The Renaissance Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott and Marriott Executive Apartments Doha City Centre has appointed Laurence Vanthier as director of human resources.
Speaking exclusively to Natalie Hami, CEO, Katara Hospitality, Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla shares the hotel giant’s plans for the brand new year, 2014 TTG: What is Katara Hospitality’s main focus for 2014? We, at Katara Hospitality, believe that with our breadth of operations – geographically and across market segments – and our range of investments, we are well positioned for another successful year ahead. We have several important openings scheduled for 2014, including the opening of the Merweb Plaza Hotel in Doha, The Peninsula Paris and the Excelsior Hotel Gallia in Milan.
The promotion sees Gisela move to Qatar from Four Seasons Hotel New York, where she spent the last two years working as Senior Learning & Development Manager as well as Innovation Champion.
The organisers of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC 2013) held an invitation only regional briefing this week hosted by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) in Crown Plaza in Doha, to discuss Qatar's long term vision of the tourism sector and review of local and global hotel performance indicators and pipeline.
Hoteliers in Qatar have welcomed plans for a training institute for the hospitality industry, in order to facilitate the creation of 127,000 jobs by 2030. Oryx Rotana director of human resources Ghaith Dalati believes a lack of specialised training in the country is one of the biggest challenges recruiters face, and hopes the new institute will address the challenges.
Glenn Parker has assumed the role of General Manager at the Doha Renaissance Hotel, Courtyard and Marriott Executive Apartments effective immediately. Glenn is a 30 year veteran in the hospitality industry with significant international operations experience and a proven track record in the Middle East. Glenn joined Marriott in 1973 and held various positions in hotel management, procurement and sales and marketing both domestically and internationally. In 1983, after his first international assignment in Saudi Arabia as Food and Beverage Director for two years, Glenn moved to Marriott’s Regional Office in London, England as Senior Director of Procurement. In 1987, Glenn became Vice President of Food and Beverage for Marriott Management Services (MMS). In 1990, Glenn moved to Marriott’s Procurement and Distribution Division as Vice President of Regional and International Procurement for Marriott operations worldwide.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced that it will soon introduce its Westin Hotels & Resorts brand to Qatar. Owned by Ghanem Al Thani Holdings, The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa is scheduled to open in late 2014 and will enjoy a prime location in the city's central business district, comprising a total landscaped area of 49,000 square meters. Just 15 minutes from Doha International Airport, The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa will be in close proximity to the Museum of Islamic Art, Education City and the Al Mushreib rejuvenation project in Doha's downtown area.
Lamya Sebti worked previously in Morocco where she held the position of General Manager of Events and Experience, an Events Management company she founded in 2012. Before running her own business, she worked as a Group Director of Marketing & Communication at Palmeraie Hotels & Resorts, the leading 220 hectares Golf Resort in Marrakech.
With a 25-year Hilton Worldwide background, El Sebaey has enjoyed a strong international career which has taken him from his native Egypt to Cameroon and Sudan in Africa and a trans-Atlantic journey to Hilton Curacao in Mexico and Hilton Barbados in the Caribbean.
One of the key strengths of the Serviced Apartment Business Model is its versatility, hence being able to change the target market profile between long and short stay to suit market conditions in order to achieve revenue maximization. Brand Strength is a strong driver of serviced apartment demand with GDS, Direct Bookings, and Hotel Website bookings accounting for 40% of total bookings. A strong brand with a regional presence and strong online capabilities is essential to help and drive sales in all three markets (UAE, KSA, Qatar).
In line with the growth strategy of its Merweb brand, Katara Hospitality today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for managing a new hotel in Doha under the umbrella of Merweb brand. The MoU was signed by Saeed Abdulla Al Amer Al Kaabi, President of Sphinex Hotels & Resorts and, on behalf of Katara Hospitality, by Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla, Chief Executive Officer. The signing ceremony took place today at Sharq Village & Spa, Doha.
Qatar is expected to receive 3.5 million international tourists for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The government is developing the country's leisure offerings with projects such as Lusail and Katara which are expected to increase leisure visitation.
The Dubai office of HVS, the world's leading hospitality advisory and services firm, has announced the publication of IN FOCUS: Doha, Qatar 2013; Doha Prepares as it Welcomes the 2022 World Cup, which shares key indicators and measurement tools of the hospitality sector, reporting on the sovereign Arab state's historical, current and forecasted performance. Some of the more significant and noteworthy figures about Qatar and its hospitality-related relevance in the Middle East, are explained in the Report (including):
Seasoned hospitality veteran, Rami Sayess, will assume a new senior role effective mid-November 2013, as Regional Vice President for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Doha , bringing to his new position a global perspective balanced with rich regional knowledge and experience. Building on an eight-year tenure with Four Seasons , Sayess will make the transition from his current position as Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, Thailand, where the company manages four properties. The new role also signals a return to the Middle East for Sayess, with previous positions at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh as General Manager and as Hotel Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Amman, his induction into Four Seasons in 2005.
Katara Hospitality, the leading hotel owner, developer and operator in the State of Qatar, has announced the latest plans and developments for the iconic Katara Towers, Lusail Marina District Towers underway in Lusail City.
Walking is such a drag after a long flight aboard your private jet. And then you’ve got to endure that long chauffeured ride from the airport to your penthouse suite across town. But there’s a solution! If you’ve got the money — and if you own a jet, clearly you do — you can have a portable hotel wheeled right to your plane the moment it lands. And naturally, it’s designed for a runway in Doha, Qatar.
Marriott International has appointed John Hazard as the new general manager of the Doha Marriott Hotel.
Suleman is a long-serving member of the Four Seasons family, having worked in Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Damascus, Cairo and Istanbul, said a statement.
Fresh after the soft launch of their second hotel property in the U.A.E., leading Asian hospitality group Dusit International announces their latest hospitality project at West Bay, in Doha, Qatar. Slated to open in the last quarter of 2013 during the company's "Year of Expansion," this will be the first Dusit branded property in Qatar, but the company's 6th in the Middle East.
Ray Mc Shane has joined Morgans Hotel Group as the opening General Manager for the company's first hotel in the Gulf region, Mondrian Doha, scheduled to open in 2014. Ray joins from Royal Orchid Hotels India, where he was General Manager and Group Vice President Sales position, based out of Bangalore. Prior to India, he has also enjoyed senior management roles in the Uk, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lebanon, U.A.E. and Spain.