Katara Hospitality, a leading hotel owner, developer and operator based in Qatar which made excellent progress in 2016 across all areas of its operations, aims to reach 60 properties by 2026, officials said.

Katara Hospitality enters 2017 with a high-quality portfolio of luxury assets. It intends to expand this through a considered and highly strategic programme of development and investment in the highest quality hotels in Qatar while growing a collection of iconic hotels in key markets across the globe, the company said.

Excellent progress is being made in the renovation of existing hotels and the creation of new ones and Katara Hospitality looks forward to announcing the achievement of further milestones throughout the year, it said.

The company’s strong performance last year builds on the achievements of the previous year and takes it a step closer towards realising its vision to be one of the world’s leading hospitality organisations, it said.

“Our Vision is to change the world of hospitality through investment and innovation to leave an outstanding legacy for future generations, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030,” said Katara Hospitality’s chairman Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani.

“Our achievements in 2016 demonstrate our commitment to reach that goal. We have strengthened our position as a key player of Qatar’s domestic hospitality industry; and our continuing expansion overseas is establishing Katara Hospitality as an internationally recognised leader in the global luxury hospitality sector. Our ongoing renovation plans and investment programme also leave us well placed for further growth in 2017 and beyond,” he added.

Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla, chief executive officer of Katara Hospitality, said: “We remain committed to the further development and expansion of our portfolio, and 2016 was an important stage in that process.  We now turn our attention to 2017 as we expect to complete a range of initiatives that will take us closer to our target of 60 properties by 2026.”

The 2016 highlights include:
•    Opening of Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne, a Murwab Hotel in Switzerland;
•    Renovation and rebranding of Sealine Beach, a Murwab Resort, Qatar;
•    Opening of two hotels in Qatar under the Murwab Hotel Group: Simaisma, a Murwab Resort and The Avenue, a Murwab Hotel;  
•    Opening of Hotel Park, a new public family-friendly park in Qatar;
•    Introduction of Katara Specialties, a contemporary food and beverage initiative within all of Katara Hospitality’s local and international hotels;
•    Partnership with Marriott International to support the evolution of hospitality education in Qatar. – TradeArabia News Service