Qatar: In preparation to host the droves of people attending the small gulf nation for the world cup, 16 hotels are to be constructed in the bay of Qetifan Island North.
The buildings will be designed by Qetifan Projects, a subdivision of Qatar’s largest hotel company Katara Hospitality, and alternative real estate developer ADMARES.
Each hotel will be 72-meter-long by 16-meter-wide, with 101 guest rooms, a restaurant and a lounge bar. Finnish firm Sigge Architects led the hotels design, integrating ADMARES’ floating assembly tech with modern design theory.
Michael Hedberg, ADMARES CEO said: “This is the first time ever that pure floating real estate has been used as a temporary solution for accommodation needs at this scale. These hotels do not require major ports and deep water as their draft is significantly less than large cruise ships.”
Both Qetifan Projects and ADMARES are dedicated to sustainability, and these hotels will implement sustainable solutions in all of its designs. The buildings will be powered by solar energy, and will follow strict energy usage standards
They will also be moved after their function in Qatar has been finished. Hedberg noted: “After the World Cup, the hotels can be placed at any coastal location where the water is at least 4 meters (13 feet) deep.”
The hotels will be placed in view of Lusail International stadium, where the opening and closing games of the tournament will be played. H.E Sheikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Managing Director of Qetaifan Projects said: “We are pleased that there are investors who share our vision and see the development of Qetaifan Island North as a promising project that has a future as the first touristic destination in Qatar.”
Qatar’s rise as a luxury destination has seen major destinations built there as a result- SBE opened a Doha Mondrian in 2017. With the World Cup coming soon, it soon may be able to rival fellow gulf destination Abu Dhabi in terms of foreign attractiveness.
