A popular park in front of Doha’s Sheraton Grand Hotel has officially opened to the public and will be home to some five restaurants and cafes in the coming year.

The new “Hotel Park,” formerly known as Sheraton Park, is comprised of seven hectares of gardens and is situated in the heart of the capital’s busy business district of Dafna.

It has been popular with residents since it soft-launched in January.

The park has been under construction for more than four years, led by developers QDVC, and was scheduled to open more than a year ago

Modern in style and using geometric shapes, Hotel Park has been designed with a combination of soft and hard landscaping.

In a statement, Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla, chief executive of Katara Hospitality, said:

“Offering a natural relaxing landscape destination for family enjoyment is one way we aim to show continued appreciation of the valued residents of our community.”

Over the past few months, one of its main attractions has been its numerous water features, including fountains, streams, jets and waterfalls, although children appear to no longer be allowed to play in the park’s “wadi” area.

The park also features a semi-shaded children’s play area and adults’ outdoor fitness equipment in addition to its lawns.

Billed as a “family-friendly” location, hotel owners and operating organization Katara Hospitality told Doha News today that five eateries are planned for the park.

Three are scheduled to open by the last quarter of this year, and a further two in early 2017, a Katara Hospitality spokeswoman said. She declined to give any specifics about the planned eateries.

In early July, after Eid Al Fitr, a video wall will be installed in the park that will feature details of events and activities taking place across the city.

Additionally, all toilets in the park are now open to the public, Katara Hospitality said.

Parking charges

Last month, the park’s four-story underground parking lot, which has space for 2,500 vehicles, opened to the public.

After initially allowing visitors to park there for free, charges will be imposed from today, Katara Hospitality said in its statement.

An underground tunnel will eventually connect the new hotel car park with the new Doha Exhibition and Conference Center (DECC).

Work on this project is complete on the park’s end, but further construction is needed at DECC. The tunnel is planned to open next year, the Katara Hospitality spokeswoman said.

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