The Dorchester has secured permission to sell a Qatari royal’s limited-edition Fiat after winning a judgment over an unpaid bill of almost £458,000.
Sheikh Nasser bin Abdullah al-Thani was sued by the five-star Mayfair hotel over outstanding room charges, additional costs and interest. The Central London County Court ruled in the hotel’s favour in July, according to court documents reported by the Financial Times. ([geo.tv](https://www.geo.tv/latest/681527-londons-dorchester-hotel-to-sell-qatari-sheikhs-car-over-unpaid-460000-bill?utm_source=openai))
A separate order by District Judge Michael Javaherian allows the Dorchester to dispose of Sheikh al-Thani’s 2011 Fiat 500 Abarth Tributo Ferrari, a limited-production model finished with racing-inspired detailing.
The car is estimated to be worth about £23,500, meaning its sale would recover only a small proportion of the debt. The judgment includes £198,180.33 for accommodation and related room charges, £3,266.89 in interest and a further £256,627.86.
Sheikh disputes Dorchester debt
Sheikh al-Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family who does not hold a government or state position, did not attend the hearing and was not represented by lawyers at the time.
His legal representatives have since disputed the proceedings. They said he had only recently become aware of the case, claimed the documents had not been properly served and said he would seek to have the judgment set aside. ([geo.tv](https://www.geo.tv/latest/681527-londons-dorchester-hotel-to-sell-qatari-sheikhs-car-over-unpaid-460000-bill?utm_source=openai))
The court papers gave his address as Al Wajiba Palace in Doha. The Dorchester and its solicitors, Gordons Partnership, declined to comment.
Rooms at the hotel typically cost from about £1,000 a night, with the most expensive accommodation exceeding £8,000. Some continuous bookings are subject to a 30-day limit.
Sheikh al-Thani has previously held the position of vice-president at Spanish football club Málaga, where his father, Abdullah al-Thani, was the majority shareholder. His social media accounts have also featured a rare Mirage GT based on the Porsche Carrera GT and a purple Lamborghini Aventador.
In 2015, he posted a photograph of the Lamborghini outside the Dorchester. His online posts have also shown visits to luxury hotels including the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva, the Shangri-La in Paris and the Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa in Kuwait.
The Dorchester is owned by the Brunei Investment Agency. The wider al-Thani family has extensive connections to London’s luxury-hotel industry through its control of the Maybourne Hotel Group, which operates Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley.
