Qatar Island Resort Targets Luxury Leisure Sector

An upscale island resort due to open off the coast of Doha in the first quarter of next year aims to propel Qatar onto the luxury leisure map.

The resort will be operated by Anantara Hotels & Resorts, which is opening a resort on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai in September and currently manages three properties in Abu Dhabi emirate.

David Garner, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing Director for Anantara Hotels & Resorts Middle East, said the Doha island resort will feature mini golf and large wellness centre among a range of five-star amenities.

He said it will target Qatari and Saudi nationals as well as well-heeled expats and affluent international leisure travellers.

The island is known locally as ‘banana island’, through its distinctive shape, though one imagines that won’t be included in the resort’s final branding.

Anantara plans to operate 50 properties by 2015, it was revealed in an interview with Gulf Business earlier this week.