A Portfolio of Iconic Hotels An Interview with Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla, Chief Executive Offi cer, Katara Hospitality Katara Towers, in Qatar’s Lusail Marina District, is scheduled to open in 2018 EDITORS’ NOTE Hamad Abdulla icon in its own right, further strength- are continuously exploring investment oppor- Al-Mulla assumed his current post ening Qatar’s reputation as a key tunities in hotels in international markets that and became a member of the Board player in the global tourism market. have set the standards in the global hospitality of Directors of Katara Hospitality in It’s in our interest to preserve these industry. February 2011, having previously icons by investing in their restoration In Switzerland, we are undertaking the held the position of Chief Human and discrete modernization to ensure complete transformation of the Bürgenstock Resources and Administration their heritage and luxury offering is Resort Lake Lucerne, an impressive hospitality Offi cer since 2009. Since complet- available for future generations. complex consisting of two luxury hotels, a dedi- ing his Hospitality Management & Katara Hospitality has 35 cated wellness hotel, a nearly 22,000-square- Tourism studies at the University of properties in operation or under foot alpine spa, and two spectacular residence Salzburg in 1991, Al-Mulla has development within its portfolio. buildings in addition to two operational proper- amassed over 20 years’ experience Would you highlight the portfolio ties: Hotel Royal Savoy in Lausanne, which was in top management positions within Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla and describe the key characteris- built in 1906, and Schweizerhof Hotel in Bern various Katara Hospitality properties tics of a Katara property? built in 1859. in Qatar including the Sheraton Gulf Hotel, cur- As an international hotel owner, developer, At an international level, Raffl es Singapore, rently known as the Doha Marriott Hotel, and and operator with 40 years’ experience in the built in 1887, the fl agship property of Raffl es Merwebhotel Al Sadd Doha. industry, Katara Hospitality is focused on its Hotels & Resorts, is one of our most luxuri- global expansion. Our recent addition of The ous hotels, awarded on countless occasions COMPANY BRIEF Katara Hospitality Westin Excelsior Rome brings our global port- for its legendary levels of service and known (katarahospitality.com) is a global hotel owner, folio to 35 properties in operation or under as an icon that epitomizes the romance of the developer, and operator based in Qatar. With development and marks our third hotel in Italy. Far East, an intoxicating blend of indulgence, more than 40 years’ experience in the industry, Our vision is to become one of the leading hos- history, and colonial design. Katara Hospitality actively pursues its strategic pitality organizations in the world and our in- Another core area of focus for Katara expansion plans by investing in peerless hotels ternational expansion is very much part of this Hospitality is the refurbishment and upgrade in Qatar while growing its collection of iconic strategy. of our existing Doha portfolio. Sealine properties in key international markets. Katara Katara Hospitality acquires properties that Beach Resort will see the addition of 20 new Hospitality has 35 properties in operation or un- offer something extraordinary and unique that villas as well as the complete refurbishment der development within its portfolio and is now will create exceptional legacies that are aligned of the existing chalets, villas, and indoor focused on adding another 25 properties by with our commitment to preserving heritage. and outdoor facilities. Further, a phased 2026. As the country’s fl agship hospitality or- We enjoy the challenge of converting and me- renovation of the rooms, spa, lobby, and ganization, Katara Hospitality supports Qatar’s ticulously restoring buildings that carry history restaurants is well underway at The Ritz- long-term economic vision. and that have become very much part of local Carlton, Doha. communities and cultures. This is why we al- An exciting project for us, which we can Would you provide an overview of the his- ways ensure that we are respectful to local see out of the windows of our global head- tory and heritage of Katara Hospitality? communities by preserving the heritage of these quarters, is our iconic Katara Towers in Doha’s Katara Hospitality, formerly known as Qatar properties rather than reinventing the wheel, so Lusail Marina District. It’s currently under con- National Hotels Company (QNH), was estab- that they can remain very much part of local struction and expected to open in 2018. The lished in 1970 by the Government of Qatar and heritage. project is an architectural translation of Qatar’s since then has adopted a pioneering approach In this sense, our portfolio and in fact the country seal. A mixed-use hospitality complex, to developing the hospitality landscape in the defi ning characteristic of each of our proper- Katara Towers will include a luxury hotel and country. The company was renamed in 2012 as ties is that they all represent hospitality icons an ultra-luxury hotel and branded apartments. Katara Hospitality to refl ect its heritage and in- in their own right, and our investment ensures Other amenities will include world-class spas, ternational expansion plans. Katara Hospitality this prestigious iconic status is secured for the restaurants, retail, and a waterfront pedestrian currently owns properties spread across three future. promenade with spectacular views of the continents in Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, U.K., Europe is home to many iconic heritage Arabian Gulf. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, The buildings. In addition to our recently acquired Another one of our innovative projects is Netherlands, Singapore, and Thailand. property, The Westin Excelsior Rome built the development of the Tazi Palace in Tangier, Our continued vision is to develop a port- in 1906, these include Excelsior Hotel Gallia, Morocco. The building was originally designed folio of unique properties that are celebrated a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan built in to become a royal residence, and after our me- hospitality icons across the world, and we take 1932; The Peninsula Paris built in 1908; Le ticulous renovation will be revolutionized into immense pride in and enjoy the challenge of Royal Monceau – Raffl es Paris built in 1928; a luxurious palace hotel. converting properties that carry fascinating his- Intercontinental Carlton Cannes built in 1912; You are focused on adding another 25 tory into remarkable hospitality complexes. InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam built in properties to your portfolio by 2026. What Each of our properties represents a hospitality 1867; and The Savoy London built in 1889. We are the markets targeted for expansion? 104 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2016 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 39, NUMBER 1 We continuously look to invest in a col- Our approach to CSR is built on our es- Qatarization policies. Our agenda includes lection of unique properties in key sought-after tablished infrastructure for addressing issues training and equipping Qatari nationals for a international locations and our current portfolio related to the environment, community work- successful career in the hospitality industry. is spread across three continents. However, our places, and product development. We support Under my leadership and beyond, talent investment strategy is not just determined by a the sourcing of local produce, services, and development is, and will always be, a focus hotel’s location. When engaging in a project, we building local supplier capacity, to bring sus- area of ours. We will provide robust training always look for something special, something tainable economic worth and empowerment to and development programs for all our employ- extraordinary that sets that property apart. the communities where we are active, whether ees to help develop and train young Qataris With regard to the markets we plan to fo- in Qatar or abroad. to become the future hospitality leaders of our cus our future investments and developments Katara Hospitality’s current priority is to country. in, we are open to exploring opportunities in focus on the impact of our hotels, where we How do you focus your efforts in lead- some of the world’s most attractive tourist des- can have the greatest control in creating positive ing Katara Hospitality and what are your tinations. However, Qatar is and will always outcomes. We have undertaken a major initia- key priorities for the company as you look remain a high priority for us and we intend to tive with the Ministry of Environment for the to the future? maintain our position as market leaders in the protection of the sea and reefs at Sealine Beach Katara Hospitality has achieved major local hospitality industry. Resort in Qatar and we are planning a similar milestones in terms of acquisitions, investment, Our current presence in Europe is strong program at the Renaissance Sharm El Sheikh and development over the past year. One of and we are continuing to acquire, develop, Golden View Beach Resort in Egypt. our main goals was to add 30 properties to our and open several iconic hotels across the con- We have also signifi cantly increased our portfolio by 2016, and we have done so two tinent and own properties in the U.K., France, priority on understanding the environmental years ahead of schedule, which has been a great Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Germany, and The impact of our activities and aim to reduce our achievement. Following the success achieved in Netherlands, and continuing to explore invest- electricity and water consumption at all of our 2014 and 2015, we are now focusing on expand- ment opportunities in other markets, including properties and continuously seek to reduce ing our portfolio of iconic hotels to 60 proper- Mediterranean countries. North America is also negative environmental impacts by adopting ties by 2026 and preserving our existing gems a possibility and we intend to further expand environmentally preferable business practices by renovating and refurbishing as required.