By Ramesh Mathew

Wyndham’s Michael Zager (second left) with Ibrahim al-Asmakh (second from right) and other Ramada Encore Doha officials at formal opening of their new hotel yesterday. PICTURE: Sami el-Thalathini
The demand for quality hotels delivering top-class services at competitive rates, particularly for corporate clients, is growing rapidly globally, said a top functionary of Wyndham Hotel Group, a major hospitality company having operations all across the world.
Speaking to Gulf Times yesterday, vice president (operations, Europe Middle East and Africa) of Wyndham Hotel Group Michael Zager said the hospitality sector, despite the economic slowdown, had recorded somewhat impressive growth levels in a number of countries, including in Qatar.
Zager was to announce yesterday his company’s taking over of the management of a hotel property of country’s major real estate group Regency Group Holding. The hotel, built by the local group, near Woqod petrol station along the Ahmed bin Mohamed bin Thani Street in Al Asmakh area heralds the maiden entry of Ramada Encore, one of the 12 hotel chains coming under the Wyndham Hotel Group, into the Middle East area.
Doha’s is the 25th property to be managed by Ramada Encore globally. “The London-headquartered brand came into existence only a little more than 10 years ago and has representation in such locations as UK, Australia, Switzerland and China among others,” said the Wyndham official.
Wyndham Group, he said, manages more than 7,000 hotel properties across the world, represented by more than 15 globally-acclaimed brands. “We are managing properties in 76 countries at present and the number will shoot up in coming months with a number of requests still coming in from entrepreneurs,” indicated Zager.
It is the ability to deliver an array of quality services to customers at attractive rates that matters these days in the hotel industry and four star hotels capable of providing such services across the world are in great demand, said Zager. 
The Wyndham official said Ramada Encore Doha, though is grouped as a four-star hotel, is equipped with facilities to provide five-star services to its clients. “As far as the service component is concerned, the new hotel could match the best of its kind and the customer is certain to get the value for his money,” said Zager.
“We are not promising anything extraordinary to clientele but our company is hopeful of providing top of the class services to customers.”