Al Rayyan Tourism and Investment Company (Artic), the international hospitality subsidiary of Al Faisal Holding Company, yesterday announced a new hotel brand in Doha’s West Bay district where three hotels would be merged to become one property.
The Renaissance Doha, Courtyard Doha and Marriott Executive Apartments Doha will collectively be re-branded to become the Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel.
Marquis is a brand extension of the Marriott Hotels and JW Marriott Hotels brands. It is given to select properties that are distinguished by their “exceptional offerings and iconic locations, including expansive meeting facilities, multiple restaurants and grand public spaces”, the company has said in a statement.
The five-star Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel, located on Omar Al Mukhtar Street in West Bay, is directly connected to the City Center mall. With 580 guest rooms, 1,200sqm of meeting space and views of the Doha skyline and Arabian Gulf, it is an “ideal” property to represent the Marquis brand distinction, the statement adds.
HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, chairman of Artic, said: “Artic’s investment portfolio is renowned for its high-quality properties. There are three elements on which we never compromise when buying or developing any property - quality, location and architectural design. It is these core values that enable us to attract world-class international operators with high-end brands to partner with us.
“By introducing Marriott’s modern and elegant Marquis brand in Doha, we will further enhance the high-end market offering and add significant value to our hotel portfolio. Our success in attracting Marriott Marquis for these three prime hotels demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest quality and reflects the strength of the relationships we develop with our partners. We look forward to further co-operation with Marriott International in the future.”
Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director of Marriott International Middle East and Africa, said: “Marriott Hotels is our flagship brand designed for frequent travellers who want to make the most of every opportunity presented by travel. In addition, the iconic Marriott Hotels brand is on a continuous journey to maintain its position as a leader in innovation to satisfy guests and thereby attract strategic partners like Artic.”
Marriott Hotels is also bringing a new concept, which is the “Greatroom”, to modern travellers. It is designed with “great style, thoughtful substance and tailored hosting experiences”, according to the statement.
Andreas Wissdorf, general manager of Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel, said: “The hotel offers 17 state-of-the-art meeting rooms and a range of restaurants and lounges with food and beverage options from around the world. The Marriott Marquis also offers one of the finest spas in Doha, the Saray Spa.”
Rutger Smits, CEO of Artic, added: “Artic aims to capitalise on the opportunities that arise from Qatar’s significant investments in Qatar’s tourism infrastructure and will continue to play an integral role in supporting Qatar’s National Tourism Strategy.”