Doha Marriott's Management appoints Ian Hodgson as new Lounge & Beverage Manager for the hotel's exclusive Pearl Lounge Club

Ian joined the Doha Marriott team in August 2008 and made use of the holy month of Ramadan to get familiar with the personality of the Pearl, Doha and its clients.

The former manager of the Pearl, Mr. Joe Cota made the handover by sharing with Ian all his tips and tricks that made Pearl Lounge the most famous club in Doha.

Joe Cota has not left Doha, he is now taking care of the Doha Marriott's six dining options and assisting the culinary team in getting ready to open the new JW's Steakhouse in early 2009.

While the renovation is going on quickly he is assisting Tony Altuntas, Food & Beverage Manager, in lining up and training the new staff, arranging the food and beverage menus, decorations etc. to create a unique new dining experience.

Joe is very much looking forward to his new responsibilities.

John Louie, Director of Operations, states:

"With all the changes and new options to come, we are extremely excited for the move of Joe and new addition of Ian. The years of experiences, great ideas and passion for excellence that both of these gentlemen possess, will be a great asset to our Food and Beverage operations and will ensure memorable experiences for our guests and ensure continued success."

Ian, who is originally from the UK, started his Lounge and Club career as a Supervisor for the "Sugar Shack",the first legal House Music Club in the UK in 1991.

Being a person who was always sought new challenges and a complete understanding of the various functions in his job, Ian is also fully trained in the lighting and sound production.

His proven technical and leadership skills provided a solid base for his advancement in the Hospitality industry with greater responsibilities and operations.

Ian describes his first steps in the Night Club industry as follows: "It was an amazing experience watching today's most famous International DJ's starting their careers.
I had the privilege to see the likes of John Digweed, who was the first UK DJ who had a club residency in the US and was consistently voted one of the top 10 international DJ's in prestigious club culture. Also I met Judge Jules, who was selected #6 in the Top 100 DJ's in the world in 2000, and many, many more."

Since his start in the hospitality industry, In 1996 Ian left the "Sugar Shack" club to join the 'Professional Nightclub Organization' that is also connected with BBC Radio 1, to get more professional training and to boost his career.

He worked his way up very fast and became General Manager in 2001, while arranging UK's biggest parties with up to 20.000 people, featuring well known rock bands and artist such as Gwen Steffani and the Foo Fighters.

Organizing these very successful parties, Ian and his team were just chartering an empty field and building up everything the customer needs to meet the artists and guests needs.

After 11 years of experience in the UK, Ian was curious to see how the rest of the world's nightlife looks like and he accepted a manager's position in Bahrain at the "Club 7" in 2007.

Club 7 is a house music club where different famous DJs are playing every weekend.

Additionally Ian organized a lot of special events such like the Formula One After Show Party in April 2008, which was also featured by Fashion Television International.

"I am very much looking forward to learn more about the culture and people living and partying in Qatar. I attempt to keep Pearl Lounge a most successful place and to make it a nice place to be for all our guests. We are thrilled to anticipate our guest's needs with our music, drinks, food, and special events. Pearl Lounge is and will remain a place of action, gathering, having fun, and unforgettable party nights", expresses Ian, happy to be part of the successful Pearl Lounge team.


October 17th, Pearl Lounge presents Sky Bar resident DJ Jojo, straight from the heart of Beirut, taking all house music lovers into a journey of the latest uplifting beats

DJ Jojo is the number one DJ in Electro house music and he also has his own show "Electro Town" aired on Mix FM, the #1 radio station in the Middle East.

He is currently the resident DJ of Sky Bar, the leading open air rooftop lounge in the Middle East and Europe, and has hosted many international DJs and artists from all around the world.

DJ Jojo played along with many international DJ's such as David Guetta, Fred Baker, Paul Okenfold, Paul Van Dyke, Tiesto and many other international DJ's.

His latest shocking event with "Bob Sinclar" provided an unforgettable evening for the Lebanese crowds.

Another highlight in October will be Pearl Lounges Halloween Party on October 31st

"Spooky, kooky, creepy and fun... Halloween is the time of spooks and spirits, witches and scary black cats, and I love it!", states Ian. The team is very excited to see all their guests dressed themed and as scariest as they can, to fit with Pearl Lounges shocking and extraordinary decorations. Every guest is welcomed with a complimentary glass of Pearls very special 'Halloween Cocktail', and who knows what will happen further the night... but it promises to become a great and enjoyable event.