At Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2012, InterContinental Doha The City underscored the prospects for Qatar as the fastest-growing business and leisure destination in the Gulf, drawing on data since its opening earlier this year.
Renzo Cavagliotti, the general manager of InterContinental Doha The City and a regional and international industry veteran, has been delighted by the response to the new property from both business and leisure guests. InterContinental Doha The City has delivered a number of new experiences to Qatar, including the country’s highest dining destination – restaurant and lounge Strata on levels 55 and 56 – as well as the brand’s first long-stay residence suites.
InterContinental Hotels Group launched its second property in Qatar earlier this year with the InterContinental Doha The City. Opening its doors on the February 19, 2012, the hotel brings a new perspective to the luxury hospitality and residential offering from the group in this lucrative and growing market.
Combining bold new concepts with stunning contemporary design, InterContinental Doha The City provides an exciting new place for visitors and residents of Doha and neighbouring countries.
InterContinental Doha The City adds 302 rooms and 58 suites to Qatar’s growing hospitality sector as well as 176 luxurious Residence Suites that include a range of one to four bedroom apartments. With six restaurants and two trendy lounges, the hotel lists its main highlights as: Strata located on levels 55 and 56 as Doha’s highest restaurant and lounge exclusively serving chilled seafood; a Chocolatier, Criollo; an authentic Lebanese restaurant; and a high-end restaurant specializing in the finest steak and grilled meat dishes.
Additionally, there is the exclusive Club InterContinental lounge on level 45 which provides a place for Club InterContinental guests to conduct meetings or simply relax while enjoying complimentary amenities, including a business centre, WIFI and a private boardroom. Leisure facilities include a rooftop swimming pool overlooking Doha’s skyline, a health and fitness club, steam and sauna rooms and male and female whirlpools.
With the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasting 13.2 per cent growth in the tourism sector for Qatar in 2012 and a 50 per cent increase in the number of visitors from neighbouring GCC states in 2011, according to figures released from Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), the country is on an uphill track to become a major travel and tourism hub in the coming years.
With 10 years still to go until Qatar hosts the FIFA 2022 World Cup, Qatar’s hospitality and tourism sector is already thriving. With major global conferences such as the World Petroleum Conference taking place in Doha in December 2011 along with international sporting and cultural events including the Asian Cup Qatar 2011 and the annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival is advancing its strategy to become a key location for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (Mice) sector.