While most people know of Harrods as a lavish department store in London, the brand will soon be opening a chain of luxury hotels. Owned by the Qatar Holding Company, who purchased Harrods two years ago, the plan is to build properties in major cities like New York, Paris, London, Kuala Lumpur and Sardinia.

"Qatar Holding ultimately intends to grow Harrods into a global enterprise that defines the luxury retail and leisure sectors," said the company.

Qatar Holding also owns the recently completed The Shard, Europe's tallest building, so we're interested to see how the hotel project turns out. Construction is slated to begin next year in Kuala Lumpur. They're looking to invest more in Malaysia, as they believe the economy there is growing. The project is estimated to cost about £406 million.

What do you think of Harrods expanding into hotels?

[Image via Sokkk y]

Filed under: Europe, United Kingdom, Hotels and Accommodations, News, Luxury Travel