Middle East - Airport hotel in Doha?

I am coming in on QR BCN-DOH landing at I think 11:05pm. The next day at 1pm, I am out again on QR DOH-TBS via GYD. I have heard there is virtually no nightlife in Doha, and this is a Sunday anyway, so i'm debating if it's worth shelling out the $ for the W since it'll just be to sleep for 8 hours. As this is my only night in Doha, i'd be up for doing something if anything actually goes on Sunday evenings. If not would it be better to sleep in the premium terminal (in and out on QR J) or is there a hotel close to the airport that I should check out? Also, if i'm in at 11, how long should I expect it to take to clear customs / get my checked bags and how early should I be back at DOH in the morning before the 1pm to TBS? Thanks.

There's a Mariott and Best Western and the Oryx Rotana more or less adjacent to the airport.

A better option, if you don't want to stay at the W (one of my favorite hotels in the region), is to stay at the old Movenpick. It's just a short cab jaunt from the airport. They have a crowded and smoky bar, not as exciting as the W on the other end of the bay, but the hotel is otherwise decent and a short walk from the Corniche. My usual if I have a short DOH stopover night.

I agree that the MovenPick is a good choice. But so is the Oryx Rotana, the airport hotel, which has the "Jazz Bar," shisha cafe, and a couple of other restaurants/bars. Nothing to set the world on fire, but about as good as it gets in Doha. It's right across the street from the departures building, a walk through the parking lot or short shuttle ride away, and about a ten-to fifteen-minute drive from the arrivals building.

The rooms are also nice at the Oryx Rotana, definitely a step up from the MovenPick. There's also the Ritz-Carlton Sharq Village next to the Marriott, which has very nice rooms though poor F&B and not much nightlife, though the cigar bar is decent.

There are many three- and four-star hotels near the Best Western that are equally serviceable.

I booked the W, was too cheap not to. Anything to do on a sunday night?

You should be at the hotel by midnight, if all goes well. The bars are generally open until 2:00am.

Going back through the premium terminal, with no bags to check, if you already have your boarding pass, there's no need to be back at the airport before noon. Security and passport have virtually no wait, and there is no distance to walk. If you've never been to the premium terminal, then you could certainly arrive early to take in the amenities, but there isn't much there, really. Better off enjoying the breakfast at the W.

You should be at the hotel by midnight, if all goes well. The bars are generally open until 2:00am.

Going back through the premium terminal, with no bags to check, if you already have your boarding pass, there's no need to be back at the airport before noon. Security and passport have virtually no wait, and there is no distance to walk. If you've never been to the premium terminal, then you could certainly arrive early to take in the amenities, but there isn't much there, really. Better off enjoying the breakfast at the W.

Well, United screwed my reservation so now I have an overnight inbound from Europe getting into DOH at 6am and then a flight out to TBS at 1pm. Is it worth going into the city for a few hours early in the morning (Saturday), if so, what should I check out before returning to check-in to TBS? Thanks!

Well, United screwed my reservation so now I have an overnight inbound from Europe getting into DOH at 6am and then a flight out to TBS at 1pm. Is it worth going into the city for a few hours early in the morning (Saturday), if so, what should I check out before returning to check-in to TBS? Thanks!

There is little to do at this time. Of course, if you have never been to Doha, then I would always recommend it, though I honestly can't think of what I would do at that hour. You can go to Souq Waqif and wander around. At least a couple of the restaurants are open 24/7, and some of the shops should be open. You can walk from the souq around the old city, which is not too interesting but you can at least stretch your legs. Or go to the Four Seasons (about 15 minutes from the airport at that time of day) for breakfast outside.

For that matter, you could also go to the InterContinental (the older one on the beach) (about 20 minutes from the airport). They have a day use pass for the beach, pool, and health club. It's not cheap, and not a spectacular pool and beach, but this would at least be a way to kill some time and take a nap under an umbrella if you wanted.

Hello-I saw this post and will be in a similar situation in November. I am traveling with my family (kids are 5 and 8) and will land around 11.30pm on a Saturday and flying out at 8.55am on Sunday to CMB.

What suggestions does anyone have on how best to manage the time between landing and departure. My initial thought was to get to an airport hotel but we are not going to get much sleep given the landing and takeoff times!

A few questions on my mind!
1. Is the Doha airport anything like Singapore in terms of amenities and entertainment?
2. It looks like a US Citizen can get a visa at the time of landing. Any reason to get in advance?
3. What time do star alliance / qatar lounge open/close?

Thank you in advance!

A few questions on my mind!
1. Is the Doha airport anything like Singapore in terms of amenities and entertainment?
2. It looks like a US Citizen can get a visa at the time of landing. Any reason to get in advance?
3. What time do star alliance / qatar lounge open/close?


It's a very simple airport with a few fast food joints on the second floor and an outsized duty free shop on the ground floor, and a few coffee shops squeezed in there as well. It can also be terribly crowded depending on time of day and holiday seasons for immigrant laborers.

No need for visa in advance for US citizens. Immigration is one of the most efficient I've ever seen. There are plenty of open booths, you wait in a relatively quick moving line, approach a desk when indicated, hand over your credit card (for the visa fee) and your passport, stand on the yellow marks, and smile for the camera. Takes just a few moments.

As for lounge hours, can't help you there. Never flown *A in and out of Doha.

1. Is the Doha airport anything like Singapore in terms of amenities and entertainment?
2. It looks like a US Citizen can get a visa at the time of landing. Any reason to get in advance?
3. What time do star alliance / qatar lounge open/close?

Thank you in advance!

1. About as opposite as you can get. If SIN is Manhattan, then DOH is maybe not Syracuse, but, say, Buffalo. No entertainment (there is free wi-fi that works sporadically), no bar, only fast food restaurants.

2. No reason. You have to wait in the same line. If you don't get it in advance, then you have to buy a visa-on-arrival for QAR 100 (about $28), credit card only.

3. It's open 24 hours. It's nothing to write home about, but does have some sleeper chairs along the back wall of the back room. Maybe a dozen or so. I have never seen any of these unoccupied, but if you arrive after the last major bank of flights leaves (1:00-2:00am), I would assume that it wouldn't be busy.

By the way, are you sure that you get lounge access? If you are continuing onto CMB on QR, you wouldn't get access to the Gold lounge unless you were Gold on QR. I don't think that Star Alliance status would get you in, even you came in on Star, though I could be wrong. I assume that each Gold member gets one companion, so you and your wife would both have to be Gold (I don't know if they enforce this for children). Also Gold members get four lounge credits per year, which you could use if only you are Gold. I don't know whether you could pay your way in. Of course, if you were flying to CMB in business class, you'd get access -- but in that case you would be in the Premium Terminal, which is a whole different ballgame, i.e., an acceptable place to spend the night.

An airport hotel would have obvious advantages (there is the Oryx Rotana, which is very nice, or the others I mentioned above), but there isn't much to do in Doha. You could stretch your legs at Souq Waqif; by the time you got out of the airport, dropped your stuff off at the hotel, and got there, there wouldn't be much going on, though a few outlets would be open. For QAR 400 for visas plus the cost of the hotel, plus taxis, it's probably not worth it. Then again, two young children in a basic lounge overnight doesn't sound like a picnic, either.

If you only have purses/briefcases, you could consider exiting the airport and killing a few hours at the souq, or even seeing a midnight movie, then going to an Arabic restaurant (Al Shami Home Restaurant on C Ring Road or a couple of the places at the souq are open 24 hours) to kill several hours before getting back to the airport a few hours before your flight, if that's your cup of tea.

I am afraid that you will likely have an unpleasant layover, unlike if you were in SIN or even Dubai. QR has several flights per day to CMB; have you considered the 00:55 flight instead? If you can change, it would be a tight connection (as it's the peak time), but probably doable and worth the risk. Alternatively, perhaps you could take the next evening's flight and enjoy a day in Doha.