Doha’s transformation in recent years has been stunning and dramatic, with an ever-changing skyline harboring extraordinary cultural landmarks, shopping malls, and palatial hotels. Hotels in Doha are often luxurious oases and a good many deliver a full resort experience even in the heart of the city. Travelers looking for seclusion, luxury, and resort-like accommodations will do well at these seven Doha stays.

The 336-room St. Regis Doha checks every box for the uber-sumptuous hotel experience you expect in Doha. Its enormous chandelier-adorned cream-and-tan marble lobby announces its grandeur and every possible detail lives up to this first impression.

Spacious rooms (including 70 suites) come with butler service, oversized soaking tubs, and views of West Bay’s sparkling teal waters. The hotel’s private beachfront is a premium amenity in Doha, plus there are opulent gardens, a waterfront swimming pool, world-class spa (complete with a gorgeous blue-tiled sauna and massive fitness center) offering more opportunities to relax. Guests have 10 bars and restaurants to choose from, including Hakkasan and a stunning rooftop bar. 

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Built to resemble a Sheikh’s palace, this Ritz-Carlton resort is among Doha’s most luxurious properties. Its 174 rooms and suites are categorically upscale, with upscale Arabian decor, private balconies, and big soaking tubs in every category. Room types tap out at the 22,000-square-foot beachfront Royal Villa with a private indoor pool.

Sharq Village’s beautifully maintained grounds contain several fine-dining restaurants, including a Persian restaurant exquisitely clad in rich mosaics. 

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With a prime position on Al Corniche, the iconic Sheraton is perfectly geared towards all sorts of travelers – families, couples, conventioneers, wedding parties, and groups of friends. Private palm-fringed beaches enclose two turquoise lagoons, with water sports offerings ranging from banana boat rides to wakeboarding. Or guests can simply retreat to the zero-entry pool, infinity-edge hot tub, or cabana-filled gardens. Past guests have rave about the al fresco Friday brunch at La Veranda, one of the hotel’s many food and drink venues.

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Four Seasons’ excellence weaves through its regal Qatari outpost. On top of five pools and a spa, guests have a private beach and marina on the Arabian Gulf. A highlight among the hotel’s 10 restaurants and bars is the rooftop Nobu -- the largest one in the world. The hotel’s 237 rooms and suites feature interiors by Pierre Yves-Rochon (the same design genius behind the famous Four Seasons George V in Paris) and all-marble bathrooms with Christian Lacroix or Hermes toiletries. 

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Set on a 32-acre private island a short catamaran ride from downtown Doha, the one-of-a-kind Banana Island Resort is a unique destination that is both romantic and family-friendly. Accommodations (from sea-view rooms to private pool villas to thatch-roof over-water villas that look straight out of the Maldives) start at an impressive 600 square feet. All have breezy modern style and upscale perks like separate soaking tubs and rainfall showers.

While each room is a perfect retreat, guests will be tempted to zip around on gold carts to explore the rest of the hotel: four pools (including a wave pool for surfing), snorkeling and other water sports, nine-hole golf, loads of dining options, and a half-mile beach. The Anantara Signature Spa also dazzles, with saunas and Turkish and Moroccan hammans.

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Guests cannot help but feel like royalty at the majestic Intercontinental Doha. Although it is in the heart of the city, the hotel’s lush gardens, freeform pool, and nearly mile-long stretch of white-sand beach give it the feel of a tropical resort. Stunning traditional decor elements—arabesque tiling, carved latticework—are paired beautifully with fresh contemporary interior design. A whopping 14 restaurants and bars include the Peruvian La Mar by celeb chef Gastón Acurio and the chic and airy Greek-Mediterranean Mykonos, which will transport you straight to the Aegean.

The hotel’s impressive amenities extend beyond food and drink outlets: expect squash and tennis courts, a shaded kids’ pool and indoor kids’ club, a women-only pool, and the 16-treatment room Spa Intercontinental with everything from Thai massage to sound therapy. Nearly half of the hotel’s luxurious 375 rooms and suites have views of Doha’s sparkling bay and skyline.

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With its private-island location in Costa Malaz Bay, the opulent Marsa Malaz Kempinski delivers secluded luxury on a grand scale. Spacious, sumptuous interiors pay homage to Arabian design (wood latticework, damask fabrics, arches), while the outdoor areas offer a network of pools leading up to a private 330-foot sandy beach with sun loungers and water sports.

Marsa Malaz’s other lavish features include nine restaurants and bars (including the popular Secret Garden, considered by some Doha’s most beautiful rooftop lounge), a luxurious Spa by Clarins, and extensive facilities for kids and families.

 

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