Hilton Hotels Corporation has signed an agreement with the New Doha Hotels Company for the management of Hilton Doha Residence in Qatar which is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2012.

The 288 apartment residence, located in the upmarket West Bay business and diplomatic district, and close to the Corniche, will be Hilton’s second property in Qatar following the Hilton Doha which is currently under development, said a top official.

'This signing is testament to the importance we place on sound relationships with our owners. We pride ourselves on strong owner relations, and are truly delighted to continue working with the New Doha Hotels Company on our second property in Qatar, an important development market for us.'

The government’s initiative to boost the tourism sector in the region and raise the average length of stay from 1.5 to 4 days provides us with the perfect market opportunity to launch Hilton Doha Residence,” said Ivor McBurney, vice president, Development, Hilton Hotels, Middle East.

The new-build residence will feature approximately 288 well-appointed studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments. On-site facilities will include a restaurant, health club, outdoor swimming pool and car park, he added.

With an estimated GDP income per capita of $85,867 per annum, Qatar is the richest country in the world.

The booming finance, insurance, real estate and business service sectors, in addition to a mammoth oil and gas industry, has resulted in Qatar rapidly becoming a key business and MICE destination with the aim to welcome 1.5 million visitors by next year.

The major infrastructure investments in tourism including the redevelopment of Doha International Airport, the causeway linking Qatar to Bahrain, and the development of MICE facilities such as the Doha Convention Centre and the Qatar National Convention Centre has made Qatar an important development market for Hilton, BcBurney stated.

“The Hilton Doha Residence will incorporate the comforts of home into an upscale hotel experience to offer business and leisure travellers a spacious, convenient and deluxe retreat for their extended stays,” said Dave Horton, global head – Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

Nadir Badruddin, managing director, New Doha Hotels Company, said the company was thrilled to work with Hilton once more to launch the Hilton Doha Residence in Qatar.

'As the country goes from strength to strength and attracts international investment and visitors, Hilton offers the impeccable level of service and experience that is expected of a global financial and business hub like Doha,” he added.

Hilton Hotels has a large brand footprint in the Middle East & Africa with 41 hotels across 13 countries, and another 20 properties in the pipeline.

The company will mark its entry into the Qatar market with the 324-room Hilton Doha scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2010 next to the Hilton Doha Residence.-TradeArabia News Service