Hilton Worldwide announced yesterday the signing of a management agreement with Smile Trading and Contracting to open the first Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Doha.The 258-room Hilton Garden Inn Doha Al Sadd is scheduled to open mid-2012.This will be the third Hilton Garden Inn hotel in the Middle East, following the opening of the Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya in 2009 and Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Al Muroj, scheduled to open in 2012.Hilton Garden Inn is Hilton Worldwide’s mid-scale brand, which will cater largely to Doha’s growing short-stay corporate segment.Over the next two years, there are plans to open two Hilton Worldwide properties in Doha: the 309-room Hilton Doha and the 288-room Hilton Doha Residence.“With the new Hilton Garden Inn in Doha, we’re addressing the mid-market segment, by offering Hilton Worldwide’s trademark hospitality and innovation at a cost-effective rate.“And this is exactly the right time to be growing in Qatar – the tourism industry in Doha is at a very exciting stage of development and the country is gearing up for the FIFA World Cup 2022,” said Rudi Jagersbacher, president for Hilton Worldwide (Middle East & Africa).The Hilton Garden Inn Doha Al Sadd is located in the heart of Doha’s commercial and retail districts, some 8km from Doha International Airport and 5km from Doha’s modern financial and diplomatic centre.“We are delighted to introduce the Hilton Garden Inn brand to Doha, and we look forward to working closely with Smile Trading and Contracting to launch this brand,” said Hilton Garden Inn global brand head Adrian Kurre. “Hilton Garden Inn is a market leader in the US and we are thrilled to introduce our award-winning mix of business-driven accommodation, convenience and comfort to our guests in Qatar,” he said.Hilton Garden Inn hotels are designed to be highly functional and comfortable, making travel easy and pleasurable.“We’re delighted to partner with Hilton Worldwide and introduce the Hilton Garden Inn brand to Qatar, expanding the range of our hospitality offerings across the board,” said Abdullah al-Hail of Smile Trading and Contracting Company.“Hilton Garden Inn and the quality it represents will be a definite boost, helping us to compete with other tourism hotspots around the globe,” he added.Hilton Worldwide currently operates 49 hotels and one Convention Centre in the Middle East & Africa and has 30 properties in the pipeline across the Arab region, South Asia and Africa.