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Now that I have the (award) flights sorted, it’s time to start booking the incidentals, so where better to ask for the best tips & advice?
We’re going QR in J FCO-DOH-ADL and returning QR in J ADL-DOH but then swapping to BA in J (using up a 2-4-1 just before it expires) DOH-LHR.
I’ll save the subject of Adelaide for a separate post, so this is all about Doha. We’ve never been (& haven’t seen much of the Arabian peninsula generally; mostly Dubai and Abu Dhabi). We only have 2 nights/3 days in each direction so will just need to cover highlights.
Absolutely all tips and tricks are most welcome please, particularly;~ where is a good district to stay for a not too long journey from the airport (mostly in the middle of the night)
~ how is best to do that journey? Uber or expensive pre-booked transfers?
~ with the above in mind, can we reach an area of the city where we can walk out of the hotel & enjoy principal sights as well as find restaurants in the evening?
~ any recommendations for pleasant hotels? Mid-range, no need for beach access, quirky or authentic would be nice.
~ what are the principal sights and are there other less touristy recommendations?
~ is a boat trip a good idea? We like seeing places from the water.
~ finally, what’s not to miss at the famous airport, other than the bear and the gardens?Once again, all contributed wisdom will be very much appreciated. Thank you.
We stayed at the RC Doha, I did a mini trip report from December ’23. I think Rhys did a review of the Sheraton a couple of years ago.
I can’t remember if we got Uber from the airport but we used them on the way back and also to go shopping, cheap and efficient.
We did an evening boat trip which offered stunning views of the Skyline and included an interesting commentary on the city and how fast it’s been developed.
Food in restaurants is fairly pricey and the laws on alcohol are stricter than in Dubai – we only drank in the hotel lounge anyway.
We got the feeling it’s safe to walk around in most of the areas, it was very clean and pristine (and conservative), even more so than Dubai, and everyone we spoke to was helpful and friendly in a very unobtrusive way!
To see more of the natural sights you need to head a few hours out of the city, I’d definitely come that on a future trip.
There are lots of nearby hotels to choose from either downtown or in West Bay. Both are just 15/20 minutes taxi from the airport. Hotels are a bit more expensive in West Bay as its on the coast, but downtown is just a 10/15 mins stroll away where the hotels are half price or less.
I always just jump in a taxi at the airport, they are all metered and very cheap, a taxi to Sheraton Grand Resort in West Bay has never came to more than £12.
As NL says above, if you like a drink stay in a hotel with lounge access.Good info thanks @NorthernLass and @bungalow. I didn’t anticipate eating out to be expensive; do you know if there are “where locals go” sorts of restaurants (i.e. accessible to tourists)?
Evening boat trip sounds right up our street. Book now through vile Tripadvisor type conglomerates or turn up on spec?
Good news on the taxi & transport options and I think we can steel ourselves for a few dry evenings rather than have to be confined to an homogeneous hotel bar.
Sheraton resort must be good enough to lure you back @bungalow?Sheraton Grand Resort Doha is my go to hotel in Qatar – there’s a review on this site somewhere if you search.
The hotel is a Doha classic, out on its own peninsula and the best private beach and grounds in Doha, second to none. However rooms and décor are quite dated, if quirky, but spotlessly clean and the location and service more than make up for that, and the breakfast is superb.
They also have an exec lounge, nothing fancy, plain and simple but would more than cover your food needs every evening. I have never eaten out in Doha, other than the little food outlet caravan with a few tables and chairs just 50 metres from the hotel entrance (which is NOT expensive 🙂
The hotel wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea, not one of these brand sparkling new builds, but it is an absolute classic, and IMHO cannot be beaten for a 3 day break.* I’m Marriott Platinum so get a bit of an upgrade and free lounge access which helps.
Although we aren’t beach fans & would want to explore Doha, the Sheraton you describe (and the adjacent food van) actually sound very “us” @bungalow . Thank you for elaborating. I’m Marriott Gold, so I might just squeeze an upgrade, I can’t keep track of each chain’s perks without checking each time!
Very helpful, thanks again.Marriott Gold should get you some sort of an upgrade, probably a room on the side with the best views, but no free breakfast, I guess you’d have to book that with the room, but well worth it.
I think you’ll be happy enough.
Enjoy!I think you’ll be happy enough.
Enjoy!😊
I stayed at the Embassy Suites. (Hilton Gold). Was an extremely nice place, lovely suite. Evening free nibbles and snacks in the restaurant (with soft drinks).
Last Oct Uber was blocked from the airport so you had to use the taxis at double the price but everywhere else Ubers were very cheap to get around and the enbassy was 5-10 mins walk from the souk. 10 mins to/from the airport even in “rush hour”
We’re planning to stay in Doha for a few days each way on our trip to Singapore in January / February next year. When are you planning to visit?
It’s a big birthday / retirement celebration trip so we are pushing the boat out a bit so to speak and are staying at the Mandarin Oriental on the way out and Raffles on the way back. Both hotels were booked with Bon Vivant so will get some extra benefits.
The MO is located in Msheireb which should allow us to walk to the Falcon Souq, Souq Waqif, the Corniche, Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar. Being a bit old school I use a guidebook to plan and have the Lonely Planet one for this trip. It has a number of recommendations of places to eat (at all price ranges) so will hope to try some out – hotel lounges have their purpose but we’d rather be out and about.
Raffles is further north up the coast so will give us a chance to relax at the end of our trip and explore the area around the Pearl. The MO should only be about 20 minutes by car from the airport and Raffles around half-an-hour.
We’re still planning so open to further suggestions and would love to get your feedback if you are going before us.
We’ll probably get taxis / Ubers to and from the airport but there is a metro system that links the airport to the city and beyond, 3 lines seem to intersect at Msheireb so will hopefully allow us to explore further, there is also a tram system to the North near The Pearl area.
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