The Marriott Doha is pretty much a city in itself. With five full-service restaurants, a lounge, poolside café, pool, private beach, fitness room and full-service spa--what more do you need? The executive level rooms come complete with breakfast every morning and snacks/cocktails in the evening. When I checked into my executive level room on the 6th floor, it was dark out--10:30 at night. But when I woke up and opened my drapes, I thought I was in Marina Del Rey, California. I saw open water with a marina, and in the distance, Palm Tree Island. I was right over the pool and hot tub and could see the private beach, past the pool area.
My room was spacious and modern, with a flat screen TV, rainforest showerhead, robe and slippers, hairdryer and iron/ironing board. There is a safe in the closet and plenty of closet space. There’s also a desk with high-speed Internet connection. The only thing lacking is in-room coffee, which is becoming more and more rare in most high end hotels.
The breakfast buffet was nice and included fresh-squeezed juices (mango, orange and grapefruit), a coffee maker with cappuccino option, hot items such as veal bacon and sausage (they don’t eat pork) potatoes, and a made to order omelet bar. There were fresh fruits, muffins, breads, yogurt, hummus, lunch meats and cheeses. The breakfast area is on the 7th floor and has a great view of the marina and beyond, into the city. There’s plenty of seating and a TV in the corner to catch up on the day's news.
One thing that was a little unnerving was the fact that the front of the hotel is blocked off, meaning the shuttle lets you off about a thousand feet away from the front door, due to terrorist threats against American hotels. There is also a metal detector at the front door. All in the name of security, I guess. I never once felt unsafe at all, so I guess the precautions are good.
I had the intention of visiting the spa and getting a massage or salt scrub, but I never had time. Damn shame. I did eat at the buffet restaurant, The Corniche. It’s a Mediterranean concept restaurant and the food was pretty good. There was a pasta and stir fry bar, along with many hot items, salads, breads, soups and dessert. The lamb curry was wonderful.
Unfortunately, due to the cold wind that blew and my schedule, I never got a chance to go to the pool. I really enjoyed the hotel and everyone was very friendly. It was close to the airport and a short drive from shopping. The concierge can arrange for a driver to take you around, at a very reasonable cost. I paid about $25 USD for a driver to take me to the Souq and wait an hour for me.