Qatar-based Katara Hospitality won top honours at the 2013 World Travel Awards (WTA) held in Doha recently.

It beat stiff competition from global hotel companies to clinch the 'World’s Leading Hospitality Company’ award, said a senior executive.

“We are pleased and humbled to win this award.  Pleased, as it is a public recognition of the strides we are taking towards our goal of being the leading global player in hospitality and humbled, as the list of nominees provides a roll-call of the industry’s strongest companies," said Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabour Al-Thani, chairman.

The Katara group has 23 properties in operation or under development, with more than 5,500 rooms.  Operational hotels include properties in Singapore, Paris and Doha, while it has projects under development in locations including Italy, Switzerland, Morocco, the Comoros and the Maldives.

Hamad Abdulla Al Mulla, the chief executive officer received the award.

The WTA aim to recognise the leading travel, tourism and hospitality organisations in the world, mainly those companies which push the boundaries of excellence in product and service and create ground-breaking ideas. - TradeArabia News Service