- LONDON: A Qatari sovereign wealth fund is close to buying the W Hotel in central London tourist destination Leicester Square for almost 200 million pounds ($318 million), a source close to the sale said.
The 10-story property opened in February this year and has 192 rooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant, a 35,000 square foot M&M’s store and 11 apartments.
It was put up for sale in January by property broker Jones Lang LaSalle for Northern Irish developer McAleer & Rushe.
Qatar, the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, has snapped up a number of British assets in recent years, ranging from luxury department store Harrods to stakes in grocer J Sainsbury and the Olympic athlete’s village in east London.