Qatar eyes $318m deal for W Hotel in central London

A Qatari sovereign wealth fund is close to buying the W Hotel in central London tourist destination Leicester Square for about $318m, a source close to the sale told Reuters on Thursday.The 10-storey property opened in February this year and has 192 rooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant, a 35,000 square foot M&M\'s store and 11 apartments. It was put up for sale in January by property broker Jones Lang LaSalle for Northern Irish developer McAleer & Rushe.Qatar, the world\'s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, has snapped up a number of British assets in recent years, ranging from luxury department store Harrods to stakes in grocer J Sainsbury and the Olympic athlete\'s village in east London. From / Arabian Business News