Work is already under way for a new extension to the Ramada Hotel Doha which, once completed, will make it the largest hotel in Doha, the fifth largest hotel in the Gulf and the largest Ramada in the world.
In March, a large tent, decorated with arches of red and white balloons, was set up on the site of the extension to receive VIPs and guests for the groundbreaking ceremony. A set of gaily beribboned shovels stood ready, and the Ramada’s Resident Engineer set up a cunning automatic device to break a bottle of ‘sparkly’ to mark the actual first turning of the soil. Just like the tradition for the naming and launch of a new ship.
Speaking at the beginning of the groundbreaking ceremony, general manager Gordon MacKenzie said that the extension will have 237 rooms, including suites, condominiums, and two penthouses. The average room size throughout the extension, he said, will be 50.2 sq m, and there will be various types of room decoration – from full service to minimalistic.
There will be three banqueting suites, each capable of up to 250 persons, two hospitality suite bars and six restaurants. The restaurants will be, a Chinese, a Balti, to complement the hotel’s Chingari restaurant, a fine-dining vegetarian, a bistro, a fish restaurant and finally, a steak house.
MacKenzie is joined by VIPs for the groundbreaking ceremony for the new extension