Katara Hospitality

Katara Hospitality, formerly known as Qatar National Hotels Company, is the largest hotel owner, developer and operator in Qatar.[3] It is government-owned.[4] As of 2016, the company owns properties in Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United States, Switzerland, Spain and Thailand.[5] The company has a portfolio of 40 hotels in mid-2019.[6]

Katara Hospitality
TypeState-owned enterprise
IndustryHospitality
Founded1970 (as Qatar National Hotels Limited)
1993 (as Qatar National Hotels Company)
2012 (as Katara Hospitality)
Headquarters
Doha
,
Qatar
Key people
Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari (Chairman)[1]
OwnerQatar Investment Authority[2]
Websitewww.katarahospitality.com

History

The company was originally formed in 1970 as Qatar National Hotels Limited (QNH). In 1973, Marriott Hotel, then known as Gulf Hotel and owned by QNH, became the country's five-star hotel.[7] In 1993, this company was replaced by Qatar National Hotels Company.[8] In 2012, it was rebranded under its current form, Katara Hospitality.[9] 'Katara' derives its name from the common spelling used for 'Qatar' by ancient cartographers.[3]

World Travel Awards named Katara Hospitality as the "World's Leading Hospitality Company" in 2013, 2014 and 2015.[10]

Activities

Several Qatar-based hotels are owned by the company, and there are many projects currently in construction. Hotels operating in Qatar include Al Messila, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Doha, Mövenpick Hotel Doha, Sealine Beach, a Murwab Resort, Sharq Village & Spa, Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, Simaisma, a Murwab Resort, Somerset West Bay Doha, The Avenue, a Murwab Hotel and The Ritz-Carlton, Doha.[11]

Katara Hospitality opened Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel in 1982.[12] In a partnership with the premier Spanish football division, La Liga, Katara Hospitality launched the first-ever "La Liga lounge" at the Sheraton Resort in Doha in March 2017.[13]

Properties

In 2012, Katara had a portfolio of 24 hotels.[14] By mid-2017, the company had increased its portfolio to 40 hotels.[6]

  • Qatar: Al Bayt Hotel Apartments by Murwab, Al Messila, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Doha, City Gate Hotel, Dana Club, Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas, Hotel Park, Jouri, a Murwab Hotel, Fairmont and Raffles Doha, Lusail Marina District, Mövenpick Hotel Doha, Rixos Beach Resort, Qetaifan Island North, Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha, Sealine Beach, a Murwab Resort, Sharq Village & Spa, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, Simaisma, a Murwab Resort, Somerset West Bay Doha, The Avenue, a Murwab Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Doha, The West House Hotel & Residence.
  • Switzerland: Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne, Hotel Schweizerhof – Bern.
  • France: Carlton Cannes, Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris, Maison Delano, The Peninsula Paris
  • Italy: Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan, The Westin Excelsior Rome
  • UK: Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel, The Adria, The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel
  • The Netherlands: InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam
  • Spain: InterContinental Madrid
  • Morocco: Fairmont Tazi Palace, Tangier
  • Egypt: Renaissance Sharm El Sheikh Golden View Beach Resort
  • Thailand: Chiva-Som
  • Singapore: Raffles Hotel Singapore
  • US: Dream Downtown, The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel

Africa

Katara Hospitality's first international investment came in 2006, under its previous identity, Qatar National Hotels Company (QNH). That year, it acquired Egypt's Renaissance Sharm El Sheikh Resort.[15]

In April 2010, QNH signed a deal with the Comoran government to build a $70 million hotel resort in Comoros. The deal came after a donors conference geared towards Comoros was hosted by Qatar in March 2010.[16]

Morocco and the QNH signed a $55 million deal in November 2011 to refurbish the Tazi Palace, located in Tangier.[17]

In Gambia, the company signed a deal with the Gambian government in October 2012 to build a $200 million resort next to Banjul, the capital.[18]

Europe

The Excelsior Hotel Gallia in Milan, Italy was acquired by the company in 2015. It is part of The Luxury Collection.[19] In addition it runs the Westin Excelsior Rome.

Katara Hospitality has invested in several properties in Paris. Hotels it owns include The Peninsula Paris and the Royal Monceau Raffles Paris.[20]

In Switzerland, the company has invested $1 billion into renovating the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, which it owns.[21]

In the Netherlands, Katara Hospitality own the Amstel Hotel run by the Intercontinental Group.

Americas

Katara Hospitality acquired full ownership of New York City's Plaza Hotel in July 2018 after buying the hotel's ownership stakes from Sahara India Pariwar, and from Ben Ashkenazy and Al-Waleed bin Talal.[22][23]

Subsidiaries

  • Murwab Hotels Group
  • Qetaifan Projects Company

See also

References
  1. "Board of Directors". Katara Hospitality. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  2. "AccorHotels, Qatar's Katara target Africa with new fund". Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  3. Courtney Trenwith (15 July 2013). "Katara Hospitality: The next big step". Arabian Business. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  4. Erika Widen (21 July 2015). "Katara Hospitality Chairman Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani Talks GCC Hospitality and Group's Plans". Entrepreneur. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  5. Davide Barbuscia; Tom Finn (9 October 2016). "Qatar's Katara Hospitality raising $500 million loan: sources". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  6. "Katara Hospitality to support World Tourism Day celebrations". Gulf Times. 31 August 2017. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  7. Hamad Abdullah Al-Mulla (8 December 2016). "Katara Hospitality brings Gulf luxury to the world's iconic hotels". European CEO. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  8. "Our history". Katara Hospitality. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  9. "Launch of Katara Hospitality heralds new era for Qatar's expanding tourism sector". Tourism Insider. 30 April 2012. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  10. "Katara Hospitality scoops three World Travel Awards". Trade Arabia. 15 December 2015. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  11. Oxford Business Group (22 April 2015). The Report: Qatar 2015. p. 188. ISBN 978-1-910068-27-4. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2017. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  12. Sylvie Leroy (19 June 2016). "Katara Hospitality: les atouts humains et financiers pour assurer la croissance et la reconnaissance de ses pairs (Qatar)" (in French). Journal des Places. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  13. "Katara Hospitality and LaLiga Launch World's First LaLiga Lounge in Doha". La Liga. 11 March 2017. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  14. Elizabeth Broomhall (30 April 2012). "Qatar's Katara plans to double hotel portfolio". Arabian Business. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  15. "Katara Hospitality leads innovation in Qatar's hotel industry". Business Destinations. 21 February 2015. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  16. "Qatar signs $70m hotel deal in Comoros". Arabian Business. 22 April 2010. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  17. "Qatar firm to invest $55m in Morocco hotel project". Construction Week Online. 3 November 2011. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  18. "Qatar Katara Hospitality plans $200m Gambia resort". Construction Week Online. 4 October 2012. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  19. "EXCELSIOR HOTEL GALLIA, A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL, MILAN". Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  20. "Katara's The Peninsula Paris earns 'Palace' distinction". Trade Arabia. 14 August 2017. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  21. "Katara Hospitality to announce the opening of USD 1 billion Bürgenstock Resort this month". Qatar Tribune. 14 August 2017. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  22. Karmin, Craig; Morris, Keiko (3 July 2018). "New York's Iconic Plaza Hotel Sold to Qatar Fund for $600 Million". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  23. Tan, Gillian (5 July 2018). "NYC's Historic Plaza Hotel Sold to Qatari State-Owned Company". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
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