Floating hotels are coming to Qatar at the upcoming Qetaifan Island North for the 2022 FIFA World Cup QatarTM.

In January 2020, Qetaifan Projects, a company owned by Katara Hospitality, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ADMARES Construction and Trading, to construct and operate 16 floating hotels on the shores of Qetaifan Island North to provide accommodation for the fans within the fan villages during the 2022 FIFA World Cup QatarTM. 

The 16 floating hotels will each be 72-m-long and 16-m-wide, each consisting of 101 guest rooms, a restaurant, and a lounge bar. All 16 four-storey hotels will be identical, offering a total of 1,616 floating hotel rooms.

Relying on solar energy, the hotels will be built according to the strictest energy standards. These hotels will be built separate to the mainland and feature their own sewage treatment plant, recycling facilities, and sustainable power generator. The hotels will also have every amenity needed and offer private boats, ferries, and water taxis to carry visitors to and from the shore.

Designed by Finland’s Sigge Architects, the hotels require a water depth of four or more metres, and can be moved to another coastal location after the World Cup.

According to Chief Executive of ADMARES, Mikael Hedberg, the hotels will be the first time that pure floating real estate has been used as a temporary solution for accommodation needs on
this scale. ADMARES specialises in floating or pile-supported structures.

 

 

 

Located off Lusail City, Qetaifan Island North features seven beaches, which makes it the city’s distinct waterfront destination. The island spans approximately 1.3 mn sq m with 830,000 sq m of attractions. In proximity to Qetaifan Island North is Lusail International Stadium, which will host the opening and final games of the 2022 FIFA World Cup QatarTM. 

Projected to house up to 25,000 people, the island will provide fans and tourists with many leisure activities and facilities with fan villages, which will include the floating hotels. In addition to the floating hotels, another one of the island’s attractions is the upcoming 129,296 sq m water park. 

Some of the best floating hotels can be found in the UK (Solent Forts; Good Hotel London), Canada (Ocean House in Haida Gwaii), India (Taj Lake Palace), Tanzania (Manta Resort; River Kwai Jungle Rafts in Sai Yok), Cambodia (4 Rivers Floating Lodge on Koh Andet Island), Maldives (Conrad Maldives; Gili Lankanfushi in Male), Sweden (Salt & Sill), Singapore (Beach Villa Ocean Suites at Resorts World Sentosa), Serbia (Salt & Water Catamarans) and France (OFF Paris Seine; Les Cabanes des Grands Cepages in Sorgues).


Author: Ola Diab

This article is from Marhaba Information Guide’s Issue No 77 Spring/Summer 2020.

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