Marwen Bouhajja, cluster hotel manager of Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels, Al Najada Hotel and Al Najada Hotel Apartments tells QH about their brand strengths, the lessons that the pandemic taught their business and why someone coming to Doha should choose their properties over others.
QH: Tell us five reasons for guests to choose your hotel in Doha.
Bouhajja: They’re Ranked in the list of Top Hotels in the Middle East, have been awarded as Qatar’s Leading Boutique Hotel, with premium location, in the heart of Doha city overlooking the most famous market place Souq Waqif, have easy accessibility, with an iconic design reflecting the local culture. In addition, we can accommodate all kinds of guests (business traveller, leisure traveller, family holiday, solo traveller) offering a tailored stay experience that meet guest expectation (hotel apartment, hotel suites, hotel rooms, spa, lady salon, gift shops, swimming pool), offering a wide range of different dining cuisines (Moroccan, Italian, mixed Arabic and oriental, Indian with Qatari flavours and international).
QH: What are your brand values, something that no other hospitality player in Doha has?
Bouhajja: Our hotels are a timeless brand that engages travellers and local communities in a genuine way, welcoming them to live the eclectic lifestyle in fascinating locations.
QH: What have been your expansions/refurbishments to your property in the past year? What about 2024 – any plans of modification/upscaling your property?
Bouhajja: Some initiatives worth mentioning are launching outdoor catering and hosting Souq Waqif horse festival for the second year in a row; launching new restaurant concept (Indian Qatari flavours); refurbishment of the exterior building of Al Najada Hotel; refurbishment of the interior building of Al Jomrok Hotel; M&E facilities equipped with high-tech touchless screens.
In the current year, we plan to relaunch and move concept Al Shurfa to Greek restaurant; refurbish Al Najada Hotel Apartments exterior building; move concept Canela Café to chocolate lounge; upgrade all television sets to smart TVs.
QH: Where do you see your property/brand in the next 2 years?
Bouhajja: We see ourselves within the top five leaders in the hospitality market striving to create luxurious authentic experiences for our guests.
QH: Talk us through the timeless business lessons that the pandemic has taught and how your property has adapted with those.
Bouhajja: We have striven through decades of history to elegantly maintain the same mystique, especially during pandemic and offering more natural serenity and care, timelessly. Our hotels remain “The place to see and be seen” because our guests feel special, because we have taken care about their individual tastes not by cutting cost or touching guest essentials, but by making the locals feel special, eclectically blending their lifestyle during their journey with us. We have woven in personal touches because our team members are flexible, honest, humane, genuine, warm, friendly, transparent – in a word, passionate and genuinely interested in our guests. Lastly, one of the values that helped us overcome the pandemic period was the way we have embraced the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental, in an engaging manner, operating along strict ethical lines, holding our teams to high standards of hotel management and safety, through quality control, corporate Standard Operating Procedures, hotel audits and certifications, reflecting our passion, and vision.
Short Shots
Best book read in 2023: The EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence And Your Success by Howard E Book and Steven J Stein
Best advice received: We grow talent, talents grows us
Go-to unwinding method: Pray, play a computer game
Favourite holiday destination: Djerba, Tunisia
Best hotel stayed in: Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara
