Grand Hyatt Doha REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Jan 3, 2009, 4:26 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: NorthernGermany
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Posts: 19
Grand Hyatt Doha REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Does anybody knows when the GH in Doha / Qatar will be opened,
on their website they say early 2009 - it has already postponed twice a time.
on their website they say early 2009 - it has already postponed twice a time.
Feb 27, 2009, 1:05 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: United Arab Emirates & Arizona, USA
Programs: UA MM/1P, EK Au, QR, TK, Marriott Life Ti, Hilton Dia, IC Dia, Hyatt Glob, Accor Pt, Shangri-La
Posts: 4,525
It looks like around 04/01. I booked for mid-April; hopefully I will be able to go through with it and report back.
Mar 10, 2009, 12:52 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: United Arab Emirates & Arizona, USA
Programs: UA MM/1P, EK Au, QR, TK, Marriott Life Ti, Hilton Dia, IC Dia, Hyatt Glob, Accor Pt, Shangri-La
Posts: 4,525
I stopped by and one of the managers told me that the hotel will open on 03/15. The entrance and lobby look really nice -- very modern Islamic, with intricate woodwork on the walls and ceiling and large fountain the shape of an eight-sided star in the outer lobby, below a gorgeous chandelier.
The themes in the main lobby are darker than, for example, the Four Seasons. The walls and ceiling are done in dark wood.
The hotel also has about 100 two-, three-, and four-bedroom villa-style residences available starting 04/01. These are large by Doha standards (the two-bedroom is something like 1,250 square feet with a large dining and living area, a terrace or balcony in the back, and 2.5 bathrooms), but the style didn't impress me too much. The rooms are cavernous, with marble floors and no carpet, and very neutral/plain colors. The bathrooms are modern, but not as striking as I would expect for Hyatt (and not nearly as nice as, for example, the bathrooms in the residences at the W).
The hotel is located in West Bay, just before you get to the Ritz-Carlton and on the last turn-off to the left before you head over the bridge to the Pearl. The beach will have views of the Pearl.
The themes in the main lobby are darker than, for example, the Four Seasons. The walls and ceiling are done in dark wood.
The hotel also has about 100 two-, three-, and four-bedroom villa-style residences available starting 04/01. These are large by Doha standards (the two-bedroom is something like 1,250 square feet with a large dining and living area, a terrace or balcony in the back, and 2.5 bathrooms), but the style didn't impress me too much. The rooms are cavernous, with marble floors and no carpet, and very neutral/plain colors. The bathrooms are modern, but not as striking as I would expect for Hyatt (and not nearly as nice as, for example, the bathrooms in the residences at the W).
The hotel is located in West Bay, just before you get to the Ritz-Carlton and on the last turn-off to the left before you head over the bridge to the Pearl. The beach will have views of the Pearl.
Apr 23, 2009, 8:27 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: United Arab Emirates & Arizona, USA
Programs: UA MM/1P, EK Au, QR, TK, Marriott Life Ti, Hilton Dia, IC Dia, Hyatt Glob, Accor Pt, Shangri-La
Posts: 4,525
Trip report
I stayed one night at the Grand Hyatt Doha last weekend. Overall, I would give it a grade of "B." Here are some observations:
-- Public areas: This is among the best attributes of the hotel. The structure of the hotel is very attractive. I would call the design a sleek Arabian look, unlike the more Western look attempted by the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, W (of course), and Hilton (which is not open yet). The interior and exterior feature earth tones throughout. The entry lobby has a huge fountain, very tasteful multi-colored marble floors, and a beautiful modern-looking chandelier. This opens into the main lobby, a striking, huge expanse with dark wood ceilings and lots of furniture nooks that make for a very inviting space. Check-in is off to the right in a well-lighted, semi-enclosed inner lobby.
The pool and beach are fairly large given the size of the hotel. The pool features several different types of furniture, including nifty two-person round chaise lounges with comfortable cushions and throw pillows. The spa was not open yet.
The Grand Club on the fifth floor is a very large, open room with dark decor and modern furniture. It serves light canapes at dinner self-service soft drinks and coffee, and alcohol by request. It has lots of magazines on offer, and a board room offered complimentary for short uses, although no computers if memory serves me correctly.
-- Service. After I announced myself at check-in, two Western members of the management came out and greeted me. We chatted for awhile and one offered to take me on a tour of the hotel (which I accepted). I considered this very good service; they recognized my status and felt proud of their new hotel.
The main disadvantage is that it took a really long time to check-in. I didn't have any strange requirements (although I had pre-paid for the room on a low rate), but it look a lot of fumbling and multiple people to complete the process. Checking out was even more difficult -- they were unable to do it for some reason in the Grand Club, and then it took again a very long time downstairs. Even though they acknowledged that I had already paid for the room, they ran my credit card for the full amount of the stay, then said that they didn't have the capability to offer a refund before finally (after again several people got involved) working it out. I also asked the Grand Club attendant to retrieve my luggage from my room and store it until I left the hotel, since I was going to go to the pool. When I got downstairs an hour later, they couldn't find it, and it took twenty minutes to track it down, although all of the personnel seemed diligent and apologetic. I attribute this to just kinks in the process of a new hotel.
The room came with many complimentary amenities, including a box of 25truffles, made in-house, a large wodden box of excellent dates, a bottle of red wine, a generous fruit bowl with some tropical selections, and several bottles of water. I am not sure if this was a standard Diamond package or not.
The hotel offers complimentary transportation from the airport for Diamond members, but only one-way, which seems strange to me, especially in Doha, where the cost of this service can't be very high. I didn't take them up on this, so I don't know what it was like, although they had a fleet of Mercedes out front and a stand at the airport just outside customs.
-- Room. This was only average. The room decor was sandstone and other earth tones, with walnut-looking furniture and cream-colored carpet. Very pleasant, but the quality was only so-so. The bathtub was dirty and with several large gashes in the surface, the light and switch fixtures were haphazardly applied, there was a horizontal gap between the light and the ceiling in the shower, and I noticed several other glitches. Taken individually, none of these was a big deal, but taken together I felt like they hadn't quite finished up the construction properly.
The room included a large terrace with a couple of chairs, which was probably the highlight. It seems like most of the rooms have this. The bed was comfortable. The bathroom was nice but not really distinctive like the Grand Hyatt Amman, Park Hyatt Dubai, or Hyatt Regency Istanbul. It had a bathtub and separate rain shower, along with a separate W/C. Toiletries were White River Falls, which I have seen before in Grands, and are OK but not really interesting. Internet was complimentary for me, although the wireless speed was so-so and it stopped working at some point, so I plugged in. The TV had a good selection of channels, although a DVD player would have been nice.
-- Food and beverage. Probably the highlight of my stay was brunch at Isaan. This is a Thai restaurant open for dinner each night and Friday brunch. The restaurant is arranged with several open kitchen stations. The brunch menu consists of about two dozen small plates, mostly typical Thai dishes organized by cooking style (i.e., grilled, fried, curries, salads, etc.), plus five or so desserts, all of the ones of which I tried were spectacular (example: coconut ice cream with pieces of raw pistachio, shreds of taro, and bits of citrus, which is actually a lot more interesting than it sounds). It is all-you-can-eat; one just orders off of the menu as one wants, and they bring around steamed rice by the scoop from a bamboo basket, and also offer several iced herbal drinks which are very refreshing. (For another fee, they offer all-you-can-drink beverages from among a few beers, red and white wine, and sparkling wine.)
The brunch was really excellent in every way. The food and setting reminded me of Thailand; all of the chefs and most of the staff are Thai, and the food was very well-prepared. Service was excellent and attentive, too, with the wait staff able to articulately explain each dish, make recommendations, and accommodate special requests. I noticed that the dinner menu was basically the same dishes but a la carte, with pretty favorable prices (e.g., QAR 30-60, or about $8-$16, for most entrees). This seems like a risky concept as a signature restaurant; I sure hope that it works out well.
I also went to the Dunes Lounge, which is on the terrace overlooking the pool. It had a decent selection (for Doha) of alcohol; and a large wine-by-the-glass selection that included a few semi-interesting items, such as a white port and a decent Italian red by the glass. I noticed that the prices were quite low by Doha standards (e.g., QAR 40, or $11, for a cocktail, and many wine glasses around the same price), although the pours were a bit small. They also have a cigar menu, again with surprisingly low prices. One down-side is that they have absolutely no food, not even a little snack menu, here, besides the nuts on the table. The service was again excellent, with quite attentive and charming servers.
Breakfast was provided complimentary (because the Grand Club was not yet serving breakfast) in the Grill. The buffet included a selection, which was actually narrower than that at most hotels in Doha (for example, no hummos or labneh), of cold items and fruit, with open cooking stations featuring basic hot items (grilled tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, roasted potatoes, sausages, etc.) It reminded me a lot of the breakfast at the Grand Hyatt in Amman, although the selection was narrower. Overall, the breakfast was average. The lunch/dinner menu looked like pretty typical "international" fare for the city.
The other operating food outlet is a deli on the ground floor on the way to the pool, which features a few sandwiches and salads, home-made chocolates and pastries, as well as European items like pasta and sauce for sale in a little boutique. There is set to be a Mediterranean restaurant, Rocka, which is not open yet.
Overall, this was a solid five-star hotel that is a welcome addition to Doha, although, besides Isaan and the lobby environment, lacks a real "wow" factor. (Perhaps I am judging unfairly because I just came from the Park Hyatt Istanbul.)
-- Public areas: This is among the best attributes of the hotel. The structure of the hotel is very attractive. I would call the design a sleek Arabian look, unlike the more Western look attempted by the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, W (of course), and Hilton (which is not open yet). The interior and exterior feature earth tones throughout. The entry lobby has a huge fountain, very tasteful multi-colored marble floors, and a beautiful modern-looking chandelier. This opens into the main lobby, a striking, huge expanse with dark wood ceilings and lots of furniture nooks that make for a very inviting space. Check-in is off to the right in a well-lighted, semi-enclosed inner lobby.
The pool and beach are fairly large given the size of the hotel. The pool features several different types of furniture, including nifty two-person round chaise lounges with comfortable cushions and throw pillows. The spa was not open yet.
The Grand Club on the fifth floor is a very large, open room with dark decor and modern furniture. It serves light canapes at dinner self-service soft drinks and coffee, and alcohol by request. It has lots of magazines on offer, and a board room offered complimentary for short uses, although no computers if memory serves me correctly.
-- Service. After I announced myself at check-in, two Western members of the management came out and greeted me. We chatted for awhile and one offered to take me on a tour of the hotel (which I accepted). I considered this very good service; they recognized my status and felt proud of their new hotel.
The main disadvantage is that it took a really long time to check-in. I didn't have any strange requirements (although I had pre-paid for the room on a low rate), but it look a lot of fumbling and multiple people to complete the process. Checking out was even more difficult -- they were unable to do it for some reason in the Grand Club, and then it took again a very long time downstairs. Even though they acknowledged that I had already paid for the room, they ran my credit card for the full amount of the stay, then said that they didn't have the capability to offer a refund before finally (after again several people got involved) working it out. I also asked the Grand Club attendant to retrieve my luggage from my room and store it until I left the hotel, since I was going to go to the pool. When I got downstairs an hour later, they couldn't find it, and it took twenty minutes to track it down, although all of the personnel seemed diligent and apologetic. I attribute this to just kinks in the process of a new hotel.
The room came with many complimentary amenities, including a box of 25truffles, made in-house, a large wodden box of excellent dates, a bottle of red wine, a generous fruit bowl with some tropical selections, and several bottles of water. I am not sure if this was a standard Diamond package or not.
The hotel offers complimentary transportation from the airport for Diamond members, but only one-way, which seems strange to me, especially in Doha, where the cost of this service can't be very high. I didn't take them up on this, so I don't know what it was like, although they had a fleet of Mercedes out front and a stand at the airport just outside customs.
-- Room. This was only average. The room decor was sandstone and other earth tones, with walnut-looking furniture and cream-colored carpet. Very pleasant, but the quality was only so-so. The bathtub was dirty and with several large gashes in the surface, the light and switch fixtures were haphazardly applied, there was a horizontal gap between the light and the ceiling in the shower, and I noticed several other glitches. Taken individually, none of these was a big deal, but taken together I felt like they hadn't quite finished up the construction properly.
The room included a large terrace with a couple of chairs, which was probably the highlight. It seems like most of the rooms have this. The bed was comfortable. The bathroom was nice but not really distinctive like the Grand Hyatt Amman, Park Hyatt Dubai, or Hyatt Regency Istanbul. It had a bathtub and separate rain shower, along with a separate W/C. Toiletries were White River Falls, which I have seen before in Grands, and are OK but not really interesting. Internet was complimentary for me, although the wireless speed was so-so and it stopped working at some point, so I plugged in. The TV had a good selection of channels, although a DVD player would have been nice.
-- Food and beverage. Probably the highlight of my stay was brunch at Isaan. This is a Thai restaurant open for dinner each night and Friday brunch. The restaurant is arranged with several open kitchen stations. The brunch menu consists of about two dozen small plates, mostly typical Thai dishes organized by cooking style (i.e., grilled, fried, curries, salads, etc.), plus five or so desserts, all of the ones of which I tried were spectacular (example: coconut ice cream with pieces of raw pistachio, shreds of taro, and bits of citrus, which is actually a lot more interesting than it sounds). It is all-you-can-eat; one just orders off of the menu as one wants, and they bring around steamed rice by the scoop from a bamboo basket, and also offer several iced herbal drinks which are very refreshing. (For another fee, they offer all-you-can-drink beverages from among a few beers, red and white wine, and sparkling wine.)
The brunch was really excellent in every way. The food and setting reminded me of Thailand; all of the chefs and most of the staff are Thai, and the food was very well-prepared. Service was excellent and attentive, too, with the wait staff able to articulately explain each dish, make recommendations, and accommodate special requests. I noticed that the dinner menu was basically the same dishes but a la carte, with pretty favorable prices (e.g., QAR 30-60, or about $8-$16, for most entrees). This seems like a risky concept as a signature restaurant; I sure hope that it works out well.
I also went to the Dunes Lounge, which is on the terrace overlooking the pool. It had a decent selection (for Doha) of alcohol; and a large wine-by-the-glass selection that included a few semi-interesting items, such as a white port and a decent Italian red by the glass. I noticed that the prices were quite low by Doha standards (e.g., QAR 40, or $11, for a cocktail, and many wine glasses around the same price), although the pours were a bit small. They also have a cigar menu, again with surprisingly low prices. One down-side is that they have absolutely no food, not even a little snack menu, here, besides the nuts on the table. The service was again excellent, with quite attentive and charming servers.
Breakfast was provided complimentary (because the Grand Club was not yet serving breakfast) in the Grill. The buffet included a selection, which was actually narrower than that at most hotels in Doha (for example, no hummos or labneh), of cold items and fruit, with open cooking stations featuring basic hot items (grilled tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, roasted potatoes, sausages, etc.) It reminded me a lot of the breakfast at the Grand Hyatt in Amman, although the selection was narrower. Overall, the breakfast was average. The lunch/dinner menu looked like pretty typical "international" fare for the city.
The other operating food outlet is a deli on the ground floor on the way to the pool, which features a few sandwiches and salads, home-made chocolates and pastries, as well as European items like pasta and sauce for sale in a little boutique. There is set to be a Mediterranean restaurant, Rocka, which is not open yet.
Overall, this was a solid five-star hotel that is a welcome addition to Doha, although, besides Isaan and the lobby environment, lacks a real "wow" factor. (Perhaps I am judging unfairly because I just came from the Park Hyatt Istanbul.)
Apr 23, 2009, 1:23 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: UA, AA, LH, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Hertz
Posts: 1,759
Thanks for the nice report. We'll probably visit this hotel in November on our tour of the Middle East. Let's hope they get all the details straight by then.
On a related note, it seems that GH Doha makes award rooms available only 6 months in advance. When I called a couple of weeks ago they had availability through mid-Oct and I was told to call back in May. Is this typical for the new hotels (I haven't experienced it before) or just something specific to GH Doha?
On a related note, it seems that GH Doha makes award rooms available only 6 months in advance. When I called a couple of weeks ago they had availability through mid-Oct and I was told to call back in May. Is this typical for the new hotels (I haven't experienced it before) or just something specific to GH Doha?
Sep 7, 2009, 8:14 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2008
Programs: M&M FQT, BA G, Bonvoy LTT, WoH GLOB
Posts: 960
Just completed a very short stay. Can't say much as I just stayed overnight, but a few comments:
- Hotel is very spacious, rooms and hallways are generous. It seemed completely empty, though. As a Diamond, I was upgraded to a club king (frankly, with the hotel being deserted, they could have probably tried harder but I did not care for a short night).
- Comp airport pick up was confirmed by concierge prior to arrival, but airport booth was empty. Waited for 15-20 min and called hotel, but nothing happened, so took a taxi. Hotel apologized and comped return next morning.
- Aircondition in my room was very noisy...weird for a brand new hotel.
- When asking about the Diamond amenity, the FO manager told me I was already enjoying the current MC promotion, and there could 'not be two different promotions at a time'. I am pretty sure he mixed things up, or how would the MC promotion relate to a Diamond amenity ? Did not bargain, though.
- There still is construction all over the place, so despite the hotel theoretically in a nice location (from the airport a bit of a drive, after the West Bay hotels), you will be looking at construction in pretty much every direction for another little while.
In all fairness, it was a short stay, and the weird things left me puzzled...but I have to say the facilities were nice, and the staff very friendly throughout. The place probably deserves a second try.
- Hotel is very spacious, rooms and hallways are generous. It seemed completely empty, though. As a Diamond, I was upgraded to a club king (frankly, with the hotel being deserted, they could have probably tried harder but I did not care for a short night).
- Comp airport pick up was confirmed by concierge prior to arrival, but airport booth was empty. Waited for 15-20 min and called hotel, but nothing happened, so took a taxi. Hotel apologized and comped return next morning.
- Aircondition in my room was very noisy...weird for a brand new hotel.
- When asking about the Diamond amenity, the FO manager told me I was already enjoying the current MC promotion, and there could 'not be two different promotions at a time'. I am pretty sure he mixed things up, or how would the MC promotion relate to a Diamond amenity ? Did not bargain, though.
- There still is construction all over the place, so despite the hotel theoretically in a nice location (from the airport a bit of a drive, after the West Bay hotels), you will be looking at construction in pretty much every direction for another little while.
In all fairness, it was a short stay, and the weird things left me puzzled...but I have to say the facilities were nice, and the staff very friendly throughout. The place probably deserves a second try.
Feb 26, 2010, 2:20 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MUC based
Programs: *A
Posts: 536
recently been there, can confirm that construction nearby is still full on. but hardly heard it with closed balcony doors.
I actually quite liked the spacious room, great large desk, too! did not have the problems as described by mecabq
now, Rokka was open and i had a very good dinner there. mussels and pizza. nice open kitchen! the Bar and the Grill were also pretty good!
Spa was open and pretty good massage there. I was also quite impressed with the other leisure facilities (Gym, Sauna (albeit a bit too cold), steam room, indoor and outdoor pool.
took the transfer back to the airport, but only with the small Mercedes, C-class me thinks. friendly driver, car in crisp condition.
I actually quite liked the spacious room, great large desk, too! did not have the problems as described by mecabq
now, Rokka was open and i had a very good dinner there. mussels and pizza. nice open kitchen! the Bar and the Grill were also pretty good!
Spa was open and pretty good massage there. I was also quite impressed with the other leisure facilities (Gym, Sauna (albeit a bit too cold), steam room, indoor and outdoor pool.
took the transfer back to the airport, but only with the small Mercedes, C-class me thinks. friendly driver, car in crisp condition.
Apr 21, 2010, 2:48 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2008
Programs: M&M FQT, BA G, Bonvoy LTT, WoH GLOB
Posts: 960
Another stay booked two rooms, and both were upgraded to club level. Slightly odd one of the rooms was not ready for check in 4pm in the afternoon. Again, no suite upgrade.
The hotel is spacious and sparkling, yet a bit soul-less. I recommend to take a taxi from the airport to the hotel (EUR 8) and use the comp transfer (diamond/club level) for the return. Hotel charges EUR 30 for the limo and there aren't many taxis. We went to dinner to the W and had to take a limo because there were no taxis. Limo was EUR 12 for the short drive, and taxi on the return was EUR 2,50 !
Grand Club with very good selection for both cocktails and breakfast.
The hotel is spacious and sparkling, yet a bit soul-less. I recommend to take a taxi from the airport to the hotel (EUR 8) and use the comp transfer (diamond/club level) for the return. Hotel charges EUR 30 for the limo and there aren't many taxis. We went to dinner to the W and had to take a limo because there were no taxis. Limo was EUR 12 for the short drive, and taxi on the return was EUR 2,50 !
Grand Club with very good selection for both cocktails and breakfast.
Jun 9, 2010, 1:08 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MUC based
Programs: *A
Posts: 536
when i was there in Feb, the water was rather murky IRC. not too inviting to be honest.
beach was "normal" sand, not that bad actually, as well as the beach furniture.
a friend goes there 20Jun, I could then ask him how it looks now if you want
beach was "normal" sand, not that bad actually, as well as the beach furniture.
a friend goes there 20Jun, I could then ask him how it looks now if you want
Dec 12, 2012, 6:39 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Virtuoso, Marriott Stars/Luminous, Hilton Impresario, IHG Luxury & Lifestyle, Hyatt Prive etc
Posts: 2,004
We stayed 1 night in June in a suite. We used the airport transfer both ways (1-way included) which was good - BMW I think although I may have mis-remembered. On arrival at the hotel, the internet was down so we waited some time to checkin (along with everyone else). However, when we asked if we could go to the club lounge, we were immediately escorted there. Mostly the club lounge was almost empty but it was a nice space - evening drinks included wines and a sparkling (not champagne), a good spread of canapés made our dinner. Breakfast was also good, although we left early as we had a flight to catch. Don't make the mistake we did - the food in the lounge at the hotel is much better than the breakfast offering in the Qatar First class terminal.
Suite was large with a great balcony. Service good (although difficult to tell in 1 night). I'll see if I can dig some pictures out.
Suite was large with a great balcony. Service good (although difficult to tell in 1 night). I'll see if I can dig some pictures out.
Dec 13, 2012, 5:21 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Virtuoso, Marriott Stars/Luminous, Hilton Impresario, IHG Luxury & Lifestyle, Hyatt Prive etc
Posts: 2,004
Dec 14, 2012, 3:34 am
#14
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: LH SEN, SPG Gold(SCI Gold), Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,451
We stayed there in a suite in October. Very nice room with large balcony.
The transfer is included both ways for suites BTW.
Nice pool, but did not like the sorroundings to much.
The transfer is included both ways for suites BTW.
Nice pool, but did not like the sorroundings to much.
Dec 14, 2012, 4:03 am
#15
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Virtuoso, Marriott Stars/Luminous, Hilton Impresario, IHG Luxury & Lifestyle, Hyatt Prive etc
Posts: 2,004
I asked multiple times and argued that their text online was incorrect, but was still told only 1-way transfer was included for suites. Obviously worth asking someone higher up if told no.