About 5000 Hotel Rooms Will be Added Before the World Cup

Concerns about the cost of accommodation and its availability in the country have grown. According to a survey produced by real estate consulting firm Cushman & Wakefield, hotels in Qatar are likely to add roughly 5,000 rooms before the start of the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

With this new construction, the number of hotel and serviced apartment rooms is expected to increase to 45,000 before the World Cup.

In their analysis, Cushman & Wakefield predicted significant growth in tourism from international markets over the next five years. Some of it can also be attributed to the restoration of the Saudi tourist market. To maintain occupancy rates and profitability as supply expands, considerable growth in tourism numbers will be required.

"5,000 new hotel keys are planned to be ready in time for the FIFA World Cup in November." According to the 'Q1 Real Estate Market Review,' this new supply, along with existing hotel supply and serviced flats, will deliver around 37,000 keys, or 45,000 rooms.

Hotels of all classes, from five stars to two and one stars, have seen improvements in occupancy rates and income per available room, according to statistics from the Planning and Statistics Authority.

There were approximately 30,000 hotel rooms available at the end of last year. The hospitality industry will continue to grow even after the World Cup. According to the forecast, the overall supply of hotel rooms would reach 50,000 by 2026.

"Qatar's hotel room supply reached 29,386 by the end of 2021, representing a 6% compound annual growth rate since 2015." The whole quantity of hotel keys is predicted to reach 50,000 by 2026, according to the analysis.

The hotels should do better in the future as the number of tourists visiting Qatar rises in the coming months as the country prepares to host the FIFA World Cup. This will aid in the recovery of the country's tourism industry.

Qatar's hotel and hotel apartment industries did well in February 2022, with an overall occupancy rate of 56 percent.

The hotel industry remained strong last year. In the year 2021, eight hotel properties added a total of 1,980 room keys. The Steinberger Hotel Doha, with 206 rooms, and the Zulal Wellness Resort, with 180 rooms, will open in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Concerns about World Cup accommodations

For World Cup fans, Qatar has built an online accommodation platform that has around 80% of hotel inventory. Visitors who book a hotel through the designated site can be confident that their demand will be met and that no fraudulent price increases will occur, according to organizers.

Through the accommodation platform, fans will be able to book two to five-star hotel rooms, apartments, villas, luxury cruise ships, and desert camps.

During the World Cup, MSC Cruises has agreed to lease two cruise vessels to Qatar.

The cruise liners will be stationed at Doha Port and operated as floating hotels, with a total capacity of 4,000 cabins and a spectacular view of the West Bay cityscape for spectators. Chartering cruise liners is a viable option that Qatar has been investigating for a while as part of its World Cup accommodation strategy.

During the event, the Gulf state has also pledged to provide 60,000 rooms and villas with Accor, Europe's largest hotel operator.

In an interview with The Sun Sport, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al-Khater stated that the tournament will be "as affordable as feasible for everyone." However, some apartments cost roughly $80 per night to stay in, while a room in a luxury floating hotel with restaurants and recreational activities costs around $180 per night.

The FIFA organizers have also placed a ceiling on how much hotels may charge spectators for rooms. A three-star hotel will set you back roughly $120.