Qatar Adds Thousands of World Cup Hotel Rooms in Test of Readiness
FIFA organizers and government officials had blocked off 80% of the country’s standard hotel rooms. Now they’re in the process of returning them to the general public for booking.
Thousands of hotel rooms in Qatar that had previously been blocked off by FIFA 2022 World Cup organizers are being released to the general public for booking, even as some properties are still under construction less than two months before kick off.
The accommodations had been held back by Qatar’s Supreme Committee and the FIFA governing body to give priority to the teams in the competition, sponsors and their guests, officials, royal guests, and fans who booked hospitality packages. Now, with the World Cup set to start on Nov. 20, several thousand unallocated rooms are being released after a contractually agreed-upon deadline, according to a person familiar with the process.