I am very comfortable there.

You'll be fine there, as is the rest of the GCC sans KSA. Male or female, just don't drink a ton and make a fool of yourself, but that applies to the rest of the GCC as well sans the dry countries

Finally some pictures of the Chedi Katara - scheduled to open on November 1, although not taking bookings yet. I would imagine that the hotel is fully committed for the World Cup and will take bookings from December 24 like many other hotels.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/qa/the...mp-resort.html

i will try to stay at the Chedi too on my 16 days trip to Doha. I am most excited about the Raffles though!

I have a one-night overnight in Doha. MO looks like the current best bet, FS looks dated, but as an Ambassador RC Sharq is tempting. I know it doesn't really matter for one night, but what would people who have been recently advise?

I found myself in the same scenario last week and really enjoyed RC Sharq. It's incredibly convenient to get to and from the airport and it provides something a little different than the typical high-rise luxury tower. It's perhaps a touch dated but found my room quite comfortable and the pools and beach are nice. The property has a certain liveliness to it in the evening that I enjoyed as well. Breakfast was ok but otherwise the food was really good, especially El Cedro. Excellet, large gym and spa if that matters.

It would also depend on your flight times (need for a beach) and what you wish to do. Qatar is a bore but the Museum of Islamic Art and the Souq (bird hospital) are worth a visit. RC and MO are slightly closer.

Does anyone know if there is a way for hotels to get around the Hayya card? From Nov 1 you need to have a Hayya Card to enter Qatar. You can only get said card if you are going to the World Cup and have match tickets. The matches don't begin until late Nov., I am going Nov 9 and just don't want to spend 14 hours in the airport.

I believe you can request it - I'd email them.

I called the hotel today and they said there's nothing they can do. My local buddy was going to add me to his Hayya card, but as of Nov 1 locals can't add people anymore. So the only way to enter Qatar short of being a local or resident is to buy World Cup tickets, even if you are trying to enter for one night, with an onward ticket WEEKS before the first match. What an absolutely stupid system.

Tickets on ticombo start at around $75 so maybe that's worth considering?

I just read on their official website that the Chedi will be a dry hotel.

Spent the transit at the Oryx Transit Hotel airside which was perfectly fine, albeit a total rip off.

After trying out 19 five-star hotels in Doha during the past 5 weeks, here is my ranking for the luxury segment:

1) Raffles Doha - truly stunning architecture, outstanding service (not just due to the low occupancy, they really did hire a fantastic professionals), F&B and SPA was excellent and sets the bar high
2) Mandarin Oriental - service was the best out of all hotels, very sophisticated & classy, super friendly & proactive staff, interior design is amazing (understated luxury which is not easy to find in the Middle East)
3) Four Seasons - post-renovation the hotel is shining again, really liked the combination of white and blue colours, Ambassador suite was beauitful, great service as one is expecting from FS and solid F&B offer.

One’s to avoid:

the Chedi - beautiful property but service was seriously lacking. Probably needs another few months to get running properly.
St. Regis - poor service and outdated rooms, would not want to stay there again.

wow! 19 hotels in 5 weeks!

Given the extreme heat during the months of May and June, any recommendations on what hotel to choose to be able to enjoy beautiful swimming pools, great bars and dining facilities without having to spend too much time walking around outdoors?

Also, are there any arabian palace types of hotels kind of like the Palace Downtown in Dubai?

Thanks!