Qatar Airways has made headlines for the second time this week by snapping up the Sheraton Melbourne with the acquisition further strengthening its Australian foothold.
Now, the airline group has confirmed the Melbourne property will join the portfolio of the its expanding hospitality division Dhiafatina Hotels.
“The acquisition of the Sheraton Melbourne Hotel complements Qatar Airways’ global strategy for growth, and further strengthens our offering for passengers travelling on board our daily flights to Melbourne, Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said.
“Melbourne is an incredibly important destination on the Qatar Airways network, so much so that last year we began flying our state-of-the-art Airbus A380 aircraft to Melbourne.”
The airline introduced its flagship Airbus A380 to the Melbourne route in June 2017, increasing daily capacity on its Doha-Melbourne route by 44%.
The 174-room five-star hotel is located on Melbourne’s Little Collins Street, close to Parliament House and the Melbourne Museum as well as a number of high-profile restaurants, theatres, and shops.
Other hotels in the portfolio include the Sheraton Skyline Hotel at London’s Heathrow Airport, The Novotel Edinburgh Park in Edinburgh Scotland, the Oryx Rotana Hotel in Doha, and The Airport Hotel located at Doha’s Hamad International Airport.