STPC is quite strict and the rules are enforced.
If your friend was travelling this summer their hotel room might have been offered under the separate +Qatar stopover program, which runs until the end of September.


Terms and conditions
Booking validity: 1 May to 31 August 2017.
Travel validity: 7 May to 30 September 2017. All travel must be completed by 30 September 2017.
Offer is valid for flights booked with Qatar Airways on qatarairways.com with Multi-city ticket booking.
Offer valid for Qatar Airways confirmed ticket holders only.
Qatar Airways E-ticket number is required to be entered at the payment page. Maximum of one booking is allowed per E-ticket number.
Offer is available on Qatar Airways flights transiting through Doha during onward or return journey. (E.g. London – Doha – Bangkok).
A minimum transiting time of 12 hours is required to be eligible for this offer.
Not applicable on codeshare flights.