As the nation prepares to host the FIFA World Cup 2022 in a matter of months, Qatar’s hospitality industry had strong growth in the first quarter (Q1) of the year.
According to the most recent research produced by real estate consultancy ValuStrat, the pipeline for hotel supply is anticipated to yield over 12,000 more keys with the launch of numerous new hotels this year.
According to the estimate, 12,250 keys will be produced throughout the course of the following three quarters of 2022. At the end of 2021, the hospitality stock was predicted to total 29,386 units (21,689 hotel keys and 7,697 hotel apartments), according to Qatar Tourism.
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It is anticipated that there would be more than 10,000 keys in total supply of serviced and hotel flats (including non-branded buildings). There are now 500 more keys available thanks to the opening of Hampton by Hilton Doha Old Salata and Central Inn Al Sadd. According to ValuStrat research’s first quarter real estate market analysis, the Rabban Suites West Bay and Swiss Belhotel Doha have been rebranded as Voco Doha West Bay Suites and AMT Mena, respectively.
Total foreign arrivals in March 2022 were 315,831, an increase of a substantial 691 percent from the same time in 2021, according to year-to-date (YTD) hotel performance. 60% of all foreign visitors came from Asia and the GCC.
As of March YTD 2022, the average occupancy of hotels and hotel units was 58 percent, a 5 percent decrease from the previous year (excluding keys used for quarantine).
ADR for hotels and hotel apartments was QR459, an increase of 14% over the previous year. According to the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, there will be 130,000 rooms available to house the estimated 1.5 million spectators for the 2022 World Cup.
According to ValuStrat analysis, the stock of hotels and hotel apartments surpassed 30,000 keys in February 2022, and the pipeline for 2022 was revised upward to 13,300 keys.
Omar Al Jaber, Executive Director of Housing Department at Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), stated yesterday that fans traveling to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022 will have a variety of lodging options to choose from.
Approximately 1.5 million spectators from all over the world are anticipated in Qatar for the inaugural event in the Arab world and the Middle East, which runs from November 21 to December 18.
“The official platform of accommodation will provide spectators a variety of options during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” Al Jaber said on Qatar Radio. “These possibilities will include already-existing hotels in the nation, residential units like villas, and apartments offered under real estate projects like Barwa.
In addition, there will be floating hotels, including four fan towns and two enormous five-star cruise ships that will be docked at the Doha Port. Other lodging options include the homes of the fans’ friends and family, he continued.
According to the official, a team has been assigned to monitor the hotels and residential complexes to make sure they are ready for guests on schedule and to work with partners to prepare all of these accommodation options.
Al Qetaifan Island in Lusail, the vicinity of the Mall of Qatar, the vicinity of Qatar University, and the Qatar Fee Zone close to the Metro Station will all be home to four fan communities.
The fan towns will be unique since they will feature more related events with play areas, eateries, and big screens.
To avoid a significant housing shortage following the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Al Jaber continued: “Within accommodation options temporary facilities are being provided such as floating hotels, fans’ villages, and involving the community to rent out vacant homes to fans in cooperation with Qatar Tourism.”
Fans won’t need to make reservations for lodging in more than one spot because of Qatar’s geographic location. There won’t be a tremendous requirement for residential facilities to accommodate a fan all in one location, he continued.
Al Jaber stated that further fan villages are anticipated to be created, and a subsequent announcement would be made regarding how they will be used beyond the World Cup.
The official platform for reserving accommodations offers a variety of choices that are not offered by other platforms, such as booking for floating hotels. Some possibilities, like hotels and vacant homes, will be bookable on foreign platforms.
