HILTON Hotels Corporation signed a management agreement earlier this year with the New Doha Hotels Company for the Hilton Doha Residence in Qatar, scheduled to open in 2012.
The 288 apartment residence, located in the up-market West Bay business and diplomatic district and close to the Corniche, will be Hilton’s second property in Qatar following the Hilton Doha, currently under development.
“This signing is testament to the importance we place on sound relationships with our owners,” said Ivor McBurney, vice president development, Hilton Hotels, Middle East.
“We are truly delighted to continue working with the New Doha Hotels Company on our second property in Qatar, an important development market for us. The government’s initiative to boost the tourism sector in the region and raise the average length of stay from 1.5 to four days provides us with the perfect market opportunity to launch Hilton Doha Residence,” he said.
The new-build residence will feature approximately 288 studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments. On-site facilities will include a restaurant, health club, outdoor swimming pool and car park.
With an estimated GDP income per capita of $85,867 per annum, Qatar is the richest country in the world. The booming finance, insurance, real estate and business service sectors, in addition to a mammoth oil and gas industry, has resulted in Qatar rapidly becoming a key business and MICE destination with the aim to welcome 1.5 million visitors by next year.
The major infrastructure investments in tourism including the redevelopment of Doha International Airport, the causeway linking Qatar to Bahrain and the development of MICE facilities such as the Doha Convention Centre and the Qatar National Convention Centre have made Qatar an important development market for Hilton.
“The Hilton Doha Residence will incorporate the comforts of home into an upscale hotel experience to offer business and leisure travellers a spacious, convenient and deluxe retreat for their extended stays,” said Dave Horton, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts.
Hilton Hotels has a large brand footprint in the Middle East & Africa with 41 hotels across 13 countries, and another 20 properties in the pipeline. The company will mark its entry into the Qatar market with the 324 room Hilton Doha scheduled to open early in 2010 next to the Hilton Doha Residence.