beacon of glory

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m a r k e t w a t c h

Qatar today j a n u a r y 2 0 1 288


bEaconof GLorybEaconof GLory

tall and proud in the 250-hectare Aspire

City, The Torch-Doha Hotel had its sot

opening last month, oering guests a unique

5-star experience. A 70% occupancy rate

already suggests a promising start. But it

hasnt been an easy task, says Gerhard Fol-

tin, General Manager. It takes at least six

months o preparation beore the hotel is

ready to open. You have to train the sta ac-

cordingly and see i they t in well or not.

Two major actors work in the hotels

avour. Given the trafc in this part o the

city, people are glad that we have opened

a hotel here, says Foltin. This also means

ewer competition as the next closest ho-

tels would be the Ramada and La Cigale

on C Ring road. With several 4-and 5-star

hotels predominantly lodged at West Bay,

what this part o the city lacked was a luxu-

ry hotel, especially with several businesses

springing up in and around the Aspire City.

Another advantage that Foltin quickly

adds is the hotels close proximity to the

Villaggio Mall. We have constructed an air-

conditioned bridge that connects the hotel

directly to the mall. Many o our guests

use this acility, and can spend their day

shopping in the mall.

Sport Support

The Torch has had a memorable stint in the

sports arena. Back in 2006, one could recall

how H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad

Who Would have expeCted the 300m toWer next to the villaggio

mall, WhiCh held the flame for the 2006 asian games, to Be the

next 5-star hotel in the Citys luxury market? Well, gerhard

foltin, general manager of the torCh - doha, for one, kneW itright from the start. he noW takes it upon himself to let

people knoW What the toWers all aBout.

whAT The Torch offers:

167 modern rooms and suites with

state-of-the-art technologies.

three signature restaurants

namely flying carpet on meZZa-

nine 2 level offering internation-

al cuisine and live cooking, three

sixty on the 47th floor serving

mediterranean cuisine, and pan-

orama on the 50th floor serving

cuisine from the far east.

four-level spa centre including

the swimming pool, sauna, gym and

a spa lounge.

meeting rooms that can accom-

modate small business events to

large corporate events.

B y c a S S e y o l i V e i r a

Stdig

gerhArd folTin,general manager

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j a n u a r y 2 0 1 2 Qatar today 89

Al-Thani lit up the giant cauldron whose

ame was then transerred electronically

to the Aspire Tower, to mark the start o theAsian Games. The hotel plans on continuing

its support to sports in the country by doing

what it does best playing perect hosts to

local and international sports enthusiasts.

Last month we had the Australian Na-

tional Football team staying here. In Janu-

ary 2012, we will be having two German

teams here or the Winter Camp Tour-

nament, says Foltin. But its not only

sportspersons, we also have a lot o busi-

nessmen coming in, especially those who

are having their businesses in this part o

the city and they are starting to re-visit us,he continues.

The hotels decor also incorporates

sports-inspired elements in innovative

ways. For instance, sit in the lobby and

you would see beautiul Arabic calligraphy

etched on the pillars o the lounge that say

a thing or two about sportsmanship. The

hotels rooms too exude a subtle sporty

eel. The Torch Doha is a sports-oriented

hotel, says Foltin.

Amazing concepts

Foltin is impressed with how the hotel has

shaped up. Its a unique hotel ater all, and

we are not talking o the exterior design

alone. The lobby is 16 oors high. The por-

tion that one sees jutting out o the twen-

tieth oor is actually a cantilevered swim-

ming pool, 80 metres high. You will be able

to look at the tip o the hotel the torch

rom here. Its beautiul, he says.

The hotels restaurants too are a class

apart. The Flying Carpet, an all-day dining

restaurant, has a motley o huge beautiul

carpets suspended rom the ceiling, hence

the name. Another restaurant, the Three

Sixty, is a unique revolving restaurant lo-

cated on the orty-seventh oor that oers

a breathtaking 360 degree panoramic viewo the city while you dine.

What more, whichever room you stay in,

we promise you a antastic view o the city

by day or by night, Foltin assures.

Brand Handling

Foltin has had a history o working with

some iconic brands in the country; The

Sheraton which was the rst hotel in Qatar

and now The Torch the tallest tower ho-

tel in the country. In act, there arent just

brands but landmarks adorning the citys

landscape the ormer is a pyramid on theshores o Doha Bay while the latter is a co-

lossal torch-shaped tower in the Aspire city.

The Sheraton, or me, is still a very striking

place. Being a pyramid, you can see it rom

any angle. The hotel also houses some o

the biggest meeting and conerence rooms

in the city. We have had numerous coner-

ences over the years, says the man who has

been involved with the city s two most cher-

ished shapes.

"In Sheraton, we used to walk horizontal-

ly rom one room to another; in The Torch,

I have to walk vertically, he quips. Adjust-

ing to the height is another thing reaching

the tieth oor means scanning a height

o 300metre. In 40 seconds the elevator

reaches you to the lobby again; your ears

have to get used to the sudden change in

altitude pressure!

While the Sheraton is a part o one o the

worlds largest hotel companies Starwood

Hotels and Resorts, Torch is a sole hotel

owned by the Aspire Zone Foundation.

There are plans o expanding The Torch

hotel chain in the country. This is just the

beginning, says Foltin

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