Revisiting Marsa Malaz Kempinski

It’s hard to tell, when talking to the uber-enthusiastic management team at Marsa Malaz Kempinski (MMK) whether they fully expected the shape of custom they are experiencing at the hotel, or whether it is delivering unexpected challenges and opportunities.

But they certainly present a positive, optimistic front, and they are obviously proud of their property and its service. “It’s a special project, and special people have been chosen,” I’m told.

I get the full guided tour from three of general manager Wissam Suleiman’s trusted lieutenants, which allows me to appreciate the attention to detail that has been lavished upon the property, its rooms and facilities, of which more later…

But what of those occupancy figures? “Around 90% of our guests are Qatari,” followed by Saudis, Kuwaitis and Emiratis, plus Bahrainis and Omanis, according to Steven Pieters, executive assistant manager F&B. “The locals use the hotel for staycations. They check in on a Thursday and check out on Saturday. We’re a destination within a destination for the entire family, for leisure and for F&B.”

This has given MMK an unusual occupancy profile of 80%-90% on the weekends and around 30% on weekdays, and obvious room for improvement.

If such a spectacular and luxurious hotel was located on Dubai’s Palm, or Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, for example, it would no doubt more frequently be fuller. But it’s not, and perhaps that misses the point.

This hotel has surely been built in anticipation of a growth in custom, rather than just for existing business. And the team is entirely relaxed about the pattern of trade. “We work hard on the weekend, and we regenerate during the week,” says Pieters.

At noon on the Monday I visit it is indeed noticeably quiet. The gleaming lobby is deserted, the outside pool area looks brochure-perfect, largely uncluttered by guests. But as we finish our lunch in the hotel’s Arabic-style Al Sufra restaurant, the place begins to fill up. “Look they’re arriving now,” notes Pieters.

“Qatar comes out later than most places – lunch guests arrive from 2pm onwards. By 5pm Café Murano will be full. And in the evening, it’s not unusual for people to come out at 11pm for dinner, coffee and treats.”

Locals are exploring the hotel’s services in their own time and at their own convenience. The F&B outlets – there will be 10 in total, seven owned and operated and three franchises – are proving particularly popular. And not necessarily because the hotel has the only liquor licence on the Pearl.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

The Sawa dining room – the hotel’s ‘all-day dining’ facility, though the team is keen to avoid that term – has an open kitchen with live cooking stations to demonstrate the theatre of its Asian, Indian and Arabic food preparation, as well as regular live entertainment. Breakfast buffets and Friday brunches are characteristically busy, and Pieters reveals that 60% of Sawa’s diners are regulars with their own ‘debenture’ tables.

Al Sufra is the “talk of the town”, Pieters claims. “You don’t just go to dinner at Sufra, you go for dinner with head chef Julien [Al-Khal] and his team, and you challenge them.”

As we tuck in to what was promised to be a light lunch, Al-Khal personally delivers numerous Levant-inspired dishes to our table with a flourish, explaining their provenance, answering questions and proudly serving generously heavy portions. Some of his regulars request – and receive – home deliveries.

While the home-grown Al Sufra, and high-profile franchises Toro Toro, Antica Pesa and soon-to-open Nozomi, might have been expected to steal the F&B limelight at MMK, it is in fact the aforementioned Café Murano that seems to have caught the most attention.

The coffee shop, serving colourful, made-in-house pastries, chocolates and Arabic sweets, has ‘gone viral’ among the local, selfie-obsessed Twitterati. “Qatar has one of the highest social media usage rates in the whole world. Everything is captured and shared,” says Pieters.

In less than a year, the hotel has already attracted 65,000 fans on Facebook – more than most other Kempinski properties worldwide – and the Twitter handle @MarsaMalaz has gathered 12,500 followers.

BESPOKE ARTWORK

But it’s not just the food that catches the eye at MMK.

The whole hotel is a visual feast – from the 44-tonne horse sculpture that prances by the hotel entrance (the largest freestanding equine statue in the world, no less), to the 3,000 individual works of art located around the property (more surely than many major galleries) and 1,800 mosaic styles literally dotted throughout.

“Art plays an important part at the hotel,” says Monika Tritz, executive assistant manager – rooms, doubling up as a curator.

From the seated reception area (providing comfortable chairs and low, individual desks is intended to underline the luxury of the experience instead of requiring guests stand during for check-in and check-out), one can truly appreciate the aesthetics.

The centrepiece of the hotel lobby is the ‘tree of life’ featuring 12 hummingbirds made of Murano glass. Underneath the tree is a ‘Pearlegranite’ – a giant pomegranate sculpture open to reveal pearls rather than seeds. “The piece reflects the Pearl as a destination,” explains Tritz, adding that storytelling helps guests’ experiences linger longer in the memory.

“The Doha-based artist Ahmed Al Bahrani made the horse and also the large bronze coin over the hotel entrance – which is inscribed with a phrase from the Holy Koran: All the good comes from God,” says Tritz.

Al Bagrani also created another imposing lobby artwork of giant flowers and butterflies – all these bespoke pieces commissioned specifically for the hotel.

To the rear of the lobby, above the staircases that wind down to the pool area, hang enormous chandeliers made with Murano glass oyster shells. “They’re held together by 44,000 screws and took six weeks to put together,” reveals Tritz.

While all these objets are themselves impressive, the hotel’s setting is surely its USP. Thanks to its position on the Costa Malaz Bay, MMK enjoys a sea view from every window and balcony – and rooms and suites echo their vista. Venetian paintings hang in the room overlooking the Pearl’s ‘Italian quarter’ complete with replica Rialto bridge, for example.

There are 40 five-star hotels in Doha – so the challenge for the MMK team was how to outperform its rivals. For starters, bedrooms at MMK start at 75sq m, compared to a five-star industry average of 35-43sq m, says Christian Huschka, director of sales and marketing. “We’re making a statement here. Deluxe is our entry level – there’s no standard.

“The rooms are spacious and calming – cosy, but not too cool or glossy. We want guests to be comfortable on a luxury level, feeling that this could be their home… better even than their home.”

For those guests that want to swing tigers rather than cats, there are 73 suites of 120sq m, and two Royal and two Presidential suites, measuring up to 650sq m.

LUXURY SERVICE

All rooms enjoy a 24/7 private butler service – described as “invisible, personalised and participative”. The privacy and discretion this affords has been well received and well used by guests.

The team admits that Qataris make for demanding customers. “They pay more, but they expect more,” says Huschka, who reveals that MMK’s room rates average QAR200-300 more than its competitors. “But you’re not comparing apples with apples,” he concedes.

While the domestic custom is plainly proving lucrative, there are other key segments of the hospitality market that would be a welcome addition to the hotel’s trade – namely international tourism and business travel. And the MMZ team is convinced that both will come.

Regarding tourism, Huschka says: “Doha will attract more visitors – as a family-driven market, with traditional values. And we [MMK] will be attractive to leisure guests and tourists. We see that tourism has potential, but that’s a mid-term project for us. We see ourselves as the newest and strongest supporter of the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA). And we’ll learn from the successes of other countries in the GCC.”

As for business travellers, who comprise such a significant part of Doha’s regular hotel guest population, the team admits: “We’re in the wrong part of town for business,” at least for now, though an increase in corporate business is anticipated as two large office blocks are being built close by on the Pearl.

“While we’re not the first choice for the business traveller, because we have such a premium product and a prestigious location, business people will try us out,” says Huschka. “If a company CEO tries it and likes it, because he feels like he’s not in a business hotel – more a resort or palace – he can choose freely.”

Discovery will play an important part in MMK’s success as it bids to establish itself as the new place to visit in Doha – alongside’s the city’s own challenge to establish itself as the place to visit in the Middle East.

Everyone seems confident that the market will come to Doha in time. And when it does, those looking for premium luxury facilities and services will surely find what they are looking for at MMK.