The newly-opened Renaissance Doha Hotel, which launched earlier this month has entered into a head-to-head battle for Doha’s “lifestyle” traveller with the three-year-old W Doha, located just three km down the road.
While the Renaissance brand has 156 properties worldwide, compared to just 47 W hotels, Oliver Kahf, general manager, Renaissance Doha said when it came to pitching for guests the two brands were after the “same traveller”.
“When it comes to the brand voice, what the brand portrays and who is the traveller – it is the same traveller. They are looking for the same trendy, hip things. They don’t just want to come and work in a place; they want to enjoy the destination they are in.
“The Renaissance guests will ask about art galleries, fashion shows, what’s going on in town. He will ask the concierge – where do you eat? We are a lifestyle brand and in that aspect, yes we are similar to the W Hotel.”
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Kahf admitted it would be a challenge for a new hotel to create a customer base; but said he was “confident due to the strength of the Marriott brand” which owns the Renaissance. “Our location is also incredibly important,” he added. The property is attached to the City Center Shopping Mall. “We have 1,000 parking spaces beneath the building which is very usual for Doha.”
Safak Guvenc, general manager, W Doha said he was “happy about the Renaissance” as it would up the competition stakes.
“Of course it will steal some of our market share, but I am happy that we have competition because I think competition makes you better. When you don’t have competition I think you take your finger off the pulse and that’s when there’s something to worry about.
“Here we take competition seriously. Renaissance is a great brand and I know that they will do very well but of course they are competing with us.
“Every hotel that opens up in Doha is competition for us,” added Guvenc. “It’s not like New York City, Paris or London where you have 18 million tourists coming in to fill up these rooms – here there is a certain market and it’s a small market. So if the supply is 15 / 20% more than the demand, you will see a drop in all the hotels because the cake is getting smaller.”
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