khan, the chief executive of Planet Group, which owns and manages three mid-level hotels in Dubai.

The National