The Ritz-Carlton Doha, Qatar

I travelled to Thailand with work just over 1 year ago and we flew with Qatar airways. Because of the airline we flew with it meant a change of aircraft in Doha on both legs of the journey. On the way home the company I work for decided it would be a good idea for us to actually get the early flight out of Bangkok and then actually not fly onwards to the UK until the early hours of the next morning meaning that we would have nearly a whole 24 hours to spend in Doha itself. This was mainly done because Doha is still very much an up and coming holiday destination (even now still a year on) and this was a good way of getting us to experience a small part of the country considering we were going to be going through the airport anyway.

For most of us the thought of that long connection time, especially as we were going to have been up from the crack of dawn anyway, was not something we were looking forward to. However this would be a first time anyone from our company who works in the sales department would had visited this country and so it was also a mix of excitement as seeing the country we send hordes of passengers through on flights but not into to stay!

The hotel:
The hotel they had chosen to place us in for the day was the Ritz Carlton Doha. We didn't obviously stay overnight as our flight time meant leaving for the airport not long after midnight. However, a full inspection of the hotel took place including a rather nice lunch!
The hotel itself is a 5 star luxury hotel of the Ritz chain and because of it's location in a country that prides itself on luxurious hotel properties this was truly a stunning hotel. The hotel is situated on it's own island which has a long driveway to it. It is not far from the airport as it's only 15-20 minutes away and the hotel overlooks the Arabian gulf.
The hotel has all the amenities you would expect a 5 star hotel to have and prices are surprisingly low for the standard at approximately £160 per night for a base room type.

Location:
As mentioned the hotel is set on it's own island or more like a marina with a man made beach. This is because due to it's location it would not have been a beach but rocks so these were taken away to create the beach for the hotels guests. The hotel is set away from the main area where the souks ares and also away from the mall so to get to these you would have to travel by car or taxi.

First impressions:
Upon arriving at the hotel my first impression was 'wow' - then horror at how under dressed I felt! As we had been up since about 4.30 in the morning it felt like I could have done with having some time to freshen up before I'd arrived at the hotel, especially after also enduring a 6 hour flight. The moment you pull up outside you can see how luxurious this hotel is - the porters are quick to help and get you into the hotel - however you cannot enter the hotel without passing the security point - the same type as in an airport and bags have to go through the machine. Bit extreme but at the same time understandable due to location of the hotel and standard. I would rather be safe than sorry and so was quite happy to let my bags and myself go through security!
Once you are finally into the lobby you are greeted with a rather impressive marble interior and the biggest chandelier I have ever seen. The lobby is huge and there is a nice piano bar to the far side. In all other directions there were corridors off to other areas and overall it looked and felt very grand.

Check in:
Unfortunately we didn't get to actually check into our rooms through reception as the marketing manager who met us had already allocated all our keys so that we could get on with the inspection. There didn't seem to be many people stood around the check in desk but it was manned by 3 staff I noticed which seemed quite a lot for how quiet the hotel seemed.

Rooms:
The hotel have 374 rooms made up of normal rooms and suites. I can honestly say that these were the most decadent rooms I have ever been into in a hotel. They were very stylish and grand in the way you could only expect from a middle eastern hotel of the 5 star variety. Rather than cheap trying to look expensive, you could tell no expense had been spared on these rooms. The beds were huge, beautiful lighting, large marbled bathrooms with gold taps and the most wondrous thing I have ever come across was the cushioned wallpaper. Yes it was cushioned and when pressed had a slight 'spring' to it! The curtains were floor to ceiling drapes that were lined quite thickly and everywhere was immaculate. It is very hard to put into words how nice these rooms were but, for how much detail had gone into them it is very surprising that the room rates are so low. A standard room is named deluxe and the highest suite is named a Grand Amiri Suite which has the space to hold your own private dinner party!

Food and drink:
The hotel has a total of nine places to enjoy food and drink at and unfortunately for us we only got to experience one! The food was laid out in buffet style with a selection of hot and cold food, along with a range of deserts. Again this was a beautiful place and I can only say I was glad we were not footing the bill! I tried the steak and it was delicious. The deserts were absolutely gorgeous with lots of variety. The thing I did notice was that it wasn't very busy - not matter where we were it didn't seem like there was a lot of guests and the restaurant we ate in was no exception with only a another two tables occupied. I'm sure if wasn't because of the food as it was so tasty!!

The hotel bar that we had a drink in later on in the evening was the one just off from the main lobby. Although small it again wasn't busy and not only did they have a piano player but a harpist - very classy and it truly did add to the whole atmosphere of the hotel. Prices were high with a tea or coffee coming in at around £6.

Other facilities:
There are so many at this hotel that it would take forever to describe them all in detail but the main thing to note about this hotel is that they have the best sports facilities I have come across that are actually on site. These include a full gymnastic size swimming pool, two indoor tennis courts, indoor badminton courts and its own marina. They also have as shopping arcade, a florist and a total of 6 meeting rooms (of which two were huge!) and even two ballrooms. The hotel also has it's own beauty salon and barber shop which is separate from it's spa. The spa is the other major facility it has which is leagues above any I have seen elsewhere. The spa includes a fitness centre and is simply stunning. I am not normally a spa type of person but I could see how relaxing it would be for somebody who is into that kind of stuff. The spa was so tranquil with plenty of changing rooms along with a multitude of treatments. These of course came at a price and I remember looking at the cost of a facial which was somewhere in the region of £250!

Overall opinion:
The hotel is luxurious - that is really the best word to sum it up. I thought it was stunning and with the range of facilities on offer this would be an amazing hotel to stay in for a special occasion. The food was great here and with everything available to clients I can see why you'd never want to leave the hotel!! It was a while ago now when I stayed and so I imagine things may have changed but I can only see that it could of improved to make itself even better if that is even possible. The is place is not somewhere I would recommend to stay with children as it seems a bit too formal however the hotel does have what looks like a rather impressive children's club and even a babysitting service. They also provide a special pack for families travelling with children so overall they are looked after.

I would say to anyone looking for a hotel in Doha to think about the Ritz as it truly was stunning and until visitors start to see the Doha as a true competitor to Dubai as a holiday destination you may as well take advantage of rates that will surely only rocket sky high eventually!