The Sheraton Doha will be revamping its swimming pool area within the coming year, according to the hotel’s general manager, who explained that the upgrade is part of a wider range of renovation and expansion plans. Steven Kalczynski has been general manager of the hotel since April, and he said that he has thoroughly enjoyed his time at one of Doha’s longest established hotels. “It has been a delight working for such a famous hotel that has been here for 30 years”, he said. Kalczynski explained that over the next year, the hotel will be taking steps to upgrade many of its facilities to ‘bring it back to the five star plus level.’ “We will be working in conjunction with Qatar National Hotels and we will be going through some renovations down the road,” he noted. A new 75-acre landscaping and swimming pool project should be commencing in the next few weeks, and the addition of the new pool will enable the hotel to close the existing pool for a refurbishment of the area. Kalczynski explained that the pool area will be totally updated, with the outdoor eating area also to undergo major redevelopment. He added that the Al Shaheen restaurant will be refurbished and the heads of state suites will also be revamped at some point next year. Kalczynski noted that Qatar remains primarily a business market, arguing that some of the cultural experiences and offerings have not yet been effectively transmitted to a global audience. “But I think in the years ahead you will see a lot more exposure and you will see the occupancies begin to rise in the summertime as well.” However, he praised the efforts of the Qatar Tourism Authority and the government in promoting the destination, and focussing on areas such as sports tourism. “I think they’re heading in the right direction, their base on working with sports is certainly beginning to pay off with the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar, and their efforts with Qatar Airways to develop stayovers will be key going forward as well,” he stated. “We are all as hoteliers working very hard to develop the leisure market, especially as we head towards November and December when Europe begins to get cold and chilly, and Doha is not that far away for some beautiful weather,” added the general manager. The opening of the new Qatar National Convention Centre will certainly have an impact on business at the Sheraton, which has traditionally been seen as a preferred conference venue. However, Kalczynski remained upbeat about the added competition in what is a vibrant and developing market. “I think there will definitely be an impact, but we are all working very hard to develop more conferences within the city as well,” he said, adding “so we are all going to reap the rewards down the road – competition is good!”

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