As part of a major expansion plan, the Morgans Group has said it will open its first international location – a new boutique hotel – in Doha by early next year.
The multi-million dollar Mondrian Doha will be shaped like a falcon and is being built next to Lagoona Mall and Zig Zag Towers.
It is owned by a newly formed local group called Hamla Hospitality, and will have an entrance shaped like a beak, wing-like extensions framing the rooftop and basements that appear to carved out like a nest.
When completed, the 31-story hotel will have 270 rooms, including residential suites and two penthouse floors. An individual working on the project told Doha News that there will be seven or eight restaurants, including a burger bar and rum bar.
However, the hotel’s general manager said that Mondrian was in the negotiation phase with nearly two dozen vendors, and the restaurants were still being finalized.
A local restaurant will also be included in the hotel, but the name of the eatery has yet to be announced. Other features include:
- A bridal suite;
- A large spa; and
- A home automation system in each room is “similar to an Ipad but fixed on the wall” and can control all operations, including lights, TV, temperature and curtains.
Some 550 to 600 staff are expected to be brought on over the next year, the hotel’s general manager told Hotelier Middle East last month.
Timeline pushed back
The Mondrian Doha project was initially announced in 2011, with an opening set for 2013. According to its website, that was pushed back to mid-2014. Now, management has said the hotel will open next year.
When contacted by Doha News, officials declined to comment on the delay.
A Mondrian staffer told Doha News last week that most of the exterior construction has been completed, except for the wings, and work on the interiors is expected to finish by the end of this year.
There are currently three Mondrian hotels in the US – in Miami, Los Angeles and New York.
There are also plans to expand the chain into London, Istanbul and the Bahamas.
The Morgans Hotel Group specializes in lifestyle hotels and has four brands- Delano, Originals, Hudson and Mondrian.
Thoughts?
Note: This article has been corrected to reflect the owner of the hotel and that Mondrian will not host the country’s largest spa. Names of restaurants that may appear in the hotel have also been removed, as negotiations are ongoing.
“will be shaped like a falcon “.. Falcons I have seen look far more different to the building in the perspective.
Better than the “vagina stadium” which was designed to look like sail boats…..
I agree, the idea of watching soccer inside of a giant vagina-shaped stadium takes a few minutes to get used to. But, don’t you think there is a percent of the population (who are probably not “open” about their personal preferences in Qatar) that will love the idea of congregating at the base of a shiny tower once it has been erect ed?
dreadful design – and nothing to do with Mondrian – still i like the omission of Zig Zag to improve the aesthetics of the picture- if only that could be done for the real skyline !
The Rum Bar sounds interesting but I will not hold my breath for a 2015 opening. 🙁
More like mid to end of 2016.
With ‘An entrance shaped like a beak’ and a ‘basement carved out of a nest’ it really sounds like it’s going to be an architectural gem. But, hey at least they didn’t look to a tired old cliche for inspiration ;+)
Opulence is bliss! You will find me at the rum bar. I’m sure Ill drink enough rum to need a room at the hotel. LOL!
But don’t you think that area is already crowded enough, with the Zig Zag towers, The Pearl, Katara, the exhibition hall and West Bay accommodation already in that area. Isn’t it time to expand the area where people go out. There are already enough attractions in that area, with this one added, more congestion during construction will occur, and also after its done. I love the hotel, the architecture and all, but I don’t think the location is appropriate.