THE Four Seasons Doha has embarked on a $10-m refurbishment plan which will see all 232 guest rooms and a restaurant refurbished this summer.
The rooms will be fitted with new carpets, furniture and fittings and are expected to be ready by October. The Brasserie on the Beach outlet will close for summer and reopen in the last quarter of the year with a brand new interior design, as a Southeast Asian fusion venue.
According to general manager Simon Casson: “We have been very fortunate to have owners who are keen to invest. It is vital for the property to keep our assets on top of the market especially since they are looking to maintain and increase market share.”
The revamp follows the hotel’s recent in-room investment which saw flat screen TVs, Bose sound docks and Lavazza espresso machines installed in all rooms.
Casson, who was recently promoted to regional vice president, adds that there is a great sense of positivity in Qatar today and the recent successful World Cup bid has brought much optimism to the country.
“Doha today is a very small tourist market, 90 per cent of the business at the hotels comes from corporate travel. There is a small embryonic tourism sector which is growing. It is still small and the country wants to grow that organically with family-oriented business,” he said.
In his new role as regional vice president, Casson will also oversee the Four Seasons properties in Damascus, Beirut, Amman and Cairo. “Four Seasons is strongly positioned in the region today and our properties here are easily the leading hotels in the markets they operate. Over the years, we have gained a lot of trust in this market and remain committed to the region.”
The recent political unrest in the region has had negative effects on occupancies for the hotel company, though Casson adds that it has varied geographically. “While Riyadh and Doha have had a very strong start to the year, our four hotels in Egypt have been hit heavily as the country goes through its changes and to an extent Syria and Lebanon because of the political transition there. We are keeping a close watch on the region but certainly the first quarter has suffered,” he added.
Four Seasons currently has properties under development in Oman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and a second property in Doha. He adds: “It would be fair to assume there might be some impact with the properties under development in markets like Bahrain. The property there is currently still undergoing construction and I think the next couple of months will give us a clearer picture. We are confident of the markets that we venture into and it is important to remember that with great change comes challenges but great opportunities as well.”
Four Seasons will open its first property in Dubai on a beach front site after initially scrapping plans to open a property at Dubai Festival City.