There have been growing concerns from international fans over accommodation prices and its availability in the country.
Lodging options on the country’s newly-released accommodation portal have just increased for football fans travelling to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Visitors can now stay in a variety of fan villages, which all offer a variety of amenities such as cabin-style lodging. Additionally, they have the option to rent private holiday houses in various locations across the country.
This is meant to fulfil the country’s promise of making the World Cup accessible and suitable for a different range of budgets.
Fan villages, which Qatar first announced it will be creating for the tournament visitors back in 2016, will allow fans to camp in comfort in the desert with the modular cabins.
In Doha, three sites are available: Zafaran, Ras Bu Fontas, and Rawdat Al Jahhaniya, all of which are easily accessible by public transportation and located near cultural attractions, beaches, stadiums, and other FIFA World Cup activities.
The cost of a modular cabin for two people is $207 a night, or about $103 per person. Each unit has two single beds or one double bed, a private bathroom, a refrigerator, Wi-Fi, 24-hour reception, weekly housekeeping, and nearby restaurants with a variety of dining options.
The total price of stay for two people throughout the full tournament amounts to about $5,598.
Qatar is preparing to host the “most compact” FIFA World Cup in modern history, according to the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC). Spectators will be able to stay in the same location throughout the tournament, saving travel expenses and carbon emissions significantly.
Accommodation concerns
Qatar has recently created an online accommodation platform that has around 80% of the country’s hotel inventory for World Cup fans. Organisers assured fans that when booking a hotel using the designated website, their demand will be satisfied and no false price rises will occur.
Fans will be able to choose from two to five star hotel rooms, apartments, villas, luxury cruise ships, and desert camps in fan villages through the accommodation portal.
Additionally, MSC Cruises has agreed to lease two cruise liners to Qatar during the World Cup.
The cruise liners, which will be stationed at Doha Port and used as floating hotels, will have a total capacity of 4,000 cabins and offer spectators a spectacular view of the West Bay cityscape. Chartering cruise liners is regarded as a sustainable option that Qatar has been considering as part of its World Cup accommodation strategy for a while.
The gulf state also struck a deal to furnish 60,000 rooms and villas with Accor, Europe’s leading hotel operator, throughout the tournament.
World Cup Qatar organisers have promised supporters that the event will be “as affordable as possible for everyone,” FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al-Khater noted in an interview with SunSport.
The cost of staying in some apartments is about $80 per night, while buying a room in a luxury floating hotel with restaurants and recreational activities is around $180 per night.
FIFA organisers have also set a limit on room costs that hotels can charge fans. The price of a three-star hotel is capped at around $120.
On April 25, the SC announced that fans now have the option to stay with their friends or relatives during the global sporting event.
The choice to host friends and family who are coming to watch the World Cup is only available to Qatari nationals and residents. These friends are welcome to stay with them as long as the host registers the visitors, including their passport numbers and unit information.
Hosts can invite up to 10 people during the tournament, and applications may start as early as May 2022.
In the near future, the SC has announced that more accommodation choices will be accessible to ticket holders.
