The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, announces its debut in Qatar with the Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha in Qatar. The existing Ramada Plaza Doha featuring 583 guest rooms will be converted to a Radisson Blu in Q3 2012. Radisson Blu is Rezidor’s core brand in the upper upscale market segment – offering contemporary architecture & design, unique signature service concepts and the engaging service philosophy “Yes I Can!”. “We are delighted to add this landmark hotel to our constantly growing Middle East portfolio where we currently have 29 Radisson Blu hotels in operation and under development. The property will undergo a US$ 18 million renovation and become even more attractive and competitive”, said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. Gordon MacKenzie, General Manager of the hotel, added: “Although we are slightly sad to be leaving the Ramada family, we feel that joining the Radisson Blu brand will continue to enhance our services and open new avenues for international business. This is an extremely exciting time for us.” The future Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha is located on a prominent intersection in the city centre with excellent access to the international airport and West Bay business district. It is one of the largest hotels in Doha and offers 583 modern, spacious rooms & suites in different styles. Food & beverage outlets include 6 bars and 12 restaurants – three of them recently won awards from Time Out Doha (Best Chinese Cuisine, Best Japanese Cuisine, Best Family Atmosphere in The Italian Job). For meeting & events, the hotel comprises 2,000 square meter of conference space; leisure facilities include 2 gymnasiums, 3 pools, saunas, squash, tennis, basketball, badminton, and treatment rooms. On a GDP per capita basis, Qatar is the richest country in the world, thanks to massive oil and gas reserves. Much of this wealth is being devoted to diversifying the economy, with major investments in real estate, tourism and air travel. In addition, Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup, which will undoubtedly stimulate further investment and tourism.