W Hotels, the fastest-growing luxury hotel brand in the world, is set to open the region's first W hotel in Doha by mid 2008.

The W Doha is owned by J&A Jaidah, principals of J&A Jaidah Holdings, one of the most well known and well respected private companies in the Middle East.

Featuring 291 guest rooms and suites, 156 luxury serviced apartments and four dedicated meeting rooms, the W Doha will stand proudly in the West Bay area of the city, said a senior official.

With the high-energy interiors and vivid, lifestyle driven design characteristic of W, it will feature multiple signature restaurants and lounges, the Bliss Spa, Sweat fitness centre and W's distinctive lobby, called the 'Living Room.'

Born out of the recognition that 'there are customers who seek a balance between style and substance,' W is already one of the biggest success stories in North America.  Since its launch in 1998, W's portfolio has grown to 21 properties, most of which are in the USA. In recent years, the brand has forayed into international markets like Mexico, South Korea and the Maldives with equal success, and it was only a matter of time before they turned their attention to the burgeoning Middle East markets.
 
'W is about escaping from the routine and becoming part of all that is 'Now'. Everyone and everything at the W Doha will be geared towards making sure that guests have a fantastic stay,' said president of W Hotels worldwide Ross Klein.

And W's commitment to guests goes far beyond lip service. W employees, or 'talent' as W prefers to call them, are trained to live W's exclusive Whatever/Whenever service concept - they will arrange whatever a guest requests, from his favourite cigar to a chartered jet, whenever it is requested - as long as it is legal.

Being the first W in the Middle East, the W Doha will set the precedent for more W Hotels soon to be opened in Dubai, Istanbul and possibly other cities in the region. Meanwhile, the residents of - and tourists to - Doha will undoubtedly make the most of the W experience.- TradeArabia News Service