Merweb, the hotel brand of Qatar National Hotels (QNH) hospitality division, is set to open a second property in town in the West Bay area of the city according to plans issued by Parsons International for the State of Qatar.
Close to City Center-Doha shopping mall and the existing Diplomatic Area, it is one of a number of hotels scheduled for the vicinity.
Other new hotels identified on the map are the Hilton, Marriott Courtyard, Marriott Renaissance, Rotana, and Shangri-La. The completed Four Seasons, also in west Bay, is expected to have its official opening in the second quarter of this year.
QNH, which owns The Ritz-Carlton, Doha, Sheraton Doha Hotel and Resort, Doha Marriott, Movenpick Doha and Sealine Beach Resort properties as well as the Doha Club, also manages Al Nakhil (Palm Tree) Island in Doha Bay. It recently announced the development of another QNH property, the Al Sharq Village Resort and Spa.
The QR195 million project is scheduled for opening in the second quarter of 2006 according to QNH chairman Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani.
The property, overlooking Doha Bay and located between the Doha Club and the Oasis Hotel, will be a ‘boutique luxury five-star resort’ and has been designed to blend traditional architecture and modern facilities. A series of pathways or traditional ‘sikkas’ will link various parts of the hotel, resort and spa, while the interiors will all be influenced by traditional Arabic designs.
Facilities at the 160-room property will include standard, twin and king rooms; specialty suites; a presidential suite; a number of villas; a spa with 23 treatment suites; a series of shops resembling a traditional Qatari souq; a range of F&B outlets including a 100-seat all-day-dining restaurant and a Cigar Bar; and entertainment. Six Senses Spas, an award-winning Bangkok-based company, has been selected to develop and operate the spa which, at 5,200 sq m, will be the largest of its kind in the Gulf region, according to QNH officials.
Al Sharq Village Resort and Spa is to be built by Cypriot-based international developers Cybarco in a joint venture with United Construction of Qatar. Cybarco, major developers on the tourist-oriented island of Cyprus, specialise in the construction of hotels and other civil works.
Work has already begun on the site and the project is scheduled for completion by the end of June 2005. Cypriot ambassador to Qatar, George Kassoulides, said, “This is a big project and we are delighted that a Cypriot company is involved.” Cybarco are also working on the construction of the Sheikh Issa Library in Bahrain.