19.08.2008
Hotels
Accommodation for a new world-class destination
Doha is establishing itself as a world-class business centre. Qatar’s economy has grown at a rate of 15% over the past five years and this growth is expected to continue.
Qatar’s strategy is to diversify its economic base beyond hydrocarbons and into multiple industry sectors. The Qatar Master Plan to 2025 envisions Qatar “as the academic centre, sports centre, and major tourist centre of the Middle East.”
To achieve this vision, Doha is expanding its hotel and accommodations infrastructure dramatically and rapidly.
An example of the extraordinary projects in Qatar is the Lusail Development, which will cover 35 square kilometres and accommodate more than 200,000 new residents and includes more than 17 new hotels.
Doha has 17,964 rooms available today, primarily in the 4- and 5-star hotels and deluxe apartment-hotel categories. The Doha Port also has fully-equipped berths for cruise ships to accommodate a minimum of 6,000 additional visitors at the highest international standards.
According to the Qatar Tourism Authority, a total of 22 new hotels will open by the summer of 2008 alone, including nine five-star hotels with 2,370 rooms and thirteen 4-star hotels with 2,454 rooms.
By the summer of 2009, 25% of planned 5-star hotel rooms and 39% of planned 4-star hotel rooms will be complete and open to guests, and by 2011, 12,027 new rooms in 4-star and 5-star categories will be completed.
In all, 48 new 5-star hotels with 13,151 rooms, 41 new 4-star hotels with 8,829 rooms, and nine 3-star hotels with 2001 rooms are planned and will be ready well in advance of 2016, regardless of the IOC’s selection of a Host City for 2016. Additionally, 10,452 apartment-hotel rooms are planned.
The Media Village at Qatar University will accommodate 18,000 media and 4,000 members of the Games workforce. Of the 82,852 rooms that will ready before 2016, 87% will be located within 10 km of the Games Centre.