The Dorchester hotel in Mayfair has been granted permission by a court to sell a 2011 Fiat 500 Abarth Tributo Ferrari belonging to Sheikh Nasser bin Abdullah al-Thani as it seeks to recover an outstanding debt of £458,000. The County Court at Central London ruled in favor of the luxury hotel's claim for £198,180 in charges, plus £3,266 in interest, and an additional £256,627. The sheikh, a member of Qatar's ruling al-Thani family, reportedly owes the hotel for extended stays, additional expenses, and accumulated interest.
The car, described as a compact, turbocharged city car with racing stripes, is a limited edition model. However, with resale values for this particular car estimated around £23,500, it is unlikely to cover the full amount owed to the hotel. The sheikh's social media presence indicates he owns other high-value vehicles, including a white Mirage GT and a purple Lamborghini Aventador. A photograph posted in 2015 showed the Lamborghini parked at The Dorchester.
Sheikh al-Thani, who previously served as the vice-president of Malaga FC, appears to have stayed at the hotel for several months. Rates at The Dorchester range from approximately £1,000 per night to over £8,000, though the hotel has a policy limiting continuous bookings to 30 days. His travels have also included stays at other prominent hotels globally, such as the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva and the Shangri-La in Paris.
Separately, Sheikh al-Thani and his family are facing legal issues in Europe. An arrest warrant was issued earlier this year for him, his brothers Nayef and Rakan, and their father Abdullah, over allegations of misappropriating funds from Malaga FC. Spanish prosecutors are seeking significant prison sentences and allege substantial financial damages. In 2020, a judge removed the family members from their management positions at the club, which had also faced a temporary ban from European competitions due to financial breaches.
According to reports, Sheikh al-Thani did not attend the London court hearing or send legal representation. His lawyers stated that he was only recently made aware of the proceedings, claiming they were not properly served, and that he disputes the sum sought by the hotel and intends to challenge the judgment. The al-Thani family has broader connections to luxury London hotels, with Qatari investors, including former prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, holding stakes in the Maybourne Hotel Group, which operates Claridge's, The Connaught, and The Berkeley.