Katara Hospitality

Katara Hospitality, formerly known as Qatar National Hotels Company, is the largest hotel owner, developer and operator in Qatar.[2] It is government-owned.[3] 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.[4] The company have a portfolio of 40 hotels in mid-2019.[5]

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
Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani[1]
Websitewww.katarahospitality.com

History

Katara Hospitality was first 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.[6] In 1993, this company was replaced by Qatar Nationals Hotel Company.[7] Eventually, in 2012, QNH was rebranded under its current form, Katara Hospitality.[8] 'Katara' derives its name from the common spelling used for 'Qatar' by ancient cartographers.[2]

World Travel Awards named Katara Hospitality as the "World's Leading Hospitality Company" in 2013, 2014 and 2015.[9]

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.[10]

Katara Hospitality opened Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel in 1982.[11] 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.[12]

Investments

In 2012, Katara had a portfolio of 24 hotels.[13] By mid-2017, the company had increased its portfolio to 40 hotels.[5]

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.[14]

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.[15]

Morocco and the QNH signed a $55 million deal in November 2011 to refurbish the Tazi Palace, located in Tangier.[16]

In the Gambia, the company signed a deal with the Gambian government in October 2012 to build a $200 million resort next to Banjul, the capital.[17]

Europe

The Excelsior Hotel Gallia in Milan, Italy was acquired by the company in 2015. It is part of The Luxury Collection.[18] 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.[19]

In Switzerland, the company has invested $1 billion into renovating the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, which it owns.[20]

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.[21][22]

Subsidiaries

Murwab Hotels Group

Katara Hospitality has separate operating division known as Murwab Hotels Group (MHG).[23] MHG directs hotels under its brands, which include The Bürgenstock Selection and Murwab Hotels.[24]

In February 2016, the group launched Simaisma Resort. It was built in the coastal Qatari town of Simaisma in an effort to increase tourism to the area.[25]

Qetaifan Projects Company

Qetaifan Projects Company was launched in October 2017 to oversee development projects in Qetaifan Island North in Lusail. It was valued at $2.9 billion at the time of its establishment.[26]

References
  1. "Board of Directors". Katara Hospitality. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  2. Courtney Trenwith (15 July 2013). "Katara Hospitality: The next big step". Arabian Business. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  3. Erika Widen (21 July 2015). "Katara Hospitality Chairman Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani Talks GCC Hospitality and Group's Plans". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  4. Davide Barbuscia, Tom Finn (9 October 2016). "Qatar's Katara Hospitality raising $500 million loan: sources". Reuters. Retrieved 4 September 2017.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  5. "Katara Hospitality to support World Tourism Day celebrations". Gulf Times. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  6. Hamad Abdullah Al-Mulla (8 December 2016). "Katara Hospitality brings Gulf luxury to the world's iconic hotels". European CEO. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  7. "Our history". Katara Hospitality. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  8. "Launch of Katara Hospitality heralds new era for Qatar's expanding tourism sector". Tourism Insider. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  9. "Katara Hospitality scoops three World Travel Awards". Trade Arabia. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  10. Oxford Business Group (22 April 2015). The Report: Qatar 2015. p. 188. ISBN 9781910068274.
  11. 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. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  12. "Katara Hospitality and LaLiga Launch World's First LaLiga Lounge in Doha". La Liga. 11 March 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  13. Elizabeth Broomhall (30 April 2012). "Qatar's Katara plans to double hotel portfolio". Arabian Business. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  14. "Katara Hospitality leads innovation in Qatar's hotel industry". Business Destinations. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  15. "Qatar signs $70m hotel deal in Comoros". Arabian Business. 22 April 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  16. "Qatar firm to invest $55m in Morocco hotel project". Construction Week Online. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  17. "Qatar Katara Hospitality plans $200m Gambia resort". Construction Week Online. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  18. "EXCELSIOR HOTEL GALLIA, A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL, MILAN".
  19. "Katara's The Peninsula Paris earns 'Palace' distinction". Trade Arabia. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  20. "Katara Hospitality to announce the opening of USD 1 billion Bürgenstock Resort this month". Qatar Tribune. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  21. Karmin, Craig; Morris, Keiko (July 3, 2018). "New York's Iconic Plaza Hotel Sold to Qatar Fund for $600 Million". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  22. Tan, Gillian (July 5, 2018). "NYC's Historic Plaza Hotel Sold to Qatari State-Owned Company". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  23. "Katara Hospitality unveils Swiss gem Royal Savoy Lausanne, a Murwab Hotel". Aigo. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  24. "Katara Hospitality Forges Ahead With Plans To Build 30 New Hotels". Forbes Middle East. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  25. Lesley Walker (27 February 2016). "New Simaisma resort soft-launches in Qatar". Doha News. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  26. "Doha to Welcome Qetaifan Islands". Travel Trade Daily. 11 October 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
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