Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Doha, Qatar
 

Hi
I need a good but not too expensive hotel in Doha for a board meeting (55 VIPs) next october 3 nights and 2 days of meetings.

Is the Marriott good for situation/service/rooms in Doha ?

Thanks

Hervé

Hm, had a reservation in November there, but the driver never showed up at the airport... When we called the Mariott, they said that they are fully booked. Even though we booked the hotel less than an hour before AT THE AIRPORT ! Bad bad...We had to go to another hotel then. QR was paying the hotel anyway since it was a long layover in DOH.
So sorry, cannot help you with your question.

I stay at this property all the time (monthly). It's a nice place. There are two towers and all rooms have been updated. All have decent wired internet and no extra charge for wireless use in the lobby and lounges. The tall tower has the regular rooms and the short tower has the executive level rooms (the whole tower). The exec lounge is very nice if you book executive rooms or have status.

More than half of the rooms have views and they are nice views.

There are nicer properties in Doha but you will probably find their rates to be higher. I think the Marriott is a good compromise as it is a good facility and usually reasonable rates, especially if you make a group deal. Meeting faciltiies are fine. The spa is very good and there is pool and beach swimming. The gym is so-so, but acceptable. Food is very good throughout the hotel.

Like many hotels there the staff can really vary. Some are nice and helpful but there are also major gaps in service.

One drawback is that there is really nothing nearby to walk to. Other hotels on the corniche (Sheraton, Four Seasons) offer much better walking.

The Four Seasons holds the top spot for meetings in Doha, but my guess is you'll pay 50-100% more there considering rooms, meeting rooms, and food.

Book any meeting well in advance for Doha. There are only a few hotels and once they get booked, you are in big trouble.

Feel free to PM me for more info.

Charles

Do all rooms have flat-screen TVs? What are the benefits of executive rooms besides lounge benefits...free wifi in the room?

Anyone been here lately? Husband is debating between staying here or on post (US Army) for a week. His past experiences lead him to believe that the worst Marriott is better than the best government lodging. The reviews on Tripadvisor are dodgy, but I trust you guys more.

Marriott-family hotels in Doha, Qatar
 

I had a brief stay at each of these properties, which must count as among the more obscure additions to the portfolio. They were originally scheduled to open for the Asian Games (December 2006), and are now in sort of a soft-opening stage.

These are twin towers of about 40 stories (one of which also encompasses a Marriott Executive Apartments) with connected lobbies. The hotels are also connected on the second floor to the City Center Mall in the West Bay area.

Some of the pluses and minuses:

-- The design is pretty ugly. The lobby of the Renaissance is OK; the Courtyard is typical for the brand. However, the rest of the common areas are a cheap, pseudo-Arabic style typical of many of the high-rises in Qatar, with low-quality shiny marble floors, phony wood paneling, and poor fixtures and finishings. The Renaissance rooms are exceedingly underwhelming in my opinion; the Courtyard rooms are more typical of the brand.

-- The food and beverage seems like it will be great. Most of the outlets -- New York Steakhouse and bar, Brasserie Centreville, Ipanema Churrascaria, an Italian place, and Glo lobby bar -- are not open yet, but should be welcome additions to Qatar. Champions Sports Bar, which is open now, will be an excellent addition to the options in the country, though the food was not very good. There is also a 24-hour cafe off of the Courtyard lobby, with light food as well as pastries and coffee, which will fill a needed niche. The minibar prices are also reasonable for this category; e.g., QAR 20 (about USD 5.5) for a 750 mL Evian and QAR 15 for the 330 mL version or can of soda.

-- The outdoor pool (on the seventh floor between the properties) and large gym, sauna, and steam look impressive.

-- A lot of the service is off to a poor start. The internet didn't work for most of my Courtyard stay. For the rest of it, and for the Renaissance, it was painfully slow. The front desk seemed to lack organization, and check-out was a fiasco. There was no complimentary bottled water in the Renaissance room. Of course I chalk some of this up to growing pains -- although I would have thought that they'd bring a strong opening team from Marriott, which didn't seem to be the case -- but some of the other aspects just reflect poor thought, e.g., when removing the key card from the slot by the door, all of the electricity goes off, including the clock radio; the cable television didn't work; water from the shower got all over the floor on the Courtyard side, and the shower on the Renaissance side was incredibly small; and the TV channel list provided on the nightstand bore no resemblance to the actual channels. These were small matters individually, of course, but put together, plus many others, it really left sort of a frustrating taste in my mouth.

There is an executive lounge, though I have dropped to lowly Silver so had no access.

Overall, at around the same prices as the other four- and five-star hotels in Doha (e.g., Sheraton, Four Seasons, W, Movenpick, forthcoming Shangri-La all within nominal walking distance), it is inferior, but the location is great; being connected to the mall makes it among the most convenient options for business travelers in Qatar.

2 Nights in Doha: Ritz, Marriott, or Renaissance?
 

Hi all!

Part of my honeymoon in 2012 includes two nights in Doha, Qatar. This is really only a stopover between the Seychelles and the Maldives. We'll be checking in one night, doing a desert safari the next day, and then flying out the following day. I'm not sure which property to choose.

The Ritz looks awesome, and I definitely have a surplus of Marriott points... so that's intriguing. However, since we aren't going to spend too much time there, is it worth it? Should I just stay at the Renaissance or Marriott? I see that they are cat 3 and 4, respectively. I'm sure Marriott will have another Cat4 night Megabonus, which means I could stay there for effectively zero points.

I know nothing about the location of the properties so please chime in. Also, there isn't a thread that compares these three hotels so perhaps we can just use this one as a starting point for that.

I've stayed at the Ritz. Very nice. Isolated. I'd probably go for the Sharq Village and Spa before the Ritz due to the distance from the airport.
I haven't stayed at any other Marriott location but I'm familiar with the city; I've also stayed at the Four Seasons.

The advantage of the Marriott and Sharq Village is that they are close to the airport. It's been ~3 years since I've been to Doha but the traffic can be terrible at all times of day and night.
What time of day does your flight leave Doha?

Based on your itinerary, I'd go for either Sharq Village (a Ritz property) or the Marriott.
Next on the list, I'd go with the Renaissance, followed by the Courtyard. (They're colocated so I suspect that there isn't much difference between them)
My last choice would be the Ritz due to the distance from the airport; you're not staying long enough to justify that much driving time.

Which Doha property?
 

I'm considering a weekend trip to Doha next month, and am wondering which is the best property to stay at. My original thought was the W, but I can't say I'm a fan of the brand in general. There's the St. Regis, but it's quite a bit more. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

The Sheraton is spectacular, and just right for a weekend getaway, with a lovely pool and beach. It's not cheap, though.

Personally, I hate the W concept. However, I would seriously consider staying at the W Doha on my next trip. I cannot speak for the rooms, but the common areas and exterior were striking and had a modern but not dysfunctional feel to them. The staff were friendly and didn't seem to have the Witude. Market and Spice Market were both excellent. The food was well prepared, though not quite to the standards of the JG in NY, and the staff was friendly and accommodating, even for a single diner on busy nights. The hotel is in a good location, not far from the diploarea and walking distance from the city's largest mall.

The Sheraton is nice but showing it's age. The staff was generally friendly but fell down in many areas. They gave me a deluxe room on a high floor as an upgrade because the hotel was hosting a number of dignitaries that took the suites. Food was decent, though the smoke got to me after a while. The lounge was a nice place to relax. Overall, it was a decent stay.

The St. Regis is a bit further away from everything, right?

Have a 20 hours transit in Doha, wondering if I should use my cat 4 voucher on Marriott or Courtyard? Courtyard has a higher rating on TA and closer to town. I will touch down at 5am and leave at 12 midnight. Any advice? Which hotel would allow an early check in at about 6am? And perhaps allow me to enjoy the breakfast? Hehe

Marriott Marquis City Center Doha, Qatar
 

Just noticed on Marriott's website that this property opened yesterday.

Doesn't have a Category listed yet.

"The brand has just announced the opening of a new property in Doha’s West Bay district, where three hotels currently known as the Renaissance Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott and Marriott Executive Apartments Doha City Center become one as a new Marriott Hotel opens.

Explore the Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel, centrally located in Doha’s Diplomatic area, only 15 minutes from the Doha International Airport. Towering above the West Bay business district, this contemporary hotel's unique location features panoramic views of the Doha’s skyline, Arabian Sea and the Corniche.

Has this listed for the exec lounge:

* Open: Sun-Sat, Open: 0600am - 12am
* Complimentary food:
- Hot buffet breakfast
- midday snack
- afternoon tea
- hors d'oeuvres
- dessert
- late night snack
* Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages
* Honor bar
* Business services, for a fee
* Complimentary pressing
* Two dedicated private lounges located on the 8th floor of the South Tower
with an outdoor terrace and on the 42nd floor of the North Tower with spectacular panoramic views of Doha.
* The lounges also offer complimentary wireless Internet in the lounge, complimentary happy hour from 5:30pm-7:30om daily and 2 hours complimentary use of the private meeting room."

I think this is the same hotel that used to be the Renaissance.
I made a reservation for the Renaissance awhile ago, and now it's coming as Marriott Marquis (with the same address). People at Marriott were equally confused about this change or whether the hotel is currenly open for business. Any update on its status would be appreciated.

"where three hotels currently known as the Renaissance Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott and Marriott Executive Apartments Doha City Center become one as a new Marriott Hotel opens."

Duh, thanks! :o
I wonder if they remodeled all 3 to have a consistent decor.

I stayed at the Marriott Marquis City Center back in Feburary. Great property with big rooms. I didn't get to use the lounge, but I did have lunch at the restaurant downstairs which is excellent. Service was quite good as well. I did a little write up on my trip report (hosted on FT) .

Just checked out after a two week stay, I was never there during the three brand days, but now both towers are of similar finishings. As a Platinum was upgraded to a Junior Suite, great views of the city and beyond to the Gulf. Two Executive Lounges one on the 42nd. floor and the other tower on the 8th. Breakfast selection is generally repetitive but speaking to the new head chef a change is coming. Evening lounge has a selection of a soup, 3-4 hot plates, appetizers, cheese etc. which changes daily.
An Olympic size swimming pool is located on the 7th floor between the two towers plenty of seating in the sun or shade.
Best feature of this hotel is the staff represented by 63 different nationalities working in harmony with each other. The executive staff were outstanding,
courteous and friendly which made our stay very memorable.
Not a 5 star Marriott, but a solid 4 star in my opinion.

I just finished a five-night award stay at the Marquis City Center Doha. Some impressions:

The Room: I was assigned a top-floor (43rd), corner room in the North Tower. This was, by far, the largest hotel room I've ever been assigned, easily surpassing all the suites I've been lucky enough to experience in my 25+ years of serious travel. (I should note that I'm a lowly gold, so no suite upgrade for me, unlike kiwimagic's experience.) The room measured ~14m x 10m at the max points, and about 12m x 6m was floor-to-ceiling windows, with stunning views of the South Tower and the Doha skyline.

Getting a corner room was not surprising; there are only eight rooms on the upper floors of the North Tower, so your odds are pretty good.

Power outlets were difficult to find, and convenient power outlets were even rarer. For example, to charge my laptop while watching TV required me to move one chair against the window, adjacent to a floor outlet. I also used the USB port on the TV to charge my phone - again, as a matter of convenience.

Speaking of TV, there were several English news/movie channels available on a 32" Samsung, so no complaints there. However, the Samsung screen looked as tiny as an early iPod when viewed from the bed ~9m away!

The Lounge: As kiwimagic mentioned, evening service always consisted of one soup/stew/chowder and three other hot dishes (usually fish, chicken and beef and one or two starches). But, the dishes were not just random selections: each night was a different theme - Mexican, South Pacific, Brazilian, etc. And, the staff went the exta mile to make it an experience. For example, on Mexican night, the salad sideboard was cleared-away and replaced with all the fixings for Tex-Mex nachos & queso. And, every condiment (as well as the main dishes) was clearly labeled.

Four brands of beer are offered, but only one each of red/white wine. Liquor was also available.

The staff was terrific, ensuring each guest was well-attended. And punctual - they started taking drink orders right at 1730, notifying each guest of last call at 1925, and had the area cleared of food and drink by 1935.

Breakfast was also varied, different selections each day of my stay. The Marriott Rewards desk, located to the left of the ground-floor check-in, informed me that there is no restaurant breakfast option for elites.

The lounge experience was so pleasant that I did not try any other foof/beverage outlet on the property.

Getting there: Taxis are not expensive, but I decided to take the 777 "limited stop service". The bus departs the airport three times per hour and costs about $3 for two rides. There's a stop at the Center City mall, directly attached to the Marriott by a 2nd floor walkway.

It took just 28 minutes to get to the airport in light early morning traffic. It just can't get any easier or quicker.

The 777 bus is also useful for visiting Souq Waqif or the MIA, just make sure to note on your favorite mapping program where the stops are located near the MIA.

I took the 777 bus four times during my stay; each time I was the only passenger.

If you'd rather walk to the MIA, it's about 4.2mi along the Corniche - a very pleasant walk.

The Mall: the attached mall includes a large Carrefour. This turned out to be a lifesaver for me when I broke the handle on my suitcase and was able to find a replacement there. (This was during an earlier visit, back in the days when the property was a Renaissance.)

I have stayed here a few times since my initial report, most recently on a PointSavers award, which made it the same price as the old Marriott close to the airport, and a good value compared to the cash rate.

I don't see the need to add to the reviews here, but I am curious about the rebranding. Marriott Marquis seems like a weak brand to me, and I wonder why they changed, especially in light of kiwimagic's report that they have harmonized the furnishings. This is surprising to me because the previous Courtyard tower was built -- in the room design and layout as well as furnishings -- to look like most other Courtyards. (I am assuming that they didn't redo the bathrooms?)

This must have been a costly effort, which occurred pretty soon (three years or so?) after the hotel's initial opening. Anyone know why? Perhaps they thought that they could get higher rates, at least from the former Courtyard rooms, but given the glut in Doha I am not sure that that would be a great assumption. Maybe there is another Courtyard in the pipeline, which would be a nice addition to the market.

I am just back from the Marriott Marquis. Made it to Doha three times on this trip (first time at the Doha Marriott near the airport, then at the Marquis and lastly next door at the new Shangri-la).

Initially though it would be a JW but the branding is confusion. Never heard of a Marriott Marquis.

Arrived with their prearrange hotel car -- it was included in the rate otherwise a taxi is so much cheaper. Left standing at the front desk for 20 minutes. Really bad first impression. Then checkin and room is not ready. Escorted to the lounge and waited for an hour.

Did get an upgrade -- nice suite with ugly carpets and color scheme. Outlets hard to find. None at the desk. All at the TVs. Bed nice and comfortable.

Lounge. Went up early - lucky I did -- Lounge is extremely small -- looks like they took the two corner suites and converted them. Full of USAF and Contractors. Many people came in and then left as no seating. Food is about average. A soup and three hot finger food. The night I was there it was Chinese night and they had a Shrimp Dim Sum and a Duck wrap.
I think the Doha Marriott has a better choice evening food.
Breakfast is a waste. No made to order eggs. Limited selection.

As noted I stayed at the Shangri-la. Was a soft opening -- but really impressed with the exec lounge and the service and food quality.

Is the Doha Marriott close to the airport? Do they have a free shuttle between them?

Thinking about using this for a 9hr layover (unless you all have better suggestions).

Thanks

The Marriott is very close to the airport - as the crow flies - but the access road routing makes it a ~15 min trip.

No shuttle is provided by the Marriott (as of my last stay, about 18 months ago).

The city '777' bus runs from the airport, past the Marriott, on its way to the city center. Per the city-transport map, there is a stop near the Marriott going towards the airport (which I took once) but not a scheduled stop near the Marriott from the airport. That said, I can't believe the driver wouldn't drop you off if you let him know.

(See my notes on the '777' bus in my post on the Marquis City Center.)

No shuttle -- a Taxi runs around 40 QAR (12 USD). They have a private car service you can make an advance reservation for and this runs around 80 or 100 QAR.

Heard some rumors that this hotel will close next year and be torn down to make room for a new Stadium for the World Cup. Also heard that a new JW is planned in 2018.

Doing same thing you plan on doing later this week on my way home. Have a 20 hour layover..

There is an airport hotel within Hammad airport terminal that might be more suitable for a short layover.

Any updates to this original question? I've got a long transit in Doha of just under 24 hours and was comparing the SPG and Marriott properties. The only thing that I can see to tip the scale, is being gold gives me breakfast at the Marriott properties. My plan was to relax, enjoy whatever property I decide on and maybe checkout what Doha has to offer on a short stay.

I've stayed at the W and StR. I liked them both.

W was the best W I've stayed in. As noted upthread, no attitude from the staff; they were, without exception, friendly and helpful. Got a PLT upgrade to a huge and beautiful suite. Entry area, office, bed with automatic curtain-type things surrounding it, huge bathroom, huge living room, etc., etc., etc. Slightly odd experience during happy hour; I was charged for a sparkling water. Probably some type of mistake.

StR is less centrally located; however, it's in the middle of a large office/resort/hotel/??? development which was under construction when I was there. I would guess that 1) they've made much progress since my visit, and 2) it's going to be quite nice, from what I saw. No PLT upgrade; however, the room was pretty big, with unusually high ceilings and a large balcony where I ate my room service dinner overlooking the pool and beach area. Architecturally, the hotel is quite grand. The pool and beach areas are magnificent, and face west so the sun sets out over the water. Not much opportunity to experience service as I was there for only around 12 hours. room service dinner was much better than I had expected it to be.

Going back, I'd probably choose StR; although I don't know what prices would be available. I doubt that I'd be willing to pay double what the W charges if that's the going rate at the time; but I might do it on points.

Looking back, I really want to go back to StR on a beach/relax type vacation. It just looks like an incredible place. I'd use SNRs here, too; as I bet that the suites are great. So while I'm dying to spend some time at StR, I'd be perfectly happy to spend a few days at the W again. In both hard and soft products, it's a fine hotel. There are lots of staff hanging around waiting and happy to be of service.

I am also very interested to hear any expert opinions on this (a couple of long layovers in Doha this year myself). Much obliged.

I'm not expert enough??? :D

At least for my booking in February (done a few weeks ago), the Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel was on "points savers" at only 10000 Marriott Rewards points per night (though not that cheap on cash rates). That equates to 3333 SPG points (at 3:1 ratio). And with Gold or above status (native to Marriott or linked from SPG), you get lounge access.

As a frequent visitor and SPG guest in Doha, I thought I'd chime in... [repeatedly stayed in 3/4 of the SPG options there]

W: Easily the best W in Starwood's portfolio as it effortlessly blends awesome form with awesome substance. It opened back in 2009 but still manages to look incredible, trendy and relevant to this day and is holding up incredibly well. Constant upgrades every time as a Plat [I've now sampled all room types bar the Extreme Wow Suite], their WIP Lounge and free food/lounge perks/happy hour is a major stand out as W Hotels aren't designed to have lounges, their breakfast at Market is amazing, service is cool and professional and their spa is a class act, however expensive it is. Their pool is a bit of an afterthought but was just renovated and is leagues ahead of the old one, but still languishes in the shade due to the shape/design/layout of the building.

Westin: I love the W but this is the one that keeps me coming back. Massive new rooms [around two years old], absolutely excellent staff [Nadheema and Maja deserve particular shoutouts], very generous suite upgrades for Plats, spacious club lounge with great health-conscious presentations throughout the day with a great happy hour, huge spread at breakfast and wonderful pools and health club. All the style without the see-and-be-seen of the W; very highly recommended.

St. Regis: Got double-upgraded from a Deluxe Room to a Terrace Room to a John Jacob Astor Suite. Great facilities and a grand ambience, if a little anonymous. Staff are lovely, their breakfast is sumptuous, no happy hour or lounge perks so things can get pricey, location is a bit far, the pool is enormous and their Jacuzzi in the spa is worth the stay.

Hope this helps somehow!

khabah

I agree. The Marriott is the best value currently with Marriottwood. And its fairly central too, specially relative to the St. Regis.

Doha properties
 

Not much info here regarding Marriott's Doha properties. I've got just shy of 24 hours in Doha during a long QR transit. I'll arrive early evening and leave late afternoon. I'm looking for a location that will be conducive for a quick visit to the city, relax in the hotel and return to the airport. I have gold status with Marriott/SPG and am also considering the W. Any thoughts?

When's your stay? There's another FTer in Doha for a similar quick stay. Would be interesting if you were there at the same time!

PS - After your stay, please do a trip report on the property if there's a property thread or start a new thread if there isn't one. Other FTers would appreciate it.

I'm due to stay at the Marriott Marquis City Center Doha (the one that's Point Saver for just 10k/night^) toward the end of the first full week of February, with my flight from LAX arriving in late afternoon/early evening and my flight onward to JNB leaving in the morning.

I'll be there mid March. Still undecided between the Marriott Marquis or the W. Booking the W through Qatar Airways is way cheaper and includes breakfast, but I'd have to forego points and stay credit, which is blasphemous, I know. I may end up using points, as the stay is only 15k. I'll be sure to post back.

after jumping on a last minute opportunity to spend NYE in DXB, I also spent 2 nights in DOH on the return back to the US and booked a room at Doha Marriott. A few things:

Check-in: there was about 40 people from Qatar Airways with vouchers who appear to have been on a flight cancellation and thankfully they all queued in one line and I was able to use the Elite line in a matter of seconds (through app check-in). No comment or recognition from check-in desk on elite membership.

Room: when we walked into our room on the 5th floor we realized we were facing the opposite direction from the city and into a gravel pit. The room was a standard room with a king size bed. I called back to the front desk to ask about changing rooms to a better view, was told they would call back in 5 minutes. 20 minutes later I went down to the front desk and spoke with the same individual who had checked us in and during the discussion about changing rooms, I asked about an upgrade as they were all available to still book. Employee stated, "we are not owned by Marriott, so we do not acknowledge elites or offer upgrades". I kinda stood there dumbfounded, not even know what to say in return. Finally, we were offered a room facing the water and downtown, but would be a few hours before it was ready. We accepted and went to the city. Upon returning later, the room was the same room as the other side, just a different side of the building but facing downtown and overlooking the pool. If you are in the old building, each room has a balcony, which is a major plus for me!

Lounge: I must say, one of the most enjoyable lounges I have been in, with the top floor view overlooking the skyline of Doha. Also, a massive walkout balcony with great views.

Restaurants: plenty of options, with a steakhouse, hibachi, mexican, american.

Pool/Beach: private beach with cabanas on the beach. The pool is in a bad position with the new tower directly in the sunlight, so the pool barely has any sunlight after 12 noon.

Overall: pretty good property, although it gets a downgrade on its handling of elite membership. An upgrade should not mean you are given a room with two single beds in a standard room simply b/c you are facing downtown.

Thanks for the update. Much appreciated.

Cheers.

Any reviews of the RC Doha since the refurb began? I have an overnight layover coming up in Doha and trying to decide whether the RC is worth trying as it looks like they've done a great job with the rooms from the photos I've seen. Sharq Village is obviously a lot closer to DOH.

Anyone have experience with booking day rooms at Marriott hotels in Doha?

Arriving on an early flight and leaving 20 hours later. Sharq would be my first preference (being close to DOH) but was advised they "don't do day rooms" - with no alternative option offered.

Thinking I could potentially book it the night before and request a late check-out...but still leaves me checking out about 10hrs before the flight assuming I can even get a 4pm check-out. (I'm Gold).