New pop-up concept La Casa del Habano at Doha Int. Airport

[El Presidente]

 

https://www.cigarjournal.com/new-pop-up-concept-la-casa-del-habano-at-doha-int-airport/

[DonMiguel]

Sells a fair amount of Limited edition and aged stuff - passed and grabbed a box of Cabildos 12 stick - price on point.

[El Presidente]

3 hours ago, DonMiguel said:

Sells a fair amount of Limited edition and aged stuff - passed and grabbed a box of Cabildos 12 stick - price on point.

Walid Saleh is one of the sharpest tools in the shed. 

[JohnS]

Qatar Duty Free and Phoenicia strike cigar partnership as they mark 55 years of Trinidad brand with Habanos

by Dermot Davitt - 10 December 2024

QATAR. Qatar Duty Free has partnered with Cuban cigar manufacturer Habanos and leading distributor Phoenicia to host a major celebration honouring the 55th anniversary of renowned cigar brand Trinidad.

The partners used the occasion at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center to announce an agreement between Qatar Duty Free and Phoenicia Group to manage all cigar outlets at Hamad International Airport and to reveal the launch of a Casa del Habano pop-up shop, a first of its kind.

The 40sq m Casa del Habano pop-up recently opened in the North Node area of the airport. Travellers can explore an extensive selection of premium and vintage cigars, including the commemorative Trinidad 50 Aniversario, priced at US$365,000.

The newly installed La Casa del Habano at Hamad International Airport celebrates the rich history of the Trinidad brand {All images: Qatar Duty Free}

The partners said that their collaboration “positions Doha and Hamad International Airport as a premier destination for cigar enthusiasts, particularly from the GCC region”.

The Trinidad 55th anniversary celebrations began in February with the Festival del Habano in Havana. It continued with a spectacular evening in June at the prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The Doha gala dinner, which took place on Saturday (7 December), blended “cultural vibrancy, artisanal craftsmanship and timeless Cuban elegance” in an immersive experience, said the partners.

The evening guided attendees through Trinidad’s storied journey, with captivating presentations, cigar unveilings and live performances. The evening included performances by Studio RAYY, Majiid and The Managers.

Spectacular stage: The Trinidad event in Doha featured special performances to accompany the latest line extension launches (highlight images above and below)

Phoenicia President Mohammad Zeidan addressed guests by speaking about the significance of this milestone in Trinidad’s history and hailing the support of Qatar Duty Free.

In a grand reveal, the highly anticipated Trinidad Robusto Extra was introduced to guests. This new addition to the Trinidad family was paired with Havana-inspired cocktails prepared by mixologists from Teddy’s Speakeasy.

The finale of the evening featured the regional launch of the Trinidad Cabildo, accompanied by a performance created exclusively for the reveal, with symphonies by the world-renowned Michel Fadel, joined for the first time with enchanting movements presented by America’s Got Talent 2022 winners, The Mayyas.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer Thabet Musleh said: “This partnership is all about blending the rich heritage of Cuban cigars with the world-class hospitality that Qatar Duty Free is known for. Together with Phoenicia and Habanos, we’re creating an experience that celebrates tradition while elevating what travellers can expect at Hamad International Airport.” ✈

Source: https://moodiedavittreport.com/qatar-duty-free-and-phoenicia-strike-cigar-partnership-as-they-mark-55-years-of-trinidad-brand-with-habanos/

[Arabian]

For 550 Euro only, its outstanding, Trinidad goodies and I heard the food/drinks were great. Phoenicia, I believe also made the first walk-in humidors in airports. 

[El Presidente]

I heard it was indeed a spectacular event. The gift offerings value were way over the price of the ticket. Great to see.

[ATGroom]

Really great event. It was held in a convention centre, and you kind of knew you were in for something special on the walk up because they'd done an entire 150m x 20m side of the building with Trinidad logos.

Top notch food, nice entertainment (various musical acts and dancers). Very high ceilings and aircon cleared the smoke well, which can be an issue at these things. Three waiters per table meant that your ashtray got changed about every 5 minutes and your glass was never empty. Bar was pouring Macallan 15, Havana Club 15, cocktails etc. There was a Cuban roller doing customs. The real highlight is sitting around smoking and chatting with your friends, of course, but it helps to be well catered for while doing that.

Upon entry you got a pouch with a Trinidad Vigia and Topes. At various times during the dinner you were served a Robusto Extra, Cabildos, Fundadores and a pack of 10 Shorts.

The gift box was a quality cardboard box with another single of each of the 5 cigars from the dinner, and an ST Dupont Maxijet branded for the event. The bag also contained a large size Trinidad Ashtray, a carton of 10 packs of Trinidad Shorts, and a Shorts branded soft flame lighter (decent metal lighter, but nothing especially fancy).

Not wanting to give anybody any ideas, but it would still have been good value at $1500 imo. If you lived in the general area you could probably flip the gifts and cover the event + flights and hotel. Seemed like every lounge and hotel had a side event that weekend also.

The popup LCDH had a pretty insane stock of rarities - anniversary humidors, coleccion books, PL Fenix, lot of different LEs up to about 15 years old, and various other high end stuff. All out of my price range but when I passed through there were some guys there doing a six figure transaction.

[El Presidente]

Gala Dinner in Qatar Wraps up Trinidad Anniversary Year

https://www.cigarjournal.com/gala-dinner-in-qatar-wraps-up-trinidad-anniversary-year/

 

[Webbo]

I went through Doha airport 3 weeks ago. Not a single Cuban in sight anywhere. 

[Ken Gargett]

1 hour ago, Webbo said:

I went through Doha airport 3 weeks ago. Not a single Cuban in sight anywhere. 

went through Doha four times last year. not my fave airport. on one trip, there were some Cubans but seriously, the bank is not giving me a second mortgage to buy a few cigars. insanely expensive. i bought a few non-Cs, although they have failed to impress. on each other trip through. no Cubans to be seen. 

[SUP8333]

Where do I have to sign up to keep track of events like these? By the time I saw the ticket link, it was sold out.

[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, SUP8333 said:

Where do I have to sign up to keep track of events like these? By the time I saw the ticket link, it was sold out.

Sign up to their mailing list 

https://phoenicia.cy/home/

[Fugu]

A LCDH for "specials-only"? Laughable.

Looking pretty sterile to me. But I guess that's a thing these days, at least for the audience they wish to attract.

[SUP8333]

8 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Sign up to their mailing list 

https://phoenicia.cy/home/

Thanks Pres!