Qatar Luxury Hotel Guide

Note - an updated and expanded version of this post is now available on our website: Qatar Visitor's Luxury Hotel Guide.

Having already posted about cheap hotels in Qatar, we decided to cover the other end of the market. We’ve also done the opposite to our cheap hotels post, starting with the most expensive hotels and working our way down. Of course hotel rates vary according to demand, and current prices are likely to be distorted by the Asian Games, so we decided the placing based on the prices provided through the Expedia booking service for next year. (We were not able to obtain prices for The Ramada or Rydges).

The Ritz-Carlton Sharq Village and Spa
Tel: +974 4256666 Fax: +974 4256660 Address: PO Box 2662, Doha, Qatar
Location: Ras Abu Aboud Street close to the Doha Club.

This is not actually open yet, but they will be shortly. Their cheapest rooms are not that expensive yet, but their most expensive rooms cost more than two and a half thousand dollars a night! (Price information from Expedia.)

Key points:

- wireless internet capacity throughout resort
- will resemble an “ancient desert village” (though you can bet it’ll be rather more comfortable)
- will feature roaming entertainers playing traditional music, reciting poetry and so on
- will feature 71,500 foot square foot “six senses” spa with 23 treatment rooms and will include plunge pools, mud baths, tai chi, yoga and crystal therapy (?)

Bavaria City Suites
Tel: +974 – 4969111 Fax: +974 – 4969112 Email: bcs.doha@bhihotels.comPost: PO Box 23488 Location: Al Dafna

This huge (2000 suites and studios) complex cannot be missed: drive into the centre of the business district towards city centre and you will see the four buildings dominating the skyline. It's only very recently opened, and not all facilities are yet available.

Key points

- right in the centre of the business district and close to Corniche
- 5,500 square feet swimming pool
- personal assistant service
- business centre
- Angsana spa

Four Seasons Hotel (five star)
Tel: (974) 494 8888 Fax: (974) 494 8282 Post: P.O. Box 24665, Doha, Qatar
Location: West Bay (end of Corniche Road close to The Sheraton)
Great views over the sea front, but when I visited they served some awful coffee in the lobby. Has had mostly good reviews from travellers.

Key points:

- includes beach and marina with water sports
- sauna and spa services

The Ritz Carlton Hotel (five star – or six star according to the Qatar Explorer website!)
Tel: (974) 484-8000 Fax: (974) 484-8484 Post: P.O. Box 23400 Doha, Qatar
Location: West Bay Lagoon
This island resort, close to Doha golf club, has had very good reviews from some of its former guests.

Key points:

- situated on own island
- indoor and outdoor pools
- 235 berth marina + clubhouse
- close to Doha Golf Club
- 9 restaurant and bars

Sheraton Hotel Doha (four star)
Tel: (974) 4854444 Fax: (974) 4832323 Post: P.O. Box 6000 Doha Qatar
Location: Corniche
I have a soft spot for the Sheraton Doha hotel, as I suspect other Doha residents do. It's been here a lot longer than many other Doha hotels and has become a fmaous and familiar landmark, its pyramid design rising above the Doha Corniche. Its vast inside, but smacks of old-style charms. Its food has always been excellent when I have eaten there, and very good value. On the other hand, there have been mixed reviews of the hotel by its guests.

Key points:

- 70 acres of landscaped gardens
- private beach
- lagoon
- convention centre with capacity to host 5,000
- range of indoor and outdoor restaurants

The Millenium Hotel, Doha (five star)
Tel: +974 4411800 Fax: +974 447 8881 Address: PO Box 24249, Doha, Qatar
Location: Jawaan Street, Al Sadd
This is a very new hotel, and I have yet to see any reviews. It’s located on Al Sadd, which has a number of up-market shops.

Key points:

- No access to sea
- Indoor rooftop pool
- Spa, turkish bath + steam room

The Marriot Hotel (four star)
Tel: 4298888 Fax: Fax: 974 4 418784 PO Box: 1911
Location: Abu Aboud Street
The Marriot Hotel is next to the sailing club and has a small private beach – although it’s basically within a small harbour. When I ate there I found the food to be very reasonable in price and the service excellent (see link below). It’s also had excellent reviews.

Key points:

- temperature controlled pool
- private beach
- marina

Also see A night with a whirling dervish

Look No Further Best Rate Guarantee at Marriott.com

The Grand Regency Hotel (5 star)
Tel: +974 434 3333 Fax: +974 434 4444 PO Box 2606
Location: Next to Sports Roundabout in Al Sadd district

I’m always driving past this relatively new hotel and it does look stunning, especially at night. Its a long way from the sea, though, and is located next to a busy roundabout – expect agitated beeping if you wander outside at rush hour. I read two great reviews and two terrible reviews of the place – take your pick!

Key points

- no access to sea
- panoramic lift (no, I don’t know what it means but I can’t wait to find out)
- fat burning studio (???)

Sealine Resort
Tel: +974 476 5299 Fax: +974 476 5298 Address: PO Box: 50255, Massaieed, Qatar
Location: Masaieed – i.e. in the desert!
If you’ve come to Qatar to do business in Doha, then don’t bother coming here – it’s miles away from the city. There is a lovely beach, and loads of things to do – although it may be worth giving a mkiss on Fridays, when hordes of people descend from Doha, and the dunes around are torn up by four wheel drives. It’s also had two very bad reviews on Trip Advisor, and one on Yahoo!, out of a total of four reviews! If you walk up to the door and ask to book a room it can be ridiculously expensive, but I've seen it advertised as cheap as 88 dollars online.

Key points

- leisure activities include windsurfing, jet ski-ing, camel and horse riding
- quads for hire if you fancy trying dune bashing
- well set up for children with two pools and two bouncy castles
- at least a forty minute drive from Doha
- rooms and bungalows available

Also see: Riding camels on the sand

Movenpick hotel and resort (4 star)
Tel: + 974 4291111 Fax: +974 4291100 Address: PO Box 24220
Location: The Corniche

A friend who has been going to the Movenpick for years visited recently, and was absolutely shocked at the price of a drink – even beating top London hotels.

Key points:

- close to National Museum
- near Corniche (sea front) but no beach or direct access to sea
- has had both good and bad reviews

George IV Hotel (4 star)
Tel: +974 4445405 or Fax +974 4367939 PO Box: 24160

This new eight storey hotel is situated along C-ring road, on the Al Sadd traffic signals. It's not the in best of areas, although you can get to pretty much anywhere in the city in ten minutes from here.

Key points

- free internet access
- doesn't provide alcohol

Rydges Plaza Doha (four star)
Tel: +974 4385444 Fax: +974 4385445 Address: P.O. Box 22686, Doh Qatar
Location: Corniche

Rydges is opposite the Cornich, so while it’s close to the sea it doesn’t have a beach. It has a small roof top pool – very pleasant, but not sufficient for real exercise. The rooftop bar is popular with expats but can be rather loud. Drinks were more reasonable than some of the other hotels last time I went.

Key points:

-Close to the sea (not the beach) but you need to cross the road to get to the Corniche
- Excellent access to the soukhs (local markets)


Ramada Hotel (three star)
Tel: +974 4417417 Address: PO Box 1768, Doha, Qatar
Location: C Ring Road
While the pool is great for kids, but the night life at the Ramada’s nightclubs can be plain seedy at times (although if you are a single man back from three months on an oil rig you might like that), and the band absolutely awful. (I though it was Karaoke Night the first time I went there). On the other hand, they are very active and put on shows and events such as the Laughter Factory (well worth a visit), and the alcohol is reasonably priced (for Qatar). It’s situated a few kilometres away from the sea.

Key points:

- lots of things on
- long way from the sea
- bars and clubs popular with expats

See also: Brunch at the Ramada

Your experiences – we’re both too poor and too mean to stay in these hotels, but if you have a positive or a negative experience in any of them we’d love to hear from you!

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