For a vacation spot that provides glitz and luxurious to your metropolis break, the small Gulf state of Qatar and its capital Doha have all of it. It takes the very best elements of center jap journey and packages them along with no bills spared, for a luxurious expertise round each nook.
Qatar effortlessly blends conventional tradition with fashionable opulence and is completely positioned to be loved in utter consolation and luxurious. From the very best names in inns and eating places with world-class cooks at their helm to non-public excursions and purchasing malls providing prime labels, and spa remedies that put the lux in rest, Doha is the pearl within the jewellery field of luxurious journey.
Keep in a single day in a five-star resort
In the case of selecting luxurious lodging, Doha almost has an excessive amount of selection. The skyline and shoreline of Doha are dotted with prime inns, many with personal seashores and all with pretty swimming pools, spas and good eating places – and with a heady mixture of consolation and bling.
You may keep on a personal island within the bay on the Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara with its South Pacific-style overwater villas, very good eating places and a floating lunch served within the pool. Or be pampered within the Pearl-Qatar – a man-made peninsula district stuffed with inns, residences, cafes and eating places – on the palatial Marsa Malaz Kempinski, which affords a personal seaside, an opulent spa and unique excursions of Doha in its fleet of luxurious rides, together with Rolls Royces, Vary Rovers and BMWs.
On the different finish of the 4.5-mile bayside promenade referred to as the Corniche, Sharq Village & Spa, a Ritz Carlton property, makes you’re feeling like you’re staying in a neighborhood village by the ocean, stuffed with cultural and conventional touches all in utter privateness and opulence. Among the many many prime luxurious chains, the 4 Seasons Lodge Doha is tough to beat. Positioned in West Bay, between town middle and the Pearl-Qatar, this property is dwelling to a number of very good eating places.
Plan an ideal romantic getaway in Qatar
Pattern the very best of Doha’s fantastic eating scene
Doha has a stunning variety of prime eating places providing cuisines from across the globe and the very best of native dishes. Nobu excels at nice meals and an excellent Friday brunch, nevertheless it additionally wins in relation to location, sitting on a small island linked by a causeway to the 4 Seasons lodge. An area favourite is the Peruvian restaurant COYA on the W Lodge – its ceviche is to die for, particularly when adopted by the decadent churros de naranja.
The primary restaurant within the Center East by “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto, merely referred to as Morimoto within the quirky Mondrian Lodge, serves divine Japanese meals, together with butter-soft tuna nigiri. On the not-to-be-missed Hakkasan restaurant on the St Regis Lodge, the dim sum platter raises steamed dumplings to an completely scrumptious artwork kind.
Additionally within the swanky St Regis, three-Michelin-starred Chef Andy Garcia is the affect behind BIBO Doha, an Andalusian-styled brasserie that serves European and Mediterranean delicacies tailored for Qatari locals and impressed by the Spanish chef’s travels. Savor the ‘culinary journey information’ the place Spanish flavors are served with a ‘customized worldwide twist,’ shortly successful the title of Greatest European Restaurant in Doha.
Whereas the nation’s worldwide delicacies is excellent, when in Qatar it’s best to attempt the very best of Center Japanese meals in an opulent setting. For that, look no additional than Al Sufra on the Marsa Malaz Kempinski, the place Levant-inspired dishes based mostly on conventional recipes and flavors are served with wealthy espresso and over-the-top service in a comfy environment that feels destined to face the check of time.
Yasmine Palace is within the uptown space of The Pearl-Qatar, which is one in every of Qatar’s most luxurious addresses. It’s Doha’s solely multi-themed restaurant, and its extravagant décor is matched solely by the meals. There are three distinctive gastronomical journeys, which is able to take you thru Levant, Andalusia, and Qatar for a ‘full luxurious sensory expertise.’
8 of the best eating experiences in Qatar
Go on a personal tour round Qatar
The geography of Doha could be complicated while you first arrive as a result of it stretches round a virtually round bay, so to get your bearings, reserving a personal helicopter flight over the capital is not only enjoyable however helpful. Flying over town, the bay with its islands, and throughout to The Pearl-Qatar, is an ideal introduction to this desert nation.
From the air to the water – ensure you take time to take a look across the magnificent Doha Bay. There’s no higher method than on a luxury yacht, which affords excellent views throughout the bay and Doha’s skyline, a cease off on the uninhabited Safliya Island for a swim, and elective lunch.
Subsequent up is the desert itself. Qatar’s desert is usually rocky and flat, however within the south, towards the border with Saudi Arabia, excellent sand dunes beckon to be explored. Rushing up and down the sand dunes in a 4WD with an skilled driver on the wheel is a thrill. Searching for one thing a bit of extra laid-back? Take a personal Desert Safari tour throughout the dunes to Khor Al Adaid, the Inland Sea. With its turquoise waters and wintertime pink flamingos, it affords a magical backdrop for a picnic lunch earlier than you head off for extra desert actions akin to sandboarding.
From sea to dune, journey abounds in Qatar
Get the final word pampering with a spa session
What’s extra indulgent than gold and pearls? How a couple of gold- or pearl-based spa therapy?
Let the splendid Al Messila Spa at its namesake resort indulge you in all issues golden: pure gold sizzling stone therapeutic massage, pure gold physique oil, a gold facial and extra. Their Golden Opulence Ritual pampers you for 180 minutes.
If you’re extra into pearls than gold, indulge within the luxurious of a therapeutic massage utilizing pearl-infused oil at The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Doha. The spa additionally affords VIP or {couples} suites.
Or get pampered with the attractive Center Japanese scent of oud – a woody, earthy olfactory sensation – with the Arabian Oud Renewal Therapy on the 4 Seasons. The pampering selections in Qatar are usually not solely luxuriously indulgent, but additionally seemingly countless.
Designer purchasing
Purchasing in Qatar is a wildly widespread pastime. Its malls mirror the necessity for shelter from the warmth, but additionally the need to bask in some critical spending.
Begin off on the conventional Souq Waqif with its many cafes and eating places and bazaar-like stalls promoting every thing from conventional incense to plush camels. After the cultural immersion, try Villaggio Mall for its Venetian canals and lux labels; Al Hazm, which seems to be just like the (fashionable) twin of the fabulous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan; or the spectacular Mall of Qatar with its Singapore-esque inside backyard. Alternatively, rent a neighborhood stylist to take you around the purchasing highlights of Doha, full with lunch and style styling recommendation.
The newest instance of high-end purchasing is the groundbreaking Place Vendôme purchasing complicated, which opened in April 2022. The Parisian-inspired improvement options as much as 600 completely different stores with a complete wing devoted to luxurious labels, in addition to an leisure complicated and two five-star luxurious inns.
Glowing experiences with out the worth tag
Although it might be stuffed with spare-no-expense luxurious, Qatar additionally has a wealth of top-class cheap and free sights for savvy vacationers to get pleasure from, be they walks, cruises, seashores, or artwork items. Here is a few of our favourite cheap choices that don’t skimp on the affect.
- Stroll the Corniche at nightfall: When the lights on Doha’s skyline begin to twinkle and a gentle breeze wafts throughout the Gulf, there’s no higher place to be than this stunning stroll alongside the water’s edge. In an hour you’ll be able to cowl its whole 4.5-mile span or choose a spot and benefit from the view.
- Take a brief dhow tour: Talking of a view, many dhows provide 20-minute excursions from the Corniche for a fraction of the price of a full personal tour. On an evening cruise on these conventional picket boats, you will note town sparkle throughout you, with the sunshine mirrored on the darkish, calm water of the Gulf, making it look iridescent.
- Out of doors artwork installations: With a wealth of public artwork on show, there’s at all times one thing new to see totally free. Maybe none is as placing as The Miraculous Journey by Damien Hirst on the Sidra Medical Heart – 14 gargantuan bronzes depicting a rising fetus within the womb. Elsewhere, the gilded thumb within the Souq Waqif and the hovering sculpture often called ‘7’ within the Museum of Islamic Artwork Park will depart you amazed at how these glowing installations make you’re feeling.
- Calm down on a public seaside: With golden sand, stunning clear water, and the pleasant laughter of youngsters, it’s laborious to prime an ideal lounge on the seaside in Qatar. Choose your favourite, whether or not it’s on the Gulf or the Inland Sea, and watch the world go by. What’s extra luxurious than that?
