Doha tourist hot spot gets a dozen new restaurants
The opening of six boutique hotels comprising 12 new restaurants in Doha’s Souq Waqif area will bring a “new level” of fine-dining to the tourism and community hotspot, according the operator.
Most of the alcohol-free restaurants have already opened within the last six months in the area - popular for its many eateries and lively atmosphere - inside four new Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels, owned by Qatar’s Al Rayyan Hospitality.
The owner is on track to launch two more hotels before the year end: The opening of Al Jasra this month will add an international buffet restaurant, an authentic Moroccan eaterie to the area’s F&B scene.
"We will have the only authentic Moroccan restaurant in Doha. Some are nice but not authentic because the catering and cooking is not done by Moroccans. We’ve got a Moroccan executive chef running the restaurant and Moroccan staff serving," commented Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels director of sales and marketing Russel Loughland.
This will be followed by the launch of 28-key Al Bidda hotel in quarter four. A traditional deluxe hotel with two meeting rooms, Al Bidda includes a rooftop terrace, live entertainment and a bakery.
Loughland said the outlets within the hotels will be positioned above other restaurants in the souq.
“The culinary experience in the souq is at a different level to the level we want to be providing,” he asserted, adding that the group expects between 50% and 60% of revenue to come from food and beverage," he added.
Among the other new restaurants is a fine-dining outlet, a family restaurant, a rooftop tandoor grill featuring live cooking stations, as well as others.