thanks^.. silly question maybe but any issue with women and bikinis at the pool; I know its on my wives mind ?. We have our flights booked so not sure what option we have since there are no direct air links now to the obvious choices...

I think 4 days in Doha is a bit much unless you have something specific already planned. If not I'd jump over to Muscat.

Bikinis seemed ok at the pool but need to cover up when you enter hotel obviously. She'll need something that covers her knees and shoulders... (I forgot and wore shorts to the Islamic museum but they hurriedly threw a sarong at me)

+1 to the Muscat idea.

I was in Doha last year for a night and could have done with another but that's probably about it.

thanks guys.. ; arrive late (midnight) and leave in the early am so really 3 full days. I'm sure we can kill three days at the pool. Forgot totally about muscat. mind you another 1.30 flight might be a pain when we arrive in at midnight.. worth it? Muscat was the first place we went to as a couple 10 years ago surprisingly..

Assuming you're flying in from DUB the arrival at midnight is really 21:30 for your body and the hop to Muscat would be before midnight to your body. To me that sounds good and with the personal touch of Muscat having been the first place you traveled to as a couple it seems like an even better idea.

actually flying back to Dub from SGN so arrive at midnight which will seem like 3/4am :(

ending up booking the Kempinski; will be interesting to see what its like... . We got married in October but have delayed our Honeymoon until January. We have 9 nights in Cambodia, 10 in Vietnam and then 4 on the way home in Doha.. :)

Kempinski is nice but a bit soulless (as with most hotels in Doha). The private beach is nice, as I said above.

The ever-enigmatic MrKesavaraj filmed here the week it opened. Seems a nice hotel.

thanks guys..

Coming back to your question: many of the pools at FS Doha enjoy sunshine throughout the day. I would be more concerned to find a lounger in the sun, as most areas around the pools are shaded, if that's your concern. But there are plenty of options. They have a great team there, I am sure they will accommodate. For me it was perfect, as I don't really enjoy full sun all day from a skin/health perspective.

Generally Four Seasons Doha is doing very well, despite current political problems. Qatar is making arrangements for the next years with new partners, so it seems the current situation is here to stay. There is a big renovation program in the making at FS Doha, which will include all rooms. They will re-do everything, except for infrastructure (which is still solid).

What bothered me were the many instances in which cost cutting was a bit too apparent. I hate wooden spoons/sticks instead of real spoons, especially in suites -- simply should not happen, at all. Their bathroom amenities are the worst I have seen anywhere, especially as they managed to include 4 different parabens -- chemical-free considerations aside, most brands ditched parabens a long time ago and there is a reason why!

I feel that FS Doha just needs a more discerning eye in many areas: Why have so many empty vases standing around, either put flowers in them or take them away altogether. Empty vases are sad to look at and they had tons of them everywhere... Then a handwritten welcome note would have been nice, especially when you are in touch with the team beforehand. A machine-written note is just bad form, even more so when there is a wrong travel-agency printed on it -- either they don't care or seem to think business guests don't notice. What about leisure guests?

The Spa is part of their Health Club... a visionary building, with a rather large gym, hydrotherapy lounge, hair salon, treatment areas and countless amenities (including an ice room). You will also find many local members there, so the area is always quite busy. I especially liked Après Spa Café, which has had the best service in the whole hotel. There were so many treats and true hospitality there, so much soul! I must mention Chan at Apres Spa Cafe... she took care of me when I had a cold, brought me fresh ginger tea with honey and even sent the chef to discuss today's menu. But it is a testament to Four Seasons that she was also the one who listened and got rid of plastic flowers (!) in the spa for us and even managed to get room service to replace the wooden sticks with real spoons in the suite... something management just could not. Stunned...

All these details would be very easy to change, and many wouldn't even result in much higher costs. How is it possible they are charging 400 USD for a facial and yet seem to think guests would accept plastic roses under the massage table? There are many options to avoid such disgrace. And I could just go and on about these details, which no one seems to want to notice. Yet they are there. What saves it is the team.

5* Hotels Doha
 

Looking for recommendations for a 5* hotel in Doha for a 2-3 day stopover with my wife. It's a leisure trip, so we don't need to be in a business district. The prices of the 5*'s I've looked at, including the Four Seasons, are remarkably inexpensive, so price is not an issue. I am not familiar with Doha, so am looking for advice on the best combination of luxury and location.

I would stay at Four Seasons, which is by far the best, even after all these years. I would probably book a corner suite, which enjoys much more light and sunshine, even compared to the higher level Ambassador or Gulf Suites. The property is a little tired here and there, but well maintained -- they are currently planning larger renovations, which will help tremendously. Service is still caring and the pools are hard to beat.

Mandarin Oriental may or may not open soon, we shall see, and of course their hard product is lightyears ahead then, but for now I prefer Four Seasons over St Regis, Grand Hyatt and Ritz-Carlton.

Location wise, you are well located at Four Seasons, right where you'd want to be. I wouldn't care about anything Pearl, not much to see... Right now I would say 3 days in Doha is enough, including a beach day to bounce off jet lag.

I find the Four Seasons in Doha very tired - they do however have the best staff that I have experienced in Doha.

Last time I stayed at the Kempinski on Pearl - just to try it out. It is a stunning property - Qatar's answer to the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. It's location is not ideal.

My "go-to" hotel is the Shangri-La - probably the best hard product I've experienced in Doha and one of the best lounges in the world.