Qatar Holding, owner of London’s world famous store which it bought from Mohamed Al fayed for £1.5 billion in 2010, has announced that it plans to open Harrods hotels in major cities around the world: Kuala Lumpur, New York, Paris and London, as well as China, being first candidates.
The upmarket hotels are designed to position Harrods as a truly global luxury brand, and will utilise sites already owned by Qatar Holding or its affiliates – Chelsea Barracks in London being a case in point.
Property acquisitions by Qatar Holding in London alone include Chelsea barracks, the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, and the Olympic Village.
Apparently, the decision has already been made to build a Harrods hotel in London: the original designs for the Chelsea Barracks site were the subject of considerable controversy, but the outline masterplan was approved in 2011.
Design details of the Harrods hotel will be eagerly awaited.