Qatar begins hotel frenzy, 6,000 new rooms delivered

More than 6,000 hotel rooms came online in Qatar in the third quarter of last year, as 25 properties and 10 hotel apartments entered the market, the country’s ministry of tourism said.

The gas rich Gulf state is building 77 new hotels and 42 hotel apartments ahead of the FIFA World Cup in 2022, in a bid to accommodate a flurry of tourists and football fans.

Occupancy rates for 2011 remained relatively stable according to data from travel consultancy STR Global, edging up 0.4 percent higher than 2010. Average daily rates also increased by 0.7 percent.

A number of new hotel brands are expected to announce their expansion in the country this year, either as stand-alone projects or part of mixed use developments. Msheireb Downtown, Qatar’s QR20bn ($5.5bn) mega-development, is expected to announce three new hotel partners soon.

In addition to the hotels, Qatar is also building 12 new football stadiums and more than $100bn worth of infrastructure.

This will include the new $11bn Doha International Airport, the $6bn Doha port project and a $25bn metro and railway system.