Broadly speaking, hotel accommodation in Qatar, specifically Doha, falls into two categories: luxury, and ‘the rest’. Opulent

properties like Kempinski and The Four Seasons poke into the cloudless sky while in the less fashionable parts of town there’s a hodge-podge collection of cheap hotels of variable quality.

There is not only a gap in the market for better branded, cheaper or ‘deluxe’ hotels, but there’s also an increasing demand for rooms. This demand is only going to escalate as Qatar seeks to become a tourist destination of note, and the small matter of the 2022 World Cup, an event that is going to require thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of new rooms, for the anticipated influx of football fans from all over the globe.

We anticipate that a significant percentage of these required rooms are going to be found in

The New Kids On The BlockBy John Hunt

There’s no doubt that Doha is a hotelier’s dream. And with the World Cup looming the market will continue to expand in an effort to accommodate the influx of population. We look at three international ‘budget’ hotel chains that could help fill that gap should they set up shop in Qatar, giving you the best bang for your buck.

heavily-branded ‘mid-market’ hotels: relatively cheap, well-known names that are thematically and stylishly superior to what is currently available.

Right now there’s a budget hotel presence ‘next door’ in Dubai, in the shape of ‘easyHotel’ (part of the easyGroup of companies, best known for its easyJet airline) which has a property at Jebel Ali. easyHotel is but one example, but there are a raft of other names with bigger stables and/or expansionist policies in the Middle East in general and Qatar in particular.

QH sampled a trio of upcoming names in the budget/deluxe hotel sector with their eyes on the local market based on two criteria: which brands are coming and what are you getting for your money?

First up was Motel One, a German chain which is ubiquitous in its homeland but has expanded into Austria and the UK. Next stop Doha? They said little when asked, but this is a chain that clearly has a growth agenda and also offers outstanding value for money. I recently stayed in one of their several properties in Munich, Germany.

Motel One has a chain-wide dedication to style, but beneath the style lies substance, with cavernous receptions (with free Wi-Fi), decent-sized and well-appointed rooms, rain showers in modestly-sized bathrooms but, best of all, an unlimited buffet breakfast included. For this writer, a decent breakfast is vital prior to a day of pounding the streets. The price for this ‘comparative luxury’ is from the equivalent of QR 300/night, with prices in the Middle East likely to be keener still.

Modern décor meets wallet-

friendly economy in Yotel’s

premium cabin

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Next was Tune Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland – a Malaysian-owned chain with a heavy presence in Asia. Now we were really going back to basics with the possibility of occupying an internal room with no windows. The price reflects this, with rooms costing from just QR 125/night (more if you want a window!). However, if you want to use the television, Wi-Fi, even the hairdryer and use of a towel then you’ll pay extra. Not much, I grant you, with the ‘comfort package’ (providing all of the above) coming in at an extra QR 40/night. While this is as ‘budget’ as you can get, the hotel is bright and uniform while being comfortable and expressive in its brand. Perhaps the biggest indicator that you are at the budget end of the spectrum comes in the hotel’s food and beverage offerings: there aren’t any.

Again, when asked about plans for Qatar, Tune Hotels was very tight-lipped. It was interesting to note that there was no denial, however. Reading between the lines, in my opinion, they’re on their way.

Lastly, we sampled Yotel at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Yotel has two products, a ‘Japanese-style’ cabin hotel for airports (plans, perhaps for the new Doha International Airport?) and a standard ‘city’ hotel similar to the products mentioned above (at a similar price to Motel One). Yotel were more forthcoming when asked about their plans for Qatar, commenting: “The Yotel brand is committed to expanding both its ‘airport’ and ‘city’ concepts. We are looking at key markets including the Middle East. We feel that the Yotel brand would be a great addition to the hospitality landscape and offers guests an affordable luxury experience.” Overall, Yotel

was excellent in all categories, if a little on the compact side, though the ‘city’ product will be more spacious.

As shown above, a lot of budget/deluxe companies are very coy about their plans for Doha. That’s their prerogative. What can be said with a degree of certainty verging on fact is that within a few years’ time there will be a slew of strongly-branded budget hotels peppering the Qatari capital. Increasingly, people (especially tourists) want more for less and, at the moment, the Doha hotel scene isn’t really providing it. People want a brand with style and presence at an attractive price. The gap exists, and market forces will see that it is filled. You can (Yotel aside) tell us nothing if you wish, but discussions between overseas operators and locals are taking place as I type this, you can count on it. n

Budget chain Motel One mixes upscale charm with economic room rates

Tune is another player on the budget-hotel scene that’s making waves. Photo Credit: Chris MacKenzie Photography

One of Yotel’s smaller, sleek suites

Yotel’s space-age galley area

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