W Doha: A discerning destination’s Wone to watch

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W Doha general manager Safak Guvenc.

The upcoming W Doha marks the Starwood brand’s first foray into the region. General manager Safak Guvenc explains they whys, whens and wows of Qatar’s first boutique property.

It is no secret that Qatar’s plan for developing it travel and tourism sector is to focus on top-end products.

The country has been meticulous in its selection of developments, self-styling itself as a must-visit destination for a top-end clientele.

As Daniela Grendene, former director of marketing and communications for Qatar Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, remarked in an interview with Hotelier Middle East this month: “In general Qatar does not target the mass market, the package holiday tours, but rather the upper end of the sector, with a focus on business tourism, conferences and meetings, exhibitions, culture and sport”.

As a result, visitors to Qatar should expect a mushrooming of high quality hotels over the next few years, particularly in the capital city of Doha.

But one property in particular is determined to set the standard: the W Doha Hotel and Residences, scheduled to open in November this year.

“Being the first boutique hotel in the city, the W Doha will set a new standard in Qatar for what a hotel experience can be,” promises the hotel’s general manager Safak Guvenc.

The highly-anticipated Starwood property will comprise 291 rooms, including 30 W and Wow suites, as well as the premier E-Wow suite.

There will also be 154 one- and two-bedroom apartments and four levels of public amenities, including a state-of-the art swimming pool, a Bliss Spa and a Sweat workout facility.

Other facilities will include the events spaces, fully-connected meeting rooms and business centre facilities and a 24-hour concierge service.

Guvenc explains that in line with W’s positioning as being a hotel ‘for the young and the young at heart’, the primary target audience will be “modern, tech-savvy travellers who appreciate the sophistication that the W offers in terms of facilities and service as well as attitude”.

“The business mix will be driven by the high-end corporate segment as well as the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions sector, owing to Qatar’s strong push to develop this sector further,” he continues. “Frequent up-market individual travelers are also our target, while the apartments will be occupied by both short and long term residents with a taste for the W lifestyle.”

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