Katara Hospitality

1 · POSITION

Katara Hospitality’s history begins in 1970, when Qatar established Qatar National Hotels Limited. The company’s subsequent development connects the building of a domestic hotel sector with investment in hotels overseas. Its importance lies in the owner’s contribution: acquiring property, funding development and choosing the organisations that will run it. [1]

2 · HOTELS FOR QATAR

The corporate chronology places the Sheraton Gulf Hotel at the beginning of the business and the Sheraton Grand Doha in its next major phase. These were physical settings for receiving visitors as well as commercial assets. Their later brand histories also show why a hotel building and its operating name need separate chronologies: the former Gulf Hotel subsequently became Doha Marriott and then Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha. [1]

3 · CAPITAL ABROAD

Katara identifies its 2006 acquisition of the Renaissance Sharm El Sheikh as its first international acquisition. The Peninsula Paris provides a later example of its investment model. Opened in August 2014 after a four-year restoration, the Paris hotel was jointly owned by Katara and The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels. The Peninsula name identifies the hotel’s operating identity; it does not identify every owner. [1, 2]

4 · THE WORK BEHIND THE NAME

The Paris project had an investment history before it had guests. HSH’s 2008 annual report records a joint venture with Qatari Diar to redevelop the Avenue Kléber building. Read alongside the opening announcement, it shows how the ownership story can evolve during a long restoration. An opening date alone leaves that development work invisible. [2, 3]

5 · ⚑ CANDOUR

Katara’s own chronology is the principal source for its early development. Its portfolio should not be read as a uniform chain of wholly owned hotels under one management system. Joint ownership, property ownership and day-to-day operation require separate identification for each address. [1–3]