A new QR220 million ($54.94 million) Golf Resort and Spa is scheduled to open in Qatar in 2009. Financed by the government’s QSi (Qatar Sports Investment Company) it will be managed by Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces.
The five-star Taj Exotica Golf and Spa Resort, at the Doha Golf Club, is expected to attract both golf and spa enthusiasts as well as visitors seeking luxury and exceptional personalized service. Architects for the project have yet to be appointed but proposals envisage a luxury low-rise boutique hotel complete with a host of world class facilities, including 150 rooms and suites, restaurants and a bar, meeting and conferencing facilities.
QSi is a fully owned entity of the Qatari government and the Qatar National Olympic Committee, with over QAR1.5 billion in assets. Abdulla Khalid Al Qahtani, chairman of QSi said: “Our mission is to develop the reputation and stature of Qatar as a sporting nation through investment in exciting and innovative developments in the world of sports, leisure and entertainment. This investment marks the beginning of a strategic process that will deliver our mission, both in Qatar and abroad. Taj is the ideal company to manage the first of our endeavours in this space, thanks to its history of expertise in hospitality management.”
Al Qahtani said there will be no disruption to the events schedule at the Doha Golf Club while work is underway on the new resort. The golf course at the Doha Golf Club encompasses an area of 150 hectares and includes a renowned PGA standard 18-hole championship course and a 9-hole floodlight academy course.
Raymond N Bickson, managing director and CEO of the Indian Hotels Company Limited said: “We are very excited with this new project, which marks our foray into the golf resort segment in this region. The Taj Exotica Resort & Spa brand is recognised for its luxurious offerings including an elevated degree of service, outstanding food, unique spa concept and uber chic design. We are delighted to partner with Qatar Sports Investment Company for the Taj Exotica Golf Resort and Spa-Doha. Today, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman all form part of a strategic group of countries in the Gulf region. Leisure and hospitality in this region is growing exponentially and it is important for the Taj Hotels to be present in a region which is rapidly morphing into a tourism hub of the future.”
Launching in early 2009, the Taj Exotica Golf and Spa resort will be the first Golf Resort & Spa of its kind in Doha, offering a unique mix of access to Doha’s world-class golf course and a Jiva Grande Club and Spa.
by Gina Coleman