FIFA finds Qatar hotels to host World Cup teams

FIFA World Cup officials are inspecting Qatar hotels to check their suitability for hosting international football teams during the tournament in 2022.

Simaisma, a Murwab Resort, received a visit last week to see if it had the facilities that would be required by a World Cup team.

Eman Abela, executive assistant manager F&B, told Hotelier Middle East that the resort was hoping to host one of the national squads. He said: “They reported that we met the required security standards, but that we would need to add a conference room to be considered.”

Simaisma, which is situated on the beach front 30km north of Doha city centre, opened on January 29. It offers 56 villas – four with four bedrooms, 33 with three bedrooms and 19 with two bedrooms – all equipped with their own kitchens. Bookings are offered on a B&B basis, but the resort also offers guests pre-prepared, marinated raw ingredients for them to cook in their own villas.

There is a wide range of leisure facilities – including football pitches, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts – and a Six Senses spa. The on-site activity team also co-ordinates local bike rides, jogging routes and a variety of watersports.

There are four F&B outlets, including Awtar, a 120-cover all-day-dining restaurant with a retractable roof.

Abela said that Simaisma’s two and four-bedroom villas are already fully booked on all weekends until May with room rates of around QAR2,000 and QAR6,000 per night respectively.