CONSTRUCTION is advancing well on Al Sharq Village Resort and Spa, owned by Qatar National Hotels (QNH).
The resort, between the Doha Club and the Marriott hotel, is on the edge of Doha Bay and close to the airport. It is the first resort in the country to have been designed in a way that reflects local architecture, Qatari culture and traditions, yet offers state-of-the-art facilities. It is being developed as a unique luxury ‘boutique’ style five-star resort and will include 160 rooms, a Six Senses Spa; the reconstruction of a traditional Qatari Souq or market; food and beverage and entertainment outlets. Rooms will include Standard Twin and king Rooms and a Presidential Suite and the resort is being built as a series of villas that will house the guestrooms, together with a main building for receptions and major functions. It is scheduled to open this May.
Meanwhile, the Al Sadd Merweb Hotel is being renovated and repositioned as a four-star business hotel. Also owned by QNH, the property, on Al Sadd Street, is only a couple of years old. New interior décor has resulted in both rooms and public areas having more character and a welcoming air, colour replacing the uniform off-white. Linen has also been upgraded in the rooms, with duvets replacing blankets and sheets, more pillows and indeed a choice of pillow-type. (Regular guests can register their preferences for future visits.) The restaurant, and its international buffet have also been revamped to offer greater choice. The hotel has its own bar and nightclub, Cloudnyn, and incorporates a large Coffee Beanery outlet.
High speed Internet access and wireless internet access are also new features that will be attractive to business travelers. And located as it is, in the heart of the shopping district and in easy walking distance to banks, restaurants, shopping malls and major corporate offices, it also avoids the necessity of becoming embroiled in traffic jams!
QNH’s strength in the Qatari hotels and tourist sector is illustrated in particular by its possession of more than 50 per cent of the higher-quality hotels rooms in the country and its ownership of almost all of Qatar’s high-profile leisure facilities.