7/30/2019 Luxury to the Hilt

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m a r k e t w a t c h

Qatar today D E C E m b E r 2 0 1 292

luxury to

the hilt

ever a hotel would want to

mimic its president, its the

Hilton Doha. The diminutive

Belgian was in Doha recently

to ocially open the unit and

he was laden with excitement. He was bubbling

over with passion and enthusiasm about what

this new incarnation could achieve. And his isexactly the kind o personality the hotel is striv-

ing or.

We are really proud to be here and very

condent o success, said President o Hilton

Worldwide, Middle East and Arica (MEA),

Rudi Jagersbacher, rom the edge o his seat.

We are in a sustainable market and are located

in one o the prime locations in the city, with-

out a doubt. The country has so much potential.

I I were Gordon Ramsay talking about Doha,

Id say: Youve just had your starters; the main

course has yet to come.

The hotel stands on a beachront in the Dip-

lomatic Area o West Bay. As Jagersbacher explained, the hotel hasa relatively small ootall, but it packs a lot into its punch. It didnt

compromise the reputation o the brand by stung the property

with money-spinners such as rooms and restaurants. Its a very unc-

tional and practical ofering where every square inch seems to have

a purpose. Redundant areas, which make a hotel look spacious, are

sacriced or larger leisure areas out back. This cosy interior makes it

more habitable and sociable.

The main lobby is the social centre o the hotel and can acilitate

groups o all shapes and sizes. You can order a cofee rom the Ya Hala

cae or stroll into the Zawaya lounge or something a little stronger.

From the lobby, you can walk down the stairs and outside into the

beach area, which hosts the world-amous Trader Vics.

I would say this is a rst-class hotel which

is very much geared towards a corporate cli-

entele or our days and a leisure clientele or

the tail-end o the week, added the loquacious

Jagersbacher, when I quizzed him about the

concept o the hotel. We were the rst hotel to

bring Trader Vics to London and nobody stut-

tered when we discussed bringing it to Doha.We wanted this hotel to have a great ood and

beverage prole in an exciting atmosphere,

and Trader Vics was an obvious choice to a-

cilitate this. Its not so much an exclusive brand

that only some people will eel comortable it

should be an experience or everyone.

Eorea, the Hilton Dohas spa experience,

combines three distinct ranges o treatments

ocused on organic, natural and scientic ap-

proaches. It ofers eight treatment rooms

including an exclusive Thai massage room, a

VIP room with a steam rasul chamber, a single

treatment room with steam rasul and ve multi

purpose treatment rooms. All contain a private shower acility.

Worldwide strategy

The Hilton brand is a global brand, and locating here is obviously a

strategic move. It has over 30 million members, so its marketing and

sales team are trying strategically to move these members around the

globe like pieces on a chess board.

We are growing tremendously in some regions none more so

than in MEA, explained Jagersbacher. We have 4,000 hotels world-

wide, 56 o which are in this region, but we have 53 currently under

construction. So being here is a two-way thing. We bring new cus-

tomers and the world o Hilton to Qatar, and in return we are looking

or our regional members to go to America and Europe.

almost a decade after deciding to locate in the west bay area, the hilton doha is finally open. its

regional president, rudi Jagersbacher, seems to think the choice of location has been Justified.

rudi JagersbaCher,

president, mea, hilton worldwide.

iB y r o r y C o e n