Footage of the accommodation at the 2022 Qatar World Cup has leaked online and appears to show the shocking state of the rooms many fans are paying a significant amount to stay in.
Videos of the supposed standard of hotel rooms have been circulating online with various people joking that these so-called rooms are the World Cup equivalent of Fyre Festival.
As you can see in the original Snapchat clip reshared below, the person filming tours around rows upon rows of shoddy, bare-bone and flimsy-looking tents lined up along a road that also looks barely finished.
The entrance to each of these tents is marked by nothing more than a door pattern on one fluttering sheet of plastic, with the caption quite rightly noting that “if there is a sand storm you can kiss those tents goodbye”.
With the temperatures in the Middle Eastern country expected to easily break 30C during the day even in the winter, the presence of tents and easily ventilated accommodation shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise.
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However, it’s fair to say that the quality of these lodgings leaves a lot to be desired and they don’t look very stable when you take more severe weather conditions into account. Even more staggeringly, the 6,000 rooms in this 3.1 square kilometre fan park are reported to be worth $100 (approx. £84) a pop.
While these obviously don’t look like the most luxurious lot of tents you’d expect from an oil-rich nation’s tourist offerings, the same account flagged that this is not the most high-end option available to fans attending the tournament.
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Responding to a commenter, user Chris went on to share footage of a more upmarket and sturdier-looking structure complete with shower facilities, a lounge and a more grand bedroom. He also quoted cargo container rooms from around $200 and his own two-bedroom apartment for $460 per night.
U get what u pay for. I think those tents are just under $100 per night way outside of the city. I hear the containers are $200 but are alot better in the city. I think we are paying $460 per night in a 2BR apartment near the metro station in Doha. pic.twitter.com/TVA5bfcN0J
Nevertheless, we won’t get to see what the true hospitality experience for most fans is going to look like until we see footage from travelling supporters themselves.
Budget option or not, we suspect most would have been hoping for more than what they currently look to be paying for, with many declaring the footage as “#fyrefestival 2.0” and an “absolute joke”. Wait until they see the food…
Featured Image — @Chris120778 (via Twitter)/@adeltayeb69 (via Snapchat)
Sport
Exciting new CGIs released of £500m Therme Manchester wellness resort as construction continues
Emily Sergeant
As construction continues on Manchester’s massive wellness resort, some new CGIs have now been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed, construction of the £500 million Therme Manchester wellness resort officially began last September after several years of planning, and now developers have released some exciting new CGIs – with an update on how construction is going, as a new milestone has been reached this week.
Set to open to the public in 2029, Therme Manchester will become one of the largest urban wellbeing resorts in the world.
Visitors can expect to make the most of a 10 pools – both lagoon and wave pools included – thermal bathing, multi-sensory sauna rituals, steam rooms, 18 water slides, affordably-priced luxury spa therapies, and health and fitness experiences.
Exciting new CGIs released of Therme Manchester have been released / Credit: Supplied
At the heart of Therme Manchester will be three distinct zones, each offering a different way to spend time at the resort.
Play will bring together water-based fun and attractions for families and visitors of all ages, and Restore will focus on thermal bathing and restorative experiences designed to help visitors unwind, while Relax will offer spaces for relaxation and wellbeing.
The latest CGIs showcase the design as it develops – including the resort’s extensive indoor and outdoor spaces, and its 53,000sq ft wellbeing garden.
Construction is still underway on the £500m wellness resort / Credit: Supplied
The plans also feature a new public plaza designed to strengthen connections between the resort and the Bridgewater Canal.
Professor David Russell, CEO of Therme UK, said: “We have taken the opportunity to refine the design, improve how traffic and parking are managed and create a more welcoming environment for everyone arriving at the resort.
“We are creating an even better experience for visitors while supporting more efficient and sustainable operations.”
Therme Manchester was initially touted as a £250m project that would complete in 2025, but it’s now up to £500m and is scheduled to complete it 2029.
It marks one of the most significant building developments to ever take place in the North.
Featured Image – Supplied
Sport
Manchester City release limited-edition Blossoms shirts exclusively in new flagship store
Daisy Jackson
Manchester City have released a limited run of special Blossoms shirts, which will be available exclusively at the new flagship City Store.
Etihad Airways has donated the front-of-shirt space for the special drop, which celebrates the Stockport band’s lifelong support of Man City and will fundraise forCity in the Community’s 40th anniversary.
The Manchester City x Blossoms collab features the band’s logo across the chest of the 2024/25 season’s away shirt – one of the Club’s most popular designs in recent years.
Profits from sales of the shirts will be donated to CITC to support its 40th anniversary fundraising, which empower healthier lives with city youth through football.
Blossoms have just secured their fifth UK number one album with their latest release, ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’, and will soon be heading on an arena tour that includes two massive shows at the Co-op Live.
There’s a very limited run of the Man City Blossoms shirts, available in sizes small to large, which will exclusively be sold at the new flagship CityStore.
The shirts have dropped in-store this morning, with further drops to be released around the band’s tour dates this November and December.
As for that new City store – it’s a whopping 21,000 sq ft, three-floor space at Medlock Square, right beside the Etihad Stadium, and is the biggest shop in the club’s history.
The new flagship has opened today in collaboration with PUMA and Stichd, and features a new, interactive ‘Make It Yours’ customisation station as well as an expanded range of Manchester City products.
Danny Jones -
16th November 2022 
