DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Doha Old Town {QAT}
Apr 21, 2017, 11:55 am
Sep 5, 2017, 9:23 am
On my 3rd stay (September), my upgrade was for a sea view room (not studio) despite the hotel showing a lot of availability online and the rate being low which indicates occupancy is not very high. Also, I did not receive vouchers at check-in so I asked if they had discontinued it, and I was told they did not have any vouchers at the moment but that they would check and send them to the room, which they did later on. However it's been downgraded from 50 QAR food + 2 drinks, to now 1 drink only and nothing for food.
I did not really care since I had enough to drink and eat on the incoming flight and I was going to drink and eat again a few hours later on my next flight, but I was asking more out of curiosity to confirm if there was slippage in the perks offered to Diamond members.
The hotel is nice and convenient for a short layover. Rates are typically lower than other options I regularly look at (Hilton, Hyatt, SPG, Marriott). But for my next 5 stays until the end of the year, instead of staying at the DT for all 5 stays, I will try the Grand Hyatt and the Westin once each for a modest price premium, just to compare and in case Diamond perks continue to be squeezed at the DT then I need to have another option lined up.
Last edited by escape4; Sep 5, 2017 at 9:40 am
Oct 22, 2017, 8:51 am
All in all the stay was very pleasant and the room seemed quite new. Only negative was the unnecessary call at noon because apparently the checkout time was not properly noted upon checkin.
Good value for the 330QAR price.
Nov 13, 2017, 6:31 am
I had booked a king room at rock bottom rate of 168 QAR after BRG, and was upgraded to a sea view room (not studio). The hotel was oversold that night so I was not expecting an upgrade at all.
I have recently tried the Grand Hyatt and the Marriott Marquis, both of which are a notch above the DT and both have a lounge. However for a quick layover, DT is closer to the airport, and most of the time we can get a better price at the DT which continues to be good value.
Mar 2, 2018, 7:47 am
Mar 2, 2018, 11:14 am
The breakfast buffet still has a very wide selections, including an omelettes, eggs and pancakes station.
One things to note was that there was a reasonable amount of noise on a couple of the night from the rooftop bar.
Mar 3, 2018, 1:37 am
Paid around GBP 70 in advance (forgot what it was in QAR) - unfortunately my flight was booked before QR launched the free hotel program.
Breakfast and room (semi-upgrade) was fine, no noise audible though lots of partygoers including women wearing almost nothing were coming through the security screening while we were checking in!
Jul 24, 2018, 10:58 am
Jul 30, 2018, 5:33 pm
However, I was told that with the voucher, (a) I could not go for the buffet, but only for more expensive a la carte dishes, and (b) I could only sit in the smoking section, although there were a few tables left in non-smoking. I decided to call the duty manager, who resolved both issues and indeed offered a glass of wine on top. So the story ended very positively, but only after escalation to management level.
What floor were you on? I wonder if the security screening is for everyone all the time or only some people and/or only during peak times. I've stayed at the Hilton Doha a number of times, and usually am able to just walk past the screening to get inside without having to go through it.
Jul 31, 2018, 2:06 am
I went out in the morning and had to be screened on the way back. But (like the screening in DOH) the guy wasn't paying attention to the x-ray video anyway. Don't know about the Hilton, maybe they are allowed to let you through without bothering if they assess you as low-risk.
Jul 31, 2018, 10:06 am
Oct 10, 2018, 1:07 am
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Doha Old Town
Al Meena Street Doha, QA
Double Tree Doha = Excellent Choice for Quick Airport Layover (3 Photos)
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Doha Old Town
I returned to Double Tree Doha for the first time in almost one year. The hotel remains in good condition and will continue to be on my short list of options in Doha. Often times it is not very difficult to find a BRG at this property and this time around I paid 250 QAR after 25% BRG discount. When considering the double points promo and the 2500 Lufthansa miles promo, the net cost of this stay was very low.
Location
For quick airport layovers the location of DT is great because it is on the fringe of the city not far from the airport, while at the same time being close enough to the Corniche so you can easily walk there when needing some exercise by the water between flights. Other hotels in the city center take longer to reach by taxi and if time is of the essence for an overnight then I would rather not go there. The taxi cost me 55 QAR from the airport to the hotel and 30 QAR from the hotel to the airport (the difference being the 25 QAR airport fee).
Room
I used to get upgraded to a studio at this hotel but for my last few stays my upgrades have been more modest. Like last time I was upgraded to a “Sea and Skyline View” room which I believe is just a room on a higher floor. I did not mind for such a short stay and I did not ask anything, but nonetheless I noted that studios were available online at the time I checked in around midnight. It might be that they don’t upgrade as liberally for guests with a very low rate such as BRG.
The room was nice, modern, clean, and fully functional for a short stay. The toilet is separate from the stand-alone shower which is in addition to a bathtub. Note that power plugs in the room are UK-style only - I think the hotel should have installed international style power plugs given that it’s a newer property that probably hosts several international guests. I had a gift waiting for me in the room but the card was not addressed to me so I am not sure if this is a Diamond welcome gift or generic welcome gift.
Dining
The hotel still gives the 50 QAR food voucher for Diamonds, which you can use for room service. I did not use it because not only I was not hungry after my flight, but also most entrees on the menu cost more than 50 QAR so the hotel probably wants to get some revenue by giving an incentive to use the vouchers. Bottom line for most choices on the menu, you get food at a discount, rather than free food. They also give a Diamond voucher for one drink.
Overall
Overall this hotel is good value for the money for a quick overnight if you can score a BRG. One other option close to the airport is the Marriott, but that property is in need for renovations (which they are about to start) while the DT is a new property, so the DT is clearly superior in my opinion. However for longer stays the DT is not where I would stay because several other hotels in Doha are far more generous with suite upgrades for elite guests, for example I got suite upgrades at Westin, Marriott Marquis, Sheraton Grand, and Grand Hyatt. Also all these other hotels have a lounge, whereas the DT only gives vouchers. It’s not an issue for a 1-night stay but if spending a few days in Doha I would rather have a lounge and good odds of a suite rather than save money on the cheaper DT closer to the airport.
Dec 28, 2018, 7:09 am
Anyway, our recent stay was altogether enjoyable. The location is nice, the hotel is nice, the staff are nice, the breakfast is nice and if you keep your eyes open you should be able to get a very reasonable rate. We would happily stay there again.
HOWEVER -- and this is unfortunate because it has nothing directly to do with the hotel -- there is a major construction project just beginning (late December '18) in a lot adjacent to the hotel and there will be a lot of noise for the next weeks and months. Be sure to get a room on the side away from the work! You'll still hear it but it won't be as bad as if it were right outside your window. I reached two surmises about this situation. First, this construction project must already be behind schedule because the work continues well past midnight ( ! ) and resumes around 6 a.m. Second, it must have some influential backers that the builders can so blatantly ignore any 'anti-social hours' rules, especially in light of the objections one expects that the Doubletree and the other hotels in the area must have raised.